GeologyRocksScary stuff!!!
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Scary stuff!!!
Sat, 09/17/2005 - 20:03When I was in the Army stationed in Germany, we were out 'playing soldiers' on exercise. This one was a bit more serious in that the commander had lost the plot apparently, and we were in danger (although we didn't know it) of being over-run.
We were in woods just near a working quarry. I had sneaked out of the location one evening down to the local village in order to put a few Marks into the local hostelry owner pocket in exchange for some golden liquid refreshment.
I got talking to a guy who turned out to be the quarry manager, and when he knew of my interest in minerals he told me that they were blasting at midday the next day. They would have their lunch while the dust settled, but I was welcome to see what I could find.
About 10 to 12 I set off, in all my webbing and my rifle slung over my back and with a shovel so everyone thought they knew where I was going.
About 200 yards down the track I decided that I didn't want to cart all this lot along so I found a bush put my kit and my rifle under it and covered this lot with leaves.
I got about another 100 yards and there were a series of explosions. I thought this was strange since Germans are very precis about times.
Then I heard whistles blowing and realised that our position was under attack - wasn't the quarry at all.
I ran back to where I thought I had buried my kit......... do you know that every bloody bush looks the same when you're in a hurry!!!!!! :oops:
John
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Scary stuff!!!
Mon, 09/19/2005 - 08:18Very good.
Mine are often underground exploits, from 40 years of caving. here's another one:
Years ago I used to do solo midnight trips into Ogof ffynnon Ddu, a 20 mile + cave in South Wales. There's loads of scope for circular tours, trips between entrances, etc and I'd clocked up dozens of trips into it.
On one occasion I wanted to do a round trip through a part of the cave I wasn't familiar with so I spent ages studying the survey, memorizing the various junctions and so on.
All went well until I came to a section of cave where I had a choice of routes. Either a grotty muddy tube down to the left or a fine walking passage ahead. Since the only passage I could remember from the survey was the latter I set out along it, only to be stopped at the edge of a pit about 20ft in diameter with the floor about 15 ft down and the passage continuing at the other side. I spotted a sparse line of holds along the right wall so, not wanting to admit defeat and return, I set out to traverse the pit. Three things became apparent:
a) the holds became unusable halfway across
b) I couldn't reverse what I'd already done
c) the "floor" was actually a small ledge overlooking a huge black chasm
Stomach in mouth, I psyched myself up and did a "wall-of-death" run to other side, whereupon I instantly collapsed in a heap and blubbed uncontrollably.
The rest of the trip was slightly marred by this experience.
later on I was speaking to a guy about my epic journey. His reply was why didn't I avoid the whole thing by just taking the grotty little tube down to the left.
Moral of the story: If you're going to be a heroic wassock underground go alone, since that way nobody sees you sobbing when you bugger it up.
Gus
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Scary stuff!!!
Submitted by Gus Horsley on Fri, 09/16/2005 - 10:24.Has anybody had any really scary, buttock-clenching, nausea-inducing, but funny, experiences whilst pursuing their interests?
I'll kick off with something that was very nasty for a mate of mine but I found hilarious, and lowers the tone from the start.
Round about the time this happened there was a report from Cwmystwyth Mine that a recently discovered tunnel had concentrations of hydrogen sulphide in it which actually caused two members of the exploration group to collapse unconscious, leading to a potentially disastrous episode.
So when the two of us dug into an old mine in Mid Wales this incident wasn't far from our minds. The debris which blocked the mouth of the adit had also dammed back the water inside, which was literally neck deep with less than a foot of airspace. About 50 metres in the ferocious curry I had the night before manifested itself with an audible blast inside my wetsuit and then crept out the neck shortly after. I naturally moved rapidly onwards, but my mate thought my increased speed was responsible for releasing trapped hydrogen sulphide in the mud and panicked, screaming "we've got to get out! We're going to die!". It took a moment before I realised what was happening. His distress was compounded when I started to laugh uncontrollably, since he evidently thought the gas had affected my mind. He shot out of the mine at a terrific speed and didn't speak to me for ages.
Amusing? Maybe. But let's not forget there's a serious point to this. If only I knew what it was...
Gus