Sean Lewis, Tymme Laun, Marianne Batchelder, Thomas Duselis, Chris Bell, Brian Welp, Kyle Lapczynski, Erin Baker, Justin Fitch
I woke up at 7:00 AM and a little disappointed my phone read 6 because I only had half an hour left to sleep. My alarm rang at 7:30; time to get up. I saw Kyle and Aaron rousing as I passed their room and headed downstairs. We stayed at Tymme’s house. The four of us ate breakfast and waited on Sean to arrive. Around 8:30 AM we took off for Corydon. We were running late but would have been on time had we not had flood waters not detoured us for 10 minute. We arrived at Taco Bell a little over 5 minutes late where we met Chris Bell, and Brian Welp. Tom showed up and required a Walmart run. We then piled into 3 vehicles and drove south to the parking spot for Wilson pit. I’d already talked to the landowner so upon arrival we geared up and hiked up the gravel road. The group totaled 10 people: Brian Welp, Tymme Laune, Sean Lewis, Marianne Batchelder, Chris Bell, Tom Duselis, Justin Fitch, Kyle Lapczynski, Erin Baker, and myself.
We soon entered the large quarter, quarter square and began searching for the entrance. Having 10 people helped because after only about 10 minutes Tom stumbled upon the entrance sink. I rewarded him with a small Snickers. I rigged the rope and suited up managing to have my gear assembled in time to drop the pit first. I descended a short slope into a 3 x 3 foot hole and was glad to see virtually no offset from the 11 foot pit into the 80’ drop. I slid down a brief mud slope and began my freefall drop down an elliptical shaped pit. About 20 feet off the pit floor I saw a large ledge and decided it’d be better for everyone to land there than the more confined and wetter pit bottom. I tied off my rack and flailed in mid air until I grasp the wall enough to set myself in motion. I then kicked off the wall building momentum. Once I had a little momentum, I set myself off in the right direction but didn’t quite make the ledge. I could see that I’d need a strong push off to reach the ledge and that I’d also need to unlock my rack and lower myself at the end of the arc. I missed one more time and then finally landed on the ledge. What a fun pendulum!
I yelled off rope and Tymme came down next. I ended up pulling him over to the ledge. Brian and Chris came down and I photographed as Tom and Sean descended. I finally got the lighting right as we waited on the next person to come down. After a short delay, Marianne descended. I’d got my shots so I packed my gear, traversed around a narrow pit into the canyon below, climbed up a flowstone slope, and set up below the climb up. Sean had already free-climbed the 12’ flowstone climb and rigged a rope. I set up my flashes and photographed Marianne as she ascended. I then photographed Tom’s ascent and descent. Once Tom, Marianne, and Tymme were down Justin tried to go up. After an unsuccessful attempt, I noticed that the ropes for his foot ascender were attached backwards. I heard quite a commotion back at the main pit and quickly backtracked. Kyle Lapczynski had entered the cave! I’m not sure if he pulled off the pendulum or not. The only person I recall seeing complete the pendulum was Tom but I’m fairly certain a couple others did as well. Kyle, Erin, and I traversed back around the narrow pit to the formation climb up. I climbed, placed my flash, and photographed Erin, Justin, and Kyle’s ascent. Then I placed a flash behind the group of large, carrot-like, stalagmites and Kyle posed in a few formation pictures. Then Kyle and Erin rappelled back down the climb down and I de-rigged, looped the rope around the large formation, and rappelled down both ends.
Kyle, Erin, and I reached the main pit just as Marianne prepared to ascend back to the top. I de-rigged the re-belay and Kyle, Erin, and I rappelled to the pit floor and disappeared into the downstream, canyon, drain. After about 20 feet of chimneying we reached a small dome room. Below, you could climb further down to a ledge. I didn’t descend because it looked rather like a pit and therefore difficult to get down and back up. Kyle, Erin, and I hung out in the small room while everyone climbed out. Then we sat in the drafty canyon for awhile waiting on Justin, and Tymme to climb. Eventually, my turn arrived. I attached the 77’ rope, and my two dry boxes to my tether and started up.
I soon reached the top and did my best not dislodge any material or muddy myself on the slope near the entrance. I exited and Erin climbed next. I photographed Erin and Kyle climbing out of the pit and then Erin pulled while I coiled the rope. It was raining slightly. I felt glad that I'd stowed my stuff inside my backpack. My pack felt pretty heavy on the hike back down the hill to the cars.
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Sean Lewis tries to grasp the wall and began his pendulum.
Sean Lewis looks toward his objective. The ledge.
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Sean tries to pull himself over to the ledge.
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Tymme Laun helps Sean Lewis onto the ledge.
Tom Duselis rappells to the pedulum.
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Tom Duselis smiles for the picture.
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Tom manages to pull off the pendulum.
Tom gets off rope.
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Marianne Batchelder rappells down the 80' entrance pit.
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Sean pulls Marianne over to the ledge.
Marianne gets off rope.
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Marianne climbs up to the formation room.
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Tymme and Marianne stand in the formation room.
Tom gets on rope at the top of the flowstone climb up.
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Tom gets on rope at the top of the flowstone climb up.
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Tom poses for a picture while descending the flowstone climb up.
Erin Baker ascends the flowstone climb up.
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Erin smiles as she reaches the top.
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Justin Fitch pulls himself over the edge of the flowstone climb up.
Kyle Lapczynski ascends the climb up.
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A classic Kyle Lapczynski pose.
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Kyle Lapczynski poses among the formations.
Kyle Lapczynski poses among the formations.
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Kyle Lapczynski peaks out from behind the formations.
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Kyle Lapczynski poses among the formations.
Erin Baker climbs out of the pit entrance.
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Erin Baker climbs out of the pit entrance.
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Erin Baker climbs out of the pit entrance.
Kyle Lapczynski climbs out of the pit entrance.
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Kyle Lapczynski climbs out of the pit entrance.
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Kyle Lapczynski climbs out of the pit entrance.
Kyle Lapczynski climbs out of the pit entrance.