We had four objectives for this years trip to the Vercors:
· to spend the night on the Grand Veymont (2341m, the highest point in the Vercors) in order to photograph the sunset and sunrise
· Scialet Chassillon (an allegedly fine phreatic system on the high plateau)
· a phototrip into the Gournier
· a phototrip/recce into the adjacent Ecrins National Park
As well as these objectives there was also the three day Speleovision film festival to keep us from actually going caving (see report elsewhere).
Bev and I spent most of the first week walking. We had located the entrance to Scialet Chassillon last year with Andy and Jason after an horrendous six hour long circular walk on the high plateau. Studying the map during the winter suggested a short cut. The short cut (an hour and a quarter) turned out to be a nasty climb down a sharp limestone escarpment followed by some steep ankle snapping scree (Bev was not amused!), and we failed to locate the entrance - DOH! The next day we drove into the Alps proper - the Ecrins National Park to walk to the base of Montagne des Agneaux - a fine and very photogenic mountain. We camped that night at La Grave and the next day took the cable car up to the Glacier de la Girose, overlooking La Meije for more photographs.
Andy Pryke (ex-YSS) arrived at the start of our second week and after two days resting and spending money in the toy shops, Andy and I at last forged a real short cut to Scialet Chassillon (now down to under thirty minutes). The next day, the weather forecast was fine and settled for the following few days and so we set off with enormous rucksacks for the Grand Veymont. The overnight trip involves some 12 miles walking and about 4,000ft height gain, most of which comes in one big lump after a
long walk! Five hours after leaving the car and a lot of sweat later we were on the summit admiring the views over the Alps and photographing the setting sun over the Vercors - stunning. We had a quick meal and whilst Andy settled down to some serious star gazing I crashed out completely knackered (with a new admiration for serious trekkers like Chris Comely and Alan Tate).
The alarm clock went off at 05.00 and after a seemingly endless struggle to fight my way out of both my sleeping bag and bivvi bag in the still pitch black pre morning, managed to turn it off. Very quickly the stars started to disappear as the sky lightened and then, almost magically, an orange glow spread across the sky behind Mont Blanc followed very quickly by the huge orange ball of the sun itself - the cameras were singing!. Then within minutes, the sun had risen above the horizon and was too bright to look at. It was morning.
We had a quick brew and packed away our bivvi gear as more and more people arrived on the summit. We had climbed the Grand Veymont from the north side and we now descended via the south side. We had thought about an extended walk back via the famed but elusive roman quarries but by the time we had reached the base of the hill it was becoming far too hot and so took the most direct route back to the car (which was actually much longer than the walk in!). After a long trek across the plateau in the heat of mid-day sun (not recommended) we eventually reached the road head some twenty four hours after setting off. We threw the gear into the car and headed off for a beer.
That night and the following three days were spent at Speleovision (see report elsewhere).
Monday (week three): Eventually recovered from Speleovision we went caving! I had been told about Scialet Chassillon in March 1997 but the location was extremely vague. It then appeared in volume 2 of the local guide book and although it included directions to the entrance, a local caver gave us a better route, which we used last year to find the entrance - 6 hours! We now have the walk down to less than 30 minutes. The cave itself has a single superb entrance pitch of 38m and apart from
a further pitch which needs to be traversed across, is entirely horizontal. This ancient phreatic system was once very beautiful but has suffered over the years by serious over-caving. A fine trip though, nonetheless.
The next two days were spent cleaning gear after Chassillon and further shopping. On the Thursday we went into the Gournier in order to take some pictures using some PF50 flashbulbs we had recently acquired – the results were terrific and then we were packing and returned home just managing to nip into Calais between road blocks from French hauliers protesting about the cost of French diesel - they should try buying it in the UK!!
Speleovision – a report by Glenn Jones
Eleven years after the last International Festival of Caving Films was held at La Chapelle-en-Vercors, the August 2000 bank holiday weekend witnessed the spectacular return of this event. Having heard stories of past festivals and the fringe entertainment (spectacular abseiling displays on near by cliffs) we had mixed feelings on what to expect – we were not about to be disappointed.
Starting at 9pm on Thursday 24th August the festival run through virtually continuously (well, long after we’d given up and gone to bed) until Sunday afternoon at 4pm. What impressed me (and kept me there) was the variety of films shown – from films commissioned for TV to local caving clubs documenting their current breakthrough to tongue in cheek horror films! UK film makers were represented by Sid Perou (Speleogenisis and Gaping Gill – One Hundred Years of Exploration) and Andy Sparrow – who won a prize for ”Solo”.
Throughout the event there was a Speleobar selling good beer, wine and food at very reasonable prices and a large Speleomarket with many caving equipment suppliers represented. Cave art was featured with a stand from UKs Ceris Jones and Robin Grey and the Vercors National Park had a fine display featuring an AV of stunning photo’s from local photographer Yann.
The festival was held in La Chapelles new sports centre – Salle Polyvente and was organised by Luc-Henri Fage the brains behind “Speleo” (probably the worlds finest caving magazine, even if it is still only in French) and local caver super hero Serge Caillaut.
The highlight of the weekend though was the gala dinner and awards ceremony for the 700 odd festivaliers who had paid in advance. The event started at 8pm with aperitifs at the Speleobar where a small band of UK cavers (Andy and Lesley Jackson – BPC, Jim Sloane and Ceris Jones – LUG, Andy Pryke - SV and Glenn and Bev Jones – YSS & SV) more than made up for limited numbers by their sheer enthusiasm. Seven bottles of Clairette de Die later (a local and wonderful sparkling wine made by angels – and yes, that’s a bottle each, this is only going to end in tears!) and we sat down to further aperitifs, a three course meal and many bottles of red wine.
Luc-Henri introduced the runners up in each category and then interviewed the winning film maker followed by a short clip from the winning film, all the time a live and accomplished jazz band provided suitable musical interludes – just like the BAFTA’s. In between awarding prizes, spoof adverts featuring cavers were shown on the huge screen (the cavers solution to a small planet {IBM advert} – blow it up!). And in between that the house lights were dimmed and local cavers demonstrated just why the French are probably the worlds best cavers by doing some really amazing rope tricks from ropes previously rigged throughout the enormous hall – like running down the walls from the roof, and swinging across the tables at little more than (sitting) head height! The UK cavers helped whip up the audiences enthusiasm by clapping wildly and banging the table every time the word speleo was mentioned – the only word they understood!
The finale to the awards ceremony saw many of the film makers back on stage including Sid, who although not having won a prize was apparently being awarded the freedom of France, though this may not be true as it was all in French and by this time I was beginning to lose the plot a little.
Following the awards ceremony, the tables were cleared and some of us got down to some serious dancing – others imitated chickens (Ceris) and Andy J did a fine Basil Fawlty impression with a breadbasket.
Highlights for me (apart from the award ceremony – Hidden Earth’s going to be an anti climax) were “Siphon 1122” by Georges Marry a descent of the Gouffre Berger from the ‘50s featuring some bizarre ladder and no life line techniques, “Malefice” by Pierre Figere, a spoof horror film set in a cave, ‘’L’exploration” by Rik Martens, a documentary of their dig and actual breakthrough into large passage and “la Fond du Mond” by Oliviere Pellegri, another fine film on the Berger. And then there was Marco Preti’s Sotano – what the hell was that about?!
The weekend was also incredibly cheap. By registering before June 15th the cost for the weekends admission (which included a good quality Speleovision T shirt, an A4 colour programme and admission to the gala award ceremony with three course meal and wine) was £30.00!
The next Speleovision will be in 2001 – I’ll be there.
Postscript 1 (Jim Sloane):
A Reuters press agency report from France indicates that the Mayor of La Chapelle, a small village in the Department of Drome (SE France), has declared the area a disaster zone following the closing dinner of the "Speleovision" International Film Festival.
The Mayor said "These English potholers have drunk all our wine, consumed every last drop of our Clairette de Die and our Gym roof has collapsed with the weight of corks those drunkards fired up onto it”. He went on to say "What went on with the breadbasket was shameful - the BPC have much to make up for".
From his prison cell in Grenoble, Mr Andrew Jackson issued the following statement " I now fully realise that I should have left the breadbasket on the table right from the start. I shall never again, under any circumstances whatsoever, mistake one for an article of clothing".
A further report claims that as the "Speleovision" dinner was drawing to a close, a Yorkshire woman by the name of Lesley, was found collapsed in suspicious circumstances amongst a heap of Liptons teabags. Upon her discharge from hospital it is understood that she will be detained by the Gendarmes for questioning.
Interpol are continuing investigations in respect of this matter and are trying to establish the whereabouts of several other British nationals who attended the event, but are now believed to be in hiding!
Postscript 2 (Glenn Jones):
There were further reports on Sunday that an apparently pre-meditated verbal assault took place late Saturday night on one of the prize winners - a certain Mr Sparrow. It seems, according to some reliable witnesses, that one of the British potholers had purposefully cut his hair short and removed his beard in order to hide his appearance prior to the unprovoked tirade of verbal abuse showered upon the unsuspecting Mr Sparrow. The same individual was being sought for questioning with regards to the misappropriation of several bottles of wine from tables within the glittering Saturday night gala.
It is also reported that the alleged ritualistic disembowelling of an unidentified animal in the bathroom of a remote farmhouse in the same area of France was not due to suspicious circumstances. Forensic evidence identified the "blood" and "internal organs" splattered around the bathroom as regurgitated red wine and blue berries. The mysterious disappearance of the reported blood covered corpse from the same bathroom continues to baffle local police. Whilst the trail of “blood” leaving the bathroom, has been scientifically identified as congealed red wine, forensic evidence has positively identified samples of human blood and hair on the underside of the toilet seat in the same bathroom. Local police are reported to be stopping and questioning all British potholers with fresh head wounds. However, the reported chanting of the mantra “Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod” continues to mystify.
Today (Sunday 3rd) Interpol were stopping all Brit potholers arriving at Dover. A certain Mr Pryke was heard to say "It's not me you want, but my dad in the car behind"....
Report by Glenn Jones
| < Prev |
|---|
