# 1623/161 Kaninchenhöhle 161b/c

## 161 Kaninchenhöhle: France - side passages

### French Connection II

Continuing north up the rift over Adrian pitch, along the bolted traverse, leads over a 15m chocked section to a fine 50m pitch, French Connection II. At the foot of this pitch there is an open boulder-floored area.

To the left (NE) there is a loose rock slope to a 5m roped section, at the foot of which is a second bolt, for a 24m pitch. This area is Belgium (it's near France, but hardly worth a visit). From the foot of the rope, SW climbs a boulder pile to a prominent rock, then descends again, all in a chamber directly below the false floor at the base of FCII. NE from the rope descends steeply in more rift, with an 8m vertical to where the rift floor chokes and a continuation becomes too tight. This is 143m below the main 161a entrance.

To the right (SW) there is another undescended pitch [C1990-161-11 A] which was bolted and partly rigged in 1990. Part way along the rift is a 2m diameter tube 2m above the floor in the left hand wall. This takes a strong draught which can be followed past a short oxbow to a chamber containing a huge boulder poised at the edge of a pitch. This is the Dice, on the main route in France. Access is possible to various small passages from Dice chamber. The draught goes up a steep slope into the foot of a boulder choke.

There is supposed to be another "Hole at the base of French Connection II" [C1990-161-10 C], but it is unclear where this is, or if indeed, it is a hole already explored (eg. Belgium).

The tube from French Connection II to Dice chamber has a hole in the floor which is unexplored (and indeed, not noticed) by CUCC [B1988-161-1 B]. This seems to have been explored by the original French group GSCB, with a depth of 45m to three more QMs via a p11 [B1988-161-2, B1988-161-3, B1988-161-4].

### Robinson Crusoe

At the second rebelay about 30m down Francophobia it is possible to swing off 2m to the right into Robinson Crusoe (don't let go of the rope !), a 2m diameter tube heading straight down dip, parallel to the one into France, 10m below. After 30m this comes out in the French Connection II rift. It is (just) possible to traverse round on the left to get into the continuation of the passage (Man Friday) on the other side of the rift. There was a footprint found here. It is blocked by boulders after about 10m.

### Toothless/Algeria area (1992-95)

A traverse across the top of Toothless was possible [C1992-161-01 B] until the ledges fell off, just after the traverse back was completed !

At the SSW end of Algeria (the outer corner of the 'L') are a couple of 4m climbs into an immature stream rift, reaching 12m downstream before it gets too tight, and having 30m of difficult going upstream. This could be pushed further, but it is likely to get worse (and so apparently doesn't have a QM number).

#### Twin Tubs (1993)

In the opposite wall of Algeria from the Frogs' Legs pitch is a climb up (freeclimbed, but easier with a rope) to reach a pair of shafts, Twin Tubs. The nearer and wetter pitch is Washer, while the further is Drier. Washer appears to be an unpleasant 26m drop, followed by 5m into a volume of boulders. Further progress seems to have been prevented by flooding in 1993 but was pushed somewhat via Daz Automatic in 1995.

At the bottom of Daz/Twin Tubs (beware hanging death) is a smaller hole with an old spit in the boulder above. This leads into a small chamber, where you can crawl through a small hole round to the right up through boulders a short way, into the bottom of another wet pitch (not surveyed).

#### Top Loader (1994)

A parallel route to Frogs' Legs, dropping into Twin Tubs.

At the foot of Toothless there is a narrow rift, [C1992-161-02 B], that intersects on the right, and has a stream in it. This is Standard Deviation, and is followed by Top Loader, which drops into Twin Tubs.

#### Daz Automatic (1995)

In Algeria, between the foot of Frogs' Legs III and Orient Express, but on the opposite side from the point of entry, is a hole in the floor [C1992-161-04 B] which leads to Daz Automatic.

On the right (Orient Express side) of a large boulder by the wall is a hole where a boulder floor can be seen a short way down, with a slot by the wall leading further down. There are two spits on the main wall above the right side of the hole (facing wall). A short pitch (~6m ?) leads down through the slot, keeping left to land on a boulder in the corner of Daz Chamber, the main part of which is to the left and forwards under the wall of Algeria.

From the bottom of the pitch, going left down a slope of small rocks, to the left of a large boulder, leads to Daz Pitch - the pitch head is loose. There is 1 spit on right wall. The pitch is ~3m x 3m across with a small amount of water entering and is in fact Twin Tubs.

Daz Chamber has an irregular boulder floor. From the bottom of the 6m pitch, the wall behind and to the left is made of the boulders forming the floor of Algeria, with a solid far wall opposite, and a low ceiling with rocks underneath to the right.

By the solid wall ahead one can climb down boulders into a hole which is choked at the bottom. Above this there is a hole in the wall leading to a narrow clean-washed rift (~15m long ?) with a pitch at the end (2-3 seconds clattering I think) [C1995-161-73 B]. This rift can also be reached by following the right wall above Daz Pitch. This rift has not been surveyed.

Right of the boulder at the foot of the 6m pitch it is possible to crawl a short distance through smaller boulders under the wall of Algeria. This chokes to the right and enters Daz Chamber on left.

#### Sultans of Swing Pitch

The Sultans of Swing pitch, [C1994-161-61 A], continues below the traverse off to Flat France. Drops in three sections of about 20m each, to a sump at -302m (from the main 161a entrance).

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