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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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2020-06-11 14:08:12 +01:00
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2><U><B>Kaninchenhöhle,
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Steinbrückenhöhle and Tunnockschacht: a brief history</B></U></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Kaninchenhöhle was CUCC's
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primary project throughout the 1990s, following its discovery in
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1988, eventually reaching 22km length and 500m depth. In 1999
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Steinbrückenhöhle was discovered a km or so to the North, and (not
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least because it had a really nice bivi site), because the main
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focus. Over the next decade, nearly 17km of passages were explored
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there with a vertical range of over 600m. The cave has several
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levels, lined up with the dip of the limestone plateau, separated
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from one another by pitch series, and has potential to connect to
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both Kaninchenhöhle ('KH') and Tunnockschacht, as it lies between
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them, and by the end of 2010 quite close to both, although the KH
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nearest approach point had been checked carefully and found hopeless
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from both sides. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Tunnocks was first found in
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2005 And over the next few years, provided over 7km of surveyed
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passage with a vertical range of 256m. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>During the previous
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expedition, CUCC had descended an impressive 80m pitch ‘String
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Theory’, and had discovered a number of leads at the bottom, one of
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which being a tantalising 20m away from Steinbrückenhöhle. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Hopes for a connection
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between and Tunnocks were high, but we've thought connections were
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'likely' before and been wrong...</FONT></FONT></P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>2011 saw a relatively large
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and strong team so the decision to work in all three major caves was
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taken, with most of the Steinbrücken work being done from an
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underground camp at -400m. The 1980s tradition of having UBSS members
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along was revived this year, which worked well as they had some
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actual students who were able to come, and supplied the first ever
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expo-leader-not-based-in-Cambridge in the form of Chris Smith. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>The character of the 3
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caves is quite different, which keeps things interesting for
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expo-goers. Tunnocks has mostly steep bedding-controlled passages,
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interupted by occaisional large shafts, with a large partly
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snow-filled entrance shaft. Steinbrücken has a tediously tiny
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entrance and a lot of annoying stoopy passage leading to the 300m
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shaft series of Gaffered to The Walls, with extensive horizontal
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soil-filled development at the bottom. KH is largely walking passage,
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some of it enormous, with as much up as down on this year's route. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2><U><B>Steinbrückenhohle</B></U></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>This year, members of CUCC
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decided to return to one of the horizontal levels, Subsoil. The team
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had two main goals: to continue pushing new passages into blank
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space, and to search for the potential connection with
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Tunnockschacht, whose closest point was only a few dozen tantalising
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metres away from Steinbrückenhöhle.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>To cut down on the amount
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of time spent 'commuting', Edvin Deadman, Niall Peters, Djuke
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Veldhuis, Jess Stirrups and Kathryn Hopkins set up an underground
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camp at about -400m. A few years previously, a large sandy-floored
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chamber with a nearby water supply had been found. This made a
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perfect campsite. After a couple of rigging and carrying trips at the
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beginning of the expedition, the Butlins Holiday Camp was born! With
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only three sleeping bags (and a tent inner, to keep off the draughts)
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they would be caving in shifts and 'hot bedding', in two long trips
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of three or four days at a time. The camping was organised with (very
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unusual) military precision, including laminated time-charts of when
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each shift was caving or in bed, and none of the cavers involved had
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camped underground before. Overall it was deemed a great success in
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enabling a lot of work in the deeper reaches, but the hot-bedding
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proved somewhat miserable for the night shift.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Much of the camper’s time
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was spent in a race against the Tunnockschacht team to find the
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elusive connection between the two caves. They were convinced that a
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strongly draughting pitch series that they found, called 'Bird on a
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Wire', would lead them to glory. However, after running out of both
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time and rope, with the pitches still going, it was decided to turn
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their attention to other more horizontal leads. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>The other main find was
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very close to the campsite, where a sketchy climb up the side of a
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chamber led to several hundred metres of large phreatic development:
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'A Grand Day Out', which is heading into blank space.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>After two successful
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camping trips, about 1km of new cave was found in Steinbrückenhöhle,
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and it is now 17.7km long. A fair amount of time was spent checking
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out leads in the probable 'connection zone', but they were all ticked
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off without finding a way into Tunnocks. There is no shortage of
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other leads to keep us occupied for many more expeditions; many
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heading off into blank space on the survey. However, the connection
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had still not been found, and the campsite was derigged, so it was
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down to the Tunnocks team to keep pushing.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2><U><B>Tunnockschaft</B></U></FONT></FONT></P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>After dropping the 80m
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‘String Theory’ pitch and exploring leads last year, Neil Pacey
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and Andy Chapman had eventually been stopped by a small pitch leading
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upwards into black space and only approximately 20 metres away from
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Steinbrückenhöhle. Plans were made, equipment purchased, and Neil,
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Andy and some newly recruited team members were ready for a rematch.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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</P>
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>However, just getting to
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the current limit proved difficult going. An excessively hot summer
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had caused much of the snow-ramps in the entrance series to melt,
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meaning even the tallest expedition members struggled to reach the
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hanger placements. A period of re-rigging ensued, with extra hangers
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placed within reach of the height challenged and also to avoid some
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newly formed, precarious crevices.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<br />
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>A team consisting of Andy,
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Noel Snape and Rob Adams continued rigging, narrowly avoiding Noel
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meeting an untimely end after a boulder fell onto a traverse line
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over a large pot, leaving him spreadeagled on a very tight rope over
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a large drop. The now decidedly shaky team carried on to the head of
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String Theory but felt it wise to pass on rigging for that day.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<br />
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</P>
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Eventually, the rigging was
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completed and the final survey station reached in the newly
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christened Leaky chamber. Andy began aid climbing the small pitch,
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eventually reaching the top. Neil followed and continued to the next
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obstacle, another pitch leading upwards. Neil quickly free climbed
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this and another small pitch afterwards, finishing at a ledge with a
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small, muddy tube going leftwards and a 10m pitch continuing up.</FONT></FONT></P>
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>As all the static rope had
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been used rigging the previous pitches, Neil and Andy thought they’d
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better survey the small tube and head back home. However, the tube
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increased from hands and knees crawling to walking until a large
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window was reached. Dangling out, over the pitch head, we could see
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down into a big chamber with a massive pitch heading down past this
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which was promptly christened ‘The Beast‘. Two excited cavers
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headed out, looking forward to the next pushing trip.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
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<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2><Somewhere in here we
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should mention the occaision where Becka dropped a small pitch, found
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a survey station and though the connection was made, but turned out
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to be wrong. Adds a bit of tension to the <U>real</U> connection></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
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<br />
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2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>A larger team were back the
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next day. Noel rigged down to the chamber and Neil, Rob and Andy
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followed down to check out Above and Beyond chamber. Numerous leads
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led off from the chamber but Noel seemed to think the climb up the
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tottering pile of shale, in the left hand side of the chamber offered
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most potential. Whilst Noel and Neil surveyed the chamber, Andy
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climbed the precarious climb whilst Rob helped haul gear up and
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offered much needed words of support.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
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<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>After rigging the climb,
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Andy continued exploration, finding the onwards passage led to the
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enormous pitch seen from the window above. A team consisting of
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Neil, Noel, Emma Wilson and Gareth Phillips surveyed this and Noel
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happened to notice a phreatic tube above the pitch head. Access was
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gained via a bolt and hair-raising climb and the heavily draughting
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tube was gained. This was pushed to a 20 metre pitch (Eh bah Gum)
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which led into the bottom of a rift with numerous leads going off.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
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<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Holly, Noel, Wookey and
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Becka Lawson headed back for a rematch the following day. Noel and
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Wookey decided to go for glory and headed into the unknownm rigging a
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traverse that didn't go, then a pitch found at the bottom of Eh Bah
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Gum whilst Holly and Becka completed the job of surveying down Eh Bah
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Gum. Having done the surveying the team found Noel and Wookey still
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faffing with rigging so they went back to the unexiting job of
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surveying a small rift at the bottom of the pitch. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>The team started down the
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rift and soon discovered it popped out onto the ‘Beast’ pitch but
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a wide ledge could be climbed onto. Continuing surveying a tube in
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the wall, Becka noticed footprints on a mud bank. </FONT></FONT>
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</P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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“<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Holly, have you climbed
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on this?”</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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“<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>No. I think I might
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recognise this though...”</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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“<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Where is it?”</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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“<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>I think it’s the Wares
|
2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
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|
in Steinbrücken!”</FONT></FONT></P>
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Two happy cavers connected
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to a survey station located on the opposite wall and hurried back to
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tell the good news to the rigging party.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Having connected Tunnocks
|
2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
|
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|
|
to Steinbrücken producing a combined cave length of 27km and
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
completing one of the expedition objectives, other leads in Tunnocks
|
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|
|
were also pushed. An upper level passage leading off from Starfish
|
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|
junction provided over ……m of passage, ending extremely close to
|
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the surface.</FONT></FONT></P>
|
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|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
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|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%">
|
2020-06-11 14:08:12 +01:00
|
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|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2><U><B>Kaninchenhöhle</B></U></FONT></FONT></P>
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
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|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
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|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
|
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|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>In 2009 Andrew Atkinson had
|
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|
|
spotted a hole 25m up in the ceiling of Repton II Chamber, and
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|
|
reached it via a bolt climb and necky 20m traverse. This was the last
|
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|
|
trip of expo so he and Wookey were only able to explore 100m of very
|
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|
|
|
windy passage before going home. The small 2010 expo did not go back
|
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|
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|
|
to KH, so this top-class lead ('Irony of Time') remained for team
|
|
|
|
|
|
'vintage' in the form of Wookey and Anthony Day to head for, assisted
|
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|
|
|
by Rob Adams on his last trip. </FONT></FONT>
|
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|
|
</P>
|
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|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
|
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|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>The nearest entrance to the
|
|
|
|
|
|
bivi is 161g, which is a technical 1hr walk over and down the back of
|
|
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|
|
|
the main ridge under which the system is developed. As with Tunnocks
|
|
|
|
|
|
snow levels were the lowest ever and a large snowfield that gets down
|
|
|
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|
|
several rock steps had completely melted so a new route had to be
|
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|
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|
|
found and cairned. The entrance immediately has a fine 50m pitch,
|
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|
|
|
|
then miles of traipsing until the massive trunk phreas of 'Triassic
|
|
|
|
|
|
Park' is reached, leading to a series of huge collapse chambers, then
|
|
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|
|
|
back up dip to 'Strange Downfall/Upfall/Acrossfall'. This is a big
|
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|
|
|
|
space passed by a p38 then a p25 back up again or a very airy
|
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|
|
|
tyrolean.</FONT></FONT></P>
|
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|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
|
|
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|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>At the pushing front the
|
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|
|
|
|
surveying was down easy walking passage with a very encouraging wind,
|
|
|
|
|
|
and after only 50m it broke out into big phreas going both North and
|
|
|
|
|
|
South and <U>still</U> windy. Following the wind northwards round a
|
|
|
|
|
|
corner it widened to 15m and huge grins broke out as they realised
|
|
|
|
|
|
what a top-class find they had sauntered into. Rob was amazed at his
|
|
|
|
|
|
good luck. 300M of trunk passage was explored before a pitch stopped
|
|
|
|
|
|
the fun for the day. The find was named 'Country for Old Men' after
|
|
|
|
|
|
the very easy going. </FONT></FONT>
|
|
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
|
|
|
|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>The passage was heading
|
2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
|
|
|
|
directly North towards Steinbrücken but whilst the gap had been
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
dramatically reduced from 420m to 250m that's still not the sort of
|
|
|
|
|
|
gap that gets closed in one expo. 3 further trips including some
|
|
|
|
|
|
international co-operation with the German Group ARGE who sent two
|
|
|
|
|
|
cavers along found another km (check) of passage and narrowed the gap
|
|
|
|
|
|
to 170m. The Strange Acrossfall Tyrolean was also rigged, providing
|
|
|
|
|
|
much entertainment as cavers unused to tyroleans starting at hanging
|
|
|
|
|
|
rebelays got themselves strung up.</FONT></FONT></P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
|
|
|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>As the gap to Steinbrücken
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
shrank an attempt was made to rig Brian's Phat Shaft, in
|
2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
|
|
|
|
Steinbrücken, the quickest way into the 'Catty Puns' area of the
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
cave which was the closest approach at the right level. This is a
|
|
|
|
|
|
100m shaft, starting 100m deep but not too far from 204e. A large
|
|
|
|
|
|
pile of gear and students was despatched, who made a valiant attempt
|
|
|
|
|
|
but the weather had been terrible so the shaft was very wet and
|
|
|
|
|
|
almost devoid of bolts, so after some hours of scary, damp and
|
|
|
|
|
|
miserable dangling, a retreat was called, and vows made not to
|
|
|
|
|
|
return. A more experienced caver was persuaded to take a look, which
|
|
|
|
|
|
got the pitch re-bolted down to -80m before running out of time and
|
|
|
|
|
|
derigging, so no progress from this end, but the way prepared for
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012. </FONT></FONT>
|
|
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
|
|
|
|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>Back in KH, the Country for
|
|
|
|
|
|
Old Men trunk passage shrank to a small rifty pitch but with a
|
|
|
|
|
|
monstrous gale issuing from it. Despite this it was hard to find
|
|
|
|
|
|
willing potholers as the end of expo was approaching so people were
|
|
|
|
|
|
going home and there was a party/dinner with the Germans as
|
|
|
|
|
|
alternative entertainment. Wookey managed to dragoon 2 UBSS students
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Catherine Hulse and Adam Henry) into a trip. Rigging the pitch
|
|
|
|
|
|
(christened 'Mordor') was a deeply miserable experience as it was
|
|
|
|
|
|
absolutely freezing and confusing as to the way on, with wind
|
|
|
|
|
|
everywhere, and after a while it became clear the conditions were
|
|
|
|
|
|
about to produce a mutiny, so some '70s rigging' was employed to make
|
|
|
|
|
|
rapid progress. It dropped into more huge passage heading off again
|
|
|
|
|
|
so another long night of big grins ensued despite the cold, and two
|
|
|
|
|
|
more cavers were inducted into 'expedition fever', escaping at 4am to
|
|
|
|
|
|
an extraordinary view of mist in the valley below, illuminated by the
|
|
|
|
|
|
moonlight.</FONT></FONT></P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
|
|
|
|
<br />
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
|
|
|
|
|
|
<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>The next trip (Olly Madge
|
|
|
|
|
|
and Emma Wilson) pushed on over the traverse to find another 150m of
|
|
|
|
|
|
passage ending at big shaft needing a proper bolt traverse, and
|
2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
|
|
|
|
leaving the gap to Steinbrücken's 'Fat Cat' series at less than 30m.
|
2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
|
|
|
|
In theory this connection could have been pushed further but drill
|
|
|
|
|
|
logistics, and derigging requirements menat it had to be left for
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012. Two final trips (Julian Todd, Andrew Atkinson, Cat Hulse)
|
|
|
|
|
|
looked the other way down one of the many A-leads, found a devious
|
|
|
|
|
|
way past a big hole and romped into almost 1km of large and varied
|
|
|
|
|
|
passage, following a massive gale, and ending at a pitch which is
|
|
|
|
|
|
certain to connect back to the northern end of YAPATE, and should
|
|
|
|
|
|
provide a much easier route to the far end, avoiding the comedy
|
|
|
|
|
|
tyrolean.</FONT></FONT></P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<P LANG="zxx" CLASS="western" ALIGN=LEFT STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; text-decoration: none">
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2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
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<br />
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2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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</P>
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2><B>Summary</B></FONT></FONT></P>
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2020-03-05 23:41:18 +00:00
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<br />
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2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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</P>
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<FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT SIZE=2>So as is often the case the
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expedition ended on a high, with a monstrous list of leads for next
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year, and what looks like an almost certain connection between the
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2020-06-11 14:16:44 +01:00
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62km Schwartzmooskogelhöhlensystem and the 27km of Steinbrücken +
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2012-01-06 17:33:45 +00:00
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Tunnockshacht.</FONT></FONT></P>
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