2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
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<title>1988: Cambridge Underground report</title>
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2004-04-21 10:35:34 +01:00
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2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
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<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1989 p 18</font>
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<h2>Description of 1623/161 (Kaninchenhöhle)</h2>
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<h3>by Keith Millar</h3></center>
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<p>Lat: 47° 40' 40"<br>
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Long: 13° 48' 50"<br>
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Altitude: 1790 metres
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<p>The entrance to 161 was located at the start of what proved to be a very
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successful year for CUCC. The entrance is located on a limestone ridge, just
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along from the col between the Hint. and Vord. Schwarzmooskogel. Due to its
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location, the cave has been unaffected by the large amount of rock shattering
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usually found blocking shafts in the area.
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<p>The relatively free hanging entrance shaft lands in a small chamber with
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two ways on. The most obvious being a 20m shaft leading to a 3rd pitch
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through an eye hole, being 10m in length landing on a boulder strewn floor,
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with two ways on.
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<p>The left way continues as a 12m pitch landing on a loose boulder slope
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ending in a choke. The right way through a small hole under a huge boulder
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resting on a loose boulder slope, this continues at an angle of 30 degrees to
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a further pitch, this has as yet not been descended due to the unstable
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nature of the boulder slope.
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<p>The second route out of the chamber at the bottom of the entrance pitch,
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known as the "Rabbit Warren Series" leads via a small phreatic tube to a
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series of shafts of 10.5m, 40m, 47.5m in length eventually ending in a sand
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filled tube with no way on at a depth of 170m.
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<p>The key to the system is to be found on the second pitch, where, after
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descending approx 12m, you pendulum off on to an inclined rift leading to a
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large boulder strewn chamber. This leads after some distance to a 10m pitch
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followed by a very unstable boulder slope leading to a further 26m pitch
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known as "Death's Door" in an inclined rift. This is followed by a free
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climbable rift ending in a very tight 8m pitch "Beer Belly Blues". This rift
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then enlarges and merges with another, entering a huge phreatic passage. This
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gives two possible ways on, the Left Hand Route and the Right Hand Route.
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<p><b>LEFT HAND ROUTE</b>
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<p>This consists of an inclined rift which you continue along avoiding the
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holes in the floor. Many ways on have been seen, but none pushed, along this
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rift. The rift eventually leads to Arrow Chamber where there are two shafts.
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These are thought to join, and so the easiest to rig being the one found by
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climbing down through some boulders in the middle of the chamber was
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descended. This 42m pitch lands on a choked shaft floor where a further
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parallel shaft can be seen through cracks in the walls. A large eye hole
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shows the way on, being a traverse followed by a 10m pitch. This series of
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shafts continued down with ledges hindering your descent, until a large black
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hole with sheer walls is found. This, the "Niflheim" has as yet not been
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fully descended. The word Niflheim comes from the Norse Myths and means "A
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realm of freezing mist and darkness under one root of Yggdrasall (world tree)
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which hell lies within".
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<p><b>RIGHT HAND ROUTE</b>
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<p>This takes the form of a large phreatic passage which is covered by a thin
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layer of moon milk. This continues via a short 5m pitch to an area with rock
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pinnacles and highly weathered rock slabs. Once yu have picked a way through
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this mess the phreatic level continues via several climbs needing handlines
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to a large 45 degree boulder slope "Boulder Alley". The passage continues
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descending with the roof gaining height all along until a 32m pitch is
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reached at the edge of a large black space. This pitch lands in a very large
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sloping chamber (60m x 45m approx) called "Knossus" containing a frozen
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manganese oxide stream and house size boulders.
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<p>A walking sized route through a boulder choke "Star Wars" leads to yet
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another large chamber (possibly a continuation of the first) called "Tower
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Blocks" in which you can quite easily get lost. Various routes lead off, none
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of which have yet been properly looked at.
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<p>The 1989 expedition to Austria will be concentrating mainly on further
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pushing 161 as there are many wide open leads to be looked at left from last
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year's expedition.
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<ol>
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<li>The Niflheim (Left Hand Route)
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<li>Phreatic levels of Tower Blocks (Right Hand Route)
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<li>Skull Pitch (possible by-pass to Death's Door)
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<li>Passage above Death's Door Pitch
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</ol>
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<p>Also it is hoped to investigate by diving, the known resurgence in
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Altaussee Lake.
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2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
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<hr />
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2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
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<!-- LINKS -->
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2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
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<p><ul>
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<li>Cambridge Underground 1989,
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<a href="../../../jnl/1989/index.htm">Table of Contents</a></li>
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<li>1988 Expedition info:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="index.htm">Index</a> (more detail than in this list)</li>
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<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
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<li>Cambridge Underground Expo Report:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="report.htm">Austria 1988</a> expedition report</li>
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<li><a href="164.htm">1623/164</a> exploration</li>
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<li><a href="rover.htm">A Rover's return</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="to1989.htm">And so to 1989</a> work for 1989 expo to date</li>
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<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1988">Index</a> to all publications</li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
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2004-04-30 22:56:57 +01:00
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<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
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2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
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</ul>
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2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
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