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< title > 1623:204 -- Deep routes via the Ariston Series< / title >
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< table id = "cavepage" >
< tr > < th id = "kat_no" > 204< / th > < th id = "name" > Steinbrü ckenhö hle< / th > < th
id="status">4/S x< / th > < / tr >
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< h1 > Deep routes via the Ariston Series< / h1 >
< div >
< b > < a href = "ariston-rigging.html" > Rigging diagram< / a > < / b > --
< b > < a href = "#survey" > Survey< / a > < / b > --
< b > < a href = "204.html" > 204 index< / a > < / b > < / div >
< hr / >
< h3 > < a id = "ariston" > Ariston Series< / a > < / h3 >
< p > The Ariston Series is the route to the current deepest point in the cave.
The pitch series begins with a short pitch of 5m rigged from a large thread in
the roof a few metres back, with a single spit for the vertical part, which is
almost a scramble. This lands on a large ledge formed of boulders wedged across
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a narrow point, with impressive aven above. There are two choices of descent
here: one to the north, < b > You're So Veined< / b > (15m) which was used in 1999,
and one to the south, < b > < a id = "potulike" > Pot-U-Like< / a > < / b > (~35m) which has
been the trade route since 2000.< / p >
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< h4 > You're So Veined route< / h4 >
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< p > One rebelay provides a good hang against the wall of You're So Veined to
reach the foot of the pitch, which is in a spacious shaft, with an impressive
aven above. From here, there are two ways on.< / p >
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< p > < i > To the left, facing away from the pitch just descended, is a gully, which
in 1999 contained a thick layer of ice. Carefully traversing this rather
slippery section leads to the head of a small pitch of 6m, which was rigged
with a Y-hang. From here a walking size phreatic passage, < b > Rainbow< / b > leads
off, carrying a substantial breeze. The passage initially descends, but then
develops a narrow floor trench; as the trench deepens, the phreatic part of the
passage rises, and then ends abruptly where the floor trench turns right and
leads off as a too-tight rift while ahead the phreas pinches out.< / i > < / p >
< p > To the right leads into a small, very crumbly chamber, from which a short
section of awkward rift leads to a fine crow's nest in the wall of a large
rift. A very short pitch (5m) lands on a large ledge in the side of the
Pot-U-Like shaft. From here a roped traverse along the left-hand wall gains the
head of the next pitch of 12m, which avoids a large ledge which would have been
in the way but for the traverse. This pitch currently requires a rope protector
just below the Y-hang at the top. The landing is on another large ledge, where
a pool can be used to refill water containers. This is also the landing of
Pot-U-Like.< / p >
< h4 > Pot-U-Like route< / h4 >
2004-07-23 09:19:34 +01:00
< p > The pitch is rigged with a traverse line which descends steeply to the nose
of a sloping rock wedged across the rift, from where an entertaining Y-hang on
the left-hand wall provides a free-hang to the base of the pitch. A ledge is
passed a few metres from the bottom.< / p >
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< p > At the foot of this pitch is a pool of water, or an ice pan, depending on
the conditions that year. Crossing this leads to the head of the next pitch of
14m. A backup bolt is followed by a Y-hang, which utilises one very cratered
spit only usable with a bollard type hanger. This is followed by a deviation
from the opposite wall, providing a clear hang to the bottom. The landing is
on a floor of boulders wedged across the shaft, although it seems sound. A
backup bolt protects the approach to the Y-hang at the head of the next pitch,
< b > Steel Toecap< / b > (35m). After a ledge 3m down, where a deviation optimises
the hang, the walls of the shaft bell out dramatically and the rope hangs in
stimulating isolation. About 5m from the floor a ledge is passed, which could
be gained by a swing across, where there may possibly be a passage leading off
[< a href = "qm.html#C1999-204-20" id = "qC1999-204-20" > C1999-204-20 B< / a > ].< / p >
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< p > At the foot of the pitch, the way on is a very chossy, sloping descent which
will require either re-rigging or bypassing (which may be possible by a climb
up and over) in future. This leads to a further short pitch (10m), which lands
in an aven chamber of ample proportions. < i > From here drops an 8m pitch,
landing on a rubble floor. The only way on is a tight rift [< a
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href="qm.html#C2000-204-60" id="qC2000-204-60">C2000-204-60 C< / a > ], which was
penetrated for only a short distance. More progress might be possible by
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someone small and imaginative. Not surveyed in 2000.< / i > From the aven chamber,
a crawl leads off, followed by a descending rubble slope. The rubble slope
curves round to the right, passing a tight rift on the left [< a
href="qm.html#C1999-204-22" id="qC1999-204-22">C1999-204-22 C< / a > ], to reach
the bottom of a short climb up of 3m on the right, which is followed by a
scramble down on the other side. < i > From here, straight ahead is a climb up
into the foot of an aven, half-right is a short ascending passage leading to a
chamber where a traverse around the right hand wall leads to a slope down to
< b > < a href = "#fled" > Fledermausschacht< / a > < / b > .< / i > Full right is a
stooping/crawling height phreatic passage with a mud floor. This passes on the
right the other end of the crawl which led off from the foot of the previous
pitch, which provides a convenient shortcut.< / p >
< p > Some 50m of alternate crawling and stooping over soft crumbly mud, including
a single point where the roof dips and the crawl is flat-out, leads to a small
chamber. Here there are two holes in the floor. One leads to < a
href="#kiwisuit">< b > Kiwi Suit< / b > < / a > ; the other drop is much shorter, and is
split into two sections by ledges on each wall part way down. The first section
of 8m reaches these small ledges, where a stream enters from the foot of a very
large aven. The next section of 11m is wet, and lands on a small ledge
overlooking Kiwi Suit just above the rebelay.< / p >
< h3 > < a id = "kiwisuit" > Kiwi Suit< / a > < / h3 >
< p > The first pitch begins with a funnel-shaped opening. The initial approach is
rigged from a large pillar at the edge of the funnel (the approach to this
could be further protected by a traverse line tied round an even larger pillar
a couple of metres back). Suddenly, at the base of the funnel, there is an
impressive black space. In 2000 the descent was rigged New-Zealand style,
entirely from naturals, which seemed sound, but worrisome for us bolt-junkies,
especially given the record of 'Bomb-Proof' naturals in KH visiting the bottoms
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of pitches; the current rig as of 2002 uses a pitch-head deviation, and a
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Y-hang rebelay around halfway down, to keep the descent clear of walls and the
small trickle of water which falls down the shaft. This looks worryingly like
it would become a huge deluge after rain, drenching anyone on the rebelay, but
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even during one epic trip in 2004 when water levels throughout the cave were
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extremely high this area was no more than drippy. The floor is reached after 54
metres of descent. The way on is a short traverse, an 8 metre pitch, another
short traverse, and then a 20 metre pitch to a ledge. The final pitch from this
ledge is an impressive rift of 47 metres depth, rigged from a Y-hang backed up
to the pitch above. This is also slightly drippy at the bottom if the water
levels are high, but this is not problematic.< / p >
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< h3 > < a id = "razor" > Razordance< / a > < / h3 >
< p > At the bottom of the 47m pitch, a merry little stream is reached (similar
volume of water to the Top Camp waterhole in spate). Upstream was not pushed,
but reportedly leads quickly to the foot of a waterfall [< a
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href="qm.html#C2000-204-63" id="qC2000-204-63">C2000-204-63 B< / a > ]. Downstream
quickly narrows to about 50cm wide, and progress is made by constantly changing
level to stay where the passage is wide enough. After about 40m a small cascade
of about 4m is reached, which could probably be free-climbed, but has been
rigged with an SRT line to avoid getting soaked; if the water level rises much
this is still rather aqueous, and probably needs at least one more bolt. The
passage is considerably wider for a few metres below the cascade, but soon
resumes in its previous manner; it is helpful to traverse quite high up in
this section.< / p >
< / p > Suddenly, the head of a pitch, < b > Black Lightning< / b > (13m), is reached.
The streamway continues past a 2m climb and 2m pitch leading to the 25m pitch
of < b > Mystery Wind< / b > ; this is descended via a crow's-nest which gives a dry
sloping descent to the floor, protected by two rebelays. Immediately beyond
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this is < b > Dave Dives< / b > , an awkward roof-tube climb to bypass a tight spot;
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this should on no account be descended head-first. A bolt here might render the
process safer. The streamway continues to the twin pitches of < b > Easy There< / b >
(15m) and < b > Steady Now< / b > (4m), the 2002 limit; the head of the latter is
difficult and tight, but it seems unlikely that the rig could be improved by
any alteration not involving a large hammer.< / p >
< p > 2003 saw further pushing to a short, rather damp down pitch (3m) shortly
followed by a climb up over boulders into a large chamber, < b > God Loves a
Drunk< / b > , where an (apparently impassably tight) inlet enters from the right.
Immediately beyond this are < b > The Mash Tun< / b > (p8) and < b > Copper< / b > (p17).
In high water levels these are both very wet, dangerously so given the cold
and draughty nature of the passage. There may be a continuation at high level
via a loony bolt traverse across the head of Copper [< a
href="qm.html#C2003-204-48" id="qC2003-204-48">C2003-204-48 B< / a > ].< / p >
2004-09-06 22:17:37 +01:00
< p > Beyond this the rift becomes tighter and more awkward again, leading to the head of yet another pitch, < b > Yeast< / b > (p10). Shortly beyond this the bottom of the rift becomes rather tight and an ascending traverse can be followed, as far as a local widening, the 2003 limit; dropping back to stream level rapidly becomes tight again, but a traverse line across, < b > Nordic Traverse< / b > , gives access to a dry fossil passage to the head of < b > Thirteen Year Pitch< / b > (7m), which drops into a spacious dry chamber. Here a tight and scrofulous-looking rift leads off to the right (QM 04-XXX C), while the chosen way on is to descend < b > Pepper Pot< / b > (20m) back to stream level. Here the passage returns to familiar rifty crappiness for a few metres; it is helpful to take a relatively high level for a while until the passage widens again, at which point a 6m pitch, < b > Paster of Muppets< / b > , regains the stream level. At this point there is a convenient widening at a level that gradually ascends to the head of < i > yet another< / i > pitch (QM 04-XX); it is noticeable on the survey that from the bottom of Paster the passage swings southwards away from the consistent NE-SW alignment of most of Razordance.< / p >
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< h3 > < a id = "fled" > Fledermausschacht< / a > < / h3 >
< p > The traverse round to the pitch head is protected by a thread belay at the
start of the traverse. A substantial thread (requiring 2 slings due to its
girth) at the pitch head enables the first, sloping section of the pitch to be
descended. Soon the pitch becomes vertical, and a rebelay on the far wall (at
-5m) allows the next few metres to be descended. Unfortunately the shaft still
hades slightly, and a further two rebelays (at -15m and -28m) are required
before the magnitude of this 112m shaft starts to become apparent. A 40m
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free-hanging section leads to a sloping ledge, where the shaft dog-legs again
and a scrappy descent down a gully, and a further two rebelays (at -68m and
-80m), reaches a sloping ledge overlooking the final section of the pitch. A
chossy traverse across the left hand wall appears to head into a parallel shaft
[< a href = "qm.html#C2000-204-61" id = "qC2000-204-61" > C2000-204-61 C< / a > ]. A bolt
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round the corner to the right allows a descent of the final 22m to the floor to
be made, where a boulder choke is met, with no way on. The whole pitch,
particularly the far wall, is rather loose and due care must be taken. A large
chockstone near the second rebelay could not be shifted, but should be treated
with suspicion.< / p >
< p > Nature Note: A bat was observed flitting around in here on two
occasions.< / p >
< p > At the start of the traverse to the head of Fledermausschacht is a small
crawl leading off to the right. This is initially flat-out over crumbly mud,
but enlarges after a short distance to enter a series of small mud-filled
chambers. There is no obvious way on, other than to start excavations in the
mud banks [< a href = "qm.html#C2000-204-62" id = "qC2000-204-62" > C2000-204-62
Dig< / a > ]. Not surveyed in 2000.< / p >
< div class = "centre" >
< h3 > < a id = "survey" > Survey< / a > < / h3 >
< img style = "padding: 2pt; border: 2px solid #000" src = "ariston.png" alt = "Survey" / > < / div >
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