2012-09-04 16:46:50 +01:00
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2024-02-09 00:01:17 +00:00
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2012-09-04 16:46:50 +01:00
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<title>258: Underground description</title>
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<table id="cavepage">
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<tr><th id="kat_no">258 - a b</th><th id="name">Tunnockschacht: Usual Suspects</th><th id="status">2 ??</th></tr>
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</table>
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<p>Climbing up on the right just before the Frankly Freezing pitch (falling off the climb would result in falling down the pitch, maybe
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we should put a rope on this.....) leads to a short section of large walking passage. 2 bolts on the left just before the passage
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starts to heads steeply downhill start the traverse line approach to Usual Suspects (p100). This pitch is broken by a large ledge
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at -70m, and the descent from this side is drippy in the dry and more than drippy in the wet - a better rig is required. In 2009
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the hang was from 2 1-bolt rebelys in rapid succession, with 3 rebelays and a bolt deviation to reach the ledge. The y-hang on the
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right at the ledge is sub-optimal, the furthest bolt can be extended with a sling to avoid an immediate rub and a bolt deviation 5m
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down clears the wall - but no the water when it rains......</p>
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<p>The pitch lands in a large chamber. To the south, at the lowest point is an undescended pitch (~20m, B lead). There is a draughty
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passage in the E wall about 10m S of the landing (this has been pushed for about 15m to where it got a bit small and tedious - very
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windy though), but a 5m "free-climbable" pitch opposite the landing isn't, but is blind.</p>
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<p>To the north, the chamber narrows and gets windy, with plenty of popcorn. At its northern end, a sloping passage leads to a 3m pitch
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which is blind. However a 3m climb up at a point where the roof steps down leads to a short flat-out crawl to a small complex
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junction chamber. Straight ahead leads into a sandy oxbow. On the left, a 3m climb up leads to a further junction. From this
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junction, the walking passage heading right (North-ish) has not been explored (A Lead).</p>
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<p>There is a (b-lead) hole in the floor, and a walking passage can be reached via a "bold step" back over the climb. This leads via a
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traverse to the crossroads discussed below. The only other way out is the oxbow back to the lower junction chamber.</p>
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<p>Back in the first junction chamber, the other way out is a rift up and back on the right. After a few metres the passage reached by
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the "bold step" traverses along at roof level. Following the rift at ground level leads to a t-junction; right leads immediately to
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the crossroads. Left at the T-junction leads after perhaps 5m to a much larger (6m+diameter) section of passage. Following this
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northwards leads past a river of bat bones into a continuing 3- 4m diameter phreatic passage (Bat out of Hell) which was left wide
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open, with numerous side passages also unexplored. In flood it was noted that several of these start to sound damp.</p>
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<p>Back at the t-junction, right leads in less than a metre to a crossroads. The traverse route from the breakdown chamber is on the
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right (downhill). Straight on has been confirmed as an oxbow and taped off. Left (uphill) leads quickly into the same large passage
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as that mentioned above; the route between the two has been taped off to protect the mud floors.</p>
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<p>Emerging in the large passage, a taped route leads to the E wall of the passage past some spectacular mud formations - the passage
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visible behind these is the taped-off oxbow mentioned above. There is a pitch, which becomes noisy in the wet (~20m, A/B lead) and
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a climb up some clean rock leads into a walking passage, "Going NoWare Fast". Traversing immediately over a pitch (which connects
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to that noted above) leads after perhaps 10m to another 20m undescended pitch.</p>
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<p>Traversing round this leads to a junction with a smaller walking passage on the right (A lead), and a further junction to the right
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with a 3m diameter passage which appears to lead to a large pitch which gets noisy in the wet (A Lead). Straight on following the
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draught, Going NoWare Fast continues at 2-4m diameter for perhaps 30m to a temporary shortage of floor (pitches below are
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unexplored - B leads) An aid traverse here leads to a boulder bridge. Above the bridge is an unexplored walking passage (A Lead).
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The area below the bridge has not been explored but it looks as though there may be some ways off at floor level maybe 5-10m
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below - A/B lead </p>
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<p>Crossing the bridge leads to a 10m continuation of the large phreas, followed by a 10m long rift. This leads to a small hole at
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floor level or a climb up. The small hole can be thrutched through to a continuation of the large passage; the climb has not been
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done and leads up to a col obstructing the large passage - initial examinations confirmed it would benefit from a rope for the
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return journey. The large passage unfortunately ends almost immediately at a large pitch (2s silence then many second rattles and
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bangs), which also exudes all the copious draught you've been following since the climb up from Usual Suspects.</p>
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