2020-02-07 23:52:14 +00:00
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<title>1623/161 Kaninchenhöhle - Country for Old Men</title>
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<h2>161 Kaninchenhöhle: Country for Old Men</h2></center>
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<h3>Overview</h3>
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<p>The large trunk passage of Country for Old Men was reached by a bolt
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climb into the roof of <A HREF="farnth.htm#repton2">Repton II</A> in
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2009 leading to Irony of Time. It ultimately leads to a pitch -
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<a href="mordor.htm#mordor">Mordor</a> - into a further trunk passage
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at a lower level. This lower level connects to Steinbrückenhöhle
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via the Far from Support traverses. </p>
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<hr />
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<h3><a name="irony">Irony of Time</a> (2009/2011)</h3>
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<p>Irony of time was accessed via a bolt climb from Repton II in 2009;
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the 18m pitch has been left permanently rigged. At the top, a tall,
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sandy floored rift passage heads north - Irony of Time - with a
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significant breeze blowing from the north. A small passage on the left
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after 50m is choked (possible dig [C2011-161-XX D]) and another 20m on
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a further passage to the left quickly becomes too tight. The main passage
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continues for a further 20m to a junction. Straight ahead leads after 7m
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to a 5m climb up, at the top of which a narrow passage continues with a
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draught coming from the north [C2011-161-XX B]. The main way on is to
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turn sharp left at the junction, which also carries a draught towards
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the point of entry. After a further 20m a junction with Country for
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Old Men is reached.</p>
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<h3><a name="country">Country for Old Men</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>Country for Old Men is a phreatic passage that generally trends
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approximately along a north-south line, sloping gently down to the south
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with the local dip of the beds. It is mostly approximately 10m wide and carries a noticable draught from north to south.</p>
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<p>Heading south from the point of entry from <a href="#irony">Irony of Time</a>,
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a sandy floored passage heads south for 25m to a
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narrowing. Continuing under a rock arch, a passage on the right has a
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visual connection back to just before the narrowing. Continuing
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downhill [FIXME: (Alex/Jess) past a passage on the right on the survey - QM?]
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under another rock arch leads to a 15m pitch on the right
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[FIXME: (Alex/Jess) I assume this is an undescended QM - what grade?]. The
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passage continues past the pitch head for a further 15m. [FIXME: (Alex/Jess)
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Survey implies 2 QMS here, uphill level change to SW, sandy
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passage downhill to SE].</p>
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<p>The passage heads north from <a href="#irony">Irony of
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Time</a> in fine style. A passage at ceiling level is presumed to rejoin
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the main passage after a 15m. Proceeding a further 25m round a double
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bend, a complex area is reached where the main route on is found by
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keeping to the left hand wall where a pretty chocolate river is soon
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reached. <i>To the right, several routes round rock pillars
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ultimately join together until the inlet for the chocolate river is
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reached on the right [FIXME: (Becka/Julian) is this a QM?]. Continuing
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ahead the passage quickly ends, but a side passage to the right heads
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uphill to a 5m climb up. [FIXME: (Becka/Julian) Is there a QM at the
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top of this climb?]</i></p>
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<p>The chocolate river should be traversed to the left (care required
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to avoid kicking sand onto it). After 20m, the chocolate river heads
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down a pitch to the right [C2011-161-XX B]. A traverse over the top of
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this pitch leads to <a href="#popcorn">Popcorn Passage</a>. Country for
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Old Men continues left, past an impassable hole on the left with a stream
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(good for filling water bottles). Immediately beyond the watering a hole,
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a small draughting passage doubles back on the left - this is
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<a href="#mendip">Massive for Mendip</a>. Immediately beyond is a slope
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down to a pitch with a rift passage exiting with water audible
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[C2011-161-XX B]. The main passage continues north, traversing round a
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pit on the left with a wet aven above [C2011-161-XX X]; the water exits
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down a too tight rift at the bottom of the pit. From here, the passage
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heads uphill to the north past a small hole in the floor [C2011-161-XX B]
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and a small choked passage on the right [C2011-161-XX D] for 45m until a
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10m pitch is reached. A traverse round the right of the pitch is blind.
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Descending the pitch leads to <a href="#sudetenland">Sudetenland</a>.</p>
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<h3><a name="sudetenland">Sudetenland</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>The 10m sloping pitch into Sudetenland is formed where the phreatic passage
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changes level. At the base of the pitch, two tall narrow passages on
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the left lead to a <a href="#side">side passage</a> heading south. A
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little further on, a further <a href="#side">side passage</a> on the
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right also heads south. The main route continues uphill to the northeast.
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50m from the base of the pitch, a floor trench is reached. Continuing
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to the left here leads, after 15m, to a drop overlooking the continuing
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passage that would require rigging. The easiest way to proceed is head
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right down the floor trench after which a 2m climb down is reached (sling
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or handline useful for the return). Shortly beyond the base of the climb
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a small passage on the right leads immediately to a pitch with a strong
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draught [C2011-161-XX A]. The main passage continues for a further
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40m to a junction. Right heads uphill and chokes almost immediately.
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To the left, the passage narrows markedly, and is consequently very
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cold since it appears to carry most of the draught present throughout
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Sudetenland and Country for Old Men. After 25m, the head of
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<a href="mordor.htm#mordor">Mordor</a> pitch is reached which is extremely
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draughty and extremely cold. All alternative ways on at the head of the
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pitch appear to be choked. </p>
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<h3><a name="popcorn">Popcorn Passage</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>[FIXME: description needed - see Becka's logbook entry, 2011-08-10]</p>
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<h3><a name="mendip">Massive for Mendip</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>A low area leads off on the left, with a significant draught inwards. Crossing
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a 2m-deep water-washed hole a stooping soilyy passage is reached which
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soon opens out into a small soily chamber. A hole down low on the left
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goes to more dead-end soiliness (and a turd left by Mr Todd). A sharp
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right turn leads to a high, narrow rift, starting with a slippery 3m climb, then a 4m traverse
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above a hole continaing a steep sandy slope. Holes go off into the
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ceiling, and take most of the wind. It is possible to climb part-way up, but not
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all the way - too vertical and too tight.</p>
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<p>Climbing down a couple of metres gets out of the narrow rifty bit
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into a wide, high passage, 8m high and 3m wide and 20m long. There is an
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alcove on the right and a slot in the wall which can be climbed up
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for 10m or so. Ahead the floor rises over boulders and the walls
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narrow. There are holes in the floor but nothing seems to go. It seems
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very likely that the passage continues about 10-12m up on the
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right, above the alcove. The climb does not look difficult but would need
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rope and some protection. [QM B].</p>
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<h3><a name="side">Side passages from Sudetenland</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>Near the base of the pitch from <a href="#country">Country for Old Men</a>
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into <a href="#sudetenland">Sudetenland</a>, there are two
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side passages - one heading approximately southwest, the other
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southeast.</p>
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<p>The southwest passage is a tall, narrow rift that heads gently downhill to the
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south with a small draught from south to north. [FIXME: the bit
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covered by the oldmensouth survey needs describing - see
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Becka's logbook entry, 2011-08-10]</p>
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<p>The southeast passage is a walking sized, sandy floored passage that draughts
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towards the southeast. A number of crystals (gypsum?) were observed
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in numerous places in this passage. After 55m a 5m climb up is
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reached. At the top of the climb, a rift passage heads off to the
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west [C2011-161-XX B]. To the east is a further climb up, apparently
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with a passage beyond, that has not been followed [C2011-161-XX B]</p>
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<p>5m back from the base of the 5m climb, a narrow passage heads off to the
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west. A further 5m back is another small passage heading west [FIXME:
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(Anthony/Becka) choked? QM?], and another 10m back is another passage
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heading west [C2011-161-XX C]. It seems probable that these passages are all
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connected. Following the passage closest to the base of the climb
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proceeds past many crystals and a well preserved dead bat, and
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quickly degenerates to a crawl. After 10m, a junction with two
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similarly small passages on the right is reached [C2011-161-XX C]
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[C2011-161-XX C]. The passage continues in a similar vein, with
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popcorn encrusted walls in places, for a further 35m before opening
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out at the head of a pitch, estimated at 7m, at the base of which a
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larger rift passage is seen continuing to the southeast [C2011-161-XX
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A]. There is little draught in this area considering the size of the
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passage.</p>
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<hr />
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<ul id="links">
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<li><a href="names.htm">Glossary of passage names</a></li>
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<li><a href="top.htm">Kaninchenhöhle</a> Cave Description - Overview</li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expedition Intro page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../infodx.htm">Index to info/topic pages</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../areas.htm">Area/subarea descriptions</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../indxal.htm">Full Index to 1623 caves</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../../index.htm">Back to CUCC Home page</a></li>
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