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<h2>161 Kaninchenh&ouml;hle: beyond Carrefour</h2>

<h2>YAPATE Inlet / Chicken Flied Nice - deep routes</h2>

<h3><a name="flapjack">Flapjack</a> (1989)</h3>

<p>Turning SSW (away from YAPATE) at
<a href="sibria.htm#carrefour">Carrefour</a> leads past a window into
Waterfall Chamber to the lip of <b>Flapjack</b>. The far side can also be
reached from <a href="offkns.htm#olympus">Olympus</a>.

<p><a href="l/fjack.htm"><img src="t/fjack.jpg" width=113
height=183></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;A pitch in Flapjack/Flapjack II

<p>This large pitch initially leads straight down 30m in a wide shaft to a
series of ledges. Dropping a further 29m pitch, to the NW, enters a rift
passage. To the left (SW), from a ledge, is a tight rift going off 10m to
<a href="#fj2"><b>Flapjack II</b></a>. To the right (NE) is a large and more
obvious way down steps to a 28m wet pitch.

<p><a name="bcorner">At</a> the bottom of the wet pitch, the water goes down
an 8m rift but this is crossed over using a traverse line, continuing over a
2m climb into a small sandy chamber, <b>Bat Corner</b>. A route carefully
avoiding the bat skeleton on the floor leads to a traverse along a 1m wide
rift. A 25m narrow rift pitch can now be descended, dropping out into a big
shaft, with the water falling down the opposite end of it.

<p><a name="bdroppings">This</a> lovely freehang, <b>Bat Droppings</b>, is
36m long and lands in the active stream at the bottom. This cuts down quickly
until it disappears into a very tight rift, <a name="beehivef"><b>The
Beehive</b></a> (not to be confused with <a
href="farnth.htm#beehiver">Beehive</a> beyond Repton :-).

<p><a name="bottom">Five</a> metres off the floor the rift is wide enough for
cavers until a very tight pitch descends 8m to a small chamber where all the
water goes through a 0.5m diameter hole in the floor. Passing through this
leads to a very wet, steeply descending rift and 15m along at the end of this
is a ridiculously wet 32m pitch to a vertical sump, which is at least a
couple of metres deep. <b>The Bottom at -498m</b> (though for ages the
'traditional' figure was -499.85m) !

<p><a href="300dpi/yapate.png"><img alt="survey - 20k gif" width=640
height=500 src="inline/yapate.png"></a>

<h3><a name="fj2">Flapjack II</a> (1990)</h3>

<p><a name="nyg1st">At the</a> back of the rather convenient ledge near
the bottom of the second (29m) section of Flapjack Pitch, a narrow rift leads
off via two small pitches of 7m and 7m to a small chamber with water entering
in one corner. The continuation of the rift, <b>No, You Go First</b>, is more
complex with different levels (guide string remains) and an awkward last
right hand corner. Rift leads to the top of an 8m pitch into a larger
chamber.

<p><a name="tmts">The character</a> of the cave changes as the chamber opens
into a 100m pitch, <b>Too Much, Too Soon</b>. Traverse to right and up to
reach a Y-hang. The first 42m hang free, and a big ledge is reached at
6570m, followed by a further ledge 10m down. From here a final rebelay gives
a 2025m hang down the last section.

<p><a name="splatd">The lower part</a> of the pitch is in 5m diameter
phreatic riser to land on a squelchy muddy floor, <b>Splatdown</b>. Opposite
the landing point is a small tube leading to a 3m climb. A 6m climb follows
down to a small chamber from which an impenetrable fissure drops 8 to 10m to
water.

<p><center><a href="l/bottom.htm"><img src="t/bottom.jpg" width=141
height=109></a></center><br>Second bottoming party at Splatdown in 1990 (MSD
photo).

<h3><a name="fbs">Flat Battery</a> (1990)</h3>

<p>Flat Battery series consists of a succession of pitches from ledge to
ledge down to a complex phreatic level where the way on is blocked by sand.

<p><a name="scircuit">30m back</a> from the 'end' of YAPATE Inlet (at <a
href="#goboy">Gob on You</a>), is a sandy slope up to a straight rift forking
off on the right. This apparently ends quickly in a narrowing climb, but
ducking under the right hand wall, down a slope and over a boulder which
'obviously' blocks the passage, leads to a small chamber. There is a
floor-level dead-end flat-out crawl ahead, a steep passage up (the way on) to
the left and a tiny roof tube, <b>Short Circuit</b>, which also connects to
the way on but is impassable.

<p>The passage comes out at a double pitch head (two holes leading to the
same place). Above is more shaft, the top of which can be reached by a climb
back in YAPATE, and an audible connection to the approach rift.

<p><a name="oldhamp">Down</a> the damp 25m <b>Oldham Pitch</b> is a stream
rift to a 6m pitch, <a name="pp3"><b>PP3</b></a>, with a tight takeoff. At
the foot of this is a hole down (into which the water disappears off left)
and a squeeze along a rift to the right. Through the hole is a 3&frac12;m
climb, <a name="neverr"><b>Never Ready</b></a>, to a damp view along a
tootight rift.

<p><a name="aa">The</a> first squeeze is '<b>AA</b>' (<b>Double A</b>) and 1m
beyond it is another, <a name="aaa">'<b>AAA</b>'</a> (<b>Triple A</b>),
which is great fun, especially with tackle, as it is angled down to the head
of <a name="nife"><b>NiFe</b></a>, a 13m pitch.

<p><a name="jackpot">The rift</a> becomes much bigger beyond NiFe and across
the ledge is a 13m pitch, <b>Jackpot</b>, leading via another ledge to
<a name="ffpf"><b>Fifty Francis' Phreatic Freehang</b></a>, a stunning 40m
free pitch. At the foot of this is a 2m climb up to the continuation, which
can be seen through a hole, <a name="maudsw"><b>Maud's Window</b></a>, in a
rock arch, <a name="tmbridge"><b>The Mathematical Bridge</b></a>, at the foot
of a further 3m climb down from where FFPF lands.

<p><a name="elevel">The continuation</a> is yet another pitch of 15m with a
space off to the right which connects with Ariadne's Aven below. At the
bottom of the pitch is a 1m diameter hole onto a final 8m pitch, <a
name="fx2"><b>FX2</b></a>, to the phreatic level, <b>Electrolyte Level</b>.

<p><a name="ariadnesa">To the left</a> of FX2 is a pair of high avens,
<b>Ariadne's Aven</b>, with a beautiful pocked and pebbled floor. At the back
of the aven is a 4m climb to nothing very exciting. To the right is a 2m
sandy climb to a roped traverse around a 10m long by 4m deep hole.

<p><a name="cgrater">Near the</a> foot of FX2, the passage cuts down below
the sand and rock floor. It is easy to climb down into this, but it soon
becomes sufficiently tight to require removal of SRT gear. Following this
tortuous passage through a small choke leads back out into the main passage
at the bottom of the traverse hole. The obvious way on at the bottom of the
hole is blocked by a <b>Cheesegrater</b> type formation of a whole lot of
holes in a rock barrier.

<p><a name="labyrinth">The</a> <b>Labyrinth</b>. In the right hand wall
of the hole is a 1.5m x 0.5m passage. This also soon requires gear removal,
being both small and possessed of a couple of athletic bits. After about 30m
it crosses an even more ridiculous passage which could possibly be followed
if this was Mendip. Beyond this there are several zigzags of slightly uphill
flat-out crawling culminating in a nasty duck which can be baled to make it
less awful. Beyond it is a fork with a difficult skydive (Quaking-style) 3m
climb/pitch to the left into what looks like larger passage [<a
href="qmtodo.htm#C1990-161-12" name="qC1990-161-12">C1990-161-12</a> C]. This would require some
rigging to reascend. There is a probable (faint) audible connection back to
the main part of Electrolytic level from here. 

<p>Back in the main level, crossing the traverse leads to 30m of pleasant
sandy passage about 3m diameter. Halfway along is a small, blind, bellshaped
pitch (p4). At the end is a remarkable false mud floor on the right which
must be avoided as you will drop 10m if it gives way. A 10m pitch can be
rigged from a rock protrusion on the left. This lands in a chamber with
steeply sloping sand floor, bisected by an old stream route. Downhill (W) is
choked, at the end of the stream route (NE) is a choked p5, and in the top
corner (S) is a small crawlway. 4m above this can be seen a large window.

<p>The crawlway leads for 10m to the foot of a crossrift choked with more
sand. The rift can be ascended for about 10-15m where it bells out into an
Aven. This Aven can also be reached from above (shown by vocal connection).

<p>The window in the sloping sandy chamber can be reached by standing on a
very tall person's shoulders and then lasooing a rock (!). Up here the
passage curves left and there are two climbs up about 10m (check?) to
another chambery bit. Off left is another window back down into the sandy
chamber. Ahead is a 15m blind pitch, and to the right is a crawl to the head
of the aven/rift vocal connection. 

<p><a href="300dpi/cfn.png"><img alt="survey - 16k gif" width=550
height=450 src="inline/cfn.png"></a>

<h3><a name="goboy">Gob on You</a> / Wish You were here (1990, 1993)</h3>

<p><a name="tfcut">At the</a> 'end' of YAPATE, where progress is barred by a
hole in the floor, a dodgy traverse leads to the take off for the 12m <b>Gob
on You</b> (after a nasty spit) pitch down a hading rift. Below is a bedding
plane going back to the foot of the hole that was climbed over, and another
25m wet pitch, <b>Wish you were here (not me)</b> pitch. At the bottom, the
way on is down a tight slot in the floor of the rift. Over the slot the rift
continues as <b>The Final Cut</b> for 20m before closing.

<p><a name="alextech">Down through</a> the slot is a wide and deep pitch,
still containing the water which sinks in the floor just before The Final
Cut. However, about 3m down below the slot it is possible to traverse off NW
(away from YAPATE) for ~20m past a blind hole to another slot, which gives a
52m dry freehang, called <b>Alexander Technique</b>. Continuing over this
second slot, after 5m is a 2.5m climb up, at the top of which a further 4m
crawl breaks out in the side of a dripping aven/pitch [<a
href="qmdone.htm#C1993-161-04">C1993-161-04</a>].

<p><a name="qC1993-161-04">The pitch</a> is c 40m so far, but time and novices
ran out in the 1995 push, so the continuation remains undescended
[<a href="qmtodo.htm#C1995-161-74" name="qC1995-161-74">C1995-161-74</a>].

<p><a name="belowalex">At the bottom</a> of Alexander Technique the passage
turns back SE, presumably rejoining the wet pitch seen below The Final Cut.
This is reached via another slot, then there is about <b>70m of pitch</b>
with several rebelays in the same shaft as <a href="#halfshaft">Half
Shaft</a>. This is where the Gob &amp; Dehydration routes join. At the bottom
is a rock bridge. On the HLV side (Left, E) is a rock-choked shaft base. The
other (West) side is <a href="#cwedge">Captive Wedge</a>. 

<p>The Final Cut, Alexander Technique and the crawl to the undescended pitch
are all in an obvious 260&deg; bearing rift. Fifty Francis' Phreatic Freehang
in FBS is on the same fault, if not actually connected, too.

<h3>Strange Downfall - <a name="hgs">Hyper Gamma Spaces</a> - Endless (1990)</h3>

<p>Beyond the 90&deg; bend in <a href="sibria.htm#cfn">Chicken Flied
Nice</a>, the floor trench cuts down to a stream rift opening onto a big
space. The 23m <a href="farnth.htm#stranged">Strange Downfall</a> pitch into
a very large aven/collapse chamber lands on boulders. This big space, and the
associated small rifts are collectively called <b>Hyper Gamma Spaces</b>, due
to the size of the space, and complexity of the rifts.

<p>Halfway up <a href="farnth.htm#strangeu">Strange Upfall</a> is a col
between Hyper Gamma Spaces and a damp hole of similar depth. Down here there
are ways into a set of undescended rifts - probably the top of the Hyper
Gamma Spaces rifts.

<p>Climbing down to the lowest point of chamber (West side), reaches a small
rift which is fairly full of stones at this point. To the left is <a
href="#endless">Endless</a>, while to the right in this rift leads to the <a
name="HGSrift"><b>Hyper Gamma Spaces</b></a>rifts. Traversing over two 3m
deep holes leads to a right turn and a 4m climb down to a chockstone plus
another 5m climb down to a boulder choke. Descents can be made in various
places along this rift, for up to about 20m, but all routes seem to choke.

<h4><a name="dehydrn">Dehydration</a> (1990)</h4>

<p>Dehydration series (as the term is now used) is a rift series leading to
various pitches, not fully explored, and a final choke below Halfshaft, also
reachable from Gob On You. In old logbooks (and in the title of the survey
above), the term referred to a much larger area of the cave including
everything then known beyond Staircase 36. There is some confusion about the
exact positions of QMs and pitch demarcations in the HLV/Half Shaft/Captive
Wedge series.

<h5><a name="endless">Endless</a> (1990)</h5>

<p>Immediately left in the rift below Strange Downfall is a very loose 3m
climb down to a widening of the rift. <b>Endless</b> starts only 5m high, but
the steeply descending (35&deg; to 40&deg;) rift is a good 40m high 140m
further on. From here there is a crawl ahead/left which goes 30m before
getting too tight. Of two climbs down to the right, the first is about 3m to
a pitch aligned with the rift, the second is the way on. Beneath its foot is
a further 3m climb down leading to a rift pitch (probably the same as that
reached from the first climb). These pitches have not been descended.

<p>Continuing down Endless leads to various amusing climbs and a junction to
the left after 60m. A stoop leads through to an angled chamber with a roof
tube 7m up the right hand wall which winds somewhat before emerging back in
Endless some 15m above the floor (not climbable at this point).

<h5><a name="hlavesta">Hasta La Vesta</a> (1990)</h5>

<p>20m further on is a 2m climb up and a 5m climb down followed by a couple
of loose climbs (beware) leading to <b>Hasta La Vesta</b>, a horrible pile of
boulders calling itself a pitch head. This area seems to be where the major
joint on which Endless is formed meets the fault responsible for Staircase 36
and a lot of vertical development beneath it.

<p>Just before this is a hard 5m climb down into a sand-filled dead end.

<p>About 10m down the appalling pitch, a pendulum to the left (SE) above two
big holes can be made (the wall is very loose). From here an ascending rift
passage can be followed to an unascended (as most of it fell off when it was
attempted) climb. This rift [<a href="qmtodo.htm#C1990-161-07" name="qC1990-161-07">C1990-161-07</a>
C] may well be the one continuing beyond Fifty Francis' Phreatic Freehang in
<a href="#fbs">Flat Battery</a>, as voices have been heard in the area.

<p><a name="halfshaft">Only the right</a> hand of the two holes, <b>Half
Shaft</b>, has been descended, although they appear to connect after a 9m
near vertical section to a rebelay. This is followed by 53m 15&deg; off
vertical in a rift 7m long by 4m wide, broken by a rock-strewn ledge about
half way down. The 60m pitch (70m if you count the loose section from Hasta
La Vesta) parallels the <a href="#belowalex">70m pitch below Alexander
Technique</a> in Gob. The ropes actually join about 3m above the boulder
floor at a rock bridge.

<p>From the floor a climb up to the left leads to a passage containing
increasingly awkward climbs. An obvious hole leads to a large
shaft with a sloping wall. It is not clear if either of these is the QM
originally numbered 90-07, but the descriptions don't seem to match.

<h5><a name="cwedge">Captive Wedge</a></h5>

<p>The other (West) side is the 35m <b>Captive Wedge</b> pitch, in sections
of 15m to a bolt rebelay, then another bolt shortly below and a final drop of
16.5m to the boulder floor, mostly in a circular shaft 5m in diameter. Five
metres below the lower rebelay and 4m away from the rope is an inaccessible
window [<a href="qmtodo.htm#C1990-161-05" name="qC1990-161-05">C1990-161-05</a> C].

<p>The foot of the pitch is a shelf about 8m up. Traversing round to the
right, and dashing through the small waterfall gains a splashy downclimb to
a section of sizeable passage heading north (nearly 90&deg; to the big rift
that has just been descended). This can be followed about 15m up a 2m climb
to a dead end. At the foot of the downclimb a grovel left through boulders
gains a c5 into a small rift where all the water disappears down a hole
about 12 cm in diameter.

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