+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
The +large trunk passages described on this page were originally accessed +by descending Mordor pitch from the Country for Old Men level in +2011. In 2012, this area was accessed and explored from +Steinbrückenhöhle via the Far from Support traverses from +the bottom of Fat Cat. The southern extremity (Runnel Stone area) is +very close to Chicken Flied Nice, so in the future it may prove +easier to access these passages via an as yet undiscovered connection +in this area, thereby bypassing the Tyrolean traverse at Strange +Acrossfall.
+Mordor is a small, very windy (blowing +up) pitch at the northern end of Sudetenland (accessed from Country +for Old Men) that is rigged from roof. After the initial 10m drop, it +is possible to climb a further 10m down to a second hang from a +thread then a roof bolt where pitch opens out. A deviation ~7m down +on a spike avoids a rub at a rebelay (huge thread) to drop nicely to +near floor. A 60m rope is recommended (this pitch was left rigged in +2011). At the bottom is a chamber is about 15m high. To the west is a +north-south trending rift leading to large pitch at S end. [FIXME: +where is this pitch on the survey? Presumably the pitch is a QM – +what grade? There are two candidates. Also 3 C-grade QMs marked on +survey]. East leads to March of the Ents.
+The large passage of March of the Ents +heads eastwards from the chamber at the base of Mordor pitch 4m +higher up, reached via an easy traverse out. There is a strong +draught from east to west (into the chamber). After 18m, a t-junction +is reached with a much less windy passage to the right (south), +Rivendell, that is the main route to the south. Straight ahead (east) +the main passage continues uphill then turns northeast. 30m beyond +the Rivendell junction, climbing up to the left in a complex area +reaches the head of No Sign of Sauron pitch. Most of the draught +appears to coming from the area around this pitch. Immediately beyond +is a passage on the left (bearing on 252°) +[C2011-161-XX B] [FIXME: is this the C lead on the survey? Bearing +doesn't fit- 352 better]. The phreatic passage zig-zags for +another 30m . At the corner is a high (12m) solution area in the roof +[C2011-161-XX C] [FIXME: where is this on the survey?]. Ahead the +passage becomes a very high hading rift with a short drop. Traversing +across the rift leads to Bored of the Rings.
+Bored of the Rings can be accessed +either by descending a short pitch and climbing up the far side, or +(preferred) by traversing along the right-hand wall of the hading +rift (bolts placed for a traverse line). [FIXME: the survey shows two +C leads at the bottom of the rift, and a B lead at the top, also a p5 +– is this a QM?] At the far end of the traverse is a junction. +Ahead leads after 10m to a pitch [C2011-161-XX B]. A passage to the +right here connects heads back to overlook the hading rift.
+The main way on at the junction is to +the left (north). The passage continues for 55m, past a pool +(traversed on the left) to a rift in the floor (undescended +[C2011-161-XX B]). Left here leads to [FIXME: 2 QMs on survey, B and +a C – descriptions? Also, c2 to the east of the passage – +is there a QM there?]. Stepping over the rift (traverse line +advisable) leads to a breakdown chamber with lots of holes in the +floor. [FIXME: extension to west near survey station 'a' leads to 2 B +grade QMs – description?] Keeping right passes a small passage +on the right [C2011-161-XX C]. Clambering among the boulders leads to +a short climb down near the right-hand wall (handline useful) to +reach a drippy pitch (undescended). [C2011-161-XX B]. The Far From +Support traverses head off along the right-hand wall of this pitch +(left rigged in 2012) and is the connection route to +Steinbrückenhöhle, emerging in Cirque du Soleil. A tube +heading up on the right immediately before the start of the traverse +links back to overlook the pitch and also a possible continuation +east [C2011-161-XX C].
+No Sign of Sauron pitch is accessed by +heading north and uphill from March of the Ents into the wind to a +rock pillar at the pitch head. The pitch is rigged by traversing +along the left hand wall to a rock bridge overlooking a second, +connected hole that is the descent route. An aven above the pitch on +the left at this point appears to be main source of the draught +[C2012-161-XX X]. It would be relatively easy to continue the +traverse to an apparent passage on the far side of the pitch +[C2012-161-XX B] - it is unclear whether or not this passage +continues.
+The pitch is a fine circular shaft, 5m +round and 32m, and is descended via a deviation 4m down and a y-hang +rebelay approximately halfway down. At the base of the pitch, a rift +passage heads south, accessed by climbing down through boulders. The +passage was followed for 15m, via a 2m down climb, and continues to +the south, tight but passable [C2012-161-XX B]. There is little +discernible draught.
+Large passage to R off March of the Ents +in more phreas arrives in a chamber. A hole in the floor is approx +p10 with a pool at bottom (QMA). There is possible passage to N. Way +on is downhill, arriving at a large T-junction with horizontal +passage. This is very windy again (E to W). Left is the large passage +of the Shires, right is towards the Stables.
+Turning L (S) at +
+T-junction enters huge phreatic passage +5m across trending gently downhill, 'The Shires'. This reaches a +pitch edge after 50m looking out into large chamber/area (QMA). Drop +is about 10m then another 10m in further hole. A small passage +continues ahead for ~7m to look out over another drop, probably the +same space (QMB). Halfway along the Shires a small rift passage goes +off (QMC).
+17m to R (w) it opens out at a small +streamway. Passage continues ahead up small climb (QMA). Another goes +downhill to L. The stream sinks in too-tight passage.
+Kaninchenhöhle + Cave Description - Overview +
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-The large passages of Country for Old Men and Mordor were originally -reached by a bolt climb into the roof of Repton II in 2009. -In 2011 they were accessed via this pitch, but from 2012 access via Holey Cow, -avoiding Strange Acrossfall/Upfall, seems likely. - -
Small very windy (blowing up) pitch rigged from roof. After 1st 10m drop -can be climbed another 10m down to 2nd hang from thread then roof bolt where -pitch opens out, deviation ~7m down on spike avoids rub at rebelay (huge thread) -to drop nicely to near floor (55m rope is a bit too short, bring -60m for a proper rig). Chamber is about 15m high. To W is N/S rift leading -to large pitch at S end.
- -Large passage March of the Ents leads eastwards, 4m up, reached by -easy traverse out of Mordor chamber. Strong draught blows westwards (into chamber). Much less windy -passage leaves on R after 18m - the way to The Shires & Stables. Main passage continues uphill then turns NE, -climbing up to L in complex area reaches 30m pitch, which appears to be the -source of the draught (QMA). Immediately beyond this goes off L on 252deg (QMB). - The Phreas continues zigzaggy for another 30m . At the corner is a high -(12m) solution area in the roof (QMC). Ahead the passage gets very high and -there is a 10m pitch/traverse over a hole in the floor. Beyond here is 'Bored of the Rings'.
- -...
- -Large passage to R off March of the Ents in more phreas arrives in a chamber. A hole in -the floor is approx p10 with a pool at bottom (QMA). There is possible passage -to N. Way on is downhill, arriving at a large T-junction with horizontal passage. -This is very windy again (E to W). Left is the large passage of the Shires, right is towards the Stables.
- -T-junction enters huge phreatic passage 5m across trending gently downhill, -'The Shires'. This reaches a pitch edge after 50m looking out into large chamber/area (QMA). -Drop is about 10m then another 10m in further hole. A small passage continues -ahead for ~7m to look out over another drop, probably the same space (QMB). -Halfway along the Shires a small rift passage goes off (QMC).
- -17m to R (w) it opens out at a small streamway. -Passage continues ahead up small climb (QMA). Another -goes downhill to L. The stream sinks in too-tight passage.
- - -
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
The +large trunk passage of Country for Old Men was reached by a bolt +climb into the roof of Repton II in +2009 leading to Irony of Time. It ultimately leads to a pitch – +Mordor – into a further trunk passage at a lower level. This +lower level connects to Steinbrückenhöhle via the Far from +Support traverses. +
+Irony of time was accessed via a bolt +climb from Repton II in 2009; the 18m pitch has been left permanently +rigged. At the top, a tall, sandy floored rift passage heads north – +Irony of Time – with a significant breeze blowing from the +north. A small passage on the left after 50m is choked (possible dig +– [C2011-161-XX D]) and another 20m on a further passage to the +left quickly becomes too tight. The main passage continues for a +further 20m to a junction. Straight ahead leads after 7m to a 5m +climb up, at the top of which a narrow passage continues with a +draught coming from the north [C2011-161-XX B]. The main way on is to +turn sharp left at the junction, which also carries a draught towards +the point of entry. After a further 20m a junction with Country for +Old Men is reached. +
+Country for Old Men is a phreatic +passage the generally trends approximately along a north-south line, +sloping gently down to the south with the local dip of the beds. It +is mostly approximately 10m wide and carries a noticable draught from +north to south.
+Heading south from the point of entry +from Irony of Time, a sandy floored passage heads south for 25m to a +narrowing. Continuing under a rock arch, a passage on the right has a +visual connection back to just before the narrowing. Continuing +downhill [FIXME: past a passage on the right on the survey – +QM?] under another rock arch leads to a 15m pitch on the right +[FIXME: I assume this is an undescended QM – what grade?]. The +passage continues past the pitch head for a further 15m. [FIXME: +Survey implies 2 QMS here – uphill level change to SW, sandy +passage downhill to SE].
+The passage heads north from Irony of +Time in fine style. A passage at ceiling level is presumed to rejoin +the main passage after a 15m. Proceeding a further 25m round a double +bend, a complex area is reached where the main route on is found by +keeping to the left hand wall where a pretty chocolate river is soon +reached. To the right, several routes round rock pillars +ultimately join together until the inlet for the chocolate river is +reached on the right [FIXME: is this a QM?]. Continuing ahead the +passage quickly ends, but a side passage to the right heads uphill to +a 5m climb up. [FIXME: Is there a QM at the top of this climb?]
+The chocolate +river should be traversed to the left (care required to avoid kicking +sand onto it). After 20m, the chocolate river heads down a pitch to +the right [C2011-161-XX B]. A traverse over the top of this pitch +leads to Popcorn Passage. Country for Old Men continues left past an +impassable hole on the left with a stream (good for filling water +bottles). Immediately beyond the watering a hole, a small draughting +passage doubles back on the left – this is Massive for Mendip. +Immediately beyond is a slope down to a pitch with a rift passage +exiting with water audible [C2011-161-XX B]. The main passage +continues north, traversing round a pit on the left with wet aven +above [C2011-161-XX X]; the water exits down a too tight rift at the +bottom of the pit. From here, the passage heads uphill to the north +past a small hole in the floor [C2011-161-XX B] and a small choked +passage on the right [C2011-161-XX D] for 45m until a 10m pitch is +reached. A traverse round the right of the pitch is blind. Descending +the pitch leads to Sudetenland.
+The 10m +sloping pitch into Sudetenland is formed where the phreatic passage +changes level. At the base of the pitch, two tall narrow passages on +the left lead to a side passage heading south. A little further on, a +further side passage on the right also heads south. The main route +continues uphill to the northeast. 50m from the base of the pitch, a +floor trench is reached. Continuing to the left here leads, after +15m, to a drop overlooking the continuing passage that would require +rigging. The easiest way to proceed is head right down the floor +trench after which a 2m climb down is reached (sling or handline +useful for the return). Shortly beyond the base of the climb, a small +passage on the right leads immediately to a pitch with a strong +draught [C2011-161-XX A]. The main passage continues for a further +40m to a junction. Right heads uphill and chokes almost immediately. +To the left, the passage narrows markedly, and is consequently very +cold since it appears to carry most of the draught present throughout +Sudetenland and Country for Old Men. After 25m, the head of Mordor +pitch is reached which is extremely draughty and extremely cold. All +alternative ways on at the head of the pitch appear to be choked. +
+[FIXME: +description needed – see Becka's logbook entry, 2011-08-10]
+[FIXME: +description needed]
+Near the base +of the pitch from Country for Old Men into Sudetenland, there are two +side passages – one heading approximately southwest, the other +southeast.
+The southwest +passage is a tall, narrow rift that heads gently downhill to the +south with a small draught from south to north. [FIXME: the bit +covered by the oldmensouth survey needs describing – see +Becka's logbook entry, 2011-08-10]
+The southeast +passage is a walking sized, sandy floored passage that draughts +towards the southeast. A number of crystals (gypsum?) were observed +in numerous places in this passage. After 55m a 5m climb up is +reached. At the top of the climb, a rift passage heads off to the +west [C2011-161-XX B]. To the east is a further climb up, apparently +with a passage beyond, that has not been followed [C2011-161-XX B]
+5m back +from the base of the 5m climb, a narrow passage heads off to the +west. A further 5m back is another small passage heading west [FIXME: +choked? QM?], and another 10m back is another passage heading west +[C2011-161-XX C]. It seems probable that these passages are all +connected. Following the passage closest to the base of the climb +proceeds past many crystals and a well preserved dead bat, and +quickly degenerates to a crawl. After 10m, a junction with two +similarly small passages on the right is reached [C2011-161-XX C] +[C2011-161-XX C]. The passage continues in a similar vein, with +popcorn encrusted walls in places, for a further 35m before opening +out at the head of a pitch, estimated at 7m, at the base of which a +larger rift passage is seen continuing to the southeast [C2011-161-XX +A]. There is little draught in this area considering the size of the +passage.
+Kaninchenhöhle + Cave Description - Overview +
+