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<title>1623/136: Steinschlagschacht underground description</title>
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<p><center><a href="top.htm"><img alt="Overview "
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<h2>1623/136: Steinschlagschacht</h2>
<h3><a name="forbidden">Overview</a></h3>
<p>1983 description is : shaft -194m. The bottom was reached in 1984, at depths variously
estimated -240m, -260m and -285m, when the rift became too narrow. 1983 survey (which
was never drawn up) only goes to -194m.</p>
<p><i><a name="id136p1" href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a> rigging</i></p>
<div class="onleft"><a href="fullsize/136elv.png">
<img alt="Elevation - 26k GIF" width="300" height="709" src="inline/136elv.png" />
</a></div>
<div class="centre"><a href="l/jh97-3.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 57k" src="t/jh97-3.jpg" width="150" height="225" /></a></div>
<p>The rope (60m used in 1997, though this is not generous) for the first pitch is belayed
to the 3m boulder. A short drop from the surface (c.3m) leads to the top of a steeply
inclined boulder slope which is also very loose. The head of the main entrance pitch hang
used to be immediately at the foot of this slope, however it has now been rigged from the
right hand wall, out of the immediate line-of-fire from the boulder slope. A traverse line
of around 10m at 30&deg; is rigged on the right hand wall to reach the pitch head. The
main hang is around 35m almost free-hanging, but for a minor deviation about 8m below the
pitch head.</p>
<div class="centre"><a name="p1" href="l/jh97-7.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 38k" src="t/jh97-7.jpg" width="148" height="225" /></a></div>
<p>From the foot of the entrance pitch, a fairly narrow slot with a short climb down
(c 1m) connects to a large boulder-strewn chamber. This chamber is entered from the top
left corner (standing looking down the slope) and the main way on is around 10m down the
slope, under a very large boulder towards the right hand wall. At the foot of the chamber
are two large holes of around 5m depth, one in each corner. One of these holes has a spit
above it, suggesting it was descended in 1983/4, however no descent was made of either
hole in 1997. It is speculated that these may connect to the second pitch at a lower
point than that used as the pitch head in 1997.</p>
<p style="clear: both"><i><a name="id136p2">Second</a> Pitch</i></p>
<p>Returning to the main route down, the head of the second pitch is a belay point on the
right hand wall of the chamber immediately above a very large perched boulder at "floor"
level. A 130m rope was initially used here, though some spare was later cut off. Beware
of apparently sound footholds here as they have a habit of falling off down the next 70m
or so of the pitch series! A rebelay is required just below the take-off point on the
boulder to avoid rubbing the edge of the block on the way up. This rebelay is particularly
awkward on the way up since the rope tends to pull into the crack between wall and boulder.
The shaft continues down more or less vertically for a further 3 rebelays (50m) until the
first substantial ledge is reached. (A deviation is required below the 3rd rebelay from
the pitch head to avoid an otherwise serious rub just below the rebelay bolt).</p>
<div class="centre">
<a href="l/jh97-9.htm"><img alt="Photo - 55k" src="t/jh97-9.jpg" width="225" height="150" /></a>
<a href="l/jh9711.htm"><img alt="Photo - 60k" src="t/jh9711.jpg" width="150" height="225" /></a>
</div>
<p>From this ledge, a further pitch descends, rigged from two bolts on the
left hand wall with an immediate deviation off the right hand wall. Traversing
ahead over the pitch, it appears that there is a parallel shaft visible through
an eyehole in the left hand wall. It is believed that this is the shaft
described as being accessed by a "desperate step across" which was descended
in 1984 and found to reconnect to the wet route lower down.</p>
<p>Descending from the ledge, a further substantial ledge is reached after c8m.
On the way up it is advisable to cower under the overhanging wall of this ledge
to avoid exposing yourself to rocks dislodged by people on the pitch above -
the pitch head is especially loose.</p>
<p><i><a name="id3rdp">Third Pitch</a></i></p>
<p>From the ledge an awkward take-off to an almost immediate rebelay leads to a
connection with a wet shaft - the main source of water below this point. The
hang is fortunately almost dry, aided by a very wide rebelay about 12m below
the ledge. A further 15m hang reaches another large ledge where water continues
through a large slot in the floor at the foot of the pitch. It is at this point
that the two routes diverge into <a href="#wetdream">Wet Dreams</a> (the way
explored in 1983/4) and the <b>Eyehole Route</b>.</p>
<h4><a
name="eyehole">Eyehole</a> Route (<a
href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>)</h4>
<p>The Eyehole Route
is to-date the main route in 136, leading eventually to the 1997 connection
with the <a href="fbl136.htm">Forbidden Land</a> in 161, and the 2&frac12;km
<a href="chile.htm">Chile</a> series, found in 1999.</p>
<p>The eyehole is reached by means of a traverse over the slot in the floor
(through which the water disappears) and is the obvious large hole on the
right. A short horizontal rift, with a steeply-inclined hole in the floor,
connects to the head of the fourth pitch series. This pitch series is about 30m
of dry shaft, broken by three ledges and landing on a much larger ledge with a
couple of large boulders jammed in the exit rift. A 54m rope was sufficient in
1997. From the foot of the fourth pitch, the head of the fifth is only a few
metres away over the jammed boulders.</p>
<p><a name="pitch4">The head of</a> the fifth pitch does an extremely good job
of hiding the enormous cavern into which it breaks some 10m below. Do not be
mistaken into believing that the floor, as it appears, is only 5m below your
feet, nor that your light will be even remotely adequate for ensuring maximum
exposure on the multiple hanging rebelays below. The pitch starts with a large
Y-hang across the rift at the pitch head.</p>
<div class="centre"><a href="l/jh9715.htm"> <img alt="Photo - 21k"
src="t/jh9715.jpg" width="150" height="225" /></a></div>
<p><a name="over5">An airy</a> traverse around the corner to the left (<a
href="../../fixaid.htm#over5">rigged rope</a>) leads eventually to the
<a href="#footlight">Footlights Traverse</a>. (The eyehole immediately opposite
the pitch head connects with the climb around to the left).</p>
<p>Below the Y-hang is a large, mud-covered outcrop of rock, over which you
must traverse before proceeding further to a very wide deviation, hated by
those with short legs, just below the muddy "floor". A further 5m descent leads
to a smallish ledge with another rock outcrop to cross to a hanging rebelay on
the left-hand wall. This point is around 60m above the floor of the chamber
and is where the <a href="#thegods">Gods' Traverse</a> begins. A 35m rope was
sufficient to reach this point in 1997.</p>
<p><a name="theatre">Continuing</a> straight down from the rebelay, first a
parallel shaft is reached and the wall of the chamber becomes convex, requiring
another hanging rebelay 21m below the last. A further 24m hang drops to a
boulder floor at the top of a huge chamber - <b>The Theatre</b>. The landing
point for the main route into the Theatre is at the top of the steeply inclined
floor.</p>
<div class="centre"><a href="l/jh9719.htm"><img alt="Photo - 38k"
src="t/jh9719.jpg" width="150" height="200" /></a></div>
<p><a name="orchestral">Standing</a> at this point, looking down the slope of
the floor, an opening at the bottom of the chamber of the left-hand wall leads
to the <b>Orchestral Pit</b>. From the foot of the chamber up a short (c 8m)
climb over mud and boulders and then up another (c 8m) climb on steep rock,
leads to a small opening. (The rope has been left <a
href="../../fixaid.htm#opit">permanently rigged</a> on this climb). On the
right hand wall at the foot of the chamber is a boulder choke through which it
is possible to climb down around 10m. No recommendable leads were found here.
Immediately behind the landing point and around 30m higher up the wall is the
connection to the <a href="fbl136.htm">Forbidden Land</a> (161) which must be
reached via the God's Traverse.</p>
<p><a name="exitsl">Proceeding</a> up the 16m climb from the floor of the
Theatre, a narrow opening leads to a precarious climb down the other side
(c.5m) over the top of a large wedged boulder in a rift chamber, <b>Exit Stage
Left</b>. There is an aven in the roof of this chamber, which can be descended
as a pitch (the 30m continuation of Plughole Pitch) from the end of the <a
href="#footlight">Footlights Traverse</a>. A second aven is reached by a short
(c 3m) climb up opposite the entry climb. A small window (too small for human
access) in the left hand wall of the chamber connects to the undescended pitch
accessible from the <a href="#plughole">rock bridge</a> 18m down Plughole
pitch, 26m above. Rocks can also be thrown in through a small gap in the
boulder floor. This pitch continues below this level.</p>
<p>In the Orchestral Pit, a number of wet shafts connect from the ceiling in
addition to a number of dry avens. The dry avens nearest to the Forbidden Land
have been connected to an eyehole on the God's Traverse around 15m above the
connection to <a href="fbl136.htm#ealgor">Elin Algor</a>. The floor of the
Orchestral Pit has a number of pools and also a considerable amount of brown
powdery mud, similar to that found in the horizontal areas of
Kaninchenh&ouml;hle such as <a href="offffr.htm#mmudpie">Mississippi Mud
Pie</a>, <a href="triasp.htm#triasp">Triassic Park</a> etc. , of which the
majority of 136 is devoid. No leads were found in the Orchestral Pit.</p>
<h4><a name="thegods">The Gods'</a> Traverse (<a
href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>)</h4>
<p>The earlier (and lower) of two impressive traverse routes off the fifth
pitch, The Gods' Traverse heads NE towards Kaninchenh&ouml;hle, to which it
eventually connects.</p>
<div class="onleft"><a href="l/godst.htm"><img alt="Photo - 48k jpeg"
width="150" height="200" src="t/godst.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>From the hanging rebelay 10m below the head of the 5th pitch (on Eyehole
Route), a short (4m) descent with a swing leads to a small muddy sloping ledge,
with precipitous drop. A bolt in the middle of the traverse "protects" a caver
who teeters around the ledge and up a short (c.2m) climb over a corner bulge
onto the main face of the traverse. This roughly horizontal section is about
12m in length across a slab of limestone inclined at 70 - 80 &deg;. Should your
lighting equipment allow, you will be able to admire the enormous vertical
rock-face which forms the opposite wall of the Theatre and the precipitous drop
to the floor 40+ metres below. Hand holds (barring the rope) are non-existent
on the second half of the traverse and most foot ledges were of the disposable
type (single use only), now long gone. At the far end of the traverse a hanging
rebelay just over the edge of the wall leads, with a wide swing, to a large
eyehole on the opposite wall. A short (15m) pitch against the wall on the
outside of the hole leads to a large muddy sloping ledge at the back of which
is a hole into narrow traversy passage. This is the final impressive overlook
reached in <a href="fbl136.htm#ealgor">Elin Algor</a> from the Forbidden Land
in Kaninchenh&ouml;hle in 1996. The whole of the pitch - traverse - pitch to
this point was <a href="../../fixaid.htm#gods">left rigged</a>.</p>
<p>Back
through the eyehole, a couple of pitches lead eventually to the Orchestral
Pit.</p>
<h4 style="clear: both"><a name="footlight">Fifth pitch and
Footlights</a> Traverses (<a
href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>)</h4>
<p>The later traverse route off the fifth pitch (starting at the pitch head,
some 10m higher than the Gods'). This heads generally SW, and is in two
sections, split by a 16m pitch. The lower section is strictly the Footlights
traverse, but the name has been applied to the whole route, causing some
confusion.</p>
<p>A short, unobvious (<a href="../../fixaid.htm#over5">roped</a>) traverse,
<b>Service Duct</b>, starts from the left hand side of the Y hang at the head
of the fifth pitch. It goes left round the corner into a window, then climbs up
3m above a deep hole to a lip into a chamber with a large hole in the steeply
sloping floor that drops down near the start of <a href="#thegods">Traverse of
the Gods</a>. Traversing to the right of this chamber, past an eyehole with a
view back to the Y hang, a pitch (<b>Ventilation Shaft</b> p.16, 1 bolt
rebelay, -5m) descends to the <b>Box</b>, a platform with a fine view to the
left across the Theatre to the Gods' Traverse. Looking out and to the right
from the Box is the start of <b>Footlights Traverse</b>.</p>
<p><a name="foottrav">This airy,</a> diagonal, section around and down the
south-western corner of the Theatre, 30m off the floor was <a
href="../../fixaid.htm#footl">left rigged</a> after the 1997 expedition, but in
1999 was deemed easy enough to rig afresh on each expedition, so the rope was
taken off. Two bolt rebelays reach a Y hang, and descending from this a window
can be reached by an entertaining pendulum to reach a rift in the wall. This
window enters a choss-filled passage whose boulder floor is apparently
suspended above a void (traverse line recommended). An old phreatic level was
hypothesised to exist at a similar height to the connection with Elin Algor,
and this seems to correspond roughly to that level, although at this point the
morphology is a tall rift, passable at various levels, with many windows,
climbs and pitches, difficult to explore exhaustively.</p><p><a
name="plughole">The passage</a> leads, after a 3m climb up and a 2m climb down,
to a narrow slot opening out into the spacious <b>Plughole pitch</b> below,
which drops 18m to a rock bridge.</p>
<p>At the rock bridge the single shaft splits into three. An inlet enters from
an aven and goes down an undescended clean-washed shaft [99-xx A]. This
descends about 8m to a ledge where a slot drops at least 30m, past the choked
floor at the bottom of the Footlights pitch (determined by rocks thrown in from
two points below). This apparently does not connect (at least directly) with
the Orchestral Pit - rocks were not audible from there. The second of the
shafts is more like a 3m blind pit, of little interest.</p>
<p>The third, and biggest, of the dry shafts is a further drop of 30 m (bolt,
tape deviation at -10m) and lands on the floor of <a href="#exitsl">Exit
Stage Left</a> (originally reached by the 16m climb up from the
Theatre).</p><p>Across the rock bridge, over a few boulders and through a
smallish slot, is a short 5m pitch. This is the way on to <a
href="chile.htm">Chile</a>, 1999's major find.</p>
<h4><a
name="wetdream">Wet Dreams</a> (1983/4)</h4>
<p>Wet Dreams is the original
route, explored first in 1983/4, but named in 1997 in memory of the anticipated
connection with 161 by this route. In fact no such connection has yet been
found, but the shaft series has not yet been bottomed and so it's still a
possibility.</p>
<p>Continuing from the foot of the <a href="#id3rdp">third
pitch</a> and crossing the traverse to the point where the Eyehole Route
diverges, a dry hang is possible to the bottom of the rift down which the water
disappears. At the foot of this 15m pitch is a narrow rift, leading quickly to
a further 12m pitch followed by another narrow rift to another pitch.</p>
<p><a
name="pfantasy">Around</a> the head of this pitch, <b>Phreatic Fantasy</b> -
so called because of the anticipated large sloping ramps expected from a
previous cave description - are a number of small, clean and fairly
uninteresting roof tubes, probably phreatic in origin. The shaft at this point
becomes roughly vertical and descends in a number of sections a further
surveyed 35m, becoming increasingly wet towards the bottom. From the surveyed
limit a further pitch of around 30m (estimated) can be seen descending
immediately below.</p>
<p><i>1983 rigging</i></p>
<p>The split between Eyehole
and Wet Dreams is about three quarters of the way down what the 1983
description had as a broken shaft of c 100m. This was in sections of 14m
vertical, 24m sloping, 13m vertical to a ledge. Here a desperate step across
(worse on exit) attained a parallel shaft which apparently connected back lower
down. The main way dropped 9m sloping, 29m vertical, to a 9m slope and a final
3m vertical to what is assumed to have been the Phreatic Fantasy level -
though the pitch lengths (mainly deduced from survey data) don't correspond
well with the 1997 experience and this may be below the next pitch. 1983
figures put the next pitch as 17m sloping, then 15m vertical to a bolt at
-194m, which may be a similar point to that reached on this route in 1997, or
not quite as deep.</p>
<p><i>1984 series</i></p>
<p>A further drop is 5m to "a very bad bolt" and either 15m total, or a
further 15m from the bolt, to a spray lashed ledge with only one small alcove
in which to cower and brew up. A rift in the floor leads 6m to a rebelay and a
final 20-25m pitch into a chamber with two ways off. One was very tight to an
aven and small drop which stones indicate ends blind in mud floor after c10m.
The main way was a squeeze past a very large boulder, down a 10m pitch to a
stream which flows into the classic too-narrow draughting rift. Logbook
describes this as -260m, which fits with the non-existence of a 30m "virtual"
pitch which is believed to be the result of an ambiguity elsewhere in the 1984
log book.</p>
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