| 204 | Steinbrückenhöhle | 5/S x |
|---|
Summary: The Big Boulders area is dominated by a large breakdown +chamber and contains a number of unexplored leads. It is accessed from the +On the Prowl traverse in the Pussy +Prance area.
+ +In the southwest corner of the chamber reached from the end +of Puss in Bolts is a 3m pitch. Traversing over this pitch +(rope required) leads into a rift passage. The narrow +continuation of the rift ahead is unexplored [C2012-204-XX B], +but a 3m climb up on the left (bolts placed for a rope) leads +into Dog Days. Comfortable walking passage heads south for 20m, +past a roof tube on the right and via a 3m climb down, to a +complex junction. There are two unexplored passages on the left +at this point ([C2012-204-XX B] and [C2012-204-XX C]). +[FIXME: (Olly/Becka/Andrew) lots of bits here that AD can't remember/knows +nothing about].
+ +The way on is a muddy passage which quickly leads to the +head of an 18m pitch overlooking a large space. Descending +this pitch lands in Big Boulder +Chamber.
+ +As its name suggests, Big Boulder Chamber is a large +breakdown chamber containing many huge boulders. +[FIXME: (Andrew/Becka/Julian/Stuart) survey shows QM C downhill from landing point]. +From the point at which the rope lands, the way on is +up an unstable rubble slope to the north (care required). +[FIXME: (Andrew/Becak/Julian/Stuart) uncertain about the exact route here - lots of +bits on the survey to the east that AD knows nothing about] +The route continues north through breakdown until a +climb beneath a large boulder on the left leads to a +boulder slope which can be descended with care to a +continuing passage to the north. Shortly beyond the +bottom of the boulder slope, a passage on the right +leads, past a narrow unexplored passage on the right +[C2012-204-XX C] to a muddy, exposed climb up into a possible +phreatic passage with a sound of water [C2012-204-XX B].
+ +The main route continues north in comfortable sized passage +with a draught from south to north. After 10m, a wet aven is +reached on the left [C2012-204-XX X] with a 3m pit beneath +with a narrow rift exiting [C2012-204-XX C]. The continuing +passage gradually narrows and continues for a further 40m to +a T-junction where Pretzel passage +leads off to the left and right.
+ +Turning right at the T-junction leads immediately to +a local widening with three ways on. West leads immediately +back to the passage from Big Boulder Chamber near the +T-junction. North is a 2m climb and east is a low passage, +both of which ultimately lead to the same place. The easiest +route is to take the low passage to the east. +This quickly opens out to a comfortable sized sandy passage +which proceeds, past a climb up to a narrow passage on the +right [C2012-204-XX C], before the roof lowers again. 10m +further on the roof rises at the base of a 3m climb up on the +left. Up the 3m climb leads to 15m of narrow, sandy, +walking sized passage emerging at the top of the 2m climb at +the start of the passage.. Comfortable sized walking passage +continues north for 10m before turning northwest and descending +gently to the head of an undescended pitch with the sound of +water [C2012-204-XX A]. The pitch is at least 15m across and +stones rattle for at least 8 seconds. There is a draught blowing +from the pitch towards the known cave.
+ +Turning left at the T junction, a sandy slope down to the +right is quickly reached (rope required for a safe descent) with +a passage heading off at the bottom [C2012-204-XX A]. Traversing +across the top of the slope leads to a further passage with an +immediate junction. Left is a steeply ascending passage which +requires protection [C2012-204-XX B]. Ahead, comfortable passage +continues for 8m to a sand choke, with a small continuation +to the left with no draught [C2012-204-XX C]. Right leads, via a +2m climb up, to a muddy rift. This passage proceeds for 30m +reaching the head of an undescended pitch that is at least 20m +across [C2012-204-XX A]. This pitch is 40m away from the pitch +at the end of the other branch of Pretzel Passage, and has a +similar character. There is a draught heading towards this +pitch. A climb up on the right at the pitch head gains access +to a roof tube [C2012-204-XX C].
+ + +