Kaninchenhöhle: Triassic Park through Flat France

Overview

An extensive series of horizontal development at a similar altitude to the other major passages in Kaninchenhöhle, but quite a distance away from them. Most of this area is now best reached from the 161d entrance, and this page describes the main route from Triassic Park to the original point of entry at the traverse off Sultans of Swing. Two other routes from Triassic Park to the bottom of France are also possible, but both these need rigging and are treated on the side passages page.

Guillotine to French Revolution (1995)

Triassic Park part I heading south ends with a split into Shortage of Walls (up right with a route into France via Teapot) and the Guillotine straight on. This is a high rift passage with an obvious hanging death boulder in the roof. Down the slope is a bend left leading to the 161d entrance, but just before this, low on the right is the way into Salt Lake City.

This rapidly opens out into a 7-10m wide passage carrying a considerable draught, and with a beautiful white floor. Following this SSW passes a 2m climb on the right, before narrowing a little.

This is short-lived, as the passage opens into the huge space of Staud'nwirt Palace. The main route is deflected right (WSW) here with the boulder floor rising on the outside of the bend. Ways on here have proven disappointing, though some inaccessible holes in the roof remain unexplored.

Descending boulders west, the way gets smaller, and funnels down to a 5m climb down (ladder left rigged) into Zombie Slime, a 3m wide meandering passage, entered at a chamber with two minor ways off.

Zombie Slime

The main way on goes west for a short way to a three-way junction. Left is a short series rejoining the main way 10m later. This main route turns sharp right and continues to end abruptly at a boulder choke coming out of an aven. There is an audible connection to the other side of the choke, 6m away off Fudge Brownie.

Brownie's Cunt from Zombie Slime.

The bypass to this choke is found on the left (SW) 6m before, where a tiny passage at floor level, Brownie's Cunt, squeezes through. This has been enlarged by the removal of some rocks, and immediately encounters a 1m climb down into somewhat larger passage, French Revolution. This is joined from the left by two more small passages which rejoin but just fail to connect back to Zombie Slime.

Zombie Slime

Continuing SW a few more metres, a traverse over a pitch is preceded by a small hole at floor level on the right. The traverse emerges into a chamber some 13m in diameter, and the right wall can be followed past the other end of the small hole and into one branch of Fudge Brownie.

The chamber has numerous exits, of which two significant ones to the south rejoin beyond a rock pillar and go to Rocky Horror and the way to Forbidden Land. To the east over a narrow canyon in the floor is the original branch of Fudge Brownie - a stooping NW-trending passage with gloopy mud which gave the name. Minor ways in the floor and SE wall of the chamber have all been pushed to conclusions within a short distance.

Fudge Brownie to Mississippi (1994)

The first, right hand, walking sized branch of Fudge Brownie curves NW and soon encounters a difficult 3m climb down. Immediately right below this is a short passage which ends in the choke blocking the NW end of Zombie Slime. Left is more easy walking to where the gloopy branch comes in from the left.

The second branch of Fudge Brownie, from the west side of the chamber, is 30m of stooping progress in glutinous mud, to the junction with the first branch. The way continues NW as a slightly inclined passage, always slippery, splitting for a while into a higher passage to the right and a lower one to the left. A low way left off the lower passage gives access to Mississippi, but it is easier to continue straight on.

Left and right ways remerge and 20m further on, pop out into Mississippi. This is a 150m long pebble-covered passage. Left goes south, passing a small entry to Mohr-im-Hemd to the right and the other way from Fudge Brownie on the left, before ending at a pitch, Black Suspender.

Right goes just a short way north to a junction with Mississippi Mud Pie on the right. Left quickly reaches a steep mud slope down to Sultans of Swing pitch in France, which can be gained 8m below the takeoff via a muddy traverse.