Acronyms:

R = right; L = left;

p = pitch (e.g., p30 = 30m pitch)

c = climb (e.g., c10 = 10m climb)

N = north, S = south, E = east, W = west

QM = question mark meaning an open, unexplored lead

PT = point marked on survey

Bold text indicates passage / series names.

The main route is described in normal text and side passages / oxbows are described in italics.

Homecoming is a significant cave found in 2018 on the western edge of our area. This is the first cave that breaks into complex and extensive horizontal passage that we have explored so far out onto the Loser Plateau. The entrance is in a gully with thick vegetation on either side. It is an obvious, open pit with a snow plug in the bottom.

Entrance series

The entrance pitch (p5) drop onto a snow plug. Heading downslope leads to a stance on jammed boulders. A p4 drops onto a narrow ledge which is traversed for a short distance to the head of a p7 which lands on a second snow plug. (The p4 is very wet if it is raining on the surface but it would not be hazardous to exit the cave in these conditions, just unpleasant.)

From the bottom of the second snow plug a short, draughting crawl over boulders leads directly to two more pitches, a p5 then immediately a p10. Below here a short wriggle through boulders on the L side of the passage leads to a short section of rift passage ending at a p3 to a ledge. The ledge looks out over a large chamber with jammed boulders in the roof directly opposite the ledge. (There may be passage leading off from these jammed boulders, QMB - unclear if this QM remains). The p30 from this ledge to the boulder floor of the chamber is Radagast.

5m below the top of Radagast it is possible to swing into a series of small phreatic tubes and immature vadose shafts trending SW at point PT01 and leading past PT02. This leads to a pitch series, Welsh Engineering, which, in 2024, was eventually connected to Hobnob Hallway via the Eye of Sauron. This therefore provides an alternate entrance series. However, in 2024 it was flood prone and the rigging caused problems and would need considerable effort to make safe so it may not be revisited despite the survey not being connected in or completed.

From the bottom of Radagast a traverse on the L along a bedrock ledge with jammed boulders leads to a p5. Here the route narrows to a meander which is followed as close to the roof as possible to a point where the floor opens out and there is a short traverse that drops to a boulder-floored aven chamber. Downslope in this chamber chokes; the way on is an up pitch onto another boulder floor, from which a tall meander leads off (Definitely not the Dachstein).

Definitely not the Dachstein leads (via a number of traverses, two short pitches down and one short pitch up in 2019; extensively rerigged in 2023; problems with this new rig and loose boulders in 2024) to the top of Wallace (p30). This drops down to the base of a large meander then lands on a ledge. From the ledge, two short hangs lead to a very exposed stance below which the continuing meander bells out into a large free hanging rift pitch, Grommit (p55). Traversing S along the walls of Grommit is likely to gain entry to the upstream continuation of The Second Coming; this is QMA 2019-12A). .

Around 10m from the base of Grommit pitch it is possible to swing onto a ledge on the W wall (this is awkward to rig; the easiest option is to descend to the base of the pitch and climb up the wall protected with jammers on the pitch rope). Traversing along the ledge leads to an abandoned meander with a very strong outward draught. A short p5 N at PT03 at the far end of the traverse drops down to the start of The Second Coming whilst a p8 up from PT03 to a small phreatic tube on the R leads to Propane Nightmares.

Continuing to the bottom of >Grommit lands on a rock floor with a vadose trench and a stream in the bottom. This leads via a p10 to a short series of narrow tubes which end in tight sumps and chokes.

The Second Coming

The Second Coming starts below the p5 N of PT03 (which is at the end of the traverse from the Entrance Series). The passage continues as a very draughty phreatic tube with a vadose trench to quickly reach a junction at PT04. (Heading L at this junction leads to Hobnob Hallway (described separately below). Continuing directly NE along The Second Coming the passage immediately passes a small L passage (this immediately goes to a junction. Here, L oxbows down Kitkat Connection and immediately back to Hobnob Hallway whilst R goes to a passage which soon connects back in to The Second Coming at PT05). After a further section of straight, high rift to the NE it quickly reaches a junction at PT05 with a large, abandoned meander. Dropping down 3m to the floor here and heading back L goes SW. The roof gradually lowers - soon passing a junction on the L that goes to Kitkat Connection - until a high aven with a flowstone floor is reached. Beyond this aven a short section of passage leads to a series of holes that may still be QMs after 2024 (2018-10C, 2018-11B, 2018-11A. Continuing SW leads via a 15m drop to a further connection with Hobnob Hallway with several unexplored avens in the connection area.

From PT05, drop down 3m (handline from bolts helpful but do not use any further bolts for unnecessary traverse, see below) to the base of the canyon and head ‘upstream’ (though there is not always any water flowing). Sideways walking along the meandering canyon soon reaches an area of boulder collapse (ignore the unnecessary traverse that used to be rigged 4m above the canyon as far as the boulder collapse). Climb under the boulders and then climb up into a traverse, Wilfully Endangering Lives that goes above the meander below to a junction at PT06 ; it is also possible to continue along the bottom of the meander although the passage is narrow. At PT06 a phreatic tube on the L comes in at the height you are now traversing, around 8m above the floor of the meander. (If you instead reached PT06 along the base of the meander you can continue along the meander from here by turning sharp right at PT06 and then left, passing a number of pools and sections of crawling to reach a large pool across the entire passage. This pool (or perhaps sump) has not yet been crossed. Alternatively, this pool can easily be reached by climbing 5m down from the usual Wilfully Endangering Lives traverse route at PT08, see below .

From the end of the Wilfully Endangering Lives traverse at PT06, enter the phreatic tube. This passes through several stooping sections and a well decorated canyon with pools (traverse rope needed for one pool to ensure dry wellies). It also passes some open leads in the roof and wall including ?2018-9A at PT07, and there may also be a loop here that needs surveying (the whole meander of The Second Coming needs resurveying). This route eventually reaches a hole in the floor at PT08. This is the top of a free-climbable 5m drop down to a deep pool or sump (?2018-8A) which can also be reached by caving from PT05 at the base of the meander. Crossing this hole and, immediately, a second hole (the latter using a strenuous traverse on the left wall) reaches some jammed boulders about 5m E of PT08. From here the passage continues as a pleasant but very draughty canyon. (At PT09, at the first corner, there is a climb down on the L into a passage which is presumed to be the continuation of the lower level passage. This QM B, ?2018-7B, has not been surveyed but there is a wide pool and it may have been explored further in 2024.

Continuing past this junction at PT09, the passage becomes maze-like and needs fully surveying, this is Swiss Cheese. It eventually ends at a deep, draughty rift. Crossing the meander at the far end of Swiss Cheese arrives at PT10 at the start of a deep, draughty rift. This can be traversed at roof level for about 40m though it needs properly anchoring to make it safe. This terminates in a y-hang leading to another poorly anchored, roof-level traverse. Following this for 13m leads to the pitch head for Salamander Queen. From this point The Second Coming has only been explored down a series of pitches although there are probably many other leads. Unfortunately, these have not been properly documented.

Salamander Queen is a p30 which is best rigged as a 3-bolt hang. The rigging below here is both poor and confusing but it will eventually pass between 2 and 3 re-belays before reaching the floor of Salamander Queen at PT11. This is in a large canyon with a sump and two or more waterfalls at the southern side which can be easily freeclimbed (the second of which may require a rope to descend). This is expected to lead south or perhaps south west towards Swiss Cheese. This whole area has no survey, just a centreline, and needs fully resurveying.

Heading north from PT11 leads to a high-level traverse for 20m to anpother pitch-head. Descending this leads to a 1-bolt wonder (in very good rock) and then to a Y-hang which is descended to yet another traverse. The deviation MUST be used to prevent catastrophic rope rub. At the end of the traverse line a brief section of walking passage is reached before reaching a further traverse which terminates at the pitch-head of Salamander Queen. Care must be taken when rigging this to avoid rope rub. Salamander Queen can be descended to a y-hang which MUST have a rope-protector placed to prevent concerning rope rub. Bottoming this chamber leads to a small calcified aven and small stream at the south side and a large, clean washed, aven at the north. The northern aven can be descended into via a 1-bolt wonder (about 7m) and leads to a high-level, clean-washed rift traverse which quickly opens over a very large chamber (maybe 20m wide, very long and something like 40m+ deep. It is expected that this is part of the same rift system seen at the end of Brief Respite and connects back towards Watershed as a hydrological connection at minimum). Continuing in the traverse leads to a phreatic tube on the left, Brief Respite. This is easy stomping passage with a few small waterfalls. After about 80m the passage constricts and leads to an airy traverse over a huge chamber where a waterfall can be heard in the distance. A y-hang is in place to drop the chamber. The chamber is expected to be around 50m+ deep. HERE BE THE PUSHING FRONT.

Hobnob Hallway

(This description should be checked and related to the QMs marked on the survey)Heading L at the first junction along The Second Coming leads to Hobnob Hallway. This starts as a sand floored phreatic passage. A short distance along a hole in the floor leads N to Kit Kat connection which loops back to The Second Coming. Further along, a fine false floor crosses a small stream, not explored. A small sandy slope leads down to a canyon on the R, with a phreatic passage at the top. A short way along this phreas, Phil Lynn’s Concert Hall, a small chamber, is reached. From here a hole to the R leads to Dead Bat Dead End. Back at the canyon, a small passage can be followed to another junction, returning to the canyon. To the R is unsurveyed, but the L continues along a phreatic named Papsi Passage, with the canyon in the floor. Occasional smaller (barely body sized) phreatics break off from this. Eventually the canyon is lost, and the phreatic continues. A further junction is reached, to the R, Papsi Passage continues. To the L leads down Dead Fly Passage, ending at the top of a canyon, presumably the continuation of the earlier canyon. Papsi Passage continues in the phreatic until it too reaches a canyon, presumably the same).

Propane Nightmares

From PT03 at the end of the traverse from the Entrance Series descend the p5 to the N. (Ahead the main passage is The Second Coming). Ascend a p8 (left rigged 2019) up to a small phreatic tube on the R. This enters Propane Nightmares. It starts as a stooping size phreatic tube formed on a fault plane heading E. (Around 10m from the start of the passage a narrow canyon leads up on the R and then heads steeply down towards the sound of a waterfall. This ends in a steep slope which the survey suggests connects with Grommit). The main passage continues E with a similar size, passing a handline c8 up (left rigged in 2019) immediately followed by a p12 down. Continuing E soon reaches a three-way junction at PT21. This is the beginning of a maze area. The way on is right, which leads to a second junction, where right again leads the the top of a p5 down. Just before the first junction a tube high on the right leads to spoon passage which emerges above and opposite the p5 after a few metres of crawling. Down and keeping L at the first junction(N) leads to another junction. (Straight on at this second junction leads, via a steeply descending phreas with a squeeze, to a steep sided static sump. Traversing around the edge of this sump leads to a larger passage which heads SW and shortly reaches the bottom of the p5 described above. This route bypasses the p5 but it is not recommended due to the risk of falling into the static sump which would likely be fatal. E of the sump a draughty ramp ascends to a short bolt climb with a good draught, QMA).

From the bottom of the p5 the passage develops a trench in the floor and soon leads to a T junction at PT22 with a large pitch in the floor Simple Pleasures. (To the R leads to a splashy aven and the head of an immature canyon, QM_not_worth_the_misery, this could lead to the QMC in Simple Pleasures). To the L at the PT22 junction is a short, roped traverse (left rigged 2019) which leads to a crawling sized phreatic tube that soon arrives at a p4 with a tiny wet inlet in the roof at the head of the pitch. Below, the phreas continues as a crawl until a canyon develops in the floor which, after a couple of short climbs, arrives at the top of Strained by Gravity (p75)

Simple Pleasures drops into a small chamber, which leads quickly into a larger chamber, Cupids Cavern, which has a streamway rift in the floor entering from the right (QMC, possibly coming from QM_not_worth_the_misery). Straight across the chamber another short section of rift leads into a small aven chamber with water entering on the left. A short traverse to the right leads to a phreatic keyhole passage, with the easiest going at roof level in the phreatic section. Seems to continue in a ESE direction (QMA). Very promising front.

Strained by Gravity is broken by four large ledges and lands on a boulder floor with a waterfall entering on the E side. Care should be taken on the second pitch, above the second deviation a large boulder is traversed, if it is descended on the wrong side severe rope rub occurs. (A passage leads off directly behind the waterfall - it is not possible to avoid getting wet - and traverses over a pit in the floor with a streamway at the bottom; after the traverse it is possible to drop down into a streamway (described next) or to continue to traverse into a phreatic tube in the roof, QMB). Following cairns to the right at floor level at the bottom of Strained By Gravity it is possible to scurry under a drippy area below the waterfall to enter Watershed, a fine streamway that trends SE. (Just past the waterfall the passage passes beneath the traverse mentioned above).

Watershed continues for over 100m as a significant streamway with some unusually impressive speleothems for the Totes Gebirge. This section is reminiscent of the great stream caves of the Mendip Hills until the water begins to cut down into a trench in the floor. At this point progress is made by climbing up and traversing at roof level in a phreatic tube. The initial climb up is at a 90 degree right hand bend, followed immediately by another climb up at the 90 degree left hand bend. This passage continues to be finely decorated. This carries on until it eventually reaches a T-junction. R immediately arrives at a large, wet pitch (Peculiar Pot) whilst to the L the phreas continues and almost immediately reaches another two way junction.

Peculiar Pot down the pitch leads to camp. A flattened bit of ground sleeps 3 comfortably and 4 at a squeeze. Continuing down another small pitch leads to a narrow rift that continues past a few short pitches to rejoin the main route in Sound of Water The route down Flowstone Canyon and Sound of Water is the preferred route as less rope is required.

Flowstone canyon L at this two way junction is Flowstone canyon, continuing down a narrow sandy rift - sloping steeply downwards for 100m. R at two way junction is a QMB at pt2. After 20m at pt4, L is a scrambly rift, which may require bolting (QMB). Continuing in the sandy rift, nice decoration of flowstone and stalactites is found on the walls, passing several awkward and thrutchy downclimbs. All can be freeclimbed but a couple may benefit from a small handline. A climb up leads to Portcullis Passage a loose sandy passage which follows the top of the canyon before dropping back into it. At the end of the passage a chamber is reached with a large aven above, PT21. Pitch down enters Sound of Water, traverse to left of aven leads to a wet rift (QMA)

Sound of Water. Down the 20m pitch from Flowstone canyon The way on is right up the slope to another pitch p27. Peculiar Pot enters from a rift a few metres down this pitch. From the bottom, upstream leads to a waterfall (bolt climbing required) whilst downstream follows a narrow rift to Alpine Showers : two small pitches beside waterfalls leading to a traverse and another pitch. The streamway is rejoined but soon drops away again and the roof of the rift lowers to a traverse and 20m pitch.

Heifer

From PT21 a traverse line of 12m will take you over "death sump" a static sump that you do not want to fall in. This then carries on for about 15m in a phreatic tube before popping you out at the basin of Heifer and the alternative bolt climb route The Great Heifer

The Heifer starts as a p5 climb up followed by a further p7 which takes you into a rift. beneath you is the magical Great Heifer Which marvels the engineering prowess of “German Engineering” This route no longer needs to be rigged and is “Interesting” to bolt climb This is a very awkward traverse to climb into. This traverse then continues for 20m before you reach a p15 with a deviation that takes you into Cow Trough

Cow Trough Is a large "static sump" which has clear connections to the surface based on the debris that litters the flooralongside alsosuspected of connecting to "Death Sump"thatof which you traversed over. THIS AREA ALSO FLOODS After carefully traverseing across these “Static sumps” you are greeted by a small rift that continues for about 20 meters. To the right can be seen a potential C lead that is another bolt climb into an unknown rift this rift eventually rejoins the floor to what has been dubbed Udder.