| 204 | Steinbrückenhöhle | 5/S x |
|---|
Subsoil level
Subsoil is a large horizontal level at altitude around 1520m. Access is from
the Underworld via Gardener's World pitch.
Subsoil Chamber area
Subsoil Chamber
is large with a boulder floor, sloping down to the south. Heading north up
the slope leads to Heavily Soiled (q.v.)..
Heading south from the base of the University Challenge pitch, after 10m on
the right is the entry to the canyon leading to Earthenware, while on the left a passage leads
up steeply past conservation-taped fine, white crystals to a small, wet aven
with two QM C's[C2004-204-56
C] as the chamber drops down steeply with a boulder-strewn floor to a
small, wet aven with fine, large banks of conservation-taped mud and mud pillar
formations topped by pebbles. At the base of the chamber, to the right is a
large phreatic passage three-quarters filled with mud; this connects back to Earthenware, while to the left is Hippo Hollows passage.
These two trunk passages, Hippo Hollows to the south and Earthenware Passage
to the north, together with the short linking passage in between appear to
originally have been a single, large phreatic passage running north/south which
has subsequently been cut into three sections by two canyons running parallel
in Subsoil Chamber.
Clambering up from the base of University Challenge pitch to the top of
Subsoil Chamber, a traverse on the left wall (free climbable with care) is the
easiest way to the obvious, large passage heading off on to the north.
Following the canyon leading down from here leads to Earthenware. A sandy passage leads off up steeply from
the top of Subsoil Chamber. From this passage, a sandy tube soon branches off
to the right and rapidly closes down. The restricted main passage ahead swings
left then heads down and provides a bypass connection into Heavily Soiled
passage. At the north end of Subsoil Chamber, the main passage initially
ascends steeply with a rift in the mud-covered floor. It immediately passes a
steeply descending passage leading off to the right [C2004-204-50 A] and quickly
reaches a large boulder in the passage where the sandy bypass described above
joins from the right. Just beyond the junction of the two routes is a tube on
the right, which has not been explored in 2004, [C2004-204-51 B], nor has another slightly further on [C2004-204-53 B]. The main
passage then levels off and there is a 1.8m climb down a mud bank. At the
bottom a passage leads off to the left [C2004-204-52 C], after which the passage continues up
through large boulders and breakdown. A restricted crawl on the left through
boulders is followed by either an easy squeeze on the left [C2004-204-54 C] or a climb
ahead that opens out onto a large muddy ledge above a mud-floored chamber where
the 2004 survey ends. Descending to the left leads to Night Soil Chamber [WOOKEY BECKA] [C2005-204-72 B], while to the right is Hippocratic
Oath [BECKA ANDREW WOOKEY][C2005-204-01 C] [C2005-204-02 B] [C2005-204-03 C] [C2005-204-04 D] [C2005-204-05 X] [C2005-204-06 B] [C2005-204-07 C] [C2005-204-65 A] [C2005-204-66 D] [C2005-204-67 ?] [C2005-204-68 ?] [C2005-204-69 B] [C2005-204-70 X] [C2005-204-71 D].
Southern area: Hippo Hollows / Fat Worm
On the left, from the southern base of Subsoil Chamber, a 1.8m climb up a
mud bank leads to a mud-floored passage that enters Hippo Hollows. This section
of passage has a series of small, attractive pots floored with cracked mud
(CARE - traverse above the pots). Straight on after the pots, the passage ends
in a rift and Chalk and Cheese pitch. Before
this point, but after the pots, a ramp up on the left leads to a pitch (p.8).
At the base of this pitch a squeeze appears to open out onto a further pitch
[C2004-204-72 C].
Traversing over the 8m pitch and up a steep muddy bank leads shortly to the
head of a further pitch which has not yet been descended [C2004-204-58 B]. Shortly
after this first left ramp, a second ramp to the left leads to a position
overlooking the same rift that can be more easily accessed by continuing
straight along the main Hippo Hollows passage. On the right of the main
Hippo Hollows passage, opposite the second ramp, there is an aven on the right
with sounds of running water in wet conditions [C2004-204-59 B]. The climb up to the aven would require
bolting. Chalk and Cheese pitch is rigged from bolts in the roof to a
self-lined climb down a narrow rift to enter the Fat Worm Blows A Sparky
area.
Chalk and Cheese pitch
enters a moderate-sized chamber. To the right, a short (3m) climb leads up
to a window overlooking the chamber. A crawling sized passage continues north
west for about 35m ending in a pitch down [C2004-204-60 A]. A large walking passage leads off
to the left. From this walking passage, a ramp soon leads down to the right.
This shortly comes to a junction. Down and straight ahead leads to a pair of
windows overlooking what is almost certainly the same pitch [C2004-204-61 A].Turning
right before these windows a climb through a window leads to a small, awkward
and sharp passage that has several windows on the right leading to pitches [C2004-204-62 B]. To the
right the passage squeezes past unusual white plastic-like formations (Little White Clouds) to a small chamber. The
left of this chamber opens out over a pitch, the first of the Four Pitches of
the Apocalypse. Straight ahead from the chamber the passage continues to a
second pitch.
The main walking passage soon reaches Dead
Good Bat Chamber with a freshly deceased bat marked by conservation
tape by the prominent central boulder. Low on the left of this chamber, Thin
Rift passage goes down steeply in tight rift. A handline was needed to continue
down at the limit of surveying in 2004 [C2004-204-73 A]. Several passages lead down on the
right from Good Dead Bat Chamber: all interconnect in a maze of small walking
and crawling tubes. An alcove in one tube is conservation-taped off to protect
the hundreds of bat bones; many other bat bones are found at lower
concentrations throughout Subsoil, possibly washed out of the mud deposits. In
another tube is an unexplored passage [C2004-204-64 C]. Continuing ahead beyond Good Dead Bat
Chamber, a free-climb steeply up on the left leads to a point around 4m below a
large tube which would require bolting to access [C2004-204-65 B]. Straight
ahead leads steeply down large boulders to a small chamber and a wet aven [C2004-204-66 C].
Northern area (The Wares)
From the foot of University Challenge pitch,
descending around 10m south down the chamber, there is a very large boulder on
the right with two spits in the roof to rig a 3m pitch (free-climbable with
care) to a steeply descending canyon. Following down the canyon, shortly an
opening on the right links to the start of Heavily
Soiled passage. At the base of the canyon the passage continues as
fairly tight rift guarded by poised rocks [C2004-204-22 A]. Between these points, a high mud
bank on the left opens into the short section of phreatic passage which
continues further south as Hippo Hollows, passing a high tube in the right-hand
wall [C2004-204-20 X].
The main way on is opposite this high mud bank. Here, on the right near
the bottom of the canyon, a short traverse (two spits and a natural and a 12m
rope; free-climbed for 2005 trips) over a large, loose mud bank gains access up
to a large walking passage, Earthenware. This drafts out strongly and continues
north, horizontally, for 100m. Earthenware initially passes some stalactites,
opposite which there is a passage on the left [C2004-204-23 C]; then the phreatic development extends
to slope up on the right side. Continuing leads to a trench; climbing down
into the trench on the left-hand side of the passage leads to a side passage,
Software [WOOKEY BECKA] [C2005-204-73 A] and at the
other end is a climb down into Firmware [WOOKEY
BECKA].
A little beyond this is a junction, where a passage leads off to the left
to join Software, while a
muddy slope on the right leads to a muddy tube that goes steeply up to a
boulder choke. A second, less obvious tube leads up on the right just before
this first tube. This second tube climbs up very steeply and continues beyond
the end of the 2004 survey though some aid may be needed to complete the climb
up [C2004-204-28 A].
These two tubes are the Chimney. The main
passage of Earthenware continues up a slope over mud floor formations and
boulders to an obvious junction. The draft comes from the continuation of
Earthenware straight ahead. The larger passage on the left is Stoneware. Stoneware leads steeply down and narrows from
large walking passage to twisting vadose passage with a clean-washed rock floor
with loose, sharp rocks balanced on it. This continues for around 50m to a
chamber. Here there is a drop through loose mud [XXX unnumbered QM B] and a
roof tube [C2004-204-29
X]. Continuing on, past another roof tube [C2004-204-30 X], the passage terminates at a drippy aven
[C2004-204-32 X].
[Editor's note: I'm rather puzzled by this as the QM grades assigned on the
survey don't match the description. Somewhere along here there is another one
[C2004-204-31
C].]
Earthenware continues smaller and soon reaches a complex junction, the
beginning of the labyrinth known as The Wares. On the right are three passages
leading into Underware. The second contains attractive
calcite on the walls and is conservation-taped off. On the left there are also
three passages: the first and third lead into Hardware
(the third passing [C2005-204-76 C] on the way], while the second slopes
down to a small chamber with no way on.
Hardware is initially small but strongly
drafting and twists along and soon reaches a junction. Ahead on the left drops
down a ramp past a fine white formation but soon finishes. Just beyond this
ramp, a muddy passage leads up on the right back to Earthenware. Continuing
straight ahead, the main passage soon opens up into very large phreatic passage
with large boulders on the floor. Soon there are openings on both left and
right. Taking this left, the passage, Someware,
drops down steeply. Two junctions on the right both lead to a small chamber
beyond which is a wet aven [C2005-204-74 X] on the right which feeds a small, sharp,
immature streamway on the left [C2005-204-82 C]. Note that this aven is separate from
that at 04-39B.
The continuation of this left passage down is [C2005-204-75 A] and takes a small stream. Right
leads up steeply to Underware. Further along is another crossroads; left links
back into Someware; right soon chokes. This large passage soon closes down
again and slopes steeply up in a large boulder pile. The 2004 survey ended at
the top of the boulder slope. A deep pitch descends on the left [C2004-204-39 C] and there is
a possible continuation up on the right of the slope through boulders [C2004-204-40 C].
The three passages up on the right of Earthenware all enter a very large,
horizontal phreatic passage, Underware. This continues both left (north) and
right (south).
From the entry points from Earthenware, Underware continues to the left for
around 50m north, to end in a huge boulder choke and roof collapse. A large
passage on the left at the start of this collapse zone drops into Hardware,
following a small stream. A small tube just beyond this passage soon chokes. A
small drafting passage off to the right at the start of the collapse zone is
the start of Tableware.
Underware continues to the right as large passage heading south, passing a
small passage to the left[C2004-204-47 C], before closing down in a boulder slope.
Just before it closes down a large passage leads off up to the left. This
climbs up steeply past a huge boulder mid-passage then narrows as it reaches a
small mud chamber. Under a boulder on the left of this chamber the passage
turns right, becoming too tight after 4m, and at the far end of the chamber a
passage goes off which becomes too tight after 6m. The main way on is a
drafting thin rift on the left that soon opens out into the bottom of a large
sloping passage. This mud-floored ramp climbs up very steeply and in 2004 the
survey ended at the point at which protection was needed to continue the ascent
[C2004-204-49 A]. A
second passage leads off on the right where the thin rift enters this steep
ramp. This second passage again climbs up steeply and appeared to reach an
aven, with possible passages leading off around 4m up [C2004-204-48 X].
The passage heads steeply upwards, and it splits into many small
tubes which all meet up with each other and meet a horizontal piece of phreatic
tube. To the right passes a hole going down to the right [C2004-204-43 C], where
stones will rattle for quite a while, probably due to a sloping pitch rather
than any great depth, while continuing past the hole leads up slope to come
into a larger passage, which is more easily accessed by following the main
route. To the left a little more scrambling up leads into a passage that
goes off to the left and right, and is high enough to stand up in.
To the right opens up some more and leads to a pitch [C2004-204-44 B], and an aven
[C2004-204-45 X]; a small
hole on the right before the pitch is where the previously described passage
enters. To the left, the passage continues to a small sloping chamber, at
the bottom of which a crawl goes off but chokes, while at the top of the
chamber a couple of short passages also quickly choke. From the higher
entrance to the chamber there is a rift in the ceiling, which continues on the
opposite side of the chamber; [C2004-204-46 C] this would require a climb of a couple
of metres to access.
