Up on the right after the handline climb at the start of Puerile Humour is the top of a 5m diameter pitch, Genital Wart, 5m(?) deep. It is possible to climb down through boulders with care at the western end. The way on is a rift - A Bad Case of Herpes, so called because the walls are covered with brown mud spots - which passes beneath Between the Thighs to a short pitch (5m (?)). This leads to a ledge overlooking the main pitch - Syphilis (30m?) - a fairly large (~4m round) shaft rigged (badly) from a low Y-hang with a rebelay half way down. At the base, a short boulder slope leads to a further constricted 14m rift pitch - Gonorrhoea - which is blind. The lateral continuation of this rift is probably too tight [C1996-161-95 C].
20m beyond Between the Thighs near the start of Puerile Humour Series, is a hole down. A traverse to the left gains both the main way on, and the flake over which a sling provides the rig point for the 1st pitch of Natural City (12m). This descends steeply and turns rightwards leading immediately on to the second pitch (7m), again rigged from the abundant naturals. A small loop to the left quickly rejoins the main passage. Second pitch runs into the 3rd more vertical pitch (7m) which lands in a small chamber. A 1m shelf on left (looking away from the pitch) leads to 1m climb to blind rift at the end of the chamber, a 1.5m climb to the right leads to Dig No. 90, a low crawl with right angled bend to the left over a sand and mud floor [Need to ask explorers whether this is a QM].
Back in the chamber at the base of the 3rd pitch is a narrow rift in floor - Sam's Folly - which descends 20m past a vertical squeeze 5m down (for thin persons only). A landing is made on a pile of rocks sloping down for a further 3m to choked pots left and right.
From the passage leading to Deadbats Chamber after the climb above Natural City, a 2m climb on the left (NE) leads to a steep but climbable aven. Just at the top of the initial climb is a small undescended shaft [C1996-161-63 A]. At the top of the aven a few metres of crawling passage on the left opens out into a 2m high rift going left and right. Left slopes down a mud bank and opens out to a large pitch [C1996-161-27 A] which almost certainly drops into the aven met just after Deadbats Chamber. Right in the rift heads back over the aven just climbed and the passage ends at a pitch [C1996-161-28 A] that almost certainly drops into the roof of same aven. A short climb up at this point gains a shelf of rock but no obvious way on.
To the right of the wall overlooking Deadbats Chamber, a downward sloping passage leads past a small rift on the left, again overlooking the pitch into the chamber, straight on leads down to a 4m drop into a rift.
NE of the centre of Deadbats Chamber, the mud floor has collapsed partially leaving a 1m step and conical mud slope leading to a clean washed pitch in the centre - The Joker (12m). This was rigged and found to end in an impenetrable slot. At the North eastern end of the chamber is a clean washed rift (the feeder for the Joker pitch) which can be ascended for 10m or so before ending at a vertical aven.
Crossing some boulders from the base of the entry pitch to the east side of Deadbats Chamber leads to an undescended shaft [C1996-161-29 A] with an aven 5m to the north against the same wall.
15m north from Deadbats chamber, at the start of Batman Series, the passage traverses left on a sloping mudbank. Immediately on the right before the traverse is an alcove which closes down after only a few meters, and to the right of the end of the traverse is a steep mud col at the base of a parallel connected aven. The pit below the traverse has been descended and leads to a narrow rift [C1996-161-30 C] (described as 'poxy' - not sure whether this means it is passable). Both avens almost certainly ascend to connect with [C1996-161-27] in Lummat's Folly.
Approaching Gotham City Junction from Deadbats Chamber, just after a stooping section, one returns to walking size passage keeping right past a mud pool, then left. Continuing right leads into an oxbow, continuing as a narrow rift opening out to the base of a small aven. At the far side, the oxbow returns to the main passage via a window just beyond Gotham City Junction.
Beyond Gotham City Junction, the walking passage is interrupted by a short crawl. 15m beyond this, on the right, is a climbable aven that will require rope protection to ascend further [C1996-161-39 B].
On the left hand (north) side of the upper mud lake, just on the corner above Penguin Falls, is an ascending, mud floored inlet (not sure if this is a QM or not?).
Just at the point where the northernmost entry to Penguin Falls Bypass turns off from the lower mud lake of Penguin Falls, a small hole (1m x 50cm) can be seen in the floor against the wall. This is Sylvester Cobblepot [C1996-161-40 A], down which rocks rattle for a couple of seconds.
As the name implies, Shaftmine has numerous down-leads dropping from various holes in the floor.
First encountered is Brian's Pitch, at the end of the passage north from Fiveways Chamber. This has been descended for 22m (p13, p9) to a hading rift with a choked boulder floor to the north.
To the left (west) at Brian's Pitch, a broad (4m) ledge leads into Tipico Asturias, quickly encountering a pitch.
Follow the 2 m wide phreatic passage to a 15m pitch. This lands on a false floor where a further 7m drop narrows to a choke. Traversing over three 4 m deep holes in the false floor leads to a m climb down where a draughting crawl reaches a T-junction. To the left a narrow flat out crawl leads round a right hand bend to a 5-6?m pitch ending in a too tight draughting rift (as recalled hearsay from Lummatt [C1996-161-95 C]). To the right the crawl leads over a 25 m deep blind shaft to a junction. On the right a muddy squeeze into a small chamber ends at an 8m deep blind pitch while on the left a narrow rift ends at a chamber with a 6m aven and a possible small passage leading off from the top [C1996-161-96 C].
Turning right (east) at Brian's Pitch, passes a complex area, to continue NE, where the floor drops away to the left down a pitch, Spit at the Bottom. The first pitch (10m) drops to a steep mud bank which runs off down to an eyehole to the right from which the lower part of the shaft can be rigged off naturals. A dripping aven above a vadose rift runs in from the north west and drops down to the left side of the eyehole. The lower section (19m) is descended in the narrow end of the riftlike pitch lands in a clean washed pot with an impenetrable rift running off south west and puddle in the floor. Climbing out of the pot and going to the other end of the base of the pitch there is a hole in the wall from which a steep inclined bedding descends. This can be climbed down for 10m or so before becoming too steep - a rope will be required for further descent [C1996-161-41 A].
Following the mud bank up at the southern end of Fiveways Chamber, the roof lowers until crawling is required in the wide low passage. This is the start of Completely Loopy, initially heading ESE.
On the right a small calcited grotto is seen next to a mud pool, with small aven above. The passage can be followed to the right around this feature via a short climb 1.5m and slope up to rejoin the left hand route along the 5m wide bedding.
Passing a few boulders in the middle of the passage there is a small 10m pitch [C1996-161-45 A] after which the bedding continues, bearing left. Some 15m on from the pitch the mud gives way to rock. A 3m deep rift opens out in the floor and heads right after a couple of metres into a low crawling passage.
Staying above the level of the rift enters a higher level passage parallel to but separate from the lower route. Turning left in the higher level passage quickly leads to a 3m climb down. At the bottom of the climb a low cobble crawl heads off north [C1996-161-47 B]. Immediately below the climb is a (20m ?) pitch with a constriction some 8m down [C1996-161-46 A]. Traversing over the pitch through a low arch joins the base of the rift that was traversed over to gain the higher level passage.
Turning right along the higher level passage, a stooping height rift runs for 5m until the right wall ends and a 2m climb down to the right joins the end of the crawl in the lower passage. The passages continue to run parallel for 5m until the lower route closes down. The upper route passes up a climb to the left of a 6m clean washed pitch, that looks blind, but has not been descended [C1996-161-48 B]. Then a further 3m clamber, over boulders to the left, reaches the right branch at the top of Pothole Passage. Straight on is the traverse over boulders leading to the start of Crystal Clear Passage.
A small but complex series of passages connecting Fiveways Chamber to the east end of Pothole Passage at the start of Vadose. Most of the passage lies directly below the eastern half of Shaftmine.
Following the narrow, mud floored rift, north east out of Fiveways Chamber, leads to Lying down on the Job (due to the nature of the surveying). The passage turns right after 15m and then bears left. The next 15m has occasional boulders in the floor and paralleling it to the right is a bedding plane about 1m above floor level, which connects to the rift at either end and has several views out into the rift along its length. Where the bedding and the rift meet there is an enlarged, clean washed section of rift. Above and to the right is the easiest way on with a low crawl entering on the left after 7m.
Straight on at the clean washed section, up a small step, the passage lowers to a crawl with a further three crawls off to the right in the next 8m. Above and opposite the last of these crawls is a body sized tube ascending steeply for a few metres, straight on becomes too tight but to the right is a more level, very constricted rift, which continues, but is committing for even the midget caver [C1996-161-43 B]. The three crawls on the right soon unite and a flat out crawl to the left ends at a body sized hole looking 3m down into Grub Chamber, whilst right is the above-mentioned low crawl back to the main route 7m up from the clean washed rift.
On the easier route, 5m after the low crawl rejoins, now heading SE, there is 3m climb down on the left into Grub Chamber. Once in the chamber, the small hole encountered in the crawls can be seen above to the left (facing away from the climb in), whilst to the right is a 1m rock wall, the other side of which is a 6m pitch [C1996-161-44 A]. This proved too tight in 1997. Continuing along the main route, above Grub chamber the passage widens to 2m and a 4m climb up the end of the rift is required to arrive in the left hand branch at the top of Pothole Passage.
A route from the eastern end of Pothole Passage and Lying Down on the Job, parallel to and NE of Crystal Clear Passage, probably connecting to the Riddler via an untried traverse.
(Written from the survey piccy - may need amending by someone that went there. S.L.). Following the left hand branch at the top of Pothole Passage a way on to the right after 5m is the link across to the NW end of Crystal Clear Passage. Opposite (to the left) is the 4m climb down to Lying Down on the Job. Straight on leads to Vadose, named after the vadose trench that runs down to the top of the 4m climb.
Eight metres along the passage is a cross-roads. Bearing left (east) closes down after a few metres, whilst back right (west) loops back, around a pillar, to the passage linking to Crystal Clear Passage.
Straight on (SE) enters a wider (5m) boulder floored area with a small passage on the right after 13m [C1996-161-52 A]. The passage ends at a large pitch straight on [C1996-161-50 A], which proved (1997) to be 15m to a too-tight exit.
Just before the pitch, in the right hand wall, is a smaller passage with ascending climbs and three pitches along its length. The first, [C1996-161-51 A] is between two short climbs (30m+ to a choke, 1997), the other pair [C1996-161-49 A] are parallel shafts with a rock bridge between. These are the same pair of shafts as seen from the eyehole beyond The Riddler off Crystal Clear Passage [C1996-161-56]. The shafts connect and a rift descends to a further pitch (1997). This was declared unriggable due to the state of the rock, but apparently continues [C1997-161-37]
South of the "main route" of Crystal Clear Passage as it is described, is a series of interconnecting maze-like passages all formed in the same bedding plane. Any of the climbs up to the right, east from the right branch at the end of Pothole Passage lead into this area.
Keeping left (more northeasterly) in this area rejoins the main route (at the right turn just after entry), whilst staying right (more southerly), the passages merge to form a single route which soon meets a more significant right / left junction. Going left (ENE), the passage is boulder and cobble floored and rejoins the main route after 8m at an undescended pitch of ~14m [C1996-161-54 A]. Going right (south), a brief crawl drops into a mud floored pot and then opens out into a rift. A 3m climb down to the left drops into a parallel, clean washed rift with aven rising above at the far end.
In the main Crystal Clear Passage, SE (right) immediately after the above passage rejoins at [96-54], another lead [C1996-161-55 ?] may also be a pitch.
To the left after this is an unsurveyed crawl heading down at floor level which precedes the huge slab across the passage mentioned in the main route description. Straight on at floor level, underneath the huge slab, is a clean washed pitch (~20m ?) [C1996-161-58 A] and past this a low crawl continuing under the slab [C1996-161-57 A].
The crawl to the left soon enters a complex of narrow rifts, The Riddler, separated by rock pillars. Zig-zagging through these, a 3m climb down is found on the right into a larger rift. Traversing to the right and climbing up at the far end gains an eyehole beyond which can be seen two parallel pitches [C1996-161-56 A], one straight on and one off to the right. These pitches are the same as the pair encountered at the end of the Vadose series [C1996-161-49 A]
Of the eight ways off Spiderman chamber, two are the main ways in and out between Crystal Clear Passage and Shingler's Rift (from 161f).
The westernmost of the three passages on the NE side of the chamber (first left coming from Crystal Clear Passage) is a small loop connecting to two other small leads off the NE side of Crystal Clear Passage.
The middle one trends back NW (towards The Riddler) and is unexplored [C1996-161-59 A]. The third, narrow, passage to the left has a fine ice formation flowing down the right wall, but ends after a couple of metres at a short cross rift.
On the opposite (SW) side of the chamber are three more small leads, none explored to any conclusion [C1996-161-60 A]. Likely to go to the same place is another SW-trending lead on the corner where Shingler's Rift turns NE heading for the surface [C1996-161-61 A]
At the bottom of the 2m wide rift below the 6m climb up towards 161e, is a 2m climb down to a narrow rift that quickly becomes too tight.
Heading down the boulder slope to the left (north) reaches the clean washed base of an aven, another aven rises above the opposite (south) end of the rift.
On the right at the first corner (30m from start) of Catwoman's Claws is an undescended pitch [C1996-161-31 A] ~7m with narrow inlet crossing the main passage. slightly beyond this, also on the right is an aven.
35m beyond the first corner, just opposite No Utility Belt Required, is an aven on the right. Initially this is easily climbable, but above remains unexplored [C1996-161-32 B].
Upon exiting the squeeze of No Utility Belt Required, there is a 2m drop down a tight rift in the floor. Following this (back under the squeeze) quickly becomes too tight. To the immediate left there is a free climbable 5m pitch that has no way on at the bottom. Continuing straight on up a 2m climb and down the other side reaches the end of the chamber with an undescended pitch [C1996-161-33 A] of about 5m to the left.
Straight on, over the mud pile at the top of the handline climb up to Where the Wind Blows, leads to the base of a boulder pile heading up [C1996-161-34 C] alongside the aven of [96-32].
There are several narrow rifts in the floor of Where the Wind Blows, about 40m from the start. The rifts combine about 3m down, to the right side of the main passage where a tiny tube (~50cm diameter) opens out onto a circular shaft with a fine echo, Pencil Shaft. This was rigged (an entertaining takeoff from the small tube!) and drops damply for 14m where an impenetrable rift leads off. Opposite the pitch head there is a second narrow inlet [C1996-161-62 B], which would require a traverse line to reach.
The large fault chamber in Where the Wind Blows, c20m beyond Pencil Shaft has several shafts and avens. The first, a large shaft, opens out to the left, with aven above. This is unsurveyed (~10m), but has been descended and has no passable way on. To the right opposite this shaft is a 4m drop down the side of the boulders to a mud and boulder floor. Halfway along the chamber is another large shaft on the right, again with an aven above. A descent of 13m lands on a clean washed shelf and a further damp climb of 2m down a large boulder, to the bottom of the shaft where an impassable rift heads off.
15m along Bloody Hairfire Passage, a tight aven leads off in the roof with a 2m mud choked pit on the right.
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