161 Kaninchenhöhle: Knossos to Triassic

Overview

The link into Knossos from Triassic Park provides the means to exit from the Right Hand Routes to entrance 161d (Scarface), thus enabling a variety of through trips to be achieved. With the possibility of parties wishing to exit 161d without having entered that way, a description of the route in this "reverse" direction seems useful. As this is not really logical in this direction for new exploration of side leads, side passages are only mentioned where absolutely necessary for navigation of the main route.

Knossos to Trifurcation (1996)

Whether reached from Right Hand Route or Triassic Park, Knossos is both the key to deep routes and the far north, and the crucial turning point in through trips between 161a and 161d-f. The 30m Knossos pitch from the Right Hand Route drops onto large boulders sloping northwest, at the southwest side of the 60m diameter chamber. This boulder slope is followed up, keeping rightwards, to find the bottom of a rope (rigged previously), on the pitch at the eastern side of the chamber.

The pitch is 10-15m up to reach the SW end of Minoan Surprise. This is big passage, heading NE past big pitches to emerge in Triassic Park at its westernmost end at Trifurcation, a wide junction with much fallen rock and a large aven. The slope up left goes to a col on the way to Bugger, but the main trunk route of Triassic Park lies right, initially east.

Triassic Park heading south

Triassic Park is a passage 600m long, 5-18m wide and 3m-20+m tall. There is a well-defined route down the passage (marked with red/white flagging tape) which should be followed.

Triassic Park III is easy going for 70m to Locophobia, which contains a stream arriving from the left (north) and leaving in the floor in the middle. It is possible (and currently, incorrectly, marked with tape) to climb out of the pit in the floor on the left and follow the left wall into Triassic Park pt. II. However, it is preferable to cross boulders to the right and climb up just at the point where a large circular passage (Children's Railway) emerges. Traversing left of this, along the right wall, soon leads back to the taped route in Triassic Park part II.

     

Now heading ESE, this is easy walking on a mud floor, passing numerous small side passages. A curve right and the way is heading south into a wide section of passage. Up on the left is a passage heading east, which, like Triassic Park itself, has a flagged route into it. This is start of the Puerile Humour Series, a very extensive set of passages leading to the two new exits of 161e and 161f and two promising northbound routes.

Only a short way further south from the junction with Puerile Humour is the complex Ring Piece Junction. Ways right (west, to Tapeworm) and straight ahead (south) are both smaller than the continuation of Triassic Park to the left (east). This curves round gently rightwards for the next 80m of passage (marked by very dark sediment) to a hole in the floor. Climbing over this, the passage narrows and turns abruptly right to head SW. Almost ahead is the entry passage of Dr. Snuggles over a pitch. Triassic Park continues left of this, down a 3m climb into a trench, marking the transition to Triassic Park part I.

Immediately, a hole in the floor must be traversed on the left (although a high level traverse from above the 3m climb may be possible, too). Continuing, the trench emerges into the widening passage, and in 60m reaches an inlet on the left (very active in wet weather), with a clean washed pitch, The Overflow, below it. When not in flood, this is a very good carbide-filling spot.

Another one hundred metres of very easy going follows, passing odd tunnels on the right (into Alternative Universe). A much larger black space on the right is Shortage of Walls. The flagged route ends here, marking the southern limit of Triassic Park. Straight ahead is the Guillotine, a high rift passage with an obvious hanging death rock up in the roof. Ahead on the right is the low entry to Salt Lake City, whilst curving left is Critters' End and the way out to the surface at the Scarface (161d) entrance.

Far more side passages exist than are noted above, since this description is intended to serve those using Triassic as an exit route from deeper in the cave. Most of these are better found from the description of Triassic Park heading north, which would be the normal route of access from the 161d entrance.