| 204 | Steinbrückenhöhle | 4/S x |
|---|
The Underworld and Subsoil
The Underworld is an area of horizontal development at 1580m, around 160m
deeper than the majority of the horizontal development in
Steinbrückenhöhle. Access is from Gaffered, although a connection from Merry-Go-Round is also suspected to exist.
Below this is a larger and still deeper level, Subsoil, at around 1520m.
Underworld
The Underworld starts from the foot
of Cerberus pitch. A hole down on the left, [C2003-204-04 B] leads to the head of a rift; this is
likely to link to the rift [C2003-204-02 B] leading from the base of Trihang. Ahead
is a blind pit around 4m deep. An obvious path on the right in the mud
floor leads along horizontal walking passage past conservation-taped
stalactites and two tubes leading up to the right. The first of these is [C2003-204-6 C]; the second
closes down after a few body lengths. The passage continues to a junction.
Up and to the left a passage goes of to Sirens; ahead and
slightly to the right the passage goes to PoohStyx;
sharp right ends in a mud choke.
Continuing straight ahead at the first main Underworld junction, the passage
soon drops down to a ledge overlooking Pooh Styx pitch. The pitch descends
for 25m, picking up spray towards the bottom, to a flat floor with two too
tight rifts leading off. There is also a possible continuation through a window
a couple of metres above the floor [C2003-204-09 B].
Traversing beyond the pitch leads on left to a chamber, with a large rock in
the middle. To the left out of this chamber is a passage [C2003-204-10 C], straight on
above a climb passages slope upwards out of the chamber [C2003-204-11 C], and to the
right a tight rift leads off. This rift leads past some places with sand full
of bat bones. Half way along another tight passage leads of to the right [C2003-204-12 C]; continuing
along the rift leads to the small Beyond-Poohstyx pool, which is
overlooked by the ledge in Sirens beyond Bracket Fungus
passage. Extending high above the sirens ledge, an aven goes up for a good 20
metres [C2003-204-13
X].
Left at the main junction in the Underworld is the start
of Sirens. From this point into Sirens and Subsoil the cave consists mainly of
phreatic tunnels partially filled with mud or gravel banks, with a strong draft
coming out of the cave. From the junction into Sirens the narrow but always
walking passage climbs steeply up a mud-floored passage to a ledge with
conservation-taped formations that overlooks Black
Maria chamber (p.30). Just before the ledge, two holes in the floor on
the right drop steeply down, with rocks bouncing a long way [C2003-204-14 C] and [C2003-204-15 C]. Below and
to the left of where Sirens enters Black Maria chamber, a passage appears to
lead off [C2003-204-16
C]. Black Maria chamber is rigged from a ledge that traverses around the
right of the chamber. Rigged from two bolted Y-hangs, this pitch lands in a
moderate-sized chamber with just one small passage leading off [C2004-204-70 C]. At the
level of the pitch head for Black Maria and further around the chamber, a
moderate-size, horizontal mud-floored passage leads off [C2003-204-18 B], but this
was declared to be "nontrivial" to reach. From the ledge where Sirens enters
Black Maria chamber, the main way on is over a traverse on the right using
naturals (15m rope; 2 slings) to gain a large passage sloping up. Straight
ahead is a thin rift: Bracket Fungus passage, the way on is up the steep mud
slope to the left, Oxtail Oxbow.
[DO NOT ENTER; CONSERVATION-TAPED OFF; USE OXTAIL OXBOW BYPASS ON THE LEFT
INSTEAD.] This is a narrow but very well-decorated rift, with
bracket-fungus-like formations on both walls and stalactites above; it is
almost impossible to pass through without demolishing some of the fungus. The
passage emerges at a ledge above the Beyond-Poohstyx pool. To the right are two
sloping mud chutes [C2003-204-23 C] that appear to drop into the chamber
above the Beyond-Poohstyx pool.
The route now used, bypassing Bracket Fungus Passage, is up a steep mud
slope, passing a phreatic tube which enters high on the left [C2003-204-19 C], which
soon reaches a steep mud slope back down (bolt and sling for hand line on right
wall). At the bottom of the mud slope, a thin rift leads off straight ahead [C2004-204-15 B] and there is
a hole in the floor [C2004-204-71 C] that may link to this rift. The main
route around Oxtail Oxbow continues as a scramble up a steep mud passage on the
right. This passage then leads steeply down a mud slope, past a tight rift
in the floor [C2004-204-67
C] and a passage to the right going to Beyond-Poohstyx, to join a
larger passage. At this junction, the passage to the right leads to the
ledge above Beyond-Poohstyx pool which traverses along the right wall into
Bracket Fungus passage. Just before this ledge, a passage up to the left goes
to a small chamber with a very steep climb up from it [C2003-204-24 C]. At the
junction with the main passage, the main route is to the left, up a steep mud
slope to a further junction. At this junction, straight ahead leads to Terra
Firma, and to the right leads to Quiz Rift.
Straight ahead is a narrow passage which opens onto a small chamber, Terra
Firma, with mud banks and a blind pit in the floor. Above the pit, a passage
appears to lead off [C2004-204-18 B] and on top of the mud bank above the
entry-point into chamber another, larger passage appears to lead off [C2004-204-17 B]. Two small
passages on the left just before Terra Firma is reached lead down to a
conservation-taped crystal pool, which can also be reached from above from Terra
Firma itself. Across the pool is [C2004-204-16 C].
At the junction before Terra Firma, turn right and clamber over large wedged
boulders (CARE - deep, undescended rift below
[C2003-204-25 C]), to a
small mud chamber. Duck under the low arch, avoiding contacting the
conservation-taped stalactites, to a further small mud chamber. Crawl down
again under a second low arch, up a mud slope on the right and turn left into
Quiz Rift. To the right a narrow rift goes up to a ledge which is the start of
the Generation Game bolted traverse. This leads over
the top of Quiz Rift to the passage the far side; this appears to have no way
on. On the other side of this ledge are a series of phreatic roof tubes and
passage, Upper Tube, which overlook the mud slopes
and chambers just described, in which there are a couple of QM's: a roof tube
[C2004-204-19 C] and a
muddy chute [C2004-204-21
C]. Quiz Rift soon turns right down a mud slope (traverse line on
naturals and one bolt) to the Gardener's
World pitch (p25). This descends via awkward rigging (not perfected in
2004) to a ledge in a moderately large chamber. From this ledge University Challenge pitch (p15) descends to land
partway down the large, confusing Subsoil Chamber.
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 sandy passage leads off up steeply. A sandy tube which
soon branches off to the right rapidly closes down. The restricted main
passage ahead swings left then heads down and provides a good pitch bypass
connection into Heavily Soiled passage. Heavily Soiled was originally
accessed via a 5m pitch rigged off naturals just up from the base of
University Challenge pitch. Here, at the north end of Subsoil Chamber, the
passage initially ascends steeply with a rift in the mud-covered floor. It
continues upward, passing a passage leading off to the right [C2004-204-50 A] and quickly
reaches a large boulder in the passage where the sandy pitch bypass described
above joins from the right. Turning left instead of right at the base of the 5m
pitch emerges at the canyon leading to Earthenware. Back in Heavily Soiled, 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. A 2m climb from the ledge to the floor of the chamber on
the left needs protecting, while ahead from the ledge is an aven and pitch with
the sound of water [C2004-204-55 ?].
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-X72 ?].
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
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 JULIAN [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 JULIAN [C2004-204-61
A] [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 [C2004-204-63 A]. Straight ahead from the chamber the
passage continues. JULIAN.
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-X73 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].
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 EARL? and a 12m rope) 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. A wet pitch in a
trench can be stepped over [C2004-204-26 B] and a hole on the left of the passage
may join to this pitch [C2004-204-24 A]. There is a further possible pitch on
the left [C2004-204-25
B].
A little beyond this is a junction, where a passage leads off to the left
[C2004-204-27 A], 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 further
junction. To the right leads up to Underware, and
the left leads to Hardware. Straight ahead
continues past a passage on the left [C2004-204-41 ?] to arrive shortly at a further junction.
Here a second right also links to Underware but this route is
conservation-taped to prevent access to avoid damage to the fine calcite on the
walls; while to the left is unexplored [C2004-204-42 ?]. JULIAN, I can't remember what happened
here at this junction - more QM's ahead at least I think?
Hardware is initially small but strongly
drafting and twists along and soon reaches a junction. Ahead on the left down a
ramp has not been surveyed in 2004 [C2004-204-33 A]. Just beyond this ramp, a muddy passage
leads up on the right [C2004-204-34 A]. 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 [C2004-204-35 A] and
right [C2004-204-36 A],
and further along is another crossroads (left [C2004-204-37 A], right [C2004-204-38 B]). 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 B] and there is
a possible continuation up on the right of the slope through boulders [C2004-204-40 B].
The two passages up on the right of Earthenware both 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 small
drafting passage off to the right at the start of this collapse zone is the
start of Tableware. There is alleged to be at
least one passage leading off from the left of Underware by the collapse zone
[XXX unnumbered QMs if they exist].
Underware continues right as large passage to the 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.
