| 204 (CUCC 1999/03) |
Steinbrückenhöhle |
4/S x |
|---|---|---|
This description will follow in due course.
The White Elephant Series is a series of rift pitches which has not been pushed to a definite conclusion, but does not appear especially promising, despite carrying a considerable breeze. From the head of the 3m climb up, a roof tube leads off. After 8m of crawling, the passage opens out at the head of a 2m climb down by a large boulder. A too-tight rift leads off on the left, but ahead opens out into a large space, the Millennium Dome.
A 20m pitch rigged from a bolt on the left hand wall backed up to the big boulder, with a rebelay and rope protector after 5m, lands on the boulder floor of the Millennium dome, which is an L-shaped chamber at the base of a large aven, with each arm of the L being 15m long and 5m wide. There do not appear to be any ways through the boulders, but a rift leads off at the western end, quickly arriving at the head of a 10m pitch with a constricted take off, rigged from boulders. An eyehole part way down this pitch appears to lead into a parallel shaft [C1999-204-25 B] (This is probably the connection through to pleasure dome). The pitch lands on a rubble floor with a blind pit. Heading south quickly reaches a loose pitch head, with a rift passage continuing beyond.
The pitch is 28m, rigged from a bolt on the left hand wall and deviations from natural threads after 4m and 12m. The second deviation is by a small rock bridge, where descending either side appears to go to the same place, and an eyehole opposite connects to the continuation of the rift at the top of the pitch. The base of the pitch is an oddly shaped chamber formed from several rifts (about 7m up the pitch, these rifts coalesce to form a single shaft.) North from the base of the rope leads to a 3m climb down into an inlet rift coming from the north which ends in a blank wall 8m from the base of the rope, but the rift continues too-tight heading south beneath the 3m climb. South from the base of the rope is another rift heading downhill which rapidly becomes too tight with running water clearly audible, but not visible beyond. West from the base of the rope leads to junction with a too tight rift continuing to the west, and another inlet rift coming from the north which ends in a blank wall after 5m.
Traversing over the top of the pitch (rope required) and a short descent leads to a continuation of the rift passage. A hole on the left connects to the 28m pitch described earlier. After 5m the rift narrows and a constricted pitch head is reached. The descent of 15m is rigged from a large boulder and leads immediately to a further drop of 7m rigged from a bolt. This shorter drop may be bypassed by an alternative free climb in a narrow slot immediately beyond the pitch head. From the base the tall, narrow rift continues with two short climbs and a slot in the floor which gradually widens to the head of the next pitch after 6m. This is rigged from a Y-hang on either side of the rift, but soon opens out to give a fine descent of 15m landing in a spacious rift at 182m depth from 204b entrance. A narrow slot in the floor develops, which is just large enough to descend, but stones thrown down sound dead [C1999-204-26 B]. It is possible to traverse above the slot for a short way before the rift becomes too tight.
There is a noticeable breeze at the base of this pitch, as there is through much of the series, with air blowing into the cave. From the base of the 7m pitch, there is no roof visible. This area has potential, but there are no easy leads, and some lunatic bolt traverses may be required to try to bypass the tight sections.