| 204 (CUCC 1999/03) |
Steinbrückenhöhle |
4/S x |
|---|---|---|
Swings and Roundabouts branches off Treeumphant Passage at what was QM2000-12B, in Bonsai Crawl. Initialy, a walking sized passage Playground leads past some mud formations and a drippy mini-aven to a view overlooking a mid-sized chamber Magic Roundabout with several exits. The easiest way to the chamber floor is via a climb down through a hole on the right at the end of Playground.
Once in the chamber, climbing down over boulders to the left leads to a small exit between rocks. A short rubble-strewn chute follows arriving after a few metres at a large shaft, Gaffer Tape, the start of the Gaffered to the Wall series.
Back in the main chamber, a rubble slope to the north leads onwards. To the north of the slope is an unpromising QM [C2000-204-95 C]; to the east leads back to the point where Playground overlooks the chamber. To the west is the main passage continuation. A passage on the left is Dutch Beauty, which also has windows into the main chamber. Continuing over rocks, a phreatic tube enters from Juicy Bits on the left a head, and a crawl enters from Dutch Beauty behind; the main way on is up a short slope over boulders to the start of the main Swings trunk passage: 10m wide and 8m high.
The initial pitch, Gaffer Tape, (70m) is an imposing oval shaft, which continues upwards [C2001-204-97 X]. A passage leads off from the bottom, splitting in two going round a horizontal thread, emerging in a chamber formed from a slightly hading line of weakness. A ledge can be followed on the right hand wall. Down a hole to the left, two uninspiring rifts [ C2002-204-02 C, C2002-204-03 C] lead off downwards, which probably rejoin a parallel shaft to LX Tape pitch. Up to the right C2002-204-04 C], a sloping aven is visible which may be climbable . Continuing on past a large boulder, a rift is intesected at a chamber. Up stream (to the right) a small trickle of water emerges from a small slot in the ceiling. The main way on is down through a small hole in the floor, which can be descended via a backup round the large boulder, a flake in the floor and a rope protector. This is Tape Worm pitch; this rebelays off a horizontal thread down to a ledge with large fossils visible in the floor, where the small rift of Tape Worm joins the impressive shaft of LX Tape pitch. Looking out to the left a parralel shaft can be seen which may be enterable from C2002-204-02 C and C2002-204-03 C. A traverse along the right-hand wall reaches a natural from which the next pitch LX Tape may be rigged; this descends to land on a rock bridge near another large boulder. On the near side of the rock bridge is a tight and unpromising rift [C2002-204-06 C]. On the far side, a spit rebelay allows one to descend to another chamber, where a large thread is the main hang for Sellotape pitch, a fine 2m wide rift, which lands a slight puddle, and a horizontal silt floor leads 5m to the next undescended pitch [C2002-204-05 A].
The trunk passage, a large phreatic with much breakdown and generally a boulder strewn floor, continues for over 100m in a northerly direction. Rubble slopes up and down keep the passage at roughly the same level. Along its length, a number of passages branch off to the left and right.
The first two passages leading off are Juicy Bits on the left and the way towards The Slide on the right. Further along, the small connection with The Slide enters from the right. QMs [C2000-204-84 C] and [C2000-204-84 C] may be found on the right wall. A pitch on the left [C2000-204-92] is surrounded by a lot of very loose boulders; rocks fall for a considerable distance, but no attempt was made to desecend due to the loose debris. Across the top of the pitch are two slots looking into Chicago Chicanes. Continuing along Swings passage, the entrance to Chicago Chicanes is on the left and a short unpromising QM on the right [C2000-204-83 C].
A little further along, a phreatic tube slopes down to the left. This passes through a small chamber and develops a stream in a deep, narrow slot in the floor before choking in earth. This passage may in fact be [C2000-204-82 C] or this QM may in fact exist as a separate lead on the left wall of the main swings passage; the survey notes are somewhat unclear.
A series of small holes in the right hand wall interconnect, with a possible, uninviting, way on through tight, sharp vadose passage. [C2000-204-80 C] [C2000-204-81 C]
At the end of Swings passage, a very loose rubble slope leads up to Suspended Solution, and so on towards the 204d entrance. Mid-way up the slope, a traverse (rope advised) round a nose of rock is possible. This leads one to the base of a climb (not yet done) up to where water can be heard and a large passage continues [C2000-204-79 C]. Alternatively, traversing futher to the right from the base of the climb leads to a steeply sloping, cleanwashed phreatic tube. This heads both up and down and may be the connection to Helter Skelter [C2000-204-78 B].
A large passage to the right quickly narrows up a rubble slope to a drafting, but otherwise unprommising QM [C2001-204-94 B]. Before the slope, a passage entering from the left leads to The Slide passages.
The Slide passages are upwardly sloping phreatics, mainly clean washed. Soon after entering the slide, a small passage on the left connects back to the main Swings trunk passage. Heading on up the slope past a couple of small loops and a small aven [C2001-204-86 X] brings one to a window onto a very large shaft whoose roof [C2001-204-89 X] is not visible, down the pitch leads to Merry Go Round. At the corner before the pitch, a small passage leads of but quickly chokes. The holes on the right, [C2001-204-91 B] and [C2001-204-87 B], probably connect back into Merry Go Round.
The first pitch of Merry Go Round is rigged with a backup and Y hang, and the rope lies against the wall for 13m till a rebelay, which allows a clear hang to the floor. The floor is a a slope of loose boulders, heading towards a hole in the floor. It is advisable to stay on the rope whilst traversing this; going over a large wedged boulder leads to the second pitch, a Y hang, giving a free hang to the floor. At this point the passage becomes more of a rift, and the ceiling is still not visible, which starts slightly further upstream than where the ropes hangs down to. In the rain, water comes down the top end of the rift, from the hole in the floor of the chamber above, and disappears down a very small rift.
5m from the bottom of the secnd pitch, the third pitch starts, with a traverse line and a short drop down to the main Y hang. A couple of deviations pull the rope away from the wall; below these, it was too wet to continue rigging in the wet. The pitch continues down past a couple of deviations, just above obvious places where the wall is undercut. The floor of this pitch is jagged boulders, which form a slight slope. The walls have large (10-20cm) Bivalves protruding from them. Up slope a small rift twists round to a chamber, linked by a window to the main shaft. Down slope leads to a narrow rift, which has a very small slot in the floor. At the end of this, a natural thread in the roof (all the rock is like cottage cheese), which allows a vertical squeeze to be rigged. The squeeze is not too bad, and has a convient ledge below to stand on. Just below the squeeze, a rope protector is useful for the remaining few meters of descent into a rift type chamber. The way on continues via the fifth pitch, from a Y-hang, descending down more rift, before the chamber becomes more shaft-like and a deviation, allows descent to the floor. Going downstream, the passage becomes keyhole shaped, with puddles on the ground; the passage turns left, and a crumbly looking rift continues onwards [C2002-204-07 A],
Suspended Solution is a solution tube at the top of the rubble slope at the end of Swings Passage. When scaling this slope, care is needed as if too much rubble is kicked down it will be difficult to climb up into the tube. Also, the (much larger) boulders at the top of the slope may be dislodged. Climbing up through the tube brings one to the base of another scree slope. A sloping passage to the right [C2000-204-76 B] has been climbed for some distance but appears to go nowhere.
At the top of the scree slope, under a low arch, is a small chamber. A hading rift on the right [C2000-204-75 A] has been climbed for some distance. There is an unpromising hole on the left. [C2000-204-77 A] Straight ahead leads to a climb down (20' ladder useful) into Living Daylight Cavern.
This large chamber (11m diameter) has a boulder floor and what looked like a dried stream floor. A possible QM [C2000-204-74 B] in the left hand corner goes over boulders into a small chamber. The way on is under a low arch across the chamber from the ladder. A climb up reaches more space and becomes more serious [C2000-204-100 C]. From the arch, go left to within sight of the 204d entrance. The 7m climb up is bolted at the top, or may be climbed from the bottom in the recess in the right hand wall. Traversing over the top of the climb emerges in the base of a shake hole.