204
(CUCC 1999/03)

Steinbrückenhöhle

 4/S x

Pleasuredome area

Survey

Survey

Pleasuredome

The landing at the bottom of the pitch is on an unstable boulder ridge on the floor of a chamber measuring about 10m by 20m, on one side is what looks to be a 3m deep blind trench which has been observed to take a sizable stream in wet weather[C2000-204-66] and on the other the chamber floor slopes away gradually, leading to the head of Brian's Phat Shaft and on the right of the chamber as one descends the slope to a short climb up a large boulder into another slightly larger chamber measuring about 25m by 12m with a fairly level boulder strewn floor. In the far left hand corner after a small climb up was a small passage with a false floor.After 10m crawl, a window was found which looked out on to the head of a 30m pitch which was descended using a deviation in the opposite wall at 3m from the head of the pitch. The pitch was mainly circular at the top, becoming more rifty as it was descended.The base of the pitch landed on a boulder floored chamber with two ways on. The route to the north was a narrow climbing rift passage leading to a choke with no way on and no leads. The route to the south and east is a shorter and wider passage with a dogleg to the left. In the left hand wall about 3m up a short climb is a small body size tube through which water could be heard. [C2000-204-65 B] After derigging the pitch to the pitch-head the top of the pitch was descended after a short distance (4m) to a ledge which was then traversed round to the right to gain a saddle between the pitch previously descended and a large diameter pot. This was descended with difficulty due to the crap nature of the rock. The pitch enters part way down the first pitch after Millenium Dome. The pitch landed on a rubble floor next to a blind pit noted in the White Elephant description and may well be the parallel shaft [C1999-204-25 B].

Brian's Phat Shaft

At the bottom of the slope of the first chamber of Pleasure Dome by ducking under a drippy rock flake, a mobile boulder slope is encountered leading steeply down to the top of a large 100m shaft. The pitch was rigged with a bolt backup at the top of the slope and a Y-Hang at the pitch-head. By a back and foot traverse to the right a small passage can be accessed which was not explored at the time[C2000-204-72 B]. The main pitch was descended by a series of rebelays and deviations. The shaft was essentially vertical and oval in cross section belling out for the bottom 30m. Also in the bottom 30m were various galleries with what looked like possible windows into passages although the light used was not strong enough to say whether these were ways on or just alcoves. These need further investigation by possible deviation or pendulum: [C2000-204-73] [C2000-204-74] [C2000-204-75] [C2000-204-76] The shaft ended with a rock strewn floor vaguely oval in cross section with a small streamway at one end which got too tight to pass.

White Elephant Series

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 tight with running water clearly audible [C2000-204-78], but not visible beyond. West from the base of the rope leads to junction with a tight rift continuing to the west [C2000-204-79], 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.