| 204 | Steinbrückenhöhle | 5/S x |
|---|
Millennium Dome / MFC area
The draughting phreatic passage leading off from near the base of Pendulum Pitch heads downhill at a
comfortable walking size past a tight passage on the left, which leads back
towards Wolpertinger Way. 5m further on a
tube at roof level heads towards Bunny's
Bowel. After 20m, a 3m climb up into a roof tube on the right hand side is
the way into the White Elephant Series. The phreatic
passage continues for a further 15m past a too tight inlet on the right and a
traverse over a blind pit to a 3m deep hole in the floor leading to Merry Fucking Christmas. Traversing
over the hole and up a loose climb with a too tight rift in the right hand wall
leads into an uphill passage, which is choked with mud after 5m. A sandy crawl
on the right just before the choke leads via a left hand bend with a too tight
rift on the right (probably connecting to that at the loose climb) ending at a
2m climb down. There is a possible way on at the bottom of this, but it is
very small and tall people at least would have to enter feet first [C1999-204-19 C]. There is
a noticeable draught here blowing downhill (into the cave).
Climbing down through the hole in the floor for 4 metres lands at the
entrance to a low crawl, Merry Fucking Christmas. While not actually
tight, the crawl continues awkwardly for 20m to a small chamber with QM [C2001-204-71 C]. The crawl
continues slightly larger for another 25m, past a hole in
the floor which is blind.
The crawl opens out in the wall of 7-11 Chamber. This is part of a
large shaft, with high aven (>40m?) [C2001-204-72 X] and deep main pitch (35m). The
chamber floor is reached by a y-hang followed by a single bolt rebelay and rope
protector. Traversing across the blocks on the floor leads to a short climb up
(rope advised) over a ridge into a parallel shaft (7m deep). The base
of this is choked with boulders; an uninviting wriggle between these leads back
towards the main pitch.
Back at the entrance to 7-11 Chamber, an exposed traverse around the
north-western corner of the shaft leads to a small muddy window. This is a
small chamber with small muddy passage sloping downwards. Following this for a
short distance arrives at a loose funnel; rocks thrown into this rumble down
into the main pitch.
The main pitch, No bits, is descended by continuing on the rope to a Y-hang using two bolts under the large boulder above the pitch. This gives a free hang to the floor (see: rigging diagram). At the bottom of the pitch, a rift leads off. There is a side passage to the right which becomes too tight after about 10m. The way on is down the rift, which can be descended using a thread and a single bolt to form a Y hang (the beginning of Hammer and thong). At the bottom of this initial narrow descent, the rift can be followed at various levels, but all ways become too tight. Down, Hammer and thong continues with a Y hang at a ledge and a deviation from the left wall (see rigging diagram).
At the bottom of Hammer and thong, the comfortably-sized rift, Pussyprance continues steeply down (rope required - see rigging diagram) to Catflap pitch. To the right at the top of the pitch is a window into a large phreatic passage (~5m wide). To the right, this passage continues for about 25m to a large window, which connects to Catwalk . To the left, the phreatic passage passes a passage in the left hand wall, which could be descended downwards [C2008-204-06 B] or climbed upwards [C2008-204-07 B]. The main passage slopes down to a large chamber, Puss in Bolts (20m across). The chamber can be descended to the right via a 20m pitch (Painted lady) to Puss in Bolts. Just before the chamber, there is a pitch on the left, which leads to Catawal.
Descending catflap, a window back under the pitch head can be reached at about 5m above the floor of the shaft. this can be swung into, with the rope deviated off of threads in the mud floor, to reach a short section of phreatic passage ending in a 9m climb which can be protected with a rope belayed off a large thread. At the foot of this climb there is a junction - to the left is a spacious pitch and aven[C2009-204-02 A] - the aven has been connected to one of the large chambers at the bottom of pussy prance.. to the right is a small walking passage ending in a window into a blind pitch with a possible mud-filled continuation opposite [C2009-204-04 C]. There are two junctions on the right from catwalk - these join after a few meters, and the passage continues past a small waterfall on the left and junction to the right (which loops back into the same passage) to a window at the top of another pitch - snow leopard. This swings into the bottom 15m of Brian's fat shaft, with a continuation of the passage in the wall of the pitch opposite - [C2009-204-10 B].
Catawal starts with a 20m nicely-shaped pitch. Right at the bottom of the pitch leads to a small chamber with no ways on. The way on is a tight slot in the floor leading to a small, but less tight rift which ends with a short drop (rope needed), which is followed by another pitch (< 10m). Another short pitch follows this, which is undescended [C2009-204-01 B].
At the bottom of Painted lady, is a window to the left to a large pitch [C2009-204-11 A]. To the left of this pitch is a shallower pit, which may be choked [C2009-204-12 B]. Around the right-hand wall of the large pitch is an 8-bolt traverse, which starts with a up climb, which has been left permanently rigged (30m rope needed in addition, see rigging diagram). At the end of the traverse is a mud bridge, which leads across to On the Prowl.
On the prowl starts with a traverse along the left hand wall above a blind trench in the floor. The traverse ends with a pitch down (27m rope required for traverse and pitch). A deviation is required after 8m to swing off the pitch into the main chamber; the pitch appears to continue downwards [C2009-204-19 B]. To the right in the chamber are a number of pitches [C2009-204-22 A] [C2009-204-23 A] [C2009-204-24 B]. To the left, the chamber narrows to a wide passage, at the end of which is a large pitch: Fat Cat.
Fat cat is rigged initally from a large boulder in On the Prowl. After 3m, there is a y-hang It is initally narrow, but bells out below a rebelay, about 10m down. The pitch descends into a large chamber with floors at multiple levels. 80m of rope is required to reach the lowest 'floor', at the bottom of which is a slot [C2009-204-30 B]. About 4m up from the highest level of the chamber is a large phreatic passage, which would require a swing, and probably further rigging to reach [C2009-204-27 A].
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. (This is almost certainly the connection through to Pleasuredome). 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 C],
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 C],
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.
