| 204 | Steinbrückenhöhle | 4/S x |
|---|
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.
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.
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].
Bracket Fungus Passage[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.