| 204 | Steinbrückenhöhle | 4/S x |
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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.
These two trunk passages, Hippo Hollows to the south and Earthenware Passage to the north, together with the short linking passage in between appear to originally have been a single, large phreatic passage running north/south which has subsequently been cut into three sections by two canyons running parallel in Subsoil Chamber.
Clambering up from the base of University Challenge pitch to the top of Subsoil Chamber, a sandy passage leads off up steeply. A sandy tube which soon branches off to the right rapidly closes down. The restricted main passage ahead swings left then heads down and provides a good pitch bypass connection into Heavily Soiled passage. Heavily Soiled was originally accessed via a 5m pitch rigged off naturals just up from the base of University Challenge pitch. Here, at the north end of Subsoil Chamber, the passage initially ascends steeply with a rift in the mud-covered floor. It continues upward, passing a passage leading off to the right [C2004-204-50 A] and quickly reaches a large boulder in the passage where the sandy pitch bypass described above joins from the right. Turning left instead of right at the base of the 5m pitch emerges at the canyon leading to Earthenware. Back in Heavily Soiled, just beyond the junction of the two routes is a tube on the right, which has not been explored in 2004, [C2004-204-51 B], nor has another slightly further on [C2004-204-53 B]. The main passage then levels off and there is a 1.8m climb down a mud bank. At the bottom a passage leads off to the left [C2004-204-52 C], after which the passage continues up through large boulders and breakdown. A restricted crawl on the left through boulders is followed by either an easy squeeze on the left [C2004-204-54 C] or a climb ahead that opens out onto a large muddy ledge above a mud-floored chamber where the 2004 survey ends. A 2m climb from the ledge to the floor of the chamber on the left needs protecting, while ahead from the ledge is an aven and pitch with the sound of water [C2004-204-55 ?].
On the left, from the southern base of Subsoil Chamber, a 1.8m climb up a mud bank leads to a mud-floored passage that enters Hippo Hollows. This section of passage has a series of small, attractive pots floored with cracked mud (CARE - traverse above the pots). Straight on after the pots, the passage ends in a rift and Chalk and Cheese pitch. Before this point, but after the pots, a ramp up on the left leads to a pitch (p.8). At the base of this pitch a squeeze appears to open out onto a further pitch [C2004-204-X72 ?]. Traversing over the 8m pitch and up a steep muddy bank leads shortly to the head of a further pitch which has not yet been descended [C2004-204-58 B]. Shortly after this first left ramp, a second ramp to the left leads to a position overlooking the same rift that can be more easily accessed by continuing straight along the main Hippo Hollows passage. On the right of the main passage opposite the second ramp there is an aven on the right with sounds of running water in wet conditions [C2004-204-59 B]. The climb up to the aven would require bolting. Chalk and Cheese pitch is rigged from bolts in the roof to a self-lined climb down a narrow rift to enter the Fat Worm Blows A Sparky area.
Chalk and Cheese pitch enters a moderate-sized chamber. To the right JULIAN [C2004-204-60 A]. A large walking passage leads off to the left. From this walking passage, a ramp soon leads down to the right. This shortly comes to a junction. Down and straight ahead JULIAN [C2004-204-61 A] [C2004-204-62 B]. To the right the passage squeezes past unusual white plastic-like formations (Little White Clouds) to a small chamber. The left of this chamber opens out over a pitch [C2004-204-63 A]. Straight ahead from the chamber the passage continues. JULIAN.
The main walking passage soon reaches Good Dead Bat Chamber with a freshly deceased bat marked by conservation tape by the prominent central boulder. Low on the left of this chamber, Thin Rift passage goes down steeply in tight rift. A handline was needed to continue down at the limit of surveying in 2004 [C2004-204-X73 A]. Several passages lead down on the right from Good Dead Bat Chamber: all interconnect in a maze of small walking and crawling tubes. An alcove in one tube is conservation-taped off to protect the hundreds of bat bones; many other bat bones are found at lower concentrations throughout Subsoil, possibly washed out of the mud deposits. In another tube is an unexplored passage [C2004-204-64 C]. Continuing ahead beyond Good Dead Bat Chamber, a free-climb steeply up on the left leads to a point around 4m below a large tube which would require bolting to access [C2004-204-65 B]. Straight ahead leads steeply down large boulders to a small chamber and a wet aven [C2004-204-66 C].
From the foot of University Challenge pitch, descending around 10m south down the chamber, there is a very large boulder on the right with two spits in the roof to rig a 3m pitch (free-climbable with care) to a steeply descending canyon. Following down the canyon, shortly an opening on the right links to the start of Heavily Soiled passage. At the base of the canyon the passage continues as fairly tight rift guarded by poised rocks [C2004-204-22 A]. Between these points, a high mud bank on the left opens into the short section of phreatic passage which continues further south as Hippo Hollows, passing a high tube in the right-hand wall [C2004-204-20 X]. The main way on is opposite this high mud bank. Here, on the right near the bottom of the canyon, a short traverse (two spits and a natural EARL? and a 12m rope) over a large, loose mud bank gains access up to a large walking passage, Earthenware. This drafts out strongly and continues north, horizontally, for 100m. Earthenware initially passes some stalactites, opposite which there is a passage on the left [C2004-204-23 C]; then the phreatic development extends to slope up on the right side. A wet pitch in a trench can be stepped over [C2004-204-26 B] and a hole on the left of the passage may join to this pitch [C2004-204-24 A]. There is a further possible pitch on the left [C2004-204-25 B].
A little beyond this is a junction, where a passage leads off to the left [C2004-204-27 A], while a muddy slope on the right leads to a muddy tube that goes steeply up to a boulder choke. A second, less obvious tube leads up on the right just before this first tube. This second tube climbs up very steeply and continues beyond the end of the 2004 survey though some aid may be needed to complete the climb up [C2004-204-28 A]. These two tubes are the Chimney. The main passage of Earthenware continues up a slope over mud floor formations and boulders to an obvious junction. The draft comes from the continuation of Earthenware straight ahead. The larger passage on the left is Stoneware. Stoneware leads steeply down and narrows from large walking passage to twisting vadose passage with a clean-washed rock floor with loose, sharp rocks balanced on it. This continues for around 50m to a chamber. Here there is a drop through loose mud [XXX unnumbered QM B] and a roof tube [C2004-204-29 X]. Continuing on, past another roof tube [C2004-204-30 X], the passage terminates at a drippy aven [C2004-204-32 X]. [Editor's note: I'm rather puzzled by this as the QM grades assigned on the survey don't match the description. Somewhere along here there is another one [C2004-204-31 C].]
Earthenware continues smaller and soon reaches a further junction. To the right leads up to Underware, and the left leads to Hardware. Straight ahead continues past a passage on the left [C2004-204-41 ?] to arrive shortly at a further junction. Here a second right also links to Underware but this route is conservation-taped to prevent access to avoid damage to the fine calcite on the walls; while to the left is unexplored [C2004-204-42 ?]. JULIAN, I can't remember what happened here at this junction - more QM's ahead at least I think?
Hardware is initially small but strongly drafting and twists along and soon reaches a junction. Ahead on the left down a ramp has not been surveyed in 2004 [C2004-204-33 A]. Just beyond this ramp, a muddy passage leads up on the right [C2004-204-34 A]. Continuing straight ahead, the main passage soon opens up into very large phreatic passage with large boulders on the floor. Soon there are openings on both left [C2004-204-35 A] and right [C2004-204-36 A], and further along is another crossroads (left [C2004-204-37 A], right [C2004-204-38 B]). This large passage soon closes down again and slopes steeply up in a large boulder pile. The 2004 survey ended at the top of the boulder slope. A deep pitch descends on the left [C2004-204-39 B] and there is a possible continuation up on the right of the slope through boulders [C2004-204-40 B].
The two passages up on the right of Earthenware both enter a very large, horizontal phreatic passage, Underware. This continues both left (north) and right (south).
From the entry points from Earthenware, Underware continues to the left for around 50m north, to end in a huge boulder choke and roof collapse. A small drafting passage off to the right at the start of this collapse zone is the start of Earthenware III. This passage leads steeply up to a pitch head [C2004-204-43 C]. Beyond this pitch, to the left, the passage continues to a small chamber. MARTIN Becka claims there were no ways on here but there are three marked in your survey notes [C2004-204-44 B] [C2004-204-45 X] [C2004-204-46 C]. There is alleged to be at least one passage leading off from the left of Underware by the collapse zone [XXX unnumbered QMs if they exist].
Underware continues right as large passage to the south, passing a small passage to the left[C2004-204-47 C], before closing down in a boulder slope. Just before it closes down a large passage leads off up to the left. This climbs up steeply past a huge boulder mid-passage then narrows as it reaches a small mud chamber. Under a boulder on the left of this chamber the passage turns right and closes down. The main way on is a drafting thin rift on the left that soon opens out into the bottom of a large sloping passage. This mud-floored ramp climbs up very steeply and in 2004 the survey ended at the point at which protection was needed to continue the ascent [C2004-204-49 A]. A second passage leads off on the right where the thin rift enters this steep ramp. This second passage again climbs up steeply and appeared to reach an aven [C2004-204-48 X].