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<title>1623/161 Kaninchenhöhle - Mordor and passages beyond</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
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<body>
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<p><center><a href="top.htm"><img alt="Overview "
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src="ovview.png" width=40 height=40></a>
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<a href="pixrh.htm"><img alt=" Photos "
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src="vtour.png" width=40 height=40></a>
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<img alt="Rigging" src="rigbut.png" width=40 height=40>
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<a href="names.htm"><img alt=" Glossary "
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src="idx161.png" width=40 height=40></a>
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<a href="../index.html#id161"><img alt=" Desc "
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src="desc.png" width=40 height=40></a>
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<h2>161 Kaninchenhöhle: Mordor and passages beyond</h2></center>
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<h3>Overview</h3>
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<p>The large trunk passages described on this page were originally
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accessed by descending Mordor pitch from the <a href="oldmen.htm">
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Country for Old Men</a> level in 2011. In 2012, this area was accessed
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and explored from Steinbrückenhöhle via the Far from Support
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traverses from the bottom of Fat Cat. The southern extremity
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(<a href="#runnel">Runnel Stone</a> area) is very close to
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<a href="sibria.htm#cfn">Chicken Flied Nice</a>, so in the future it
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may prove easier to access these passages via an as yet undiscovered
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connection in this area, thereby bypassing the Tyrolean traverse at
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<a href="farnth.htm#viasa">Strange Acrossfall</a>.</p>
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<hr />
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<h3><a name="mordor">Mordor</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>Mordor is a small, very windy (blowing up) pitch at the northern
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end of <a href="oldmen.htm#sudetenland">Sudetenland</a> (accessed from
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<a href="oldmen.htm#country">Country for Old Men</a>) that is rigged
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from the roof. After the initial 10m drop, the way on is to climb down
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a further 10m to a second hang. It is also possible to get off the
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rope and explore round a corner into windy rifts. The second drop
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descends from a thread then a roof bolt where the pitch opens out. A
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deviation ~7m down on a spike avoids a rub at a rebelay (huge thread)
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to drop nicely in a large space to near the floor. A 60m rope is
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recommended (this pitch was left rigged in 2011 and 2012). </p>
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<p><i>At the foot of the first 10m drop is a soily climb up 12m to the SW.
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It doesn't go. In the opposite direction, round a corner a narrow rift
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passage can be followed upwards for 18m, then back down again to come
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out near the top of the 2nd drop of Mordor pitch. All of this passage
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is very windy.</i></p>
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<p>The chamber at the bottom of Mordor is about 15m high. To the west is a
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north-south trending rift leading to an impassable hole in the floor
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at the S end, beyond which is <a href="#stables">The Stables</a>
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[2011-161-XX C]. There is a hole in the floor at the north end of this
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rift [2011-161-XX C] and a narrow slot in the wall near the foot of
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the rope [2011-161-XX C]. East leads to <a href="#entmarch">March of the Ents</a>.</p>
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<h3><a name="entmarch">March of the Ents</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>The large passage of March of the Ents heads eastwards from the
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chamber at the base of <a href="#mordor">Mordor</a> pitch 4m
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higher up, reached via an easy traverse. There is a strong draught
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from east to west (into the chamber). After 18m, a t-junction is
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reached with a much less windy passage (the base of the T) to the
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right (south), which leads to the main route to the
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south (<a href="#rivendell">Rivendell</a>). Straight ahead (east) the main passage continues uphill then
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turns northeast. 30m beyond the Rivendell junction, climbing up to
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the left in a complex area reaches the head of <a href="#sauron">No
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Sign of Sauron</a> pitch. Most of the draught appears to coming from
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the area around this pitch. Immediately beyond is a passage on the
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left (bearing on 352°) [C2011-161-XX B].
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The phreatic passage zig-zags for another 30m. At the corner is a high (12m)
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solution area in the roof [C2011-161-XX C]. Ahead the passage becomes a very high
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hading rift with a short drop. Traversing across the drop leads to
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<a href="#bored">Bored of the Rings</a>.</p>
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<h3><a name="bored">Bored of the Rings</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>Bored of the Rings can be accessed either by descending a short
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pitch and climbing up the far side, or (preferred) by traversing along
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the right-hand wall of the hading rift (bolts placed for a traverse line).
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[FIXME: (Andrew/Julian) the survey shows two C leads at the bottom of the
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rift, and a B lead at the top, also a p5 - is this a QM?] At the far end
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of the traverse is a junction. Ahead leads after 10m to a pitch
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[C2011-161-XX B]. A passage to the right here connects heads back to
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overlook the hading rift.</p>
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<p>The main way on at the junction is to the left (north). The passage
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continues for 55m, past a pool (traversed on the left) to a rift in the
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floor (undescended [C2011-161-XX B]). Left here leads to
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[FIXME: (Emma/Olly) 2 QMs on survey, B and a C - descriptions? Also, c2
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to the east of the passage - is there a QM there?]. Stepping over the rift
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(traverse line advisable) leads to a breakdown chamber with lots of holes
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in the floor. [FIXME: (Emma/Olly) extension to west near survey station
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'a' leads to 2 B grade QMs - description?] Keeping right passes a small
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passage on the right [C2011-161-XX C]. Clambering among the boulders leads to
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a short climb down near the right-hand wall (handline useful) to
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reach a drippy pitch (undescended). [C2011-161-XX B]. The
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<a href="../204/pussyprance.html#support">Far From Support</a> traverses head
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off along the right-hand wall of this pitch (left rigged in 2012) and is
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the connection route to Steinbrückenhöhle, emerging in
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<a href="../204/pussyprance.html#cirquedusoleil">Cirque du Soleil</a>. A tube
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heading up on the right immediately before the start of the traverse
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links back to overlook the pitch and also a possible continuation
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east [C2011-161-XX C].</p>
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<h3><a name="sauron">No Sign of Sauron</a> (2012)</h3>
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<p>No Sign of Sauron pitch is accessed by heading north and uphill from
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<a href="#entmarch">March of the Ents</a> into the wind to a
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rock pillar at the pitch head. The pitch is rigged by traversing
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along the left hand wall to a rock bridge overlooking a second,
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connected hole that is the descent route. An aven above the pitch on
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the left at this point appears to be main source of the draught
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[C2012-161-XX X]. It would be relatively easy to continue the
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traverse to an apparent passage on the far side of the pitch
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[C2012-161-XX B] - it is unclear whether or not this passage
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continues.</p>
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<p>The pitch is a fine circular shaft, 5m round and 32m deep, and is
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descended via a deviation 4m down and a y-hang rebelay approximately
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halfway down. At the base of the pitch, a rift passage heads south,
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accessed by climbing down through boulders. The passage was followed
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for 15m, via a 2m down climb, and continues to the south, tight but
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passable [C2012-161-XX B]. There is little discernible draught.</p>
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<h3><a name="rivendell">Rivendell</a> and The Stables (2011)</h3>
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<p>A 3m diameter phreatic passage heading south from
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<a href="#entmarch">March of the Ents</a> for 25m leads to a chamber
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<b>Rivendell</b>. A hole in the floor is approximately 10m deep with a pool at the
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bottom [C2011-161-XX A]. There is possible passage uphill to the
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northeast [C2011-161-XX B]. The way on is downhill to the southwest,
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quickly arriving at a large T-junction with a horizontal passage. This
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is very windy again (blowing from southeast to northwest).
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Left is the large passage of <a href="#shires">The Shires</a>. Right
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is the main way on.</p>
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<p>After 17m, the passage opens out at a small streamway with a
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junction, and splits. The two passages soon reunite at <a
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href="#stables">The Stables</a>. Left continues downhill for 17m to
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where the stream sinks in a too tight rift with an aven on the right
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[C2011-161-XX-X]. The main way on is ahead (west).</p>
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<p>In <a name="stables">The Stables</a> the passage continues past a
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stagnant pool and quickly reaches
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a 3m drop at a junction. Right connects to the north-south trending
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rift accessed from the base of <a href="#mordor">Mordor</a> pitch, (but
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is not passable).
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To the left, a traverse round the 3m drop (left rigged) is the main
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way on. Large passage continues, under a rock bridge and up a 2m climb,
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reaching a junction 35m from the traverse. The main way on is to the
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left into <a href="#gallop">Southern Gallop</a>. <i>Right
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leads via wide passage to a hole on the right and <a
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href="#soilothon">Soilothon</a> on the left.:.</i></p>
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<h3><a name="shires">The Shires</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>Turning left (southeast) at the large T-junction by
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<a href="#rivendell">Rivendell</a> enters a huge phreatic passage
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5m across trending gently downhill, <b>The Shires</b>. This reaches a
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pitch edge after 50m looking out into large chamber/area
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[C2011-161-XX A]. The drop is about 10m, then another 10m in a further
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hole. A small passage continues ahead for ~7m to look out over another
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drop, probably the same space [C2011-161-XX B]. Halfway along the Shires
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a small rift passage goes off [C2011-161-XX C]
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[FIXME: (Wookey/Cat/Adam) not explicitly labelled on survey].</p>
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<h3><a name="gallop">Southern Gallop</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>A short climb up gains access to a large passage heading southeast.
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After 10m a hole is reached that can be traversed on the right (rope
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useful) to gain access to the continuing passage. [FIXME: (Julian/Andrew)
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have I correctly identified this obstacle? Is the hole a QM].</p>
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<p>After a further 10m, a 4m climb down into a rift is reached (becoming
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progressively more awkward on the return as ever more mud becomes smeared
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on the footholds). The rift passage heads south for 20m to a junction
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where the left hand branch quickly closes down [FIXME: (Julian/Andrew) does
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it close down? survey is unclear] and the main way on is to the right.</p>
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<p>The passage continues in fine style for 100m to a breakdown chamber.
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[FIXME: (Julian/Andrew) Are there really no QMs on this entire stretch?].
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Clambering up and under the biggest boulder leads to a continuation in a
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tall rift. The passage continues for a further 50m to a local widening
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with an undescended pitch to the west [C2011-161-XX A]. Ahead the rift
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closes down, but a 5m climb up (rope left rigged) leads to
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<a href="#maddogs">Mad Dogs</a>.</p>
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<h3><a name="maddogs">Mad Dogs</a> and Holey Cow (2011)</h3>
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<p>From the top of the 5m climb from <a href="#gallop">Southern Gallop</a>,
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Mad Dogs continues south, with a draught heading from north to south,
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for 30m before turning west. After a further 80m, a 3m pitch down is
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reached. An immediate 4m climb up from the base of the pitch arrives at
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<a name="holeycow">Holey Cow</a>, an area with many holes to avoid
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falling down (bolts placed for a traverse line). A pitch estimated at
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20m deep at the top of the climb is undescended [C2011-161-XX A], as is
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an estimated 5m pitch in a side passage a little further on
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[C2011-161-XX B]. Traversing round the right hand (western) wall
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gains a mud floored passage heading south, with an unexplored passage
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heading east immediately after the holes [C2011-161-XX B]. 10m south
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from here a side passage to the west has been explored for 15m
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[FIXME: (Julian/Andrew/Cat) to a pitch??] with a draught heading to
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the west [C2011-161-XX B]. The main route continues for 15m to a junction
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opposite an undescended 8m pitch on the left [C2011-161-XX B]. Right
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at the junction leads to <a href="#blownaway">Blown Away</a>. Straight ahead
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is the continuation towards the <a href="#runnel">Runnel Stone</a>.
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At this point the draught changes direction, with the combined airflow
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from the point of entry and continuation heading down
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<a href="#blownaway">Blown Away</a>.</p>
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<p>The continuing passage turns northeast and heads uphill past a side
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passage on the right after 15m [C2011-161-XX B]. The passage develops a floor
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trench and turns each. The next four passages on the right all connect to
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<a href="#laerchen">Lärchenrepublik</a>, with the main route to
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this area being the easternmost and largest of these. Immediately
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beyond this junction, a passage to the right rejoins the main passage some
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15m further on. The main route continues southeast, past the junction with
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<a href="#polkadot">Polka Dot Passage</a> on the left after 20m. 15m further
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on the passage briefly divides in two before turning east. 15m beyond
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this corner, a low sandy passage to the right opens out at the head of
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a soil chute down to the head of a pitch near the Runnel Stone. Ahead is the
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main route, which opens out at the top of the <a href="#runnel">Runnel
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Stone</a> chamber 10m further on.</p>
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<h3><a name="runnel">The Runnel Stone</a> (2011)</h3>
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<p>The access route from <a href="#holeycow">Holey Cow</a> emerges at the top
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of a large chamber sloping down to the right. A passage heading uphill and
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to the north opposite the point of entry leads to <a href="#runnelnorth">
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Runnel North</a>. Descending into the chamber, another passage on the left
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also leads to Runnel North. Immediately beyond is a massive boulder (the
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Runnel Stone). An undescended pitch on the right (west) here can also
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be accessed from the soil chute [C2012-161-XX A]. Continuing beyond
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the Runnel Stone, the chamber narrows to become rift passage, at which
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point a passage on the right (south) is <a href="#welly">Welly Popper</a>.
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The rift passage continues east for 35m, past undescended pitches of
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20m [C2011-161-XX B] and 5m [C2011-161-XX B] to a further pitch
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[C2011-161-XX B]. This point is very close to
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<a href="sibria.htm#cfn">Chicken Flied Nice</a>, and it is thought likely
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that this passage may be accessible by rigging a non-trivial bolt
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traverse over this pitch. Right immediately beyond the pitch head also
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leads to <a href="#welly">Welly Popper</a>.</p>
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<h3><a name="welly">Welly Popper</a> (2012)</h3>
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<p>[FIXME: (Holly/Noel) description needed]</p>
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<h3><a name="runnelnorth">Runnel North</a> (2012)</h3>
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<p>[FIXME: (Becka/Julian) description needed]</p>
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<h3><a name="polkadot">Polka Dot Passage</a> (2012)</h3>
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<p>Polka Dot Passage heads uphill and east from the main route to the
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<a href="#runnel">Runnel Stone</a> with a breeze blowing from east to west.
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The passage develops a small floor trench, and after 20m a junction is reached.
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Most of the breeze eminates from the right-hand branch, which can be followed
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for 15m to reach two holes in the floor. These are very close to the
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northern end of <a href="#runnel">Runnel Stone</a> chamber and are
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presumed to connect. There is a possible continuation that could be reached
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by traversing over these holes, but it is highly likely to connect to either
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the chamber or <a href="#runnelnorth">Runnel North</a> [C2012-161-XX C].</p>
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<p>Left (north) at the junction, a much less windy walking passage (breeze
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from north to south) continues past a roof tube on the right [C2012-161-XX C]
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and a too-tight rift on the left, beyond which the passage narrows and becomes
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more rift-like. Some specks of mud on the right hand wall at this point
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give the passage its name. 50m from the junction a pitch is reached, which
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is located directly above the northern extremity of <a href="#runnelnorth">
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Runnel North</a>. A climb up to the right immediately before the pitch head
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leads only to a further hole with a visual connection to this pitch.</p>
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<h3><a name="blownaway">Blown Away</a> (2011/2012)</h3>
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<p>[FIXME: (Becka/Julian/Andrew) description needed]</p>
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<h3><a name="laerchen">Lärchenrepublik</a> (2012)</h3>
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<p>Lärchenrepublik starts as a substantial walking passage heading south
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from the trunk passage between <a href="#holeycow">Holey Cow</a> and
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<a href="#runnel">Runnel Stone</a> with a significant breeze blowing from north
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to south. A 3m climb down is quickly reached, beyond which the passage turns
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right reaching a junction at which left is the main way on.</p>
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<p><i>Right at the junction leads to a series of passages that all ultimately
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connect back to the main trunk passage. The first of these is a tube on the
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right reached after 10m that joins the main passage at the junction with the
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main route into Lärchenrepublik. 5m beyond, a 2m climb down is reached on
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the left. Ahead at this point is a tube reached by a short climb up that goes
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through a puddle to join the trunk passage 10m back from the main junction
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towards Holey Cow. Descending the climb leads to a narrow winding passage that
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joins the trunk passage af further 10m back.</i></p>
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<p>Turning left at the junction, the passage continues downhill in fine style
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with a northerly breeze past some nice crystals (gypsum?) - care required to
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avoid damage. After 50m, the roof lowers briefly, then opens up at a tall rift.
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The rift passage continues south and has not been followed, but does not appear
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to carry a significant draught [C2012-161-XX B]. A 6m climb up at this point
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leads only to a drop that is presumed to connect to the rift at a lower level.</p>
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<p>The main way on is found by turning right then immediately left and crawling
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under a boulder to emerge in a parallel rift passage. A roof tube doubling back
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over the point of entry is presumed to connect back to the main passage near
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the point where the roof lowers. The continuing rift at floor level does not
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appear to be draughting [C2012-161-XX B].</p>
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<p>The way on is found by via an easy 6m diagonal climb up into the rift on the
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right to enter the <a name="spiral">Spiral Staircase</a> area, so called because
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the route to the continuing passage is somewhat convoluted. At the top of the
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climb, a narrow, draughting, phreatic rift passage heads off. After 10m, a climb
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on the right is the way on. <i>Straight ahead at floor level leads, after 15m,
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to a pitch estimated at 12m deep [C2012-161-XX B]. There may be a possible
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continuation beyond at floor level.</i></p>
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<p>Heading up the climb on the right enters another phreatic rift passage.
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After 5m, a roof tube doubling back over the point of entry can be accessed
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by climbing up into the rift. <i>Continuing at floor level for a further 10m,
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the same pitch as reached from the lower rift is reached. There is a solid
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roof at this level. There is also a more obvious continuing passage at the
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opposite side of the pitch; access will be difficult [C2012-161-XX B].</i></p>
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<p>The roof tube reaches a further level overlooking the lower rifts from
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which access was gained. A short climb doubling back over the point of entry
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gains access to <a href"#bunde">Bundestrasse</a>.</p>
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<h3><a name="bunde">Bundestrasse</a> (2012)</h3>
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Bundestrasse is a 3m round phreatic passage with a significant draught. It
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initially heads south over the top of the pitch reached from the rifts in
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<a href="#spiral">Spiral Staircase</a> before turning west. Immediately
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beyond this corner, the next four passages on the left all join up in a
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south-going side passage that reaches an edstimated 6m pitch after 10m
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[C2012-161-XX A]. The main route continues west for 15m past two sandy
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passages to the south that quickly join and carry a draught from the south
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[C2012-161-XX A]. 5m beyond, a floor trench is reached with a narrow
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rift exiting to the south [C2012-161-XX B]. The draughting phreatic passage
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continues in a straight line for 35m to a breakdown chamber. A narrow
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rift in the floor heads south at this point [C2012-161-XX B]. Climbing up
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beyond this point, the passage divides round a rock pillar. On the southern
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branch, a 17m high aven enters [C2012-161-XX X]. Both branches quickly unite
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and overlook a rift passage which is the limit of exploration. The rift
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passage continues to the west, and carries a significant draught from
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east to west [C2012-161-XX A]. This point is about 25m south of the end
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of <a href="#blownaway">Blown Away</a>.</p>
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