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129 lines
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1623:BS17
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<center><table border=0 width=100%>
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<tr><th align=left><font size=+2>BS17</font></th>
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<th align=center><font size=+2>Organhöhle</font></th>
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<th align=right><font size=+2>2/S +</font></th></tr>
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</table></center>
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<p><b>Altitude:</b> 1950m<br>
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<b>Depth:</b> 295m<br>
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<b>Length:</b> 235m
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<p><b>Location:</b> About 300m along the north side of the ridge running
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east from Hohes Augst-Eck, about 50m from the summit of the ridge at the foot
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of a 5m cliff, a 1m diameter tube. [no surface survey info or coordinates].
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<p><b>Overview:</b> A deep and serious cave in a very remote location, with
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numerous Puits en bayonettes, from which rescue would be virtually
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impossible after a tortuous tube at -100m.
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<p>The 1m diameter entrance is followed by a walking sized phreatic passage
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with further entrances in the roof. This continues to a four-way junction.
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Straight on soon chokes at a boulder slope. Up to the left, the passage
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winds back to a further entrance. The way on is down to the right. The 5m
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high passage continues, passing low crawls on the left and right to a point
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where the roof lowers and the passage is split horizontally. The lower
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passage leads to an extensive series of low crawls whilst the upper passage
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continues to a squeeze past a debris cone with a distinct draught. Past the
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debris cone the passage splits again. The right hand passage chokes soon
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after a 12m pitch but the left hand passage carries on as a hands and knees
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crawl, crosses a blind 4m pit and soon reaches the <b>first pitch</b>.
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<p>A fine descent of 66m in a large shaft lands on a boulder ledge with the
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<b>second pitch</b> following on immediately. This descends 50m to a 15cm
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wide rift. Although there is a possible continuation beyond, this would
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require considerable effort to enter and was not pushed. A climb up to a
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window above the second pitch (krab and sling left rigged) gains a climb
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down to the boulder-strewn foot of an aven and a horizontal tube going off
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(not explored). 13m down the second pitch, <b>Fledermaus ledge</b> can be
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gained, with a passage leading off to <b>Fledermaus pitch</b>, named for the
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quantities of bat skeletons at its head. This 27m descent reaches about the
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same level as the base of the second pitch, and is blind except for a small
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slot in one wall. Traversing over Fledermaus leads to a small chamber with
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two tubes leading off, both draughting. The left tube becomes too tight, but
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a pitch can be seen beyond the constriction. The right tube is the <b>Organ
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Grinder</b>.
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<p>The Organ Grinder is 46m of exceedingly tortuous passage - nowhere
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extremely tight but twisting and turning, rising and falling, requiring a
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unique combination of contortions. It is best tackled feet first on the way
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in (head first on the way out) until a flat out crawl near the end which
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leads to the crux: a U-bend, best approached head first on the descent. This
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is even more difficult on the return, when it is best tackled feet first.
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UBSS's times to pass this passage varied from 10 minutes to 3<> hours, with
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an average of 20 minutes. There is just room to replace SRT gear before the
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following pitch. <b>The return of an injured person through this tube would
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be almost impossible without extensive modification of the cave.</B>
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<p>The <b>third pitch</b> descends 42m, passing two windows, to a floor with
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no way on. From the foot of the pitch, a 3m climb up to a ledge reveals two
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climbs down. One of thse is blind, but the other leads to an undescended
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pitch of c20m.
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<p>Both of the windows in the third pitch connect with <b>Topher's
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pitch</b>, and the lower one was rigged. From here the pitch is 86m with a
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large ledge near the bottom. At the foot, a window leads to an aven, whilst
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in the opposite wall, another window looks onto the fifth pitch, <b>Toccata
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and Feuge</b> (sic).
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<p>Toccata and Feuge is best descended from a ledge above the large ledge in
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Topher's pitch. Rigged mainly from flakes and threads, it drops in a series
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of steps, 39m in total. A small hole in the floor drops into a chamber with
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no passable way on - just two exits, both too tight. 10m back up the pitch,
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a ledge can be gained and is the start of the <b>Rift Climb</b>. This is a
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40m descent, and is best rigged as a self-lined climb. The rift continues
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for some distance horizontally, but has not been followed. Below the Rift
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climb, the head of another pitch can be gained, but great care should be
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exercised in the Rift Climb and this following pitch (<b>The Pitch of the
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Flying Boulders</b>) as there are many loose rocks, which, when dislodged,
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fall the full depth of both pitches. From the bottom of Topher's Pitch to
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the head of PotFB, many fossils of "large bivalves and snails on sticks"
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protrude up to 25mm from the rock.
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<p>The PotFB was rigged from a thread and is somewhat awkward for 6m to a
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rebelay, after which it hangs free. The 32m descent lands in <b>The Hall of
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the Flying Boulders</b>, which again contains much loose rock, choking the
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floor level. However, a 2m climb up a mudbank leads to an impressive phreatic
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passage. A pit in the floor of this passage drops to a chamber with a deep
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well. Passing this, and a smaller side passage on he left, one soon reaches
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<b>Another Bloody Pitch</b> with a strong draught at the head. The side
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passage also joins this pitch. Another Bloody Pitch is 31m, but ends blind.
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A window part way down reaches a further shaft of 36m, also blind, but this
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is the deepest explored point, at -295m.
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<p>From the head of Another Bloody Pitch, a continuation of the phreatic
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passage can be seen, but will not be reached without a serious bolted
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traverse. It is thought that this is the main way on, at c260m depth.
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<p><b>Exploration:</b> <a href="../others/ubss/index.htm">UBSS</a> 1990<br>
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<b>Survey:</b> Grade 3c survey on cover of UBSS Nls 6(3), 11/90
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<p><b>Acknowledgement:</b> The above description is adapted from the
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<cite>UBSS <!--a href="../UBSSAck">report in</a--> Newsletter Vol 6 No. 3,
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November 1990</cite>.
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<hr>
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<a href="index.htm#bs17">Far plateau area</a> index and description<br>
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