expoweb/smkridge/161/oldmen.htm

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<TITLE>1623/161 Kaninchenh&ouml;hle - Country for Old Men and beyond Mordor</TITLE>
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<H2 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>161 Kaninchenh&ouml;hle:
Country for Old Men</H2>
<H3 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Overview</H3>
<P ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0cm"><SPAN LANG="en-GB">The
large trunk passage of Country for Old Men was reached by a bolt
climb into the roof of <A HREF="farnth.htm#repton2">Repton II</A> in
2009 leading to Irony of Time. It ultimately leads to a pitch &ndash;
Mordor &ndash; into a further trunk passage at a lower level. This
lower level connects to Steinbr&uuml;ckenh&ouml;hle via the Far from
Support traverses. </SPAN>
</P>
<HR>
<H4 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Irony of Time
(2009/2011)</H4>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER>Irony of time was accessed via a bolt
climb from Repton II in 2009; the 18m pitch has been left permanently
rigged. At the top, a tall, sandy floored rift passage heads north &ndash;
Irony of Time &ndash; with a significant breeze blowing from the
north. A small passage on the left after 50m is choked (possible dig
&ndash; [C2011-161-XX D]) and another 20m on a further passage to the
left quickly becomes too tight. The main passage continues for a
further 20m to a junction. Straight ahead leads after 7m to a 5m
climb up, at the top of which a narrow passage continues with a
draught coming from the north [C2011-161-XX B]. The main way on is to
turn sharp left at the junction, which also carries a draught towards
the point of entry. After a further 20m a junction with Country for
Old Men is reached.
</P>
<H4 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Country for Old Men
(2011)</H4>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER>Country for Old Men is a phreatic
passage the generally trends approximately along a north-south line,
sloping gently down to the south with the local dip of the beds. It
is mostly approximately 10m wide and carries a noticable draught from
north to south.</P>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER>Heading south from the point of entry
from Irony of Time, a sandy floored passage heads south for 25m to a
narrowing. Continuing under a rock arch, a passage on the right has a
visual connection back to just before the narrowing. Continuing
downhill [FIXME: past a passage on the right on the survey &ndash;
QM?] under another rock arch leads to a 15m pitch on the right
[FIXME: I assume this is an undescended QM &ndash; what grade?]. The
passage continues past the pitch head for a further 15m. [FIXME:
Survey implies 2 QMS here &ndash; uphill level change to SW, sandy
passage downhill to SE].</P>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER>The passage heads north from Irony of
Time in fine style. A passage at ceiling level is presumed to rejoin
the main passage after a 15m. Proceeding a further 25m round a double
bend, a complex area is reached where the main route on is found by
keeping to the left hand wall where a pretty chocolate river is soon
reached. <I>To the right, several routes round rock pillars
ultimately join together until the inlet for the chocolate river is
reached on the right [FIXME: is this a QM?]. Continuing ahead the
passage quickly ends, but a side passage to the right heads uphill to
a 5m climb up. [FIXME: Is there a QM at the top of this climb?]</I></P>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">The chocolate
river should be traversed to the left (care required to avoid kicking
sand onto it). After 20m, the chocolate river heads down a pitch to
the right [C2011-161-XX B]. A traverse over the top of this pitch
leads to Popcorn Passage. Country for Old Men continues left past an
impassable hole on the left with a stream (good for filling water
bottles). Immediately beyond the watering a hole, a small draughting
passage doubles back on the left &ndash; this is Massive for Mendip.
Immediately beyond is a slope down to a pitch with a rift passage
exiting with water audible [C2011-161-XX B]. The main passage
continues north, traversing round a pit on the left with wet aven
above [C2011-161-XX X]; the water exits down a too tight rift at the
bottom of the pit. From here, the passage heads uphill to the north
past a small hole in the floor [C2011-161-XX B] and a small choked
passage on the right [C2011-161-XX D] for 45m until a 10m pitch is
reached. A traverse round the right of the pitch is blind. Descending
the pitch leads to Sudetenland.</P>
<H4 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Sudetenland (2011)</H4>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">The 10m
sloping pitch into Sudetenland is formed where the phreatic passage
changes level. At the base of the pitch, two tall narrow passages on
the left lead to a side passage heading south. A little further on, a
further side passage on the right also heads south. The main route
continues uphill to the northeast. 50m from the base of the pitch, a
floor trench is reached. Continuing to the left here leads, after
15m, to a drop overlooking the continuing passage that would require
rigging. The easiest way to proceed is head right down the floor
trench after which a 2m climb down is reached (sling or handline
useful for the return). Shortly beyond the base of the climb, a small
passage on the right leads immediately to a pitch with a strong
draught [C2011-161-XX A]. The main passage continues for a further
40m to a junction. Right heads uphill and chokes almost immediately.
To the left, the passage narrows markedly, and is consequently very
cold since it appears to carry most of the draught present throughout
Sudetenland and Country for Old Men. After 25m, the head of Mordor
pitch is reached which is extremely draughty and extremely cold. All
alternative ways on at the head of the pitch appear to be choked.
</P>
<H4 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Popcorn Passage (2011)</H4>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">[FIXME:
description needed &ndash; see Becka's logbook entry, 2011-08-10]</P>
<H4 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Massive for Mendip
(2011)</H4>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">[FIXME:
description needed]</P>
<H4 LANG="en-GB" CLASS="western" ALIGN=CENTER>Side leads from
Sudetenland (2011)</H4>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">Near the base
of the pitch from Country for Old Men into Sudetenland, there are two
side passages &ndash; one heading approximately southwest, the other
southeast.</P>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">The southwest
passage is a tall, narrow rift that heads gently downhill to the
south with a small draught from south to north. [FIXME: the bit
covered by the oldmensouth survey needs describing &ndash; see
Becka's logbook entry, 2011-08-10]</P>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="font-style: normal">The southeast
passage is a walking sized, sandy floored passage that draughts
towards the southeast. A number of crystals (gypsum?) were observed
in numerous places in this passage. After 55m a 5m climb up is
reached. At the top of the climb, a rift passage heads off to the
west [C2011-161-XX B]. To the east is a further climb up, apparently
with a passage beyond, that has not been followed [C2011-161-XX B]</P>
<P LANG="en-GB" ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN STYLE="font-style: normal">5m back
from the base of the 5m climb, a narrow passage heads off to the
west. A further 5m back is another small passage heading west [FIXME:
choked? QM?], and another 10m back is another passage heading west
[C2011-161-XX C]. It seems probable that these passages are all
connected. Following the passage closest to the base of the climb
proceeds past many crystals and a well preserved dead bat, and
quickly degenerates to a crawl. After 10m, a junction with two
similarly small passages on the right is reached [C2011-161-XX C]
[C2011-161-XX C]. The passage continues in a similar vein, with
popcorn encrusted walls in places, for a further 35m before opening
out at the head of a pitch, estimated at 7m, at the base of which a
larger rift passage is seen continuing to the southeast [C2011-161-XX
A]. There is little draught in this area considering the size of the
passage.</SPAN></P>
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Cave Description - Overview </SPAN>
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