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<title>1623/234: Upper horizontal levels</title>
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<table id="qCavepage">
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<tr><th id="kat_no">234 - a b<br />(2000-09)</th><th id="name">Hauchhöhle</th><th id="status">3/S/W x</th></tr>
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</table>
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<h1>Upper horizontal levels</h1>
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<hr />
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<p><a href="l/dripline.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/dripline.jpg" /></a> <a
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href="l/ent.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/ent.jpg" /></a>The horizontal
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entrance slopes downhill for about 20m. Just beyond the dripline, on the right,
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is a sheltered alcove ideal for storing gear; this remains dry even in heavy
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rain. Continuing downslope past a skylight, there is a crawl on the left
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leading to the <a href="#lefthand">Left Hand Series</a>. At the bottom of the
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slope there is another, unpushed crawl to the left [<a
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href="qm.html#C2002-234-01" id="qC2002-234-01">C2002-234-01 C</a>] and a
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wriggle up over rubble into a chamber floored with more loose rock. From this
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chamber, the obvious way on is a pitch of approximately 15m; there is an
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unpushed, unpromising crawl above this [<a href="qm.html#C2002-234-07"
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id="qC2002-234-07">C2002-234-07 C</a>].</p>
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<a href="l/entpitch.html"><img class="onright" src="t/entpitch.jpg" /></a>
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<p>At the foot of the pitch, in large rift passage, a crawl on the left leads
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for about 15m before turning left and becoming too tight. Further along, a
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crawl on the left leads to <a href="#underhand">Underhand Passage</a>, while
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the main passage continues to a choice of a climb down of around 2m or an
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ascending traverse round to the left.</p>
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<p class="branch1">The traverse is exposed but easy, and leads to an upwards
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sloping passage, with an aven above from which daylight emerges; a vocal
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connection has been established to a nearby surface shaft, which has
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accordingly been tagged as 234b. The passage continues upwards past some loose
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boulders to emerge in a small chamber leading down to the right. An awkward
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wriggle through boulders to the left in the chamber leads to a drop [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-01" id="qC2004-234-01">C2004-234-01 C</a>].</p>
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<p><a href="l/flashgun.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/flashgun.jpg" /></a>The
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climb leads to a short slope down, after which ducking under a low arch leads
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to <b>Doesn't Go Rift</b>, where an ascending traverse can be followed up a
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ledge on the left-hand wall; alternatively it is possible to force through at
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floor level, but this is difficult. There is an aven above [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-29" id="qC2004-234-29">C2004-234-29 X</a>]. It is
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advisable to climb down a little before the end of the passage, reaching the
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level of two prominent wedged boulders, where there are threads in the
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left-hand wall from which a handline can be rigged for the 3m climb down to the
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floor of <b>Flashgun Chamber</b>. This is a large rift chamber whose floor
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slopes upwards steeply to the left; there is an aven above [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-30" id="qC2004-234-30">C2004-234-30 X</a>]. At the
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bottom of the chamber one can climb back down underneath the rift to the head
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of a pitch, <b>Foolish Plan</b>. <i>This was descended in 2005 and proved to be
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blind.</i> At the far side of the chamber is a ledge loose boulders (care); to
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the left is a crawl, with a narrow tube in the ceiling and an oxbow on the
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right. A few metres on there is a T-junction: straight on is tight and looks
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unpromising [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-35" id="qC2004-234-35">C2004-234-35
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B</a>] while the draughting right-hand passage, <b><a id="geom">Geometers'
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Crawl</a></b>, is the main way on. A few metres in is the other end of the
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oxbow, and further along is a passage on the right, the far end of <a
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href="#circuit">Clifton's Circuit</a>.</p>
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<p>At the end of Geometers' Crawl is a T-junction. <span class="branch1">Left
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leads to <b>Hades</b>, two interconnecting parallel passages sloping steeply
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upward. The right-hand passage is too tight; the left fork levels off slightly,
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at which point there are three possibilities: straight on is too tight; down a
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hole in the floor is choked; down and to the left through an extremely tight
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tube leads to a drop, awkward even to throw stones into, which could possibly
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be passed by someone really small and ambitious [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-03"
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id="qC2004-234-03">C2004-234-03 C</a>]</span>. Right at the T-junction is a 2m
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deep hole in the floor, which can either be traversed over or climbed down.</p>
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<p><a href="l/golf.html"><img class="onright" src="t/golf.jpg" /></a><span
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class="branch1">At the bottom of the 2m climb there are two passages to the
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right and one to the left. The leftwards branch passes over some dry cascades
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to a climb down, where there are curious golfball-like formations in the
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ceiling. Crawling on from here the passage gradually becomes impassably tight;
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more spacious passage is visible through a slot in the floor, but this looks to
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be difficult to enter to enter [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-04"
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id="qC2004-234-04">C2004-234-04 C</a>]. The rightwards branches soon unite and
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lead back into <a href="#geom">Geometers' Crawl</a>, forming the loop known as
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<b><a id="circuit">Clifton's Circuit</a></b>.</span></p>
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<p>An intimidating ascending traverse across the hole, <b>You Must Be
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Joking</b>, soon regains the floor. <span class="branch1">Climbing into the
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roof at this point gains access to <a href="#dangly">Dangly Bag
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Jazz</a>.</span> Straight on is <b>Tacklesack Blues</b>, an awkward section of
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tight hading rift, with intermittent wider sections where there are holes in
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the floor - these could possibly be entered but are very tight [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-11" id="qC2004-234-11">C2004-234-11 C</a>]. A stal on
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the right-hand wall heralds the return to easier passage, where there is a
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triple junction. Climbing down a hole in the floor (5m handline recommended)
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leads to a small chamber, with possible crawls left, right and down, all
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looking tight and awkward [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-12"
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id="qC2004-234-12">C2004-234-12 C</a>]. Traversing over this hole to the left
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leads to <a href="#measles">Measles Inlet</a>. Straight on leads to Stalactite
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Passage.</p>
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<p><a href="l/stalactite.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/stalactite.jpg"
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/></a><b>Stalactite Passage</b> is a fine stooping-height phreatic passage with
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a soft mud floor; after a few metres there is a duck under a low section where
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there are some formations on the right. Shortly beyond this is a choice of a
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floor-level crawl, or a clamber over a greasy slab, into a chamber on the
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right. There may be a passage in the roof on the right behind some wedged
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boulders [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-13" id="qC2004-234-13">C2004-234-13 C</a>].
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Immediately beyond is a junction, where a 3m climb leads to the <a
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href="pie.html">Pie Series</a>, while on the left is an upwards-sloping passage.
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This soon trifurcates. The leftmost passage leads to a drop [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-14" id="qC2004-234-14">C2004-234-14 C</a>]; this has not
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been descended but there is a light connection to Cess Pot. The middle and
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largest passage bends round to the right, where a sequence of small passages
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branch off to join up with the remaining fork at the head of a loose, chossy
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pitch of at least ten metres [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-15"
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id="qC2004-234-15">C2004-234-15 B</a>]; traversing over this leads to <a
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href="#sweet">Sweet Sight</a>. The main passage continues to a climb up to the
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left over a large smooth slab, where there is a window into a chamber. There is
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a possibly free-climbable hole in the floor, <b>Cess Pot</b> [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-16" id="qC2004-234-16">C2004-234-16 B</a>] and there may
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be passage continuing at the other side of the chamber [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-17" id="qC2004-234-17">C2004-234-17 C</a>]; there is
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also an aven above [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-31"
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id="qC2004-234-31">C2004-234-31 X</a>].</p>
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<h3><a id="measles">Measles Inlet</a></h3>
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<p>Measles Inlet begins as a fine phreatic passage, sloping slightly upwards. A
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few metres in there is a passage entering from the left. <span
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class="branch1">A few metres into this there is a rightwards bend, at which
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point a wriggle down into the floor on the left leads to a tight tube, <b><a
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id="dangly">Dangly Bag Jazz</a></b>; after an S-bend this emerges in the roof
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above the top end of You Must Be Joking traverse. The passage continues past a
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prominent pillar to emerge in <b>Cascade Chamber</b>, an aven chamber with
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water dripping down several tiers of cascades. One can climb up for some
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distance but it is loose and rather unappealing [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-06"
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id="qC2004-234-06">C2004-234-06 C</a>]; decidedly exposed steps lead into two
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passages to either side [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-05"
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id="qC2004-234-05">C2004-234-05 B</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-07"
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id="qC2004-234-07">C2004-234-07 B</a>]. There is also a climb down at floor
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level at the far end of the chamber, which is too tight after around 3m. The
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water disappears into a hole in the floor, where there is another small
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chamber, with a crawl leading off to the right in sharp rock [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-08" id="qC2004-234-08">C2004-234-08 C</a>].</span> The
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main Measles Inlet passage continues sloping gradually upwards; the left-hand
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wall is covered in brown mud blobs (hence the passage name). There is a crawl
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leading off to the right around halfway along [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-09"
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id="qC2004-234-09">C2004-234-09 C</a>]. After some distance a chamber is
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reached; the only obvious way on is a crawl at floor level to the left, which
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was not pushed as it passes over attractive calcited mud with dessication
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cracks [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-10" id="qC2004-234-10">C2004-234-10
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B</a>].</p>
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<h3><a id="sweet">Sweet Sight</a></h3>
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<p><a href="l/deadbat.html"><img src="t/deadbat.jpg" class="onright" /></a>
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Traversing round the left-hand side of the pitch (rope advised; two natural
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pillars provide ample backup, and there is a thread at the far end). This leads
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to an ascending ruler-straight phreatic tube, <b>Sweet Sight</b>. After 30m
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this bends sharply right, and there is a sloping downwards crawl leading off
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straight ahead. Round the corner is a chamber, <b>Fledermaushalle</b>, with a
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high dripping aven on the right [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-36"
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id="qC2004-234-36">C2004-234-36 X</a>]; the floor is amply sprinkled with bat
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excrement, and a bat skeleton <i>(right)</i> was observed by the discoverers in 2004. Across
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the chamber, a slot in the floor is too tight, and there is a possibly passable
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but awkward crawl beyond this [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-18"
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id="qC2004-234-18">C2004-234-18 C</a>]. Easier going is provided by a passage
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leading off to the left. A few metres into this is a branch to the left which
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connects back to the downward-sloping passage at the previous junction. The
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main passage continues on for a further 40m or so before closing down in a
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pebble choke [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-19" id="qC2004-234-19">C2004-234-19
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Dig</a>]. Midway along this passage is a climb up into an ascending roof tube
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on the left, <b>Sour Taste</b>, which closes down after a few metres.</p>
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<h3><a id="lefthand">Left-Hand Series</a></h3>
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<p>The crawl to the left in the entrance passage leads to a drop into a rift,
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where there are three ways on. To the right closes down; to the left, there are
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crawls at two levels. The higher-level crawl chokes; the two crawls at the
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lower level unite, passing two branches to the left [<a
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href="qm.html#C2002-234-02" id="qC2002-234-02">C2002-234-02 C</a>] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2002-234-03" id="qC2002-234-03">C2002-234-03 C</a>] and then
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reach a junction. To the left chokes; to the right leads to a chamber. This
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chamber can also be reached by going straight on from the aforementioned
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junction at the rift.</p>
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<p>From this chamber, there are two ways on. <span class="branch1">A small
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choss wall surrounds a vertical hole through which it is possible to drop down
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(tricky on the return) into a small chamber. From here, an awkward squeeze
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leads into a continuing crawl, which has not been pushed [<a
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href="qm.html#C2002-234-04" id="qC2002-234-04">C2002-234-04 C</a>].</span> To
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the left is a crawl over choss which enlarges. <span class="branch1">After a
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short distance a tube on the right leads to the head of a pitch (not pushed;
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probably 15-20m [<a href="qm.html#C2002-234-05" id="qC2002-234-05">C2002-234-05
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B</a>]) and continues to a choke.</span> Straight ahead leads to an
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earthen-floored draughting crawl which has been dug, and needs further work to
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get through [<a href="qm.html#C2002-234-06" id="qC2002-234-06">C2002-234-06
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Dig</a>]. Shortly before the crawl becomes flat-out, a tube leading up on the
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right also becomes too tight.</p>
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<h3><a id="underhand">Underhand Passage</a></h3>
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<p>The crawl on the left in the main rift shortly after the bottom of the first
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pitch leads to a small mud-floored chamber, after which a further
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downward-sloping crawl emerges in a large rift passage parallel to the main
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route. To the right are a profusion of tubes, one leading down into the floor
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[<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-26" id="qC2004-234-26">C2004-234-26 C</a>], one
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leading up into the ceiling [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-25"
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id="qC2004-234-25">C2004-234-25 C</a>], and two at more or less head level [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-23" id="qC2004-234-23">C2004-234-23 B</a>] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-24" id="qC2004-234-24">C2004-234-24 B</a>]. These have
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been explored by Pete Clifton, leading to a maze known as the Flatulence
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Series, but no description is extant. There is also an aven above [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-33" id="qC2004-234-33">C2004-234-33 X</a>], which is
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presumed to connect to undescended pitch 02-05 in the <a
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href="#lefthand">Left-Hand Series</a>.</p>
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<p>To the left, the rift passage continues onwards, sloping gradually downhill,
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past another aven [<a href="qm.html#C2004-234-34"
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id="qC2004-234-34">C2004-234-34 X</a>]. After around 20m it closes down; a
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passage to the left leads to a contortion into a narrow immature dry streamway,
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which draughts somewhat and continues in both directions [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-27" id="qC2004-234-27">C2004-234-27 C</a>] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-234-28" id="qC2004-234-28">C2004-234-28 C</a>]. </p>
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<li><a href="234.html">234 index page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../indxal.htm#id234">Full Index of 1623 Caves</a></li><li><a href="../../areas.htm">Other Areas</a></li>
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