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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf8" />
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
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<title>1623/204 -- Swings and Roundabouts area</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<table id="cavepage">
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<tr><th id="kat_no">204</th><th id="name">Steinbrückenhöhle</th><th id="status">5/S x</th></tr>
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</table>
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<h1>Swings and Roundabouts area</h1>
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<div>
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<b><a href="#survey">Survey</a></b> --
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<b><a href="204.html">204 index</a></b>
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</div>
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<hr />
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<p>Swings and Roundabouts is an area of rubble-strewn passages to the west of
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<a href="treeumphant.html">Treeumphant Passage</a>. Access is from <a
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href="nopain.html#bonsai">Bonsai Crawl</a> or the 204d entrance. The series
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links to the <a href="rhino.html">Rhino Rift</a> series via Taking the Piss
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pitch, and to the <a href="uworld.html">Underworld</a> via the Gaffered to the
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Walls series.</p>
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<h3>Playground</h3>
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<p>Swings and Roundabouts branches off from <a href="nopain.html#bonsai">Bonsai
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Crawl</a>, at what was QM2000-12B. Initially, a walking sized passage
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<b><a id="playground">Playground</a></b> leads past some mud formations and a
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drippy mini-aven to a view overlooking a mid-sized chamber,
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<b>Magic Roundabout</b>, with several exits. The easiest way to the chamber
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floor is via a corkscrew climb down through a hole in the floor on the right.</p>
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<h3><a id="magicroundabout">Magic Roundabout Chamber</a> and surrounding
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passage</h3>
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<div class="centre"><a href="l/mround2.html"><img src="t/mround2.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="l/mroundclimb.html"><img src="t/mroundclimb.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="l/gafferpassage.html"><img src="t/gafferpassage.jpg" /></a>
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</div>
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<p>Once in the chamber, climbing down over boulders to the left leads to a
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small exit between rocks. A short rubble-strewn chute (which is free-climbable
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but crumbly, and was rigged in 2002 with a Y-hang following Dave falling off
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it) leads to a duck under a flake into a mud-floored ramp. After 15m or so a
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large shaft, <b>Gaffer Tape</b>, is reached. Descending this leads to the <a
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href="uworld.html">Gaffered to the Walls Series</a>, while there is also a <a
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href="#the21bolttrav">traverse</a> across the pitch head.</p>
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<p>Back in the main chamber, a rubble slope to the north leads onwards. To the
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north up the slope is <a href="#ermintrude">Ermintrude</a>; to the east leads
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back to the point where Playground overlooks the chamber. To the west is the
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main passage continuation. A passage on the left is <a
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href="#dutchbeauty">Dutch Beauty</a>, which also has windows into the main
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chamber. Continuing over rocks, a phreatic tube enters from <a
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href="#juicybits">Juicy Bits</a> on the left ahead, and a crawl enters from
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Dutch Beauty behind; the main way on is up a short slope over boulders to the
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start of the main Swings trunk passage: 10m wide and 8m high.</p>
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<h3><a id="ermintrude">Ermintrude</a></h3>
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<p>Ermintrude passage, which leads north from <a href="#magicroundabout">
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Magic Roundabout Chamber</a>, soon shrinks to a crawl, with some boulders that
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need crawling around. This leads to a small chamber, with a small phreatic tube
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leading off to the right about 2m above the floor. This leads to the base of a free
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climbable aven
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[<a href="qm.html#C2003-204-01" id="qC2003-204-01">C2003-204-01 B</a>].</p>
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<h3><a id="the21bolttrav">21 Bolt Traverse</a></h3>
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<p>From the head of <a href="uworld.html#gaffertape">Gaffer Tape</a> pitch, a narrow ledge
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continues around the right-hand wall of the shaft towards an opening visible at
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the far side, which was the target of a loony bolt traverse in 2003.</p>
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<p>There are significant ledges and other footholds around for most of the way,
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which is just as well given the variable quality of the rock. Starting from the
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pitch-head traverse line, it is possible to climb up onto a large ledge. After
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around 10m this ledge runs out and the traverse continues as a blank wall for a
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few metres. A pull up onto a muddy ledge signals the halfway point. Here a
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muddy tube slopes up to a mud/sand choke [<a href="qm.html#C2003-204-52"
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id="qC2003-204-52">C2003-204-52 C</a>].</p>
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<p>At the NW corner of the shaft, there is a small slot in the wall, where
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there is a view through boulders but it "seemed unwise" to try to pass through.
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Three bolts further on it is possible to abseil down onto the target passage's
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boulder slope. This is the far end of <a href="rhino.html#boltbypass">21 Bolt
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Bypass</a> in Rhino Rift.</p>
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<h3>Pretty Bits and <a id="dutchbeauty">Dutch Beauty</a></h3>
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<p>Pretty Bits branches off the <a href="#swingstrunk">Swings and Roundabouts
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trunk passage</a>, passing a pit on the right (which can be climbed over to a
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crawl, emerging in the main passage). Down the pit is a tight rift pitch [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-98" id="qC2001-204-98">C2001-204-98 C</a>].
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Continuing along the passage past the pit, a number of windows are visible
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overlooking <a href="#magicroundabout">Magic Roundabout Chamber</a>. A passage
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goes off to the right which passes a number of stalactites, before intersecting
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a rift. Descending the rift is <a id="takingthepiss" href="rhino.html#takingthepiss">Taking The Piss</a> pitch, leading to the Rhino Rift series. It is also possible to traverse round to the left, passing a grotto of stalactites; this leads to a narrow passage that was the original route into Rhino Rift.</p>
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<h3><a id="juicybits">Juicy Bits</a></h3>
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<p>Juicy Bits is a large passage to the left from the south end of the <a
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href="#swingstrunk">Swings and Roundabouts trunk passage</a>. After 10m in, a
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large passage descends at a 30 degree slope down, which can be traversed
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around. At the bottom there is a climb down over boulders[<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-45" id="qC2001-204-45">C2001-204-45 C</a>]. This
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passage can be traversed around, and a passage to the right decreases in size
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to a body sized tube that needs digging [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-48"
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id="qC2001-204-48">C2001-204-48 C</a>]. The main passage then splits in two,
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the right turn going to what appears to be the same rift as <a href="#takingthepiss">Taking The Piss</a> pitch [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-47" id="qC2001-204-47">C2001-204-47 B</a>]. To the left a
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smaller passage doubles back on itself, past a small window to the rift. Now
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going uphill the passage turns a sharp right and flattens out and passes a
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tube going into the ceiling[<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-46"
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id="qC2001-204-46">C2001-204-46 C</a>], before emerging in to the passage near
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<a href="#magicroundabout">Magic Roundabout Chamber</a>.</p>
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<h3><a id="swingstrunk">Swings Passage</a></h3>
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<p>The trunk passage, a large phreatic with much breakdown and generally a
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boulder strewn floor, continues for over 100m in a northerly direction. Rubble
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slopes up and down keep the passage at roughly the same level. Along its
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length, a number of passages branch off to the left and right.</p>
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<p>The first two passages leading off are <a href="#juicybits">Juicy Bits</a>
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on the left and the way towards <a href="#theslide">The Slide</a> on the right.
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Further along, the small connection with The Slide enters from the right. QMs
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[<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-84" id="qC2001-204-84">C2001-204-84 C</a>] and [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-85" id="qC2001-204-85">C2001-204-85 C</a>] may be
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found on the right wall. A pitch on the left [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-92"
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id="qC2001-204-92">C2001-204-92</a>] is surrounded by a lot of very loose
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boulders; rocks fall for a considerable distance, but no attempt was made to
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descend due to the loose debris. Across the top of the pitch are two slots
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looking into <a href="#chicagochicanes">Chicago Chicanes</a>. Opposite this, in
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the right-hand wall, is the first entrance to <a href="#trapeze">Trapeze</a>.
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Continuing along Swings passage, the main entrance to Chicago Chicanes is on
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the left, and a climb up on the right also leads to <a
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href="#trapeze">Trapeze</a>.</p>
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<p>A little further along, a phreatic tube slopes down to the left. This passes
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through a small chamber and develops a stream in a deep, narrow slot in the
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floor before choking in earth. This passage may in fact be [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-82" id="qC2001-204-82">C2001-204-82 C</a>] or this QM
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may in fact exist as a separate lead on the left wall of the main swings
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passage; the survey notes are somewhat unclear.</p>
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<p>A series of small holes in the right hand wall interconnect, with a
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possible, uninviting, way on through tight, sharp vadose passage. [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-80" id="qC2001-204-80">C2001-204-80 C</a>] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-81" id="qC2001-204-81">C2001-204-81 C</a>] </p>
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<p>At the end of Swings passage, a very loose rubble slope leads up to
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<a href="#suspended">Suspended Solution</a>, and so on towards the 204d
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entrance. Mid-way up the slope, a traverse (rope advised) round a nose of rock
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is possible. This leads one to the base of a climb (not yet done) up to where
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water can be heard and a large passage continues [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-79" id="qC2001-204-79">C2001-204-79 C</a>].
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Alternatively, traversing further to the right from the base of the climb leads
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to a steeply sloping, clean-washed phreatic tube, <a href="#crestarun">Cresta
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Run</a>.</p>
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<h4><a id="theslide">The Slide</a></h4>
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<p>A large passage to the right, <b><a id="southcircular">South
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Circular</a></b> quickly narrows up a rubble slope to a drafting passage, which becomes
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too tight after ~10m. Before the slope, a passage entering from the left leads to <b>The
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Slide</b> passages.</p>
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<p>The Slide passages are upwardly sloping phreatics, mainly clean washed. Soon
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after entering the slide, a small passage on the left connects back to the main
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Swings trunk passage. Heading on up the slope past a couple of small loops and
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a small aven [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-86" id="qC2001-204-86">C2001-204-86
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X</a>] brings one to a window onto a very large shaft whose roof [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-89" id="qC2001-204-89">C2001-204-89 X</a>] is not
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visible, down the pitch leads to <a href="#merrygoround">Merry Go Round</a>. At the corner before
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the pitch, a small passage leads of but quickly chokes. The holes on the right,
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[<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-91" id="qC2001-204-91">C2001-204-91 B</a>] and [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-87" id="qC2001-204-87">C2001-204-87 B</a>], probably
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connect back into Merry Go Round. </p>
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<h4><a id="merrygoround">Merry Go Round</a></h4>
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<p><img class="onright" src="rigging/mgr.png" alt="D Merry Go Round Rigging
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Guide" />
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The first pitch of Merry Go Round is rigged with a backup and Y hang, and the
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rope lies against the wall for 13m till a rebelay, which allows a clear hang to
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the floor. The floor is a a slope of loose boulders, heading towards a hole in
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the floor. It is advisable to stay on the rope whilst traversing this; going
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over a large wedged boulder leads to the second pitch, a Y hang, giving a free
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hang to the floor. At this point the passage becomes more of a rift, and the
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ceiling is still not visible, which starts slightly further upstream than where
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the ropes hangs down to. In the rain, water comes down the top end of the
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rift, from the hole in the floor of the chamber above, and disappears down a
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very small rift.</p>
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<p>5m from the bottom of the second pitch, the third pitch starts, with a
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traverse line and a short drop down to the main Y hang. A couple of deviations
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pull the rope away from the wall; below these, it was too wet to continue
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rigging in the wet. The pitch continues down past a couple of deviations, just
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above obvious places where the wall is undercut. The floor of this pitch is
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jagged boulders, which form a slight slope. The walls have large (10-20cm)
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fossil bivalves protruding from them. Up slope a small rift twists round to a
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chamber, linked by a window to the main shaft. Down slope leads to a narrow
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rift, which has a very small slot in the floor. At the end of this, a natural
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thread in the roof (all the rock is like cottage cheese), which allows a
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vertical squeeze to be rigged. The squeeze is not too bad, and has a convenient
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ledge below to stand on. Just below the squeeze, a rope protector is useful
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for the remaining few meters of descent into a rift type chamber. The way on
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continues via the fifth pitch, from a Y-hang, descending down more rift, before
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the chamber becomes more shaft-like and a deviation, allows descent to the
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floor. Going downstream, the passage becomes keyhole shaped, with puddles on
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the ground; the passage turns left, and a crumbly looking rift continues
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onwards [<a href="qm.html#C2002-204-07" id="qC2002-204-07">C2002-204-07
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A</a>].</p>
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<h4><a id="chicagochicanes">Chicago Chicanes</a></h4>
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<p><b>Chicago Chicanes</b> doubles back on the main passage. A series of rubble
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filled pot-holes leads to a chamber with a high aven [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-93" id="qC2001-204-93">C2001-204-93 X</a>] and slits up
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on the right wall back into the main passage. Beyond the chamber, a hole in the
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floor leads to two small rift passages, left an unpromising QM [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-99" id="qC2001-204-99">C2001-204-99 B</a>] , and right
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probably linking into the pitch head at the start of <a href="#juicybits">Juicy
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Bits</a>. Climbing up and over the hole leads to more pot-holes and a boulder
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choke. Carefully negotiating the boulders and through a narrow slot brings one
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back to Juicy Bits.</p>
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<h4><a id="trapeze">Trapeze</a></h4>
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<p>Stuart / Becka / Nial ... [<a
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href="qm.html#C2001-204-83" id="qC2001-204-83">C2001-204-83 C</a>] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-04" id="qC2004-204-04">C2004-204-04 C</a>]</p>
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<h3><a id="suspended">Suspended Solution</a></h3>
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<p><b>Suspended Solution</b> is a solution tube at the top of the rubble slope
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at the end of Swings Passage. When scaling this slope, care is needed as if too
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much rubble is kicked down it will be difficult to climb up into the tube.
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Also, the (much larger) boulders at the top of the slope may be dislodged.
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Climbing up through the tube brings one to the base of another scree slope. A
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sloping passage to the right [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-76"
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id="qC2001-204-76">C2001-204-76 B</a>] has been climbed for some distance but
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appears to go nowhere.</p>
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<p>At the top of the scree slope, under a low arch, is a small chamber. A
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hading rift on the right [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-75"
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id="qC2001-204-75">C2001-204-75 B</a>] has been climbed for some distance.
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There is an unpromising hole on the left. [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-77"
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id="qC2001-204-77">C2001-204-77 B</a>] Straight ahead leads to a climb down
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(20' ladder useful) into <a href="#livingdaylight">Living Daylight Cavern</a>.</p>
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<h3><a id="livingdaylight">Living Daylight Cavern</a> and <a
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id="entd">204d</a></h3>
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<p>
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<img class="onright" src="rigging/d.png" alt="D Entrance Pitches" />
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<a href="l/14entd.html"><img src="t/14entd.jpg"
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class="onleft" alt="204d entrance photo" /></a>
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This large chamber (11m diameter) has a boulder floor and what looked like a
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dried-up streambed. A possible QM [<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-74"
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id="qC2001-204-74">C2001-204-74 C</a>] in the left hand corner goes over
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boulders into a small chamber. The way on is under a low arch across the
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chamber from the ladder. A climb up reaches more space and becomes more serious
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[<a href="qm.html#C2001-204-100" id="qC2001-204-100">C2001-204-100 C</a>].
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From the arch, go left to within sight of the 204d entrance. The 7m climb up is
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bolted at the top, or may be climbed from the bottom in the recess in the right
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hand wall. Traversing over the top of the climb emerges in the base of a shake
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hole.</p>
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<h3>Cresta Run and Toothless</h3>
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<img src="smallsurveys/cresta.png" />
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<h4><a id="crestarun">Cresta Run</a></h4>
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<p>
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<div class="onright">
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<a imgclass="onright" href="l/crestarun.html"><img src="t/crestarun.jpg" /></a>
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<a imgclass="onright" href="l/crestarun_pitch.html"><img src="t/crestarun_pitch.jpg" /></a>
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</div>
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The climb mentioned above was bolted in 2004 and has been left permanently rigged.
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From the head of the pitch, a short climb up leads to a ledge overlooking
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Swings on one side and on the other side a (blind?) pit with an aven [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-05" id="qC2004-204-05">C2004-204-05 X</a>] above.
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Straight ahead is a steeply descending tube (best rigged); after a few metres
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the floor disappears, revealing a pitch down into <a
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href="treeumphant.html#helterskelter">Helter Skelter</a>.</p>
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<p>Traversing over this pitch past an aven [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-06"
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id="qC2004-204-06">C2004-204-06 X</a>] and a narrow passage leading off into
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the roof [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-07" id="qC2004-204-07">C2004-204-07 C</a>]
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leads to a small chamber. Above this is another aven [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-08" id="qC2004-204-08">C2004-204-08 X</a>]; the way on
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is a passage sloping down to the left. This continues downwards past a number
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of dog-legs to reach a loose boulder-filled chamber; various attempts to dig in
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the floor and walls of this met with no success. The way on is a
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downward-sloping tube, leading to a further chamber; an oxbow part- way down
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the slope leads back into this lower chamber, and a hole in the floor of the
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slope also doesn't go. In the chamber there are two
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ways on; one horizontal meandering slot closes down, while a prominent ramp
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leads to the head of a pitch. Traversing on a wide sloping ledge leads past <a
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href="#piledriver">Pile Driver</a> passage to a point where the pitch may be
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easily descended into <a href="#toothless">Toothless</a>.</p>
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<p><b><a id="piledriver">Pile Driver</a></b> passage may be reached without
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rigging the traverse, although this requires a slightly unnerving clamber over
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a greasy slab. It begins as a high rift passage. After a few metres the lower
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level becomes too narrow, but a tube in the ceiling continues to a chamber,
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floored with a loose choss slope. Here a hole in the floor leads to a
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tight-looking crawl [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-13"
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id="qC2004-204-13">C2004-204-13 C</a>]; there is an aven in the ceiling, while
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straight on there may be a continuing crawl underneath a magical levitating
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boulder [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-14" id="qC2004-204-14">C2004-204-14
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C</a>].</p>
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<h4><a id="toothless">Toothless</a></h4>
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<p>
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From the end of the ledge the pitch is a short descent of 6m to land on top
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of a large block in a wide passage, <b>Toothless</b>, continuing north and
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south [MARK NIAL] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-41"
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id="qC2005-204-41">C2005-204-41 C</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-42"
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id="qC2005-204-42">C2005-204-42 ??</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-43"
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id="qC2005-204-43">C2005-204-43 X</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-44"
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id="qC2005-204-44">C2005-204-44 ??</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-45"
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id="qC2005-204-45">C2005-204-45 C</a>].
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</p>
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<a href="l/toothless.html"><img src="t/toothless.jpg" /></a>
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<p>
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<h3>High Hopes and the 2005 entrances</h3>
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<div class="onright">
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<a href="l/hhclimb.html"><img src="t/hhclimb.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="l/hhfloor.html"><img src="t/hhfloor.jpg" /></a>
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</div>
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<p>From the bottom of the pitch a climb up the opposite wall (left rigged as the holds were rather temporary) leads to a
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passage in the roof, <b><a id="highhopes">High Hopes</a></b> [WOOKEY NIAL BECKA TONY] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-62" id="qC2005-204-62">C2005-204-62 A</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-63" id="qC2005-204-63">C2005-204-63 B</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-64" id="qC2005-204-64">C2005-204-64 C</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-08" id="qC2005-204-08">C2005-204-08 B</a>]
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[<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-09" id="qC2005-204-09">C2005-204-09 C</a>].</p>
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<h4>High Hopes III</h4>
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<p>Beyond the traverse the passage goes up a steep incline. There is a slot in the floor, which presumably connects to
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the pitch but is too tight to enter. After around 10m the passage reaches a T-junction. To the left continues straight,
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passing a tube in the roof [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-10" id="qC2005-204-10">C2005-204-10 C</a>], to emerge at a short climb down into a large aven chamber with a flat ice floor,
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at the bottom of the <a href="#gent">G entrance</a> pitches. To the right, there are two options: a narrow rift between
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boulders at floor level, or a climb up at 45° into a bedding plane, both emerging in a chamber with a high aven
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above, where the <a href="#hient">H and I entrances</a> drop in.</p>
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<h4 style="clear: left"><a id="gent">G entrance</a></h4>
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<p>The G entrance starts as a sloping phreatic tube of diameter around 3m; this is steep and the floor is loose, and a
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rope is required, which can be secured from a thread at the entrance and a bolt in the roof. The tube steepens
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gradually, and after a rebelay on the left-hand wall the floor turns to sloping ice at an angle of around 45°.
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Shortly below this a window leads into a parallel tube on the right, which could be descended via a natural rebelay from
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a column; this could bypass some of the loose ice which renders the 2005 route somewhat dangerous. Continuing down the
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pitch leads to a rebelay on the right and a short vertical section into a snow-floored chamber. Here there is a passage
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leading down to the left [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-13" id="qC2005-204-13">C2005-204-13 B</a>], while the main route continues to the right. Here a large boulder wedged in the
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ceiling gives a traverse anchor (2 slings needed) to protect a traverse out to a rebelay bolt in the right-hand wall.
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Here the parallel tube enters from above, while below the pitch slopes down over snow to land in a large chamber with an
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ice floor. A pitch continues down [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-15" id="qC2005-204-15">C2005-204-15 B</a>], and beyond this a passage (apparently the continuation of the entrance tube)
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continues down at 45° [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-14" id="qC2005-204-14">C2005-204-14 A</a>]. On the other side of the chamber is a small pile of rocks concealing a too-tight tube
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in the wall on the right, a corresponding narrow tube on the left [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-12" id="qC2005-204-12">C2005-204-12 C</a>], and a step up over a boulder into <a
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href="#highhopes">High Hopes</a>.</p>
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<h4><a id="hient">H & I entrances</a></h4>
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<p>The H entrance pitch is a wide circular shaft surrounded by bunde. A Y-hang from a sling around a flake and a spit
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allows descent to the first ledge at around 5m down, where the shaft pinches in to a narrow tube. A deviation at this
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point gives a free hang to the floor 15m further down. Here the parallel shaft of the I entrance pitch enters above,
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while a short climb down to one side (best to stay clipped in, as the climb is exposed and the holds are mainly soft
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snow) lands on a ledge of snow and the start of the next pitch.</p>
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<p>Various descent routes are possible here, and none are very pleasant: the sloping gap between the snow plug and the
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wall is narrow, and when prusiking it is hard to avoid ploughing your body into the snow. <i>Descending straight down
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from the bolt leads to a narrow tube, which gradually levels out and ends at a snow blockage.</i> Descending to the left
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leads to a branch passage, where a slope of smooth clear ice leads down to a flat ice-pan, and a narrow window in the
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right-hand wall leads to a second similar ice-pan. To the right of these a passage leads upwards steeply to a blockage
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of loose cobbles. The way on is to take the left-hand route to the ledge at the beginning of the passage, then swing to
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the right at this point, past a prominent ice column. This leads to an arch in the wall and an 8m sloping pitch. This
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ends at a rock floor, and ducking under a window leads to a platform overlooking a chamber, with an aven above.</p>
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<p>The 7m descent to the floor is rigged from a backup before the window, a pitch-head bolt on the right, and an
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immediate rebelay in the wall below the lip. The chamber is floored with ice interspersed with a few large boulders; on
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the left is a tube 3m up in the wall [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-11" id="qC2005-204-11">C2005-204-11 C</a>], while on the right is the connection back to <a href="#highhopes">High
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Hopes</a></p>.
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<hr style="clear: both" />
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<div class="centre">
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<h3><a id="survey">Survey</a></h3>
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<img style="padding: 2pt; border: 2px solid #000" src="smallsurveys/swings.png" alt="Survey"
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/></div>
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<hr />
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</body>
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</html>
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