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115 lines
5.3 KiB
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<title>1987: Cambridge Underground report</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
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<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1988 pp 5-6</font>
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<h2>Guidebook description and survey of entrance 158,<br>
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"Donner und Blitzen Höhle"</h2>
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<p><b>Mike Richardson</b></center>
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<p>The entrance is situated approximately 400m NNE of the high point on the
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ridge known as "Bunter's Bulge" in previous editions of "Cambridge
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Underground", at the base of a wall to the left after passing a sandy
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depression, when walking from Bunter's Bulge.
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<p>A body-width passage formed by a wall on the left and a large detached
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slab on the right descends for about 5m at 45 degrees with occasional
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glimpses of daylight above. A cross passage is then encountered. This blocks
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off to the right after a few metres, but to the left descends to meet the
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base of the wall. To the right a 20-22 cm squeeze is passed laying on one
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side. After 2m of further tight progress, the rift opens onto a drop. A steep
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tube now descends for about 12m to a small chamber and with care can be
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descended free.
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<p>From the chamber, the passage curves to the left and opens onto the head
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of a 7m pitch, which drops onto a large ledge. A rebelay just over the lip of
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the ledge at the left hand side gives a further 18m free hanging pitch to a
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landing on boulders several metres across, which appear to be jammed across
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the shaft.
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<p>A narrow rift around a corner stops at a drip and a small pool. The way on
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is through a gap to a hole with a jammed block. Climbing down onto the block
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leads to the head of an 18m pitch which rapidly opens into a huge split-level
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chamber. The pitch lands on "Big Bertha", a boulder some 4m diameter.
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<p>To the north a narrow rift has been followed for about 10m to a tight
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vertical drop of at least 5m down the rift, but this has not been pushed.
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East from Big Bertha leads to a 5m drop to the lower half of the chamber,
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which is floored with loose rock. A doorway to the left leads to a 7m pitch
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to a small stream. This disappears down an impassable slot, but is met lower
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in the cave.
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<p>From the doorway, a climb up behind a boulder propped against the side of
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the chamber leads to a saddle. One side rapidly curves up to the roof. The
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other ascends over very loose boulders for at least 25m (gaining about 15m in
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height) until the roof is met. This area has not been exhaustively pushed,
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but seems unlikely to lead anywhere.
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<p>Descending the other side of the col gives a series of ledges via 5m, 7m
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and 8m pitches, in a canyon some 5m wide and at least 15m high. The stream
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enters at the bottom of the 7m pitch. Following the pitches, the rift
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continues down a moderate slope and round a corner, with a final short 4m
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pitch to a soil and rock floored chamber.
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<p>A strong draught can be felt rising around the edges of the chamber. It is
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possible to descend in a number of places amongst rocks and soil down a steep
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slope, but the area is very loose. The roof slopes down to meet the floor and
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no ways on were found which follow the draught.
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<p>Near the bottom of the previous pitch, a 5m deep circular pit in the floor
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can be descended. This takes a large drip from the stream above. At the
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bottom, a tight 22-26cm rift leads on for 3m to a further 3m pitch to a small
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chamber. An impassable passage leaves this chamber, and a window from the
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chamber gives sight of the passage beyond widening.
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<p>Possible further exploration in 158
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<p>Although there is no draught at the final chamber, this point is likely to
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be below the level of the soil and sand choke, and it is possible that the
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draught bypasses this section. Consideration is being given to returning to
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this chamber in 1988 and to hammering open the window. The cave is tending in
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the direction of the 144 and 143 entrances to the Stellerweg-Schnellzughohlen
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system, and seems to be following the line of a fault visible on the surface.
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<p>A surface survey is needed to determine the exact altitude of the
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entrance, however it is estimated to be at or a little above the 144
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entrance, the highest entrance prior to the German-French discoveries of
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1987. It has some potential as a stepping stone towards entrances higher
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along the ridge, which are needed if significant additions to the depth of
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the cave are to be found.
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<p><img alt="E-W Elevation, 15k gif" width=500 height=760
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src="../../smkridge/others/158ew.png">
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<p><img alt="Plan, 15k gif" width=840 height=400
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src="../../smkridge/others/158p.png">
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<hr />
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<ul>
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<li><a href="../../smkridge/158.htm">1623/158</a> Guidebook page</li>
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<li>Cambridge Underground 1988,
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<a href="../../../jnl/1988/index.htm">Table of Contents</a></li>
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<li>1987 Expedition info:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
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<li>Cambridge Underground Expo Report:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="report.htm">Expedition description</a></li>
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<li><a href="ent113.htm">Entrance 113</a>, Mike Richardson</li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="geolog.htm">Geology of the Totengebirge</a>, Jared West<br>
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<!-- <li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a><br> -->
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1987">Index</a> to all publications</li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</html>
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