mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-27 09:42:02 +00:00
206 lines
11 KiB
HTML
206 lines
11 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
|
||
<html>
|
||
<head>
|
||
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
|
||
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
||
<title>1623/204 -- Entrance and The Near End passages</title>
|
||
</head>
|
||
|
||
<body>
|
||
|
||
<table id="cavepage">
|
||
<tr><th id="kat_no">204</th><th id="name">Steinbrückenhöhle</th><th id="status">5/S x</th></tr>
|
||
</table>
|
||
|
||
<h1>Entrance and The Near End passages</h1>
|
||
|
||
<div>
|
||
<b><a href="entrance-rigging.html">Rigging diagram</a></b> --
|
||
<b><a href="#survey">Survey</a></b> --
|
||
<b><a href="204.html">204 index</a></b></div>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
|
||
<p><b>Summary</b>: The Near End series consists of those passages on the level
|
||
of the bottom of the 204a/b entrance pitches. It communicates with the <a
|
||
href="midlevel.html">mid-level series</a> via either Thread Pitch or Pendulum
|
||
Pitch, while a side passage leads to a pitch dropping into <a
|
||
href="nopain.html#kingcarbide">'King Carbide</a>, off No Pain No Gain.</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3>Entrance</h3>
|
||
|
||
<p>
|
||
<a href="l/enta.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/enta.jpg" alt="204a entrance"
|
||
/></a>
|
||
<a href="l/1en.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/1en.jpg" alt="204a entrance"
|
||
/></a>
|
||
<a href="l/13sle.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/13sle.jpg" alt="204b entrance"
|
||
/></a>
|
||
The 204a entrance is directly opposite a 10m x 5m <a
|
||
href="bridge.html">stone bridge</a> from which it derives its name. The
|
||
entrance itself is approximately 8m high and 5m wide, and leads down a boulder
|
||
slope and round a right hand bend to the top of the first pitch. The 204b
|
||
entrance is 15m away to the north; this was used in 1999, but involves a rather
|
||
shoddy sloping descent down a gully, so in recent years the 204a entrance has
|
||
been used.</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="clear: both"><a id="firstpitch">First Pitch</a></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p>
|
||
<a href="l/2p1.html"><img class="onright" src="t/2p1.jpg" alt="First
|
||
Pitch" /></a> The 204a entrance leads, via a short climb down, to a ledge
|
||
overlooking the first pitch, <b>Trick or Treat</b>. This is rigged with a
|
||
traverse line and a Y-hang in the roof, giving a superb and very airy free-hang
|
||
to the bottom. The landing is by a large snow plug with an ice corridor round
|
||
the right-hand edge leading to the top of a boulder slope. A rift passage on
|
||
the right becomes too tight.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>The snow level varies: in 2000 it was much higher than in 1999, rendering
|
||
the original route onward impassable (see <a href="#route1999">here</a>). A revised
|
||
route was explored, which was the main route in 2001. In 2002 and 2003 the snow
|
||
was lower again, and the original route was back in use.</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3><a id="jim">Second and Third Pitches</a></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p>Descending the boulder slope (care required to avoid kicking rocks off)
|
||
leads to the head of the second pitch, <b>Jim'll Fix It</b> (18m in 1999 but
|
||
only about 10m in 2000/2001 due to increased snow levels). An unexplored
|
||
passage is visible from the pitch head, which could be accessed by a bolt
|
||
traverse round the right hand side of the pitch head [<a
|
||
href="qm.html#C1999-204-01" id="qC1999-204-01">C1999-204-01 C</a>] (explored
|
||
by Brian?). The pitch is rigged from a bolt in the left hand wall with a
|
||
deviation from a spit immediately after the pitch head bolt. This protects a
|
||
marginal rub point and also avoids a jet of water which spurts from a crack in
|
||
the wall after heavy rain.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>If the snow level is high, one lands directly on the snow plug. Following
|
||
the wall around to the right (facing the wall on which the pitch is rigged)
|
||
leads to a 2m climb into a rift, which quickly descends to the head of the
|
||
impressive third pitch, <a id="stitch"><b>Stitch This</b></a> (30m). A Y-hang
|
||
rebelay on the left wall is shortly followed by a deviation from the opposite
|
||
side of the shaft to obtain a free-hang into <a
|
||
href="midlevel.html#wolp">Wolpertinger Way</a>. This pitch is in fact an
|
||
(upwards) continuation of <b><a href="#thread">Thread Pitch</a></b>.</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3><a id="route1999">Low snow route</a></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p>In 1999, 2002 and 2003, the snow plug was much smaller and it was possible to
|
||
complete the descent to the floor, landing in a sloping phreatic passage. There
|
||
are two ways on: Right leads uphill as stooping/crawling height passage for 30m
|
||
to emerge at the top of <a href="#umshit">Umshitshimbo</a>. Left leads downhill
|
||
into <a href="#nearend">The Near End</a> and is the main way on. There is a
|
||
further unexplored passage in the wall above the gap between the snow plug and
|
||
the rock [<a href="qm.html#C1999-204-03" id="qC1999-204-03">C1999-204-03
|
||
C</a>].</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3><a id="nearend">The Near End</a></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p><a href="l/5p3.html"><img class="onright" src="t/5p3.jpg" alt="Third
|
||
Pitch" /></a>
|
||
<b>The Near End</b> is a collective name for a complex network of
|
||
high level phreatic passages which slope approximately 20<32> following the dip of
|
||
the beds. Heading downhill from the base of <a href="#jim">Jim'll Fix It</a> in
|
||
a stooping height passage leads round a double bend to a 2m climb down to a
|
||
junction. Right leads to more <a href="#nearside">side passages</a> whilst the
|
||
main route is straight ahead to a crossroads. Right leads into the same <a
|
||
href="#nearside">side passages</a> as the previous right turn. Left is <b><a
|
||
id="needle">Needle Crawl</a></b> past an unexplored passage on the left [<a
|
||
href="qm.html#C1999-204-04" id="qC1999-204-04">C1999-204-04 C</a>] and a crawl
|
||
on the right (feels like straight ahead) which becomes too small after ~8m.
|
||
Straight ahead (feels like a left) leads to the head of a fine 4m diameter
|
||
circular shaft, <b><a id="thread">Thread Pitch</a></b>. This pitch of 17m
|
||
corresponds to the lower half of <a href="#stitch">Stitch This</a>, and leads
|
||
into <a href="midlevel.html#wolp">Wolpertinger Way</a>. A continuation of the
|
||
crawl is visible at the opposite side of the pitch head; this is choked after
|
||
5m or so.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>From the crossroads, the main route in 1999 was straight ahead, downhill in
|
||
mostly stooping height passage with a short section of sandy crawling. After
|
||
15m is a short climb down to the top of a 4m deep pit with a too-tight passage
|
||
at the bottom, with the phreatic passage continuing to the right. After a
|
||
further 10m the passage is intersected by a large rift with a big rock
|
||
partially blocking the passage. Climbing up to the right leads back into a tall
|
||
rift in the <a href="#nearside">side passages</a>. A climb up to the left leads
|
||
to a passage containing attractive white mud which was not entered, however a
|
||
visual connection to the <a href="midlevel.html#pendulum">Pendulum Pitch</a>
|
||
was established.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>Straight ahead leads to a further junction after 15m. Left opens out to the
|
||
head of <a href="midlevel.html#pendulum">Pendulum Pitch</a>, the main route to
|
||
the bottom of <a href="midlevel.html#wolp">Wolpertinger Way</a> used in 1999.
|
||
Right leads to a narrow stooping height passage which continues for 25m with
|
||
several clear pools in the floor to a widening. Around the widening, most
|
||
routes ahead and to the left are choked with boulders. There are two ways on.
|
||
On the left-hand side is a small awkward chamber, from which a short pitch
|
||
leads into <a href="nopain.html#kingcarbide">'King Carbide</a>. On the right
|
||
a body sized tube leads upwards for ~15m before twisting left into a low
|
||
chamber, <b><a id="kidneybean">Kidney Bean</a></b>. Perhaps an enlarged
|
||
bedding plane, this has possible QMs in a hole in the floor [<a
|
||
href="qm.html#C2000-204-71" id="qC2000-204-71">C2000-204-71 C</a>] and in a
|
||
narrow passage at the northern corner of the chamber [<a
|
||
href="qm.html#C2000-204-70" id="qC2000-204-70">C2000-204-70 B</a>]. Round to
|
||
the left it is bounded by an area of breakdown, possibly the far side of a
|
||
boulder choke visible from the widening. Back at the entrance to Kidney Bean,
|
||
the main way on continues through a low gap. This opens to stooping height and
|
||
winds upwards. The passage continues over some old gour pools to a flat out
|
||
section (not really a squeeze, except for lardarses) not pushed, but running
|
||
water could be heard [<a href="qm.html#C2000-204-69"
|
||
id="qC2000-204-69">C2000-204-69 A</a>].</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3><a id="nearside">The Near End: Side Passages</a></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p>The first two right turns encountered when heading downhill from the foot of
|
||
<a href="#jim">Jim'll Fix It</a> unite in a walking sized passage. After 10m
|
||
the bottom of <a href="#umshit">Umshitshimbo</a> is passed on the right, whilst
|
||
straight ahead leads to a junction with a large keyhole passage. Left leads
|
||
after 15m to a climb up behind a precariously placed boulder, to an immediate
|
||
climb down of 4m which emerges in the 1999 main route through the near end
|
||
before <a href="midlevel.html#pendulum">Pendulum Pitch</a>. Right leads
|
||
immediately to a 8m pitch. A difficult and exposed traverse round the left hand
|
||
wall leads to a further 30m of passage with a steadily lowering roof
|
||
culminating in a boulder choke.</p>
|
||
|
||
<h3><a id="umshit">The Near End: Umshitshimbo and Updip Passages</a></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p><b>Umshitshimbo</b> is a fine phreatic ramp, 2m wide and about 4m high,
|
||
which heads uphill in a straight line for 40m. At the top a passage doubling
|
||
back on the right leads back to the base of <a href="#jim">Jim'll Fix It</a>
|
||
and there is a climb up into a rift passage heading south over the top of
|
||
Umshitshimbo which becomes too narrow. Large passage continues uphill past a 2m
|
||
deep blind pit on the right to a junction.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>Left leads uphill past a choked inlet on the left to a steep uphill section
|
||
with a crawl on the right, which leads shortly to a 2m climb down and immediate
|
||
choke. At the top of the steep section the passage to the right immediately
|
||
chokes, whilst left is <b><a id="parton">Dolly Parton Climb</a></b>, a 2m climb up with huge jugs,
|
||
to a further 15m of upward trending phreatic passage, terminating in a boulder
|
||
choke with a slight draught (air coming into the cave). There are two small
|
||
steep phreatic ramps on the left hand side of this passage, both very small and
|
||
both choked.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>Straight ahead at the junction leads through a short section of rift to an
|
||
enlargement with an alcove on the right and a keyhole passage ahead. The rift
|
||
section at the bottom quickly becomes choked, with a slight draught coming in.
|
||
A 3m climb gains access to the phreatic section which goes over the top of the
|
||
choke, and about after a further 3m reaches a large boulder, which almost
|
||
blocks the passage with a strong breeze blowing through the gap (into the
|
||
cave.) Squeezing through yields a steeply ascending rocky crawl which chokes
|
||
after about 5m.</p>
|
||
|
||
<hr />
|
||
|
||
<div class="centre">
|
||
<h3><a id="survey">Survey</a></h3>
|
||
<img style="padding: 2pt; border: 2px solid #000" src="smallsurveys/entrance.png" alt="Survey" /></div>
|
||
|
||
<hr />
|
||
|
||
<ul id="links">
|
||
<li><a href="204.html">Back to 204 index page</a></li>
|
||
<li><a href="../../smkridge/index.html#id204">Schwarzmooskogel ridge area index and description</a></li>
|
||
<li><a href="../../indxal.htm#id204">Full Index</a></li>
|
||
<li><a href="../../areas.htm">Other Areas</a></li>
|
||
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expedition Intro page</a></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
</body>
|
||
</html>
|