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HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
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<html>
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<head>
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
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<title>1623:204 -- Subsoil level</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">4/S x</th></tr>
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</table>
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<h1>Subsoil level</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></div>
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<hr />
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<p>Subsoil is a large horizontal level at altitude around 1520m. Access is from
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the <a href="uworld.html">Underworld</a> via Gardener's World pitch.</p>
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<h3>Subsoil Chamber area</h3>
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<h4><a id="subsoilchamber">Subsoil Chamber</a></h4>
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<p> <a href="l/crystals.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/crystals.jpg"
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alt="crystal-encrusted rock" /></a> Subsoil Chamber
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is large with a boulder floor, sloping down to the south. <i>Heading north up
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the slope leads to <a href="#heavilysoiled">Heavily Soiled</a> (q.v.).</i>.
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Heading south from the base of the University Challenge pitch, <i>after 10m on
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the right is the entry to the canyon leading to <a
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href="#earthenware">Earthenware</a></i>, while <i>on the left a passage leads
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up steeply past conservation-taped fine, white crystals to a small, wet aven
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with two QM C's[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-56" id="qC2004-204-56">C2004-204-56
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C</a>]</i> as the chamber drops down steeply with a boulder-strewn floor to a
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small, wet aven with fine, large banks of conservation-taped mud and mud pillar
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formations topped by pebbles. At the base of the chamber, to the right is a
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large phreatic passage three-quarters filled with mud; this connects back to <a
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href="#earthenware">Earthenware</a>, while to the left is <a
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href="#hippohollows">Hippo Hollows</a> passage.</p>
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<p>These two trunk passages, Hippo Hollows to the south and Earthenware Passage
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to the north, together with the short linking passage in between appear to
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originally have been a single, large phreatic passage running north/south which
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has subsequently been cut into three sections by two canyons running parallel
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in Subsoil Chamber.</p>
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<h4><a id="heavilysoiled">Heavily Soiled</a></h4>
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<p>Clambering up from the base of University Challenge pitch to the top of
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Subsoil Chamber, a traverse on the left wall (free climbable with care) is the
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easiest way to the obvious, large passage heading off on to the north.
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<i>Following the canyon leading down from here leads to <a
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href="#earthenware">Earthenware</a>. A sandy passage leads off up steeply from
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the top of Subsoil Chamber. From this passage, a sandy tube soon branches off
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to the right and rapidly closes down. The restricted main passage ahead swings
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left then heads down and provides a bypass connection into Heavily Soiled
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passage.</i> At the north end of Subsoil Chamber, the main passage initially
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ascends steeply with a rift in the mud-covered floor. It immediately passes a
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steeply descending passage leading off to the right [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-50" id="qC2004-204-50">C2004-204-50 A</a>] and quickly
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reaches a large boulder in the passage where the sandy bypass described above
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joins from the right. Just beyond the junction of the two routes is a tube on
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the right, which has not been explored in 2004, [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-51"
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id="qC2004-204-51">C2004-204-51 B</a>], nor has another slightly further on [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-53" id="qC2004-204-53">C2004-204-53 B</a>]. The main
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passage then levels off and there is a 1.8m climb down a mud bank. At the
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bottom a passage leads off to the left [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-52"
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id="qC2004-204-52">C2004-204-52 C</a>], after which the passage continues up
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through large boulders and breakdown. A restricted crawl on the left through
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boulders is followed by either an easy squeeze on the left [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-54" id="qC2004-204-54">C2004-204-54 C</a>] or a climb
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ahead that opens out onto a large muddy ledge above a mud-floored chamber where
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the 2004 survey ends. Descending to the left leads to <b><a
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id="nightsoil">Night Soil Chamber</a></b> [WOOKEY BECKA] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2005-204-72" id="qC2005-204-72">C2005-204-72 B</a>] (mislabelled
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as 05-71 on survey), while to the right is <b><a id="hippocratic">Hippocratic
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Oath</a></b> [BECKA ANDREW WOOKEY][<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-01"
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id="qC2005-204-01">C2005-204-01 C</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-02"
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id="qC2005-204-02">C2005-204-02 B</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-03"
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id="qC2005-204-03">C2005-204-03 C</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-04"
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id="qC2005-204-04">C2005-204-04 D</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-05"
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id="qC2005-204-05">C2005-204-05 X</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-06"
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id="qC2005-204-06">C2005-204-06 B</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-07"
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id="qC2005-204-07">C2005-204-07 C</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-65"
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id="qC2005-204-65">C2005-204-65 A</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-66"
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id="qC2005-204-66">C2005-204-66 D</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-67"
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id="qC2005-204-67">C2005-204-67 ?</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-68"
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id="qC2005-204-68">C2005-204-68 ?</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-69"
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id="qC2005-204-69">C2005-204-69 B</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-70"
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id="qC2005-204-70">C2005-204-70 X</a>] [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-71"
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id="qC2005-204-71">C2005-204-71 D</a>].</p>
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<h3>Southern area: Hippo Hollows / Fat Worm</h3>
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<h4><a href="l/hippohollows.html"><img class="onright" src="t/hippohollows.jpg"
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alt="Hippo Hollows mud pots" /></a><a id="hippohollows">Hippo Hollows</a></h4>
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<p>On the left, from the southern base of Subsoil Chamber, a 1.8m climb up a
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mud bank leads to a mud-floored passage that enters Hippo Hollows. This section
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of passage has a series of small, attractive pots floored with cracked mud
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(CARE - traverse above the pots). Straight on after the pots, the passage ends
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in a rift and <b><a id="chalkcheese">Chalk and Cheese</a></b> pitch. <i>Before
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this point, but after the pots, a ramp up on the left leads to a pitch (p.8).
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At the base of this pitch a squeeze appears to open out onto a further pitch
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[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-X72" id="qC2004-204-X72">C2004-204-X72 ?</a>].
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Traversing over the 8m pitch and up a steep muddy bank leads shortly to the
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head of a further pitch which has not yet been descended [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-58" id="qC2004-204-58">C2004-204-58 B</a>]. Shortly
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after this first left ramp, a second ramp to the left leads to a position
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overlooking the same rift that can be more easily accessed by continuing
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straight along the main Hippo Hollows passage.</i> On the right of the main
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Hippo Hollows passage, opposite the second ramp, there is an aven on the right
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with sounds of running water in wet conditions [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-59"
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id="qC2004-204-59">C2004-204-59 B</a>]. The climb up to the aven would require
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bolting. Chalk and Cheese pitch is rigged from bolts in the roof to a
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self-lined climb down a narrow rift to enter the Fat Worm Blows A Sparky
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area.</p>
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<h4><a id="fatworm">Fat Worm Blows a Sparky</a></h4>
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<p><a href="l/whiteclouds.html"><img class="onleft" src="t/whiteclouds.jpg"
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alt="Little White Clouds ceiling formations" /></a> Chalk and Cheese pitch
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enters a moderate-sized chamber. <i>To the right, a short (3m) climb leads up
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to a window overlooking the chamber. A crawling sized passage continues north
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west for about 35m ending in a pitch down [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-60"
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id="qC2004-204-60">C2004-204-60 A</a>].</i> A large walking passage leads off
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to the left. From this walking passage, a ramp soon leads down to the right.
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This shortly comes to a junction. <i>Down and straight ahead leads to a pair of
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windows overlooking what is almost certainly the same pitch [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-61" id="qC2004-204-61">C2004-204-61 A</a>].Turning
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right before these windows a climb through a window leads to a small, awkward
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and sharp passage that has several windows on the right leading to pitches [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-62" id="qC2004-204-62">C2004-204-62 B</a>].</i> To the
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right the passage squeezes past unusual white plastic-like formations (<b><a
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id="littlewhiteclouds">Little White Clouds</a></b>) to a small chamber. The
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left of this chamber opens out over a pitch, the first of the Four Pitches of
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the Apocalypse. Straight ahead from the chamber the passage continues to a
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second pitch.</p>
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<p><a href="l/deadbat.html"><img class="onright" src="t/deadbat.jpg" alt="Dead
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bat" /></a> The main walking passage soon reaches <b><a id="batchamber">Dead
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Good Bat Chamber</a></b> with a freshly deceased bat marked by conservation
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tape by the prominent central boulder. <i>Low on the left of this chamber, Thin
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Rift passage goes down steeply in tight rift. A handline was needed to continue
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down at the limit of surveying in 2004 [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-X73"
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id="qC2004-204-X73">C2004-204-X73 A</a>].</i> Several passages lead down on the
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right from Good Dead Bat Chamber: all interconnect in a maze of small walking
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and crawling tubes. An alcove in one tube is conservation-taped off to protect
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the hundreds of bat bones; many other bat bones are found at lower
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concentrations throughout Subsoil, possibly washed out of the mud deposits. In
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another tube is an unexplored passage [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-64"
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id="qC2004-204-64">C2004-204-64 C</a>]. Continuing ahead beyond Good Dead Bat
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Chamber, a free-climb steeply up on the left leads to a point around 4m below a
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large tube which would require bolting to access [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-65" id="qC2004-204-65">C2004-204-65 B</a>]. Straight
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ahead leads steeply down large boulders to a small chamber and a wet aven [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-66" id="qC2004-204-66">C2004-204-66 C</a>].</p>
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<h3>Northern area (The Wares)</h3>
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<h4><a id="earthenware">Earthenware</a></h4>
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<p>From the foot of <a href="uworld.html#univchallenge">University Challenge</a> pitch,
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descending around 10m south down the chamber, there is a very large boulder on
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the right with two spits in the roof to rig a 3m pitch (free-climbable with
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care) to a steeply descending canyon. Following down the canyon, shortly an
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opening on the right links to the start of <a href="#heavilysoiled">Heavily
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Soiled</a> passage. <i>At the base of the canyon the passage continues as
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fairly tight rift guarded by poised rocks [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-22"
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id="qC2004-204-22">C2004-204-22 A</a>].</i> Between these points, <i>a high mud
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bank on the left opens into the short section of phreatic passage which
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continues further south as Hippo Hollows, passing a high tube in the right-hand
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wall [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-20" id="qC2004-204-20">C2004-204-20 X</a>].
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</i> The main way on is opposite this high mud bank. Here, on the right near
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the bottom of the canyon, a short traverse (two spits and a natural and a 12m
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rope; free-climbed for 2005 trips) over a large, loose mud bank gains access up
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to a large walking passage, Earthenware. This drafts out strongly and continues
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north, horizontally, for 100m. Earthenware initially passes some stalactites,
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opposite which there is a passage on the left [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-23"
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id="qC2004-204-23">C2004-204-23 C</a>]; then the phreatic development extends
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to slope up on the right side. Continuing leads to a trench; climbing down
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into the trench on the left-hand side of the passage leads to a side passage,
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<b><a id="software">Software</a></b> [WOOKEY BECKA] [<a
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href="qm.html#C2005-204-73" id="qC2005-204-73">C2005-204-73 A</a>] and at the
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other end is a climb down into <b><a id="firmware">Firmware</a></b> [WOOKEY
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BECKA].
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<p>A little beyond this is a junction, <i>where a passage leads off to the left
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to join <a href="#software">Software</a>, while a
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muddy slope on the right leads to a muddy tube that goes steeply up to a
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boulder choke. A second, less obvious tube leads up on the right just before
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this first tube. This second tube climbs up very steeply and continues beyond
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the end of the 2004 survey though some aid may be needed to complete the climb
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up [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-28" id="qC2004-204-28">C2004-204-28 A</a>].
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These two tubes are the <b><a id="chimney">Chimney</a></b>.</i> The main
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passage of Earthenware continues up a slope over mud floor formations and
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boulders to an obvious junction. The draft comes from the continuation of
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Earthenware straight ahead. <i>The larger passage on the left is <b><a
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id="stoneware">Stoneware</a></b>. Stoneware leads steeply down and narrows from
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large walking passage to twisting vadose passage with a clean-washed rock floor
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with loose, sharp rocks balanced on it. This continues for around 50m to a
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chamber. Here there is a drop through loose mud [XXX unnumbered QM B] and a
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roof tube [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-29" id="qC2004-204-29">C2004-204-29
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X</a>]. Continuing on, past another roof tube [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-30"
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id="qC2004-204-30">C2004-204-30 X</a>], the passage terminates at a drippy aven
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[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-32" id="qC2004-204-32">C2004-204-32 X</a>].</i>
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<i>[Editor's note: I'm rather puzzled by this as the QM grades assigned on the
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survey don't match the description. Somewhere along here there is another one
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[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-31" id="qC2004-204-31">C2004-204-31
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C</a>].]</i></p>
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<p>Earthenware continues smaller and soon reaches a complex junction, the
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beginning of the labyrinth known as The Wares. On the right are three passages
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leading into <a href="#underware">Underware</a>. The second contains attractive
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calcite on the walls and is conservation-taped off. On the left there are also
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three passages: the first and third lead into <a href="#hardware">Hardware</a>
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(the third passing [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-76"
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id="qC2005-204-76">C2005-204-76 C</a>] on the way], while the second slopes
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down to a small chamber with no way on.
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<p><b><a id="hardware">Hardware</a></b> is initially small but strongly
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drafting and twists along and soon reaches a junction. Ahead on the left drops
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down a ramp past a fine white formation but soon finishes. Just beyond this
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ramp, a muddy passage leads up on the right back to Earthenware. Continuing
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straight ahead, the main passage soon opens up into very large phreatic passage
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with large boulders on the floor. Soon there are openings on both left and
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right. <i> Taking this left, the passage, <b><a id="someware">Someware</a></b>,
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drops down steeply. Two junctions on the right both lead to a small chamber
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beyond which is a wet aven [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-74"
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id="qC2005-204-74">C2005-204-74 X</a>] on the right which feeds a small, sharp,
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immature streamway on the left [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-X82"
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id="qC2005-204-X82">C2005-204-X82 C</a>]. Note that this aven is separate from
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that at [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-39" id="qC2004-204-39">C2004-204-39 B</a>].
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The continuation of this left passage down is [<a href="qm.html#C2005-204-75"
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id="qC2005-204-75">C2005-204-75 A</a>] and takes a small stream.</i> Right
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leads up steeply to Underware. Further along is another crossroads; left links
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back into Someware; right soon chokes. This large passage soon closes down
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again and slopes steeply up in a large boulder pile. The 2004 survey ended at
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the top of the boulder slope. A deep pitch descends on the left [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-39" id="qC2004-204-39">C2004-204-39 C</a>] and there is
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a possible continuation up on the right of the slope through boulders [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-40" id="qC2004-204-40">C2004-204-40 C</a>].</p>
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<h4><a id="underware">Underware</a></h4>
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<p>The three passages up on the right of Earthenware all enter a very large,
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horizontal phreatic passage, Underware. This continues both left (north) and
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right (south).</p>
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<p>From the entry points from Earthenware, Underware continues to the left for
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around 50m north, to end in a huge boulder choke and roof collapse. <i>A large
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passage on the left at the start of this collapse zone drops into Hardware,
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following a small stream. A small tube just beyond this passage soon chokes. A
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small drafting passage off to the right at the start of the collapse zone is
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the start of <a href="#tableware">Tableware</a>.</i></p>
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<p>Underware continues to the right as large passage heading south, passing a
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small passage to the left[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-47"
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id="qC2004-204-47">C2004-204-47 C</a>], before closing down in a boulder slope.
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Just before it closes down a large passage leads off up to the left. This
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climbs up steeply past a huge boulder mid-passage then narrows as it reaches a
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small mud chamber. Under a boulder on the left of this chamber the passage
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turns right, becoming too tight after 4m, and at the far end of the chamber a
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passage goes off which becomes too tight after 6m. The main way on is a
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drafting thin rift on the left that soon opens out into the bottom of a large
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sloping passage. This mud-floored ramp climbs up very steeply and in 2004 the
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survey ended at the point at which protection was needed to continue the ascent
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[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-49" id="qC2004-204-49">C2004-204-49 A</a>]. A
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second passage leads off on the right where the thin rift enters this steep
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ramp. This second passage again climbs up steeply and appeared to reach an
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aven, with possible passages leading off around 4m up [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-48" id="qC2004-204-48">C2004-204-48 X</a>].</p>
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<h4><a id="tableware">Tableware</a></h4>
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<p>The passage heads steeply upwards, and it splits into many small
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tubes which all meet up with each other and meet a horizontal piece of phreatic
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tube. <i>To the right passes a hole going down to the right [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-43" id="qC2004-204-43">C2004-204-43 C</a>], where
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stones will rattle for quite a while, probably due to a sloping pitch rather
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than any great depth, while continuing past the hole leads up slope to come
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into a larger passage, which is more easily accessed by following the main
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route.</i> To the left a little more scrambling up leads into a passage that
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goes off to the left and right, and is high enough to stand up in.</p>
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<p><i>To the right opens up some more and leads to a pitch [<a
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href="qm.html#C2004-204-44" id="qC2004-204-44">C2004-204-44 B</a>], and an aven
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[<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-45" id="qC2004-204-45">C2004-204-45 X</a>]; a small
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hole on the right before the pitch is where the previously described passage
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enters.</i> To the left, the passage continues to a small sloping chamber, at
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the bottom of which a crawl goes off but chokes, while at the top of the
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chamber a couple of short passages also quickly choke. From the higher
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entrance to the chamber there is a rift in the ceiling, which continues on the
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opposite side of the chamber; [<a href="qm.html#C2004-204-46"
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id="qC2004-204-46">C2004-204-46 C</a>] this would require a climb of a couple
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of metres to access.</p>
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<hr style="clear: both" />
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<a id="survey"><img src="subsoil.png" /></a>
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<li><a href="../../areas.htm">Other Areas</a></li>
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