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<title>1623/161 Kaninchenhöhle: Deep routes below YAPATE/CFN</title>
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<body>
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<p><center><a href="top.htm"><img alt="Overview "
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src="../../../icons/ovview.png" width=40 height=40></a>
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<a href="pixrh.htm"><img alt=" Photos "
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<img alt="Rigging" src="../../../icons/rigbut.png" width=40 height=40>
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<a href="names.htm"><img alt=" Glossary "
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<a href="../index.htm#id161"><img alt=" Desc "
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src="../../../icons/desc.png" width=40 height=40></a>
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<a href="../../index.htm"><img alt=" Expo "
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<a href="../../infodx.htm"><img alt=" Topics "
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<a href="../../indxal.htm"><img alt=" Index "
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<a href="../../../index.htm"><img alt=" CUCC"
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src="../../../icons/cucc.png" width=40 height=40></a></center>
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<h2>161 Kaninchenhöhle: beyond Carrefour</h2>
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<h2>YAPATE Inlet / Chicken Flied Nice - deep routes</h2>
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<h3><a name="flapjack">Flapjack</a> (1989)</h3>
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<p>Turning SSW (away from YAPATE) at
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<a href="sibria.htm#carrefour">Carrefour</a> leads past a window into
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Waterfall Chamber to the lip of <b>Flapjack</b>. The far side can also be
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reached from <a href="offkns.htm#olympus">Olympus</a>.
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<p><a href="l/fjack.htm"><img src="t/fjack.jpg" width=113
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height=183></a> A pitch in Flapjack/Flapjack II
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<p>This large pitch initially leads straight down 30m in a wide shaft to a
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series of ledges. Dropping a further 29m pitch, to the NW, enters a rift
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passage. To the left (SW), from a ledge, is a tight rift going off 10m to
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<a href="#fj2"><b>Flapjack II</b></a>. To the right (NE) is a large and more
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obvious way down steps to a 28m wet pitch.
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<p><a name="bcorner">At</a> the bottom of the wet pitch, the water goes down
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an 8m rift but this is crossed over using a traverse line, continuing over a
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2m climb into a small sandy chamber, <b>Bat Corner</b>. A route carefully
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avoiding the bat skeleton on the floor leads to a traverse along a 1m wide
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rift. A 25m narrow rift pitch can now be descended, dropping out into a big
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shaft, with the water falling down the opposite end of it.
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<p><a name="bdroppings">This</a> lovely freehang, <b>Bat Droppings</b>, is
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36m long and lands in the active stream at the bottom. This cuts down quickly
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until it disappears into a very tight rift, <a name="beehivef"><b>The
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Beehive</b></a> (not to be confused with <a
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href="farnth.htm#beehiver">Beehive</a> beyond Repton :-).
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<p><a name="bottom">Five</a> metres off the floor the rift is wide enough for
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cavers until a very tight pitch descends 8m to a small chamber where all the
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water goes through a 0.5m diameter hole in the floor. Passing through this
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leads to a very wet, steeply descending rift and 15m along at the end of this
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is a ridiculously wet 32m pitch to a vertical sump, which is at least a
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couple of metres deep. <b>The Bottom at -498m</b> (though for ages the
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'traditional' figure was -499.85m) !
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<p><a href="300dpi/yapate.png"><img alt="survey - 20k gif" width=640
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height=500 src="inline/yapate.png"></a>
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<h3><a name="fj2">Flapjack II</a> (1990)</h3>
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<p><a name="nyg1st">At the</a> back of the rather convenient ledge near
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the bottom of the second (29m) section of Flapjack Pitch, a narrow rift leads
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off via two small pitches of 7m and 7m to a small chamber with water entering
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in one corner. The continuation of the rift, <b>No, You Go First</b>, is more
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complex with different levels (guide string remains) and an awkward last
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right hand corner. Rift leads to the top of an 8m pitch into a larger
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chamber.
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<p><a name="tmts">The character</a> of the cave changes as the chamber opens
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into a 100m pitch, <b>Too Much, Too Soon</b>. Traverse to right and up to
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reach a Y-hang. The first 42m hang free, and a big ledge is reached at
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65<EFBFBD>70m, followed by a further ledge 10m down. From here a final rebelay gives
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a 20<32>25m hang down the last section.
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<p><a name="splatd">The lower part</a> of the pitch is in 5m diameter
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phreatic riser to land on a squelchy muddy floor, <b>Splatdown</b>. Opposite
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the landing point is a small tube leading to a 3m climb. A 6m climb follows
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down to a small chamber from which an impenetrable fissure drops 8 to 10m to
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water.
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<p><center><a href="l/bottom.htm"><img src="t/bottom.jpg" width=141
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height=109></a></center><br>Second bottoming party at Splatdown in 1990 (MSD
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photo).
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<h3><a name="fbs">Flat Battery</a> (1990)</h3>
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<p>Flat Battery series consists of a succession of pitches from ledge to
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ledge down to a complex phreatic level where the way on is blocked by sand.
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<p><a name="scircuit">30m back</a> from the 'end' of YAPATE Inlet (at <a
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href="#goboy">Gob on You</a>), is a sandy slope up to a straight rift forking
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off on the right. This apparently ends quickly in a narrowing climb, but
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ducking under the right hand wall, down a slope and over a boulder which
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'obviously' blocks the passage, leads to a small chamber. There is a
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floor-level dead-end flat-out crawl ahead, a steep passage up (the way on) to
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the left and a tiny roof tube, <b>Short Circuit</b>, which also connects to
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the way on but is impassable.
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<p>The passage comes out at a double pitch head (two holes leading to the
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same place). Above is more shaft, the top of which can be reached by a climb
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back in YAPATE, and an audible connection to the approach rift.
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<p><a name="oldhamp">Down</a> the damp 25m <b>Oldham Pitch</b> is a stream
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rift to a 6m pitch, <a name="pp3"><b>PP3</b></a>, with a tight takeoff. At
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the foot of this is a hole down (into which the water disappears off left)
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and a squeeze along a rift to the right. Through the hole is a 3½m
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climb, <a name="neverr"><b>Never Ready</b></a>, to a damp view along a
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too<EFBFBD>tight rift.
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<p><a name="aa">The</a> first squeeze is '<b>AA</b>' (<b>Double A</b>) and 1m
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beyond it is another, <a name="aaa">'<b>AAA</b>'</a> (<b>Triple A</b>),
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which is great fun, especially with tackle, as it is angled down to the head
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of <a name="nife"><b>NiFe</b></a>, a 13m pitch.
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<p><a name="jackpot">The rift</a> becomes much bigger beyond NiFe and across
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the ledge is a 13m pitch, <b>Jackpot</b>, leading via another ledge to
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<a name="ffpf"><b>Fifty Francis' Phreatic Freehang</b></a>, a stunning 40m
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free pitch. At the foot of this is a 2m climb up to the continuation, which
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can be seen through a hole, <a name="maudsw"><b>Maud's Window</b></a>, in a
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rock arch, <a name="tmbridge"><b>The Mathematical Bridge</b></a>, at the foot
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of a further 3m climb down from where FFPF lands.
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<p><a name="elevel">The continuation</a> is yet another pitch of 15m with a
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space off to the right which connects with Ariadne's Aven below. At the
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bottom of the pitch is a 1m diameter hole onto a final 8m pitch, <a
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name="fx2"><b>FX2</b></a>, to the phreatic level, <b>Electrolyte Level</b>.
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<p><a name="ariadnesa">To the left</a> of FX2 is a pair of high avens,
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<b>Ariadne's Aven</b>, with a beautiful pocked and pebbled floor. At the back
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of the aven is a 4m climb to nothing very exciting. To the right is a 2m
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sandy climb to a roped traverse around a 10m long by 4m deep hole.
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<p><a name="cgrater">Near the</a> foot of FX2, the passage cuts down below
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the sand and rock floor. It is easy to climb down into this, but it soon
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becomes sufficiently tight to require removal of SRT gear. Following this
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tortuous passage through a small choke leads back out into the main passage
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at the bottom of the traverse hole. The obvious way on at the bottom of the
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hole is blocked by a <b>Cheesegrater</b> type formation of a whole lot of
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holes in a rock barrier.
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<p><a name="labyrinth">The</a> <b>Labyrinth</b>. In the right hand wall
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of the hole is a 1.5m x 0.5m passage. This also soon requires gear removal,
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being both small and possessed of a couple of athletic bits. After about 30m
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it crosses an even more ridiculous passage which could possibly be followed
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if this was Mendip. Beyond this there are several zigzags of slightly uphill
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flat-out crawling culminating in a nasty duck which can be baled to make it
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less awful. Beyond it is a fork with a difficult skydive (Quaking-style) 3m
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climb/pitch to the left into what looks like larger passage [<a
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href="qmtodo.htm#C1990-161-12" name="qC1990-161-12">C1990-161-12</a> C]. This would require some
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rigging to reascend. There is a probable (faint) audible connection back to
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the main part of Electrolytic level from here.
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<p>Back in the main level, crossing the traverse leads to 30m of pleasant
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sandy passage about 3m diameter. Halfway along is a small, blind, bellshaped
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pitch (p4). At the end is a remarkable false mud floor on the right which
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must be avoided as you will drop 10m if it gives way. A 10m pitch can be
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rigged from a rock protrusion on the left. This lands in a chamber with
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steeply sloping sand floor, bisected by an old stream route. Downhill (W) is
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choked, at the end of the stream route (NE) is a choked p5, and in the top
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corner (S) is a small crawlway. 4m above this can be seen a large window.
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<p>The crawlway leads for 10m to the foot of a crossrift choked with more
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sand. The rift can be ascended for about 10-15m where it bells out into an
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Aven. This Aven can also be reached from above (shown by vocal connection).
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<p>The window in the sloping sandy chamber can be reached by standing on a
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very tall person's shoulders and then lasooing a rock (!). Up here the
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passage curves left and there are two climbs up about 10m (check?) to
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another chambery bit. Off left is another window back down into the sandy
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chamber. Ahead is a 15m blind pitch, and to the right is a crawl to the head
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of the aven/rift vocal connection.
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<p><a href="300dpi/cfn.png"><img alt="survey - 16k gif" width=550
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height=450 src="inline/cfn.png"></a>
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<h3><a name="goboy">Gob on You</a> / Wish You were here (1990, 1993)</h3>
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<p><a name="tfcut">At the</a> 'end' of YAPATE, where progress is barred by a
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hole in the floor, a dodgy traverse leads to the take off for the 12m <b>Gob
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on You</b> (after a nasty spit) pitch down a hading rift. Below is a bedding
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plane going back to the foot of the hole that was climbed over, and another
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25m wet pitch, <b>Wish you were here (not me)</b> pitch. At the bottom, the
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way on is down a tight slot in the floor of the rift. Over the slot the rift
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continues as <b>The Final Cut</b> for 20m before closing.
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<p><a name="alextech">Down through</a> the slot is a wide and deep pitch,
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still containing the water which sinks in the floor just before The Final
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Cut. However, about 3m down below the slot it is possible to traverse off NW
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(away from YAPATE) for ~20m past a blind hole to another slot, which gives a
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52m dry freehang, called <b>Alexander Technique</b>. Continuing over this
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second slot, after 5m is a 2.5m climb up, at the top of which a further 4m
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crawl breaks out in the side of a dripping aven/pitch [<a
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href="qmdone.htm#C1993-161-04">C1993-161-04</a>].
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<p><a name="qC1993-161-04">The pitch</a> is c 40m so far, but time and novices
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ran out in the 1995 push, so the continuation remains undescended
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[<a href="qmtodo.htm#C1995-161-74" name="qC1995-161-74">C1995-161-74</a>].
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<p><a name="belowalex">At the bottom</a> of Alexander Technique the passage
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turns back SE, presumably rejoining the wet pitch seen below The Final Cut.
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This is reached via another slot, then there is about <b>70m of pitch</b>
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with several rebelays in the same shaft as <a href="#halfshaft">Half
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Shaft</a>. This is where the Gob & Dehydration routes join. At the bottom
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is a rock bridge. On the HLV side (Left, E) is a rock-choked shaft base. The
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other (West) side is <a href="#cwedge">Captive Wedge</a>.
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<p>The Final Cut, Alexander Technique and the crawl to the undescended pitch
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are all in an obvious 260° bearing rift. Fifty Francis' Phreatic Freehang
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in FBS is on the same fault, if not actually connected, too.
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<h3>Strange Downfall - <a name="hgs">Hyper Gamma Spaces</a> - Endless (1990)</h3>
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<p>Beyond the 90° bend in <a href="sibria.htm#cfn">Chicken Flied
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Nice</a>, the floor trench cuts down to a stream rift opening onto a big
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space. The 23m <a href="farnth.htm#stranged">Strange Downfall</a> pitch into
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a very large aven/collapse chamber lands on boulders. This big space, and the
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associated small rifts are collectively called <b>Hyper Gamma Spaces</b>, due
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to the size of the space, and complexity of the rifts.
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<p>Halfway up <a href="farnth.htm#strangeu">Strange Upfall</a> is a col
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between Hyper Gamma Spaces and a damp hole of similar depth. Down here there
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are ways into a set of undescended rifts - probably the top of the Hyper
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Gamma Spaces rifts.
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<p>Climbing down to the lowest point of chamber (West side), reaches a small
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rift which is fairly full of stones at this point. To the left is <a
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href="#endless">Endless</a>, while to the right in this rift leads to the <a
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name="HGSrift"><b>Hyper Gamma Spaces</b></a>rifts. Traversing over two 3m
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deep holes leads to a right turn and a 4m climb down to a chockstone plus
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another 5m climb down to a boulder choke. Descents can be made in various
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places along this rift, for up to about 20m, but all routes seem to choke.
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<h4><a name="dehydrn">Dehydration</a> (1990)</h4>
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<p>Dehydration series (as the term is now used) is a rift series leading to
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various pitches, not fully explored, and a final choke below Halfshaft, also
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reachable from Gob On You. In old logbooks (and in the title of the survey
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above), the term referred to a much larger area of the cave including
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everything then known beyond Staircase 36. There is some confusion about the
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exact positions of QMs and pitch demarcations in the HLV/Half Shaft/Captive
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Wedge series.
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<h5><a name="endless">Endless</a> (1990)</h5>
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<p>Immediately left in the rift below Strange Downfall is a very loose 3m
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climb down to a widening of the rift. <b>Endless</b> starts only 5m high, but
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the steeply descending (35° to 40°) rift is a good 40m high 140m
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further on. From here there is a crawl ahead/left which goes 30m before
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getting too tight. Of two climbs down to the right, the first is about 3m to
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a pitch aligned with the rift, the second is the way on. Beneath its foot is
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a further 3m climb down leading to a rift pitch (probably the same as that
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reached from the first climb). These pitches have not been descended.
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<p>Continuing down Endless leads to various amusing climbs and a junction to
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the left after 60m. A stoop leads through to an angled chamber with a roof
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tube 7m up the right hand wall which winds somewhat before emerging back in
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Endless some 15m above the floor (not climbable at this point).
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<h5><a name="hlavesta">Hasta La Vesta</a> (1990)</h5>
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<p>20m further on is a 2m climb up and a 5m climb down followed by a couple
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of loose climbs (beware) leading to <b>Hasta La Vesta</b>, a horrible pile of
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boulders calling itself a pitch head. This area seems to be where the major
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joint on which Endless is formed meets the fault responsible for Staircase 36
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and a lot of vertical development beneath it.
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<p>Just before this is a hard 5m climb down into a sand-filled dead end.
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<p>About 10m down the appalling pitch, a pendulum to the left (SE) above two
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big holes can be made (the wall is very loose). From here an ascending rift
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passage can be followed to an unascended (as most of it fell off when it was
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attempted) climb. This rift [<a href="qmtodo.htm#C1990-161-07" name="qC1990-161-07">C1990-161-07</a>
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C] may well be the one continuing beyond Fifty Francis' Phreatic Freehang in
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<a href="#fbs">Flat Battery</a>, as voices have been heard in the area.
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<p><a name="halfshaft">Only the right</a> hand of the two holes, <b>Half
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Shaft</b>, has been descended, although they appear to connect after a 9m
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near vertical section to a rebelay. This is followed by 53m 15° off
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vertical in a rift 7m long by 4m wide, broken by a rock-strewn ledge about
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half way down. The 60m pitch (70m if you count the loose section from Hasta
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La Vesta) parallels the <a href="#belowalex">70m pitch below Alexander
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Technique</a> in Gob. The ropes actually join about 3m above the boulder
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floor at a rock bridge.
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<p>From the floor a climb up to the left leads to a passage containing
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increasingly awkward climbs. An obvious hole leads to a large
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shaft with a sloping wall. It is not clear if either of these is the QM
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originally numbered 90-07, but the descriptions don't seem to match.
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<h5><a name="cwedge">Captive Wedge</a></h5>
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<p>The other (West) side is the 35m <b>Captive Wedge</b> pitch, in sections
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of 15m to a bolt rebelay, then another bolt shortly below and a final drop of
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16.5m to the boulder floor, mostly in a circular shaft 5m in diameter. Five
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metres below the lower rebelay and 4m away from the rope is an inaccessible
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window [<a href="qmtodo.htm#C1990-161-05" name="qC1990-161-05">C1990-161-05</a> C].
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<p>The foot of the pitch is a shelf about 8m up. Traversing round to the
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right, and dashing through the small waterfall gains a splashy downclimb to
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a section of sizeable passage heading north (nearly 90° to the big rift
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that has just been descended). This can be followed about 15m up a 2m climb
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to a dead end. At the foot of the downclimb a grovel left through boulders
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gains a c5 into a small rift where all the water disappears down a hole
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about 12 cm in diameter.
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<hr />
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<ul>
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<li><a href="names.htm">Glossary of passage names</a></li>
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<li><a href="top.htm">Kaninchenhöhle</a> Cave Description - Overview</li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expedition Intro page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../infodx.htm">Index to info/topic pages</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../areas.htm">Area/subarea descriptions</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../indxal.htm">Full Index to 1623 caves</a></li>
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