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371 lines
20 KiB
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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
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<html lang="en">
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<head>
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<title>1623/41 Stellerweghöhle Guidebook</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h2>Stellerweg area side passages</h2>
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<p>This area comprises the entrance series to 1623/41 and the ramifications
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of the linked entrance 1623/142, together with an apparently independent way
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on in 41 itself. The passages are developed in a series of hading rifts of
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considerable complexity, and only main routes through have been fully
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surveyed, by two different groups, over a decade apart. Sometimes it is
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clear where we have both surveyed the same passage, but in other places
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it is far from obvious. If the description seems confusing, then so is the
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cave !
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<p>The passages are described as seen from three main routes - the way
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through 142, the main way through 41, and the German route through 41.
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These routes are roughly parallel, and penetrate the hillside progressively
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further to the east, or down the dip of the ramps. Some of these ramps
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remain unexplored but probably connect the three routes in yet more
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places.
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<h2><a name="ent142">New entrance</a> 1623/142 (1982-83)</h2>
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<p><b>Location:</b> E 35772.8 N (52)81214.6 H 1615.6
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<p>This is reached by bashing up an indistinct gully from
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<a href="../../noinfo/smkridge/32.htm"><span lang="de">Windloch</span>
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(1623/32)</a> on the
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<span lang="de-at">Stöger Weg</span> until an entrance marked P132 (sic)
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in red paint is reached. Initially thought to be a possible higher entrance
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to the system, it is actually a little lower than
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<span lang="de-at">Stellerweghöhle</span> itself.
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<p><a name="wigway">A small</a> tube at the entrance quickly leads to a short
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drop and spiral round into the start of a hading rift, much like
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<span lang="de-at">Stellerweg</span> on a smaller
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scale. Down the first ramp on the right is "Wiggy's way to 60' pitch"
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[<a name="C1982-142-19" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-19">C1982-142-19</a>],
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while straight on leads for 15m to where a trench intersects the floor. Down
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this to the left leads to a pitch
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[<a name="C1982-142-20" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-20">C1982-142-20</a>].
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The main way continues low past holes in the floor
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[<a name="C1982-142-21" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-21">C1982-142-21</a>] on
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the right, then over a rock into a small chamber with a cairn.
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<p><img src="142ent.png" width=650 height=870>
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<p>To the left up a slope is the <a href="#142main1">main way</a>, but
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various gaps on the right lead through a low section downhill
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[<a name="C1982-142-22" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-22">C1982-142-22</a>].
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To the left after 10m,
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a crawl up leads to a ramp back to the main route, while up a 1m step to the
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right, a crawl leads under a low arch and continues to intersect a ramp
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[<a name="C1983-142-02" href="qmlist.htm#C1983-142-02">C1983-142-02</a>].
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Up to the left leads to the noise of a stream
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[<a name="C1983-142-03" href="qmlist.htm#C1983-142-03">C1983-142-03</a>],
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with a further QM
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[<a name="C1983-142-04" href="qmlist.htm#C1983-142-04">C1983-142-04</a>]
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to the right of it, undescribed but shown on the survey. Down to the right
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reaches an 8m pitch landing on jammed boulders, followed by a 19m pitch in a
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dripping chamber. Arge's survey suggests that across this pitch (traverse
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on left) leads in a few metres to the main way in 41. An unexplored passage
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[<a name="C1983-142-05" href="qmlist.htm#C1983-142-05">C1983-142-05</a>]
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leads south towards the entrance - this appears to choke very close to the
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main 41 passage on the Arge survey. The dripping chamber is area is very
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close to Stellerweg, but below the main route.
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<p>The <a name="142main1">main route</a> from the chamber (with the cairn)
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goes uphill to a low section, then keeps left round a choked depression in
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the floor of a chamber. The way narrows below a tight lead on the left
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[<a name="C1982-142-23" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-23">C1982-142-23</a>],
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then enlarges at another ramp. Up and left is a way up to a tight rift
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[<a name="C1982-142-24" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-24">C1982-142-24</a>].
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Both of these ways up left seem to connect into
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<span lang="de">Schwabenschacht</span>, while down the ramp is unexplored
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but probably leads back down to the dripping chamber
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[<a name="C1982-142-25" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-25">C1982-142-25</a>].
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Another constriction leads to a "bad step" over a ramp to the right
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[<a name="C1982-142-26" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-26">C1982-142-26</a>],
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but none of the ramps are as awkward to cross as the lined traverses in
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Stellerweg.
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<p><img src="142-41.png" width=750 height=650>
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<p>A longer crawl continues, passing small holes to right
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[<a name="C1982-142-27" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-27">C1982-142-27</a>]
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and then left
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[<a name="C1982-142-28" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-28">C1982-142-28</a>],
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before a step down above another ramp to the right
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[<a name="C1982-142-29" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-29">C1982-142-29</a>].
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Straight on is a rift leading over a hole in the floor
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[<a name="C1982-142-30" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-30">C1982-142-30</a>],
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finally to emerge at the bottom of a small boulder chamber
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<b lang="de">Vereinigungshalle</b> sloping up to the left.
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At the top is a T-junction, left
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[<a name="C1982-142-31" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-31">C1982-142-31</a>]
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was soon blocked by a large boulder, which was passed by a short dig
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from the far side, to provide the first connection from
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<a href="../78.htm"><span lang="de">Schwabenschacht</span></a> (1623/78).
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To the right at the T-junction leads on until, after 20m, the floor drops
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away into blackness
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[<a name="C1982-142-32" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-32">C1982-142-32</a>],
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which proved to be a 32m pitch into the <a href="#bigcham142"><b>Big
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Chamber</b></a>.
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<p><img src="142bc.png" width=600 height=560>
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<p><a href="l/142bc.htm" name="bigcham142"><img alt="photo - 12k jpeg"
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width=215 height=296 align=left hspace=10 vspace=10 src="t/142bc.jpg"></a>The
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imaginatively named <b>Big Chamber</b> is by far the largest chamber in the
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<span lang="de-at">Stellerweg</span> part of the system, 90m long, 30m wide,
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and 40m from the roof at the pitch to the lowest point of the floor. This is
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at the South West end of the SW-NE aligned chamber, while at the other end,
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the floor rises over boulders towards the arched roof. An extension to the
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north at this end leads to a depression in the floor. The north side of the
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chamber generally ends too low where the boulder floor meets the roof. A way
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up at the NE end of the chamber
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[<a name="C1982-142-34" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-34">C1982-142-34</a>] has
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now been connected into <span lang="de-at">Stellerweg.</span> Descents into
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boulders
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[<a name="C1982-142-33" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-33">C1982-142-33</a>] are
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possible at various points, but progress seems unlikely. Having said that,
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Arge seem to have pushed an extension hereabouts to find
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<b lang="de">Richie-Meander</b>.<br clear=all>
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<h4><a name="rodrunway">Rodent Runway</a> - the original connection to
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41 (1983)</h4>
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<p>From halfway up <span lang="de">Vereinigungshalle</span> before the pitch
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into the Big Chamber, an obscure route through boulders
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[<a name="C1983-142-00" href="qmlist.htm#C1983-142-00">C1983-142-00</a>]
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leads down to the head of a ramp. This passage is <b>Rodent Runway</b>,
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after some remains of dubious taxonomy. Sketches show up to seven ways on
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[<a name="C1983-142-01" href="qmlist.htm#C1983-142-01">C1983-142-01</a>]
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off Rodent Runway. The route swings left across the strike of the ramp in
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<a name="roofpcham"><b>Roof Pendant Chamber</b></a>, before intersecting
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another, bigger ramp. Up eventually leads back to the Big Chamber at
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[<a href="qmlist.htm#C1982-142-34">C1982-142-34</a>],
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while down leads to <b lang="de">Megalo-Schlinger</b> at the foot of
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<a href="41.htm#p21">the 21m pitch</a> in Stellerweg, emerging from
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[<a href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-17">C1980-41-17</a>].
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<hr>
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<h2>Side passages in 41 entrance series</h2>
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<p>The main route explored by CUCC in 1980 pursues a determined course into
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the hill, passing numerous ramps and side passages, almost all of which were
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left for subsequent explorers. The initial passage to the left just inside
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the entrance crosses a ramp
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[<a name="C1980-41-01" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-01">C1980-41-01</a>]
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by a traverse (over ice in 1980) and leads up a ramp until this becomes
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lower (but continues as
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[<a name="C1980-41-02" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-02">C1980-41-02</a>])
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and a way opens across the strike to the right. The route across this
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immediately intersects a large 45° ramp
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[<a name="C1980-41-03" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-03">C1980-41-03</a>].
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This is traversed over and a small uphill passage
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[<a name="C1980-41-04" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-04">C1980-41-04</a>]
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is passed on the left. Three more descending ramps
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[<a name="C1980-41-05" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-05">C1980-41-05</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-07" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-07">C1980-41-07</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-11" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-11">C1980-41-11</a>]
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are crossed in a short distance, with a small downhill passage after
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the second of these
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[<a name="C1980-41-08" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-08">C1980-41-08</a>].
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A number of small unpushed passages lead off left
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[<a name="C1980-41-06" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-06">C1980-41-06</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-09" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-09">C1980-41-09</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-10" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-10">C1980-41-10</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-12" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-12">C1980-41-12</a>].
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<p>The final ramp is the <a href="41.htm#C1980-41-13">main way on</a>, while
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across it leads to the original route at the head of a 21m pitch. A possible
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passage [<a name="C1980-41-15" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-15">C1980-41-15</a>]
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over the pitch would require a bolted traverse, but would almost certainly
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merely connect into Doppelbodenhalle. Below the pitch, a ramp
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[<a name="C1980-41-16" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-16">C1980-41-16</a>]
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leads down to a chamber <b lang="de">Megalo-Schlinger</b> from where many
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ways lead on. These have since been looked at by Arge.
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<p>A joint plane
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[<a name="C1980-41-18" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-18">C1980-41-18</a>]
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down dip is obstructed by boulders and a climb down
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[<a name="C1980-41-19" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-19">C1980-41-19</a>]
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leads via a squeeze into a very small vadose canyon. These both appear
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to lead into Warme Duscher Rampe, a passage which appears to end wide
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but inconclusive on the Arge 1998 survey.
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<p>A ramp up
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[<a name="C1980-41-17" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-17">C1980-41-17</a>]
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under the old 21m pitch leads to the two connections to 142, one left to
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<a href="#roofpcham">Roof Pendant Chamber</a> and the other straight on to
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emerge at <a href="#C1982-142-34">C1982-142-34</a> in the Big Chamber.
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<p>A second ramp
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[<a name="C1980-41-20" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-20">C1980-41-20</a>]
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up NE then NW is <b lang="de">Doppelbodenhalle,</b> which emerges at
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<b lang="de">Quickie-Rampe,</b> which appears complex at the point of entry.
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It descends steeply to the right (ESE) and ends about 20m below the post-1981
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route to the Big Pitch, heading in the same direction. It seems likely to
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lead to another way into the same shaft, possibly with a shorter hang.
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<p>Down a ramp to the right at the start of
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<span lang="de">Doppelbodenhalle</span> goes to a right turn,
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[<a name="C1980-41-22" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-22">C1980-41-22</a>] and
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seems to be an easier way into BUS than the way used by CUCC in the 1980s,
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but the CUCC and Arge surveys don't seem to correlate well hereabouts.
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<p>The main route is a climb up a narrower ramp left off the start of
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<span lang="de">Warme Duscher Rampe.</span> This brings one shortly into BUS,
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a steeply descending phreatic passage and climbs which are followed by lined
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traverses across two ramps
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[<a name="C1980-41-23" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-23">C1980-41-23</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-24" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-24">C1980-41-24</a>].
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These are both very steep and slippery, and would require rigging,
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especially in view of the fact that they head towards the vicinity of the
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100m <a href="41.htm#bigpitch">Big Pitch</a>.
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<p>It should be noted that some of these leads have since been pushed by
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Arge, and rejoice in names such as Manhattan and Fritz's Freeway. This
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description is thus somewhat out of date and rather remedial in that attempts
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have been made to indicate the new passages by building description from a
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survey on which many of the passages are not explicitly named, and survey
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data commented in a language foreign to the writer...
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<p><a href="41bp.png"><img src="41bp2.png" width=535 height=575></a>
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<p><a name="alice">Various routes</a> converge on the Big Pitch, but either
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of two up-ramps, above the pitch heads, lead to a small junction chamber,
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where a steep slope up on the left
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[<a name="C1980-41-26" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-26">C1980-41-26</a>]
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leads back to the ramp used to gain access. Other
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ways [<a name="C1980-41-27" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-27">C1980-41-27</a>,
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<a name="C1980-41-28" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-28">C1980-41-28</a>]
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from this ramp remain inadequately described, but are probably the passage
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explored by Arge, <span lang="de">Alice im Wunderland,</span> which trends
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north, then NE for 100m, changing name to <span lang="de">blödes
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Eck</span> and ending at an unexplored pitch, which seems 99% certain to drop
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into the <a href="144.htm#ybr">Yellow Brick Road</a> in 1623/144, probably
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about a p20m.
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<p>Straight on from the above junction chamber, a small passage
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leads after 20m to a small inlet on the left, also unexplored
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[<a name="C1980-41-29" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-29">C1980-41-29</a>].
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The water from this falls into a deep canyon below the passage ahead. A
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descending traverse leads after 30m to the foot of an aven
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[<a name="C1982-41-38" href="qmlist.htm#C1982-41-38">C1982-41-38</a>]
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from where hammering at the bottom of a nearby pothole (entrance numbered
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<a href="../143.htm">143</a>, 140m deep) can be clearly heard, though a voice
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connection could not be achieved. The top of the aven is about 15m below the
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end of 143, and perhaps 20m away horizontally. The connection would add no
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new depth to the system.
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<hr>
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<h2><a name="germanr">The German Route</a> in 41 (1954 or 1972?, 1980)</h2>
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<p>From the snowbank in the entrance chamber, a narrow ramp down to the east,
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Extrablatt, curves round left to meet a larger ramp coming down. This ramp
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also comes from the entrance chamber, by a right turn from he north exit.
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Continuing north from the junction, two more ramps from above also come from
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the passage to the north of the entrance chamber. The CUCC sketch notes
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a couple of ramps downwards too. The main way is a roped traverse over a
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choked pot
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[<a name="X0000-41-03" href="qmlist.htm#X0000-41-03">X0000-41-03</a>]
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(reported to be 28m deep, though not descended by CUCC).
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Heading north from this point, then keeping left, an ascending ramp is
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DIN-Rampe, connecting back to the main route not far before Megalo-Schlinger.
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<p>Shortly beyond the choked 28m pitch (and presumably one of the unsurveyed
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ways to the right on the Arge survey) is the head of a series of pitches
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[<a name="X0000-41-04" href="qmlist.htm#X0000-41-04">X0000-41-04</a>],
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best rigged from the far end of a further traverse. This series came to be
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known as <b lang="de">Stalaglufthöhle.</b> The pitches were originally
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reported to be 220m deep by the German explorers. Although the shafts
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descended by CUCC are pretty much where we were led to believe the German big
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shaft lay, there is a niggling suspicion that the Germans had in fact found a
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route [<a name="C1980-41-39" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-39">C1980-41-39</a>]
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from here to the <a href="41.htm#bigpitch">Big Pitch</a>, which would be a
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much more convincing fit to the description we have.
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<h3>Stalaglufthöhle</h3>
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<p>The first two drops are 6m and 18m to the floor of a rift. At one end of
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this is a 20m pitch with a small outlet at its base (not explored)
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[<a name="C1980-41-43" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-43">C1980-41-43</a>], but
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in the other direction pitches of 2, 12 and 14m lead to an awkward traverse
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above a canyon. The route turns left (straight on has not been pushed
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[<a name="C1980-41-40" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-40">C1980-41-40</a>])
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and soon drops down a 10m free climb to a low crawl which looks like a
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dried out sump. Beyond this, the crawl continues unexplored
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[<a name="C1980-41-41" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-41">C1980-41-41</a>] but
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through a window to the right, a climb down and traverse (over an unexplored
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hole [<a name="C1980-41-42" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-42">C1980-41-42</a>])
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leads to a 14m pitch (sloping at the top) which lands in a chamber. Pitches
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of 8, 12 and 6m follow in a rift until the route narrows at the head of a
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pitch (estimated 6m) which has not been descended
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[<a name="C1980-41-44" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-44">C1980-41-44</a>].
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<p>The route as described had survey cotton for some way, but there was no
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sign of previous exploration at the end.
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<hr>
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<h2>Connections below the Big Pitch</h2>
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<p>From the lower part of the 100m pitch, a rift window is visible in the
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opposite direction from the way on below. This rift pitch
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[<a name="C1980-41-32" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-32">C1980-41-32</a>]
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marks the entry from <b lang="de">Lärchenschacht</b> (1623/88).
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<p>Unfortunately, the group that explored this cave, whilst being very keen
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to hear from CUCC about our finds in the early eighties, were reluctant to
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reveal anything of value about their explorations (which were not then
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complete), so we have no written description from them. However, recent
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improvements in dialogue mean that we have a survey of the cave, from which a
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<a href="../../noinfo/smkridge/88.htm">description</a> has been built. The
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further ramifications of this cave connect through to the
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<a href="../../noinfo/smkridge/40.htm">Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle
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(1623/40)</a> with a further 2.5km or more of passage.
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<p>Downstream in Wet 'n' Wild, about 10m from the Big Pitch, a climb up to a
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passage on the left
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[<a name="C1980-41-34" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-34">C1980-41-34</a>]
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remains unexplored (and was not mentioned in the published description).
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Downstream about 20m from the pitch, a chimney in the right wall
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[<a name="C1980-41-33" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-33">C1980-41-33</a>]
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|
marks the entry of the route from CUCC's highest entrance,
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<a href="../144.htm">144</a>. The continuation of the rift can be followed
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|
in a sharp passage until the stream disappears into a hole
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[<a name="C1980-41-35" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-35">C1980-41-35</a>],
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|
apparently reputed to be a sump, but in fact, no attempt to follow it has
|
|
been formally recorded, so this may be in error.
|
|
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<p>Above the hole, in the main way on after 90m (before regaining the water),
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a large (2.5m+ diameter?) unexplored passage
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[<a name="C1980-41-36" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-36">C1980-41-36</a>] with no
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obvious draught comes in from the right. This may be the passage shown on the
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Arge survey as turning right after 10m or so, then ending a similar distance
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beyond.
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<p>After the 20m pitch, the 9, 5, 6 and 6m pitches are increasingly tight,
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and it is thought likely that a much larger continuation could be found by a
|
|
(possibly heroic) traverse or pendulum from the vicinity of the 9m pitch -
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|
though it has to be said that this QM
|
|
[<a name="C1980-41-37" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-41-37">C1980-41-37</a>] has not
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|
actually been seen.
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