expoweb/smkridge/161/bsains.htm

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<title>1623/161a Kaninchenh&ouml;hle entrance series</title>
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<h2><a id="id161a">Original Entrance Series</a> (1988)</h2>
<p><center><table><tr><td><a href="l/161a89.htm">
<img alt="Photo of entrance area (107k)" src="t/161a89.jpg"
width=121 height=178 hspace=10></a></td>
<td><a name="entpitch" href="l/ent_a.htm">
<img alt="Photo of entrance pitch (64k)" src="t/ent_a.jpg"
width=143 height=170 hspace=10></a></td>
<td><a href="l/boltp1.htm">
<img alt="Looking up entrance" width=167 height=137 hspace=10
src="t/boltp1.jpg"></a></td></tr></table></center>
<p><a name="basement">The position</a> of the main entrance, on a ridge,
has protected it from the thermoclastic scree usually found blocking open
shaft entrances. The 37m, relatively free-hanging (deviation, rebelay at
-12(?)m, one more deviation) pitch reaches a small chamber,
<b>The Basement</b>, with four ways on.
<p>Most obvious is the <a href="offtop.htm#dungeonp">Dungeon Pitch</a>. A
stoop under an arch on the left hand (south) side of the chamber leads to the
<a href="offtop.htm#rabbitw">Rabbit Warren Series</a> and the connection to
<a href="france.htm#france">France</a>, <a href="offtop.htm#id161b">161b</a>
and <a href="france.htm#id161c">161c</a>. A third exit is through a 1m diameter
hole in the floor on the right. walking around the corner to the west reveals
the fourth way on to <a href="#bigsain">Big Sainsbury's</a>.
<p><center><a name="autodoors" href="l/autodr.htm"><img alt="Automatic Doors
from Big Sainsbury's" src="t/autodr.jpg" width=120
height=181></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="l/pitch2.htm"><img
alt="Automatic Doors from ledge" src="t/pitch2.jpg" width=165
height=121></a></center>
<br><center>Two views of the Automatic Doors pitch</center>
<p>The deepest parts of the system are reached through Big Sainsbury's, a
very large passage about 100m long and 10m diameter. This is reached by a 12m
pitch, <b>Automatic Doors</b>, down to a ledge, or optionally 20m down to the
boulder floor. The third way out of the entrance chamber comes out in the
wall around from Automatic Doors.
<h2><a name="bigsain">161 Kaninchenh&ouml;hle: Big Sainsbury's</a> (1988)</h2>
<p>At the foot of the boulder slope below <a href="#autodoors">Automatic
Doors</a> is a large hole to the left (top of Dungeon Rift) and a crawl
right, through boulders, to the <a href="#snotp">S'not</a>/
<a href="#snotp">Dewdrop</a> approach to the deep routes
(<a href="lhr.htm#lhroute">Left</a> and <a href="rhr.htm#rhroute">Right</a>).
From the pitch, <b>Big Sainsbury's</b> heads NW, initially uphill over large
boulders for 20m to the highest point. Continuing downhill, for 30m, there is
a 2m <20> 4m hole in the floor against the right hand wall. This is the start of
<a href="drunk.htm#dands">Drunk and Stupid</a>, a steeply descending rift
which goes down to -200m before connecting with the
<a href="lhr.htm#lhroute">Left Hand Route</a> at
<a href="offlhr.htm#fcp">French Connection Pitch</a>.
<p><center><a href="l/bsains.htm"><img src="t/bsains.jpg" width=158
height=124></a></center>
<p>20m beyond the entrance of Drunk &amp; Stupid is a pair of very high avens
with associated pitches. There is a traverse line along the left hand wall
which leads via a 5m drop to a col between the two drops. Along this traverse
is a passage in the left hand wall which goes for 25m before choking. The
first drop is <a href="#checkout">Checkout</a>, the original
approach to the deep routes, the second drop is
<a href="offtop.htm#ashopper">Alternative Shopper</a>.
<a href="dream.htm#dreamtime">Dreamtime</a> is the continuation of Big
Sainsbury's, and is reached via the col.
<h2><a name="snotp">S'not / Dewdrop</a> (1991)</h2>
<p>Discovered in 1991, <b>Dewdrop</b> is by far the fastest approach to the
deep routes. Downslope from the ledge at the foot of <a
href="#autodoors">Automatic Doors</a> leads to an obvious rift/hole. About 4m
down the climb into this hole, an unobvious crawl right through boulders
leads to the head of <b>S'not Pitch</b>. This is a 35m rift pitch with four
rebelays. The pitch lands in a joint-controlled high passage <b>Dewdrop</b>.
Following the graded (but loose) stones downhill via a sharp left leads to
easy passage. Dewdrop passes the <a name="lhrcamp">1989 Left Hand Route
campsite</a> and splits after 45m. The <a href="lhr.htm#lhroute">Left Hand
Route</a> is reached in another 10m at <b>Dewdrop Junction</b> by either way,
the left passage having rocks in it, the right passage being a bit smaller.
<p><center><a href="l/dewdrp.htm"><img alt="Dewdrop Junction photo"
src="t/dewdrp.jpg" width=174 height=118></a></center>
<p>The Left Hand Route at this point is a keyhole passage, to the right
(east) leading further into LHR. The terminology is confusing at this point
simply because the original way into the Left and Right Hand Routes came in
from the other side at a different point<6E>! To the left (NNW) is a zig-zagging
keyhole passage. This shortly leads to a hole in the floor, (<a
href="lhr.htm#gparty">Garden Party</a>), with bolts either side for a
traverse line. Left Hand Route changes to an inclined rift, passing below the
climb up into <a href="offlhr.htm#cowboy">Cowboy Caver</a>. A traversy climb
down leads to a junction, where right leads to the foot of <a
href="#beckaf">Becka Falls</a>, on the original route from the
surface. Straight on is the <a href="rhr.htm#rhroute">Right Hand Route</a>.
<hr />
<h3><a name="checkout">Checkout to the Squeeze</a> (1988)</h3>
<p>The original way to reach the deep routes, now generally bypassed via
<a href="#snotp">Dewdrop</a>, or by <a
href="dream.htm#dreamtime">Dreamtime</a> for the RHR. <b>Checkout</b> is a
10m pitch (rigged to avoid a very unstable boulder slope) leading to a
further 26m pitch in an inclined rift, <a name="lbowels"><b>Loose
Bowels</b></a>. The head of this is known as <a name="deathdoor"><b>Death's
Door</b></a>. This is followed by a free-climbable rift, <a
name="riftsn"><b>Rift Sans Nom</b></a>.
<p><center><a href="l/squeez.htm"><img alt="Squeeze Photo" src="t/squeez.jpg"
width=122 height=181></a></center>
<p><a name="squeeze">The foot</a> of Rift Sans Nom reaches a very tight
hammered squeeze, <b>The Squeeze</b> (aka Beer Belly
Blues), at the top of an 8m pitch, <a name="beckaf"><b>Becka Falls</b></a>.
The rift enlarges below the pitch and merges with another, entering a huge
phreatic passage, at -118m from entrance 161a. This gives the two possible
ways on, the <a href="lhr.htm#lhroute">Left Hand Route</a> to the left (north
east), and the <a href="rhr.htm#rhroute">Right Hand Route</a> to the right
(south west) - named from this junction.
<hr />
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