mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-23 07:41:56 +00:00
183 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
183 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
<HTML lang=en><HEAD><TITLE>1623:204 -- Ariston Series</TITLE>
|
|
<!--#include virtual="../../css/main.css"-->
|
|
</head>
|
|
<BODY>
|
|
<DIV align=center>
|
|
<CENTER>
|
|
<TABLE border=0 width="100%">
|
|
<TR>
|
|
<TH align=left width="30%"><FONT size=+2>204</font><br><font size=+1>(CUCC 1999/03)</FONT></TH>
|
|
<TH lang=de><h1>Steinbrückenhöhle</h1></TH>
|
|
<TH align=right width="30%"><FONT size=+2>4/S x</FONT></TH></TR>
|
|
<TR>
|
|
</TABLE></CENTER></DIV>
|
|
<h2>Deep routes via the Ariston Series</h2>
|
|
|
|
<H3><A name=ariston>Ariston Series</A></H3>
|
|
<P>The Ariston Series is the route to the current deepest point in the cave. The
|
|
pitch series begins with a short pitch of 5m rigged from a large thread in the
|
|
roof a few metres back, with a single spit for the vertical part, which is
|
|
almost a scramble. This lands on a large ledge formed of boulders wedged across
|
|
a narrow point; there are two choices of descent here, one to the north,
|
|
<B>You're So Veined</B> (15m), which was used in 1999, and one to the south,
|
|
<b>Pot-U-Like</b> (~35m), which has been the trade route since 2000. One
|
|
rebelay provides a good hang against the wall of You're So Veined to reach the
|
|
foot of the pitch, which is in a spacious shaft, with an impressive aven above.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>From here, there are two ways on.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><i>To the
|
|
left, facing away from the pitch just descended, is a gully, which in 1999
|
|
contained a thick layer of ice. Carefully traversing this rather slippery
|
|
section leads to the head of a small pitch of 6m, which was rigged with a
|
|
Y-hang. From here a walking size phreatic passage ("Rainbow") leads off,
|
|
carrying a substantial breeze. The passage initially descends, but then
|
|
develops a narrow floor trench; as the trench deepens, the phreatic part of the
|
|
passage rises, and then ends abruptly where the floor trench turns right and
|
|
leads off as a too-tight rift while ahead the phreas pinches out.</i></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>To the right leads into a small, very crumbly chamber, from which a short
|
|
section of awkward rift leads to a fine crow's nest in the wall of a large
|
|
rift. A very short pitch (5m) lands on a large ledge in the side of the
|
|
Pot-U-Like shaft. From here a roped traverse along the left-hand wall gains the
|
|
head of the next pitch of 12m, which avoids a large ledge which would have been
|
|
in the way but for the traverse. This pitch currently requires a rope protector
|
|
just below the Y-hang at the top. The landing is on another large ledge, where
|
|
a pool can be used to refill water containers. This is also the landing of
|
|
Pot-U-Like.</p>
|
|
|
|
<P>The next pitch of 14m consists of a backup bolt followed by a Y-hang, which
|
|
utilises one very cratered spit, which can only be used with a bollard type
|
|
hanger. This pitch requires a deviation from the opposite wall or a rebelay to
|
|
be installed as there is currently a rub point just below the Y-hang. The ledge
|
|
that this pitch lands on consists of boulders wedged across the shaft, although
|
|
it seems sound. A backup bolt protects the approach to the Y-hang at the head
|
|
of the next pitch, <b>Steel Toecap</b> (35m). After a ledge 3m down, where a
|
|
deviation optimises the hang, the walls of the shaft bell out dramatically and
|
|
the rope hangs in stimulating isolation. About 5m from the floor a ledge is
|
|
passed, which could be gained by a swing across, where there may possibly be a
|
|
passage leading off [<A href="qm.shtml#C1999-204-20"
|
|
name=qC1999-204-20>C1999-204-20 B</A>].</p>
|
|
|
|
<P>At the foot of the pitch, the way on is a very chossy, sloping descent which
|
|
will require either re-rigging or bypassing (which may be possible by a climb
|
|
up and over) in future. This leads to a further short pitch (10m), which lands
|
|
in an aven chamber of ample proportions. <i>From here drops an 8m pitch,
|
|
landing on a rubble floor. The only way on is a tight rift [<a
|
|
href="qm.shtml#C2000-204-60" name="qC2000-204-60">C2000-204-60 C</a>], which
|
|
was penetrated for only a short distance. More progress might be possible by
|
|
someone small and imaginative. Not surveyed in 2000.</i> From the aven chamber,
|
|
a crawl leads off, followed by a descending rubble slope. The rubble slope
|
|
curves round to the right, passing a tight rift on the left [<A
|
|
href="qm.shtml#C1999-204-22" name=qC1999-204-22>C1999-204-22 C</A>], to reach
|
|
the bottom of a short climb up of 3m on the right, which is followed by a
|
|
scramble down on the other side. <i>From here, straight ahead is a climb up
|
|
into the foot of an aven, half-right is a short ascending passage leading to a
|
|
chamber where a traverse around the right hand wall leads to a slope down to
|
|
<b><a href="#fled">Fledermausschacht</a></b>.</i> Full right is a
|
|
stooping/crawling height phreatic passage with a mud floor. This passes on the
|
|
right the other end of the crawl which led off from the foot of the previous
|
|
pitch, which provides a convenient shortcut.</p>
|
|
|
|
<P>Some 50m of alternate crawling and stooping over soft crumbly mud, including
|
|
a single point where the roof dips and the crawl is flat-out, leads to a small
|
|
chamber. Here there are two holes in the floor. One leads to <a
|
|
href="#kiwisuit"><b>Kiwi Suit</b></a>; the other drop is much shorter, and is
|
|
split into two sections by ledges on each wall part way down. The first section
|
|
of 8m reaches these small ledges, where a stream enters from the foot of a very
|
|
large aven. The next section of 11m is wet, and lands on a small ledge
|
|
overlooking Kiwi Suit just above the rebelay.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h3><a name="kiwisuit">Kiwi Suit</a></h3>
|
|
<p>The first pitch begins with a funnel-shaped opening. The initial approach is
|
|
rigged from a large pillar at the edge of the funnel (the approach to this
|
|
could be further protected by a traverse line tied round an even larger pillar
|
|
a couple of metres back). Suddenly, at the base of the funnel, there is an
|
|
impressive black space. In 2000 the descent was rigged New-Zealand style,
|
|
entirely from naturals, which seemed sound, but worrisome for us bolt-junkies,
|
|
especially given the record of 'Bomb-Proof' naturals in KH visiting the bottoms
|
|
of pitches; the current rig uses a pitch-head deviation, and a Y-hang rebelay
|
|
around halfway down, to keep the descent clear of walls and the small trickle
|
|
of water which falls down the shaft. This looks worryingly like it would become
|
|
a huge deluge after rain, drenching anyone on the rebelay, but apparently even
|
|
in the miserable weather of 2002 there was only a very slight increase. The
|
|
floor is reached after 54 metres of descent. The way on is a short traverse,
|
|
an 8 metre pitch, another short traverse, and then a 20 metre pitch to a ledge.
|
|
The final pitch from this ledge is an impressive rift of 47 metres depth,
|
|
rigged in 2000 from a natural, one bolt, and the rope from the pitch above.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h3><a name="razor">Razordance</a></h3>
|
|
<p>At the bottom of the 47m pitch, a merry little stream is reached (similar
|
|
volume of water to the Top Camp waterhole in spate). Upstream was not pushed,
|
|
but reportedly leads quickly to the foot of a waterfall [<a
|
|
href="qm.shtml#C2000-204-63" name="qC2000-204-63">C2000-204-63 B</a>].
|
|
Downstream quickly narrows to about 50cm wide, and progress is made by
|
|
constantly changing level to stay where the passage is wide enough. After
|
|
about 40m a small cascade of about 4m is reached, which could probably be
|
|
free-climbed, but a handline here helps avoid getting soaked. The passage is
|
|
considerably wider for a few metres below the cascade, but soon resumes in its
|
|
previous manner. Suddenly, the head of a pitch [<a href="qm.shtml#C2000-204-64"
|
|
name="qC2000-204-64">C2000-204-64 A</a>],
|
|
estimated at about 10 metres, is reached. This was the limit of exploration in
|
|
2000 [<a href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-01" name="qC2002-204-01">C2002-204-01 A</a>].
|
|
In 2002, the streamway was pushed further, down <b>Black Lightning</b> (p13), to a 2m
|
|
climb and 2m pitch leading to the 25m pitch of <b>Mystery Wind</b>; this is
|
|
descended via a crow's-nest which gives a dry sloping descent to the floor,
|
|
protected by two rebelays. The streamway continues to <b>Easy There</b> (p15)
|
|
and <b>Steady Now</b> (p4), the 2002 limit. 2003 saw further pushing to a
|
|
short down pitch (no more than 3m) shortly followed by a climb up into a large
|
|
chamber, <b>God Loves a Drunk</b>, where an (impassably tight) inlet enters
|
|
from the right. Immediately beyond this are <b>The Mash Tun</b> (p8) and
|
|
<b>Copper</b> (p17). Beyond this the rift becomes tighter and more awkward
|
|
again, leading to the head of yet another pitch, <b>Yeast</b> (p10). Shortly
|
|
beyond this the bottom of the rift becomes rather tight and an ascending
|
|
traverse can be followed, as far as a local widening; here it will be necessary
|
|
to bolt, either for a pitch to the floor or for protection to continue the
|
|
traverse. A plumb was made at this point to the floor 7m below, at 484m below
|
|
the 204a entrance. Further exploration awaits in 2004. [C2003-204-XXX A]</p>
|
|
|
|
<h3><a name="fled">Fledermausschacht</a></h3>
|
|
|
|
<p>The traverse round to the pitch head
|
|
is protected by a thread belay at the start of the traverse. A substantial thread
|
|
(requiring 2 slings due to its girth) at the pitch head enables the first, sloping
|
|
section of the pitch to be descended. Soon the pitch becomes vertical, and a
|
|
rebelay on the far wall (at -5m) allows the next few metres to be descended.
|
|
Unfortunately the shaft still hades slightly, and a further two rebelays (at -15m
|
|
and -28m) are required before the magnitude of this 112m shaft starts to become
|
|
apparent. A 40m freehanging section leads to a sloping ledge, where the shaft
|
|
doglegs again and a scrappy descent down a gulley, and a further two rebelays (at
|
|
-68m and -80m), reaches a sloping ledge overlooking the final section of the
|
|
pitch. A chossy traverse across the left hand wall appears to head into a parallel
|
|
shaft [<a href="qm.shtml#C2000-204-61" name="qC2000-204-61">C2000-204-61 C</a>].
|
|
A bolt round the corner to the right allows a descent of
|
|
the final 22m to the floor to be made, where a boulder choke is met, with no way
|
|
on. The whole pitch, particularly the far wall, is rather loose and due care must
|
|
be taken. A large chockstone near the second rebelay could not be shifted, but
|
|
should be treated with suspicion.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Nature Note: A bat was observed flitting around
|
|
in here on two occasions.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>At the start of the traverse to the head of Fledermausschacht is a small crawl
|
|
leading off to the right. This is initially flat-out over crumbly mud, but enlarges
|
|
after a short distance to enter a series of small mud-filled chambers. There is no
|
|
obvious way on, other than to start excavations in the mud banks
|
|
[<a href="qm.shtml#C2000-204-62" name="qC2000-204-62">C2000-204-62 Dig</a>].
|
|
Not surveyed in 2000.</p>
|
|
|
|
<H3><A name=survey>Survey and rigging</A></H3>
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="ariston-survey.shtml">Area survey</a>
|
|
<li><a href="ariston-rigging.shtml">Rigging guide</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p><HR>
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
<p><ul>
|
|
<li><a href="204.shtml">Back to 204 index page</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|