mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-27 09:42:02 +00:00
211 lines
15 KiB
Plaintext
211 lines
15 KiB
Plaintext
<HTML lang=en><HEAD><TITLE>1623:204 -- Swings and Roundabouts area</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>Swings and Roundabouts area</h2>
|
|
|
|
Swings and Roundabouts is an area of rubble-strewn passages to the west of
|
|
Treeumphant Passage. Access is from Bonsai Crawl or the 204d entrance.
|
|
|
|
<H3>Playground</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>Swings and Roundabouts branches off
|
|
<a href="treeumphant.shtml">Treeumphant Passage</a> at what was QM2000-12B, in
|
|
<a href="nopain.shtml#Bonsaicrawl">Bonsai Crawl</a>.
|
|
Initialy, a walking sized passage <b>Playground</b> leads past some mud
|
|
formations and a drippy mini-aven to a view overlooking a mid-sized chamber <b>Magic
|
|
Roundabout</b> with several exits. The easiest way to the chamber floor is via a climb
|
|
down through a hole on the right at the end of Playground.</P>
|
|
|
|
<H3>Magic Roundabout Chamber and surrounding passage</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>Once in the chamber, climbing down over boulders to the left leads to a
|
|
small exit between rocks. A short rubble-strewn chute follows arriving after a few
|
|
metres at a large shaft, <b>Gaffer Tape</b>, the start of the <b>Gaffered to the Wall</b> series.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Back in the main chamber, a rubble slope to the north leads onwards. To the north
|
|
of the slope is
|
|
an unpromising QM [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-95" name=qC2001-204-95>C2000-204-95 C</A>]; to the east leads back to the point where Playground overlooks the
|
|
chamber. To the west is the main passage continuation. A passage on the left is
|
|
<b>Dutch Beauty</b>, which also has windows into the main chamber. Continuing over rocks,
|
|
a phreatic tube enters from <b>Juicy Bits</b> on the left a head, and a crawl enters from Dutch Beauty behind; the main way on is up a short
|
|
slope over boulders to the start of the main Swings trunk passage: 10m wide and 8m
|
|
high.</p>
|
|
|
|
<h3>Gaffered to the Wall series</h3>
|
|
|
|
<img class=onright src="rigging/gttw.png" alt="D Gaffered to the Wall rigging guide">
|
|
<p> The initial pitch, <b>Gaffer Tape</b>, (70m) is an imposing oval shaft, which continues upwards [<A
|
|
href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-97" name=qC2001-204-97>C2001-204-97 X</A>]. A
|
|
passage leads off from the bottom, splitting in two going round a horizontal thread, emerging in a chamber formed from a slightly hading line of weakness. A ledge can be followed on the right hand wall. Down a hole to the left, two uninspiring rifts [<A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-02" name=qC2002-204-02>
|
|
C2002-204-02 C</a>, <A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-03" name=qC2002-204-03>C2002-204-03 C</a>] lead off downwards, which probably rejoin a parallel shaft to LX Tape pitch. Up to the right <A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-04" name=qC2002-204-04>C2002-204-04 C</a>], a sloping aven is visible which may be climbable . Continuing on past a large boulder, a rift is intesected at a chamber. Up stream (to the right) a small trickle of water emerges from a small slot in the ceiling. The main way on is down through a small hole in the floor, which can be descended via a backup round the large boulder, a flake in the floor and a rope protector. This is Tape Worm pitch; this rebelays off a horizontal thread down to a ledge with large fossils
|
|
visible in the floor, where the small rift of Tape Worm joins the impressive shaft of LX Tape pitch. Looking out to the left a parralel shaft can be seen which may be enterable from <A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-02" name=qC2002-204-02>
|
|
C2002-204-02 C</a> and <A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-03" name=qC2002-204-03>C2002-204-03 C</a>. A traverse along the right-hand wall reaches a natural from which the next pitch LX Tape may be rigged; this
|
|
descends to land on a rock bridge near another large boulder. On the near side of the rock bridge is a tight and unpromising rift
|
|
[<A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-06" name=qC2002-204-06>C2002-204-06 C</a>].
|
|
On the far side, a spit rebelay allows one to descend to another chamber, where a large thread is the main hang for Sellotape pitch, a fine 2m wide rift, which lands a slight puddle, and a horizontal silt floor leads 5m to the next undescended pitch [<A
|
|
href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-05" name=qC2002-204-05>C2002-204-05 A</a>].
|
|
|
|
<H3>Dutch Beauty</H3>
|
|
|
|
Pretty Bits comes off Swings and Roundabouts, passing a pit on the right (which can be climbed over to a crawl, emerging in the main passage). Down the pit is a tight rift pitch [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-98" name=qC2001-204-98>C2001-204-98 C</A>]. Continuing along the passage past the pit, a number of windows are visible overlooking <B>Magic Roundabout chamber</B>. A passage goes of to the right which passes a number of stalactites, before intersecting a rift. A grotto of stalactites is visible to the left, with possible continuing passage beyond[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-49" name=qC2001-204-49>C2001-204-49 C</A>]. The rift has not been descended[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-47" name=qC2001-204-47>C2001-204-47 B</A>], although a light connection has been made to <B>Juicy Bits</B>.
|
|
|
|
<H3>Juicy Bits</H3>
|
|
|
|
Juicy Bits is a large passage to the left from the south end of <B>Swings Passage</B>. After 10m in, a large passage descends at a 30 degree slope down, which can be traversed around. At the bottom there is a climb down over bolders[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-45" name=qC2001-204-45>C2001-204-45 C</A>]. This passage can be traversed around, and a passage to the right decreases in size to a body sized tube that needs removing [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-48" name=qC2001-204-48>C2000-204-48 C</A>]. The main passage then splits in two, the right turn going to the rift that connects to <B>Dutch Beauty</B> [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-47">C2001-204-47 B</A>]. To the left a smaller passage doubles back on itself, past a small window to the rift. Now going uphill the passage turns a sharp right and flatterns out and passes a tube going into the ceiling[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-46" name=qC2001-204-46>C2001-204-46 C</A>] , before emerging in to the passage near <B>Magic Roundabout Chamber</B>
|
|
|
|
<H3>Swings Passage</H3>
|
|
|
|
<p>The trunk passage, a large phreatic with much breakdown and generally a boulder strewn
|
|
floor, continues for over 100m in a northerly direction. Rubble slopes up and down
|
|
keep the passage at roughly the same level. Along its length, a number of
|
|
passages branch off to the left and right.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>The first two passages leading off are <b>Juicy Bits</b> on the left and the way
|
|
towards <b>The Slide</b> on the right. Further along, the small connection with The
|
|
Slide enters from the right. QMs [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-84" name=qC2001-204-84>C2000-204-84 C</A>]
|
|
and [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-84" name=qC2001-204-84>C2000-204-84 C</A>]
|
|
may be found on the right wall. A pitch on the left [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-92" name=qC2001-204-92>C2000-204-92</A>]
|
|
is surrounded by a lot of very
|
|
loose boulders; rocks fall for a considerable distance, but no attempt was made
|
|
to desecend due to the loose debris. Across the top of the pitch are two slots
|
|
looking into <b>Chicago Chicanes</b>. Continuing along Swings passage, the entrance to
|
|
Chicago Chicanes is on the left and a short unpromising QM on the right [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-83" name=qC2001-204-83>C2000-204-83 C</A>].</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>A little further along, a phreatic tube slopes down to the left. This passes
|
|
through a small chamber and develops a stream in a deep, narrow slot in the
|
|
floor before choking in earth. This passage may in fact be [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-82" name=qC2001-204-82>C2000-204-82 C</A>]
|
|
or this QM may in fact exist as a separate lead on the left wall of the main swings passage; the survey notes are somewhat unclear.
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>A series of small holes in the right hand wall interconnect, with a
|
|
possible, uninviting, way on through tight, sharp vadose passage. [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-80" name=qC2001-204-80>C2000-204-80 C</A>]
|
|
[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-81" name=qC2001-204-81>C2000-204-81 C</A>]
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>At the end of Swings passage, a very loose rubble slope leads up to
|
|
<b>Suspended Solution</b>, and so on towards the 204d entrance. Mid-way up the
|
|
slope, a traverse (rope advised) round a nose of rock is possible. This leads
|
|
one to the base of a climb (not yet done) up to where water can be heard and a
|
|
large passage continues [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-79" name=qC2001-204-79>C2000-204-79 C</A>]. Alternatively, traversing futher to the right from the
|
|
base of the climb leads to a steeply sloping, cleanwashed phreatic tube. This
|
|
heads both up and down and may be the connection to <b>Helter Skelter</b> [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-78" name=qC2001-204-78>C2000-204-78 B</A>].</p>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H4>The Slide</H4>
|
|
|
|
<p>A large passage to the right quickly narrows up a rubble slope to a
|
|
drafting, but otherwise unprommising QM [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-94" name=qC2001-204-94>C2001-204-94 B</A>].
|
|
Before the slope, a passage entering from the left leads to <b>The Slide</b> passages.</P>
|
|
|
|
<p>The Slide passages are upwardly sloping phreatics, mainly clean washed. Soon
|
|
after entering the slide, a small passage on the left connects back to the main
|
|
Swings trunk passage. Heading on up the slope past a couple of small loops and a small aven [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-86" name=qC2001-204-86>C2001-204-86 X</A>]
|
|
brings one to a window onto a very large shaft whoose roof [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-89" name=qC2001-204-89>C2001-204-89 X</A>]
|
|
is not visible, down the pitch leads to <b>Merry Go Round</b>. At the corner before the pitch, a small passage leads of but quickly chokes. The holes on the right, [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-91" name=qC2001-204-91>C2001-204-91 B</A>] and
|
|
[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-87" name=qC2001-204-87>C2001-204-87 B</A>], probably connect back into Merry Go Round.
|
|
</P>
|
|
|
|
<h4>Merry Go Round</H4>
|
|
|
|
<img class=onright src="rigging/mgr.png" alt="D Merry Go Round Rigging Guide">
|
|
<p> The first pitch of Merry Go Round is rigged with a backup and Y hang, and
|
|
the rope lies against the wall for 13m till a rebelay, which allows a clear
|
|
hang to the floor. The floor is a a slope of loose boulders, heading towards a
|
|
hole in the floor. It is advisable to stay on the rope whilst traversing this;
|
|
going over a large wedged boulder leads to the second pitch, a Y hang, giving
|
|
a free hang to the floor. At this point the passage becomes more of a rift,
|
|
and the ceiling is still not visible, which starts slightly further upstream
|
|
than where the ropes hangs down to. In the rain, water comes down the top end
|
|
of the rift, from the hole in the floor of the chamber above, and
|
|
disappears down a very small rift. </p>
|
|
|
|
<p>5m from the bottom of the secnd pitch,
|
|
the third pitch starts, with a traverse line and a short drop down to the main Y
|
|
hang. A couple of deviations pull the rope away from the wall; below these,
|
|
it was too wet to continue rigging in the wet. The pitch continues down past a
|
|
couple of deviations, just above obvious places where the wall is undercut.
|
|
The floor of this pitch is jagged boulders, which form a slight slope. The
|
|
walls have large (10-20cm) Bivalves protruding from them. Up slope a small
|
|
rift twists round to a chamber, linked by a window to the main shaft. Down
|
|
slope leads to a narrow rift, which has a very small slot in the floor. At the
|
|
end of this, a natural thread in the roof (all the rock is like cottage
|
|
cheese), which allows a vertical squeeze to be rigged. The squeeze is not too
|
|
bad, and has a convient ledge below to stand on. Just below the squeeze, a rope
|
|
protector is useful for the remaining few meters of descent into a rift type
|
|
chamber. The way on continues via the fifth pitch, from a Y-hang, descending
|
|
down more rift, before the chamber becomes more shaft-like and a deviation,
|
|
allows descent to the floor. Going downstream, the passage becomes keyhole
|
|
shaped, with puddles on the ground; the passage turns left, and a crumbly
|
|
looking rift continues onwards [<A href="qm.shtml#C2002-204-07"
|
|
name=qC2002-204-07>C2002-204-07 A</A>],
|
|
|
|
<h4>Chicago Chicanes</H4>
|
|
|
|
<b>Chicago Chicanes</b> doubles back on the main passage. A series of rubble filled
|
|
pot-holes leads to a chamber with a high aven [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-92" name=qC2001-204-92>C2000-204-92</A>]
|
|
and slits up on the right wall
|
|
back into the main passage. Beyond the chamber, a hole in the floor leads to
|
|
two small rift passages, left an unpromising QM [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-99" name=qC2001-204-99>C2000-204-99 B</A>]
|
|
, an right probably linking into
|
|
the pitch head at the start of <b>Juicy Bits</b>. Climbing up and over the hole leads
|
|
to more pot-holes and a boulder choke. Carefully negotiating the boulders and
|
|
through a narrow slot brings one back to Juicy Bits.</P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<h3>Suspended Solution</h3>
|
|
|
|
<P><b>Suspended Solution</b> is a solution tube at the top of the rubble slope at the
|
|
end of Swings Passage. When scaling this slope, care is needed as if too much
|
|
rubble is kicked down it will be difficult to climb up into the tube. Also, the
|
|
(much larger) boulders at the top of the slope may be dislodged. Climbing up
|
|
through the tube brings one to the base of another scree slope. A sloping
|
|
passage to the right [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-76" name=qC2001-204-76>C2000-204-76 B</A>]
|
|
has been climbed for some distance but appears to go
|
|
nowhere.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>At the top of the scree slope, under a low arch, is a small chamber. A
|
|
hading rift on the right [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-75" name=qC2001-204-75>C2000-204-75 A</A>]
|
|
has been climbed for some distance. There is an
|
|
unpromising hole on the left. [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-77" name=qC2001-204-77>C2000-204-77 A</A>]
|
|
Straight ahead leads to a climb down (20' ladder
|
|
useful) into <b>Living Daylight Cavern</b>.</P>
|
|
|
|
<H3>Living Daylight Cavern and 204d</H3>
|
|
|
|
<img class=onright src="rigging/d.png" alt="D Entrance Pitches">
|
|
|
|
<P>This large chamber (11m diameter) has a boulder floor and what looked like a
|
|
dried stream floor. A possible QM [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-74" name=qC2001-204-74>C2000-204-74 B</A>]
|
|
in the left hand corner goes over boulders
|
|
into a small chamber. The way on is under a low arch across the chamber from
|
|
the ladder. A climb up reaches more space and becomes more serious [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-100"
|
|
name=qC2001-204-100>C2000-204-100 C</A>]. From the
|
|
arch, go left to within sight of the 204d entrance. The 7m climb up is bolted
|
|
at the top, or may be climbed from the bottom in the recess in the right hand
|
|
wall. Traversing over the top of the climb emerges in the base of a shake
|
|
hole.</p>
|
|
<img src="t/14entd.jpg" alt="204d entrance photo" />
|
|
|
|
<H3><A name=survey>Survey</A></H3>
|
|
<center><img src="swings.png" width=756 height=880 alt="Survey"></center>
|
|
|
|
<p><HR>
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
<p><ul>
|
|
<li><a href="204.shtml">Back to 204 index page</a>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|
|
|
|
|