expoweb/smkridge/161/top.htm

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<title>1623/161 Kaninchenh&ouml;hle overview</title>
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<center><table border=0 width=100%>
<tr><th width=20% align=left><font size=+2>161</font></th>
<th width=60% align=center><font size=+2 lang=de>Kaninchenh&ouml;hle</font></th>
<th width=20% align=right><font size=+2>5/S/E &times;</font></th></tr>
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<p>Altitude: 1787m (at 161a), Depth 534m, Length 24485m after 1999 expedition
<a name="entrances">Location</a>: <ul>
<li><a href="bsains.htm#161a">161a</a> 13&deg; 48' 50&quot; E, 47&deg; 40' 40&quot; N
<li>161a E 36467, N (52)82627, H 1787
<li><a href="offtop.htm#161b">161b</a> E 36498, N (52)82540, H 1749
<li><a href="france.htm#161c">161c</a> E 36508, N (52)82552, H 1750
<li><a href="sftotp.htm#161d">161d</a> E 36858, N (52)82413, H 1620
<li><a href="icelnd.htm#161e">161e</a> E 37122, N (52)82824, H 1663
<li><a href="pheast.htm#161f">161f</a> E 37098, N (52)82774, H 1664
<!-- a description inwards from 161f is needed, then change that link -->
<li><a href="136.htm">136</a> E 36379, N (52)82216, H 1792m (linked 1997)
</ul>
<p>On the limestone ridge between the <span lang=de-at>Hinterer</span> and
<span lang=de-at>Vorderer Schwarzmooskogels</span>, about 200 metres up
towards the <span lang=de-at>Hinterer</span> from the col, and
about 20m down the east side of the ridge itself. The main
<a href="bsains.htm#161a">161a</a> entrance shaft overlooks a gully
dropping steeply SE towards <span lang=de-at>Augstwies See</span>. The
<a href="offtop.htm#161b">161b</a> and <a href="france.htm#161c">161c</a>
(French) entrances are close together about 75m to the SE, down the gully.
Considerably further down the gully, a traverse is possible (somewhat
engineered) to reach an area of recently fallen rock, where the "Scarface"
<a href="sftotp.htm#161d">161d</a> entrance is located. Continuing the
traverse, but regaining about 20m of height to the NE, the "exits" of 161f
and then 161e can be reached.
<p>Rather than adopting the usual approach of describing every side passage
in the main description, which makes the 'normal' descent route hard to
follow, this description describes each main route down the cave first,
mentioning side passages only where necessary to make the correct main route
clear. Various side passages and connecting routes are described
subsequently, area by area. The directions left and right are always relative
to travel in the direction of the description, compass directions are given
where there is any ambiguity. Most passages are described going 'into the
cave', on the assumption that this is how they will be first met. Some
passages are described in both directions, either because it is difficult to
follow them without getting into side leads, or because they form important
links between different parts of the system, and may be traversed either way
on various round trips.
<p>The <b>clickable index</b> has developed into a
<a href="names.htm">glossary</a>, which it is hoped will make it easier to
find bits of the cave by name - <b>be warned</b>, this became so big that
it was decided to split it up and it is now a <b>framed</b> page.
<p>There are also <a href="pix.htm">virtual tours</a>, containing thumbnails
of all the pictures of the caves. Although these pages are kept small, all
the photos mean that they can require a <b>lot</b> of memory to load. The
original comprehensive tour has been split into two, for the
<a href="pixrh.htm">Right Hand Route</a>, and for passages most conveniently
reached from the <a href="pixsf.htm">Scarface entrance</a>. Two new tours
have been created for the <a href="pixlw.htm">Lost World</a> and Wheelchair
Access, and for the new way into the Forbidden Land via
<a href="pixss.htm"><span lang=de>Steinschlagschacht</span></a>.Each thumbnail on these tours
links to a full-size version of the picture, and each full-size picture has
links into the appropriate bit of the description.
<h3>Exploration</h3>
<p>Throughout the guide, the date of exploration is noted for each area.
There is a <a href="histry.htm">history</a> page which can be used as a
clickable index into the logbook write ups of all the 161 trips, so
it should be easy to follow the exploration of any part of the cave.
<b>Warning</b>, this was also getting too big and is now framed.
<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>The upper part of the system can be best thought of as a number of
separate areas, each with its own vertical development. The more recently
found extensive horizontal development, being easier to traverse, is
generally better connected. Although there are various links between the
vertical routes, a given destination will tend to have one 'obvious'
approach. These areas are <a href="france.htm">France</a>, the
<a href="lhr.htm">Left Hand Routes</a>, the <a href="rhr.htm">Right Hand
Routes</a>, the southernmost part of the system reached via
<a href="136.htm"><span lang=de>Steinschlagschacht</span></a>,
routes from <a href="sftotp.htm">Scarface</a> entrance. So rapidly has
exploration proceeded from Triassic Park that now more than half the total
length is most conveniently reached via 161d.
<p>The key to all the deepest and most remote parts of the system is
the huge collapse chamber of Knossos. This was reached from the 161a
entrance via the Right Hand Route, and now via the 161d
<a href="sftotp.htm#161d">"Scarface"</a> entrance through
<a href="triasp.htm#triasp">Triassic Park</a>. This provides a much easier
route in, making trips to the further reaches less strenuous. From Knossos,
horizontal trunk passage leads north, giving access first to a series of
<a href="deepwy.htm">deep vertical systems</a>, and further on to complex
areas of rifts and old passages. A significant horizontal route leading
northwest, <a href="sibria.htm#siberia">Siberia</a>, has only been pushed as
a result of the new entrance, but has yielded a new deep point to the cave.
There appear to be deep vertical leads in the far north, too, though they
have mostly been avoided by a series of "mental" tyroleans and bolt
traverses.
<h2>Tourist trips</h2>
<p>It is still probably some way off the time when one might choose a
tourist trip on the basis of its "classic" quality. Mostly, choices
available depend on what is rigged this year for exploratory purposes.
This will usually only include one main route into an area, so trips
like a Left Hand Route / Garden Party or Drunk &amp; Stupid exchange
will not be easy. Similarly, the original classic Right Hand Route /
Dreamtime exchange was only really possible during the exploration of
the latter, before the Squeeze was bypassed and this modified RHR
became the trade route.
<p>However, now that <a href="sibria.htm#knossos">Knossos</a> is accessible
from the Scarface entrance, this has opened up the possibilities for a whole
raft of pull-through trips with a minimum of pre-rigging. The one fly in the
ointment is the relative difficulty of surface travel between the 161d and
upper entrances. The route used in 1996 seems to be good enough to have
become a trade route, and after one benightment through loss of the route in
1997, it has been very well marked with cairns.
<p>Already possible is the 161c to 161d through trip via France. In the
future, pull-throughs of LHR, Garden Party or Drunk and Stupid should all be
possible via Ambidextrous. Right Hand Route or Dreamtime give access to
Knossos. Care must be taken, however, not to try rapelling down any of the
plethora of routes which <b>don't</b> connect into the Knossos area.
<p>As in the more famous <b lang=fr>Dent du Crolles</b> system, route-finding
errors on bridge-burning trips could entail a long wait for someone to figure
out where you went !
<h2>Structure</h2>
<p><a href="svlinx.htm">Line plots</a> of the cave give some idea of it's
shape, extent and structure.
<p>The main entrance at 1787m drops to a major sub-horizontal level at
1720-1750m, containing the large passages of <a href="bsains.htm#bigsain">Big
Sainsbury's</a> and its continuation into the upper part of <a
href="dream.htm#dreamtime">Dreamtime</a>, and the smaller passages of the <a
href="offtop.htm#rabbitw">Rabbit Warren</a> and the French entrances <a
href="offtop.htm#161b">161b</a> and <a href="france.htm#161c">161c</a>. From
this level a number of vertical routes drop to another significant
sub-horizontal level dipping from around 1700m in the SW of the system
(upper part of France) to around 1600m where this level is lost in the roof
of <a href="sibria.htm#knossos">Knossos</a>. [This is probably debatable, as
Boulder Alley from Poxy Pitch downwards is probably in a fault rift].
<p>Multiple, predominantly vertical, routes drop to the cave's most important
sub-horizontal passages around 1540m in the area below the entrance dipping
to c1510m in <a href="sibria.htm#tblocks">Tower Blocks</a> and the start of
<a href="sibria.htm#yapate">YAPATE</a>. This is a major fossil passage rising
up the dip to the NNE, and continuing as <a href="sibria.htm#cfn">Chicken
Flied Nice</a> to c1540m where complexity increases. The major horizontal
development in France is entered at c1550m, with the lowest passages down to
1480m. The major trunk route through Triassic Park is between 1560 and 1620m,
and this level is also lost in what is presumed to be the roof of Knossos.
<p>Whilst none of the routes below the entrance area get below about 1480m,
there are a series of interconnecting shafts dropping below YAPATE and
Chicken Flied Nice ending at or just above 1290m in sumps or tightness. The
original deepest point, at the bottom of Flapjack, is at 1289m, 498m below
the main entrance. Passages to the northwest led through a bitterly cold,
draughty passage known as <a href="sibria.htm#siberia">Siberia</a>, which was
left well alone until access via 161d made it easier. It was pushed in 1997
and 1998 down two very large pitches to a new deep point 534m below the 136
entrance at 1258m altitude.
<p>There is just one section of <a href="deepwy.htm#elevel">horizontal
level</a> at c1400m, which is not very extensive to date, and similarly a
tantalising glimpse of what appears to have been very large trunk passage
below 1300m in Siberia, but this is comprehensively choked in both
directions.
<p>This overview is currently mostly updated to reflect exploration to 1995,
though the line plots are up to 1996.
<p><b>Exploration</b>: CUCC 1988-98<br>
<hr>
<!-- LINKS -->
<img src="../../../icons/lists/0.png" alt="&gt;">
<a href="names.htm">Glossary of passage names</a> (framed)<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/0.png" alt="&gt;">
Maintenance list of <a href="../../fixaid.htm#kh">Fixed Ropes</a><br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/0.png" alt="&gt;">
Question marks:<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/1.png" alt="---&gt;">
<a href="qmtodo.htm">outstanding</a><br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/1.png" alt="---&gt;">
<a href="qmdone.htm">now finished</a><br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/0.png" alt="&gt;">
Virtual tours (pages of pictures - big):<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/1.png" alt="---&gt;">
the <a href="pixrh.htm">Right Hand Route</a> from 161a<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/1.png" alt="---&gt;">
<a href="pixsf.htm">Triassic Park</a> etc. from 161d<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/1.png" alt="---&gt;">
the <a href="pixlw.htm">Lost World</a> and Wheelchair Access;<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/1.png" alt="---&gt;">
the new way into the Forbidden Land via <a href="pixss.htm">Steinschlagschacht</a>.<br>
<img src="../../../icons/lists/0.png" alt="&gt;">
<a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expedition Intro page</a><br>
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<a href="../../infodx.htm">Index to info/topic pages</a><br>
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<a href="../../areas.htm">Area/subarea descriptions</a><br>
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