expoweb/smkridge/204/swings.shtml
2002-08-08 21:09:08 +02:00

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<HTML lang=en><HEAD><TITLE>1623:204 -- Swings and Roundabouts area</TITLE>
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<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>
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<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 QM12B, 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. Neither roof nor floor are visible; rocks fall for some 2-3
seconds.</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; 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>Pretty Bits</b>, which also has windows into the main chamber. Continuing over rocks,
a phreatic tube enters from <b>Juicy Bits</b> on the left; 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>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. A pitch on the left 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.</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.</P>
<P>A series of small holes in the right hand wall interconnect, with a
possible, uninviting, way on through tight, sharp vadose passage.</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. 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>.</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. 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
brings one to a window onto a very large shaft; neither floor nor roof
are visible.</P>
<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 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, right an unpromising QM, an left 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 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 has been climbed for some distance. There is an
unpromising hole on the left. Straight ahead leads to a climb down (20' ladder
useful) into <b>Living Daylight Cavern</b>.</P>
<H3>Living Daylight Cavern and 204d</H3>
<P>This large chamber (11m diameter) has a boulder floor and what looked like a
dried stream floor. A possible QM 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. 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>
[<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-46" name=qC2001-204-46>C2000-204-46 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-47" name=qC2001-204-47>C2000-204-47 B</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-48" name=qC2001-204-48>C2000-204-48 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-49" name=qC2001-204-49>C2000-204-49 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-74" name=qC2001-204-74>C2000-204-74</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-75" name=qC2001-204-75>C2000-204-75 A</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-76" name=qC2001-204-76>C2000-204-76 B</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-77" name=qC2001-204-77>C2000-204-77 A</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-78" name=qC2001-204-78>C2000-204-78 B</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-79" name=qC2001-204-79>C2000-204-79 C</A>] [<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>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-82" name=qC2001-204-82>C2000-204-82 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-83" name=qC2001-204-83>C2000-204-83 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-84" name=qC2001-204-84>C2000-204-84 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-85" name=qC2001-204-85>C2000-204-85 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-86" name=qC2001-204-86>C2000-204-86 X</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-87" name=qC2001-204-87>C2000-204-87 B</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-88" name=qC2001-204-88>C2000-204-88 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-89" name=qC2001-204-89>C2000-204-89 X</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-90" name=qC2001-204-90>C2000-204-90 A</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-91" name=qC2001-204-91>C2000-204-91 B</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-92" name=qC2001-204-92>C2000-204-92</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-93" name=qC2001-204-93>C2000-204-93 X</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-94" name=qC2001-204-94>C2000-204-94 B</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-95" name=qC2001-204-95>C2000-204-95 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-96" name=qC2001-204-96>C2000-204-96 A</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-97" name=qC2001-204-97>C2000-204-97 X</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-98" name=qC2001-204-98>C2000-204-98 C</A>] [<A href="qm.shtml#C2001-204-99" name=qC2001-204-99>C2000-204-99 B</A>]
<H3><A name=survey>Survey</A></H3>
<center><img src="swings.png" width=756 height=880 alt="Survey"></center>
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