expoweb/smkridge/161/136.htm

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<table border=0 width=100%>
<tr><th width=20% align=left><font size=+2>136</font></th>
<th width=60% align=center><font size=+2>Steinschlagschacht</font></th>
<th width=20% align=right><font size=+2>2/S +</font></th></tr>
</table></center>
<b>Altitude:</b> 1792m, Depth (to deepest point in 161) 534m<br>
<b>Location:</b> 136a: E 36374, N (52)82219, H 1795m<br>
136b:E 36378, N (52)82237, H 1789m<br>
136c:E 36382, N (52)82251, H 1790m<br>
136d:E 36388, N (52)82252, H 1792m<br>
<br>135m on bearing of 66&deg; from Vorderer Schwarzmooskogel summit or 123m
East and 55m north of the summit.
136b is 22m N of 136a, 136c is 28m N of 136a, 136d is 35m NNE of 136a.
All entrances on same shelf. 136b &c are holes in shelf, 136d is large (15x10m) funnel-shaped hole just over 1m ridge (so not obvious from normal route).
<p><a name="ent">Relocated</a> in 1996. From
main summit, drop down east to a bare limestone shelf. Follow this ~NE for
some way (c 200m) until a way down east again reaches a small group of
holes/shafts/rifts (CUCC 1997-07, 209, 136c, 136b).
Cross this area south, initially keeping close below a small cliff to
your right. After passing 136b, 136a is a little off to the left (east) of
the cliff at the south end of the karren shelf. (See area map in NotKH survey
book p88-89). The entrance is in a depression and is
marked by, and under, a large (3m cubicish) boulder with a faint (in
1996) '136' painted on the S side, and a Tag.
<p><center><a href="l/jh97-2.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 58k" src="t/jh97-2.jpg" width=225 height=150
hspace=20></a></center>
<p>From Top Camp, proceed via the 161 approach up to the point
(immediately past 1623/147) where a short climb down through the bunde
drops onto a large, wide, grassy area perhaps 200m before reaching Vd1
and 30m higher. Cross the grassy patch, contouring around the hill and
then take the 3rd steep grassy bank up to the right, through some bunde
(this is not the most obvious slope). Climb up to the limestone shelf
above and then continue contouring around the hill at roughly the same
level for a further 300m to the entrance.
<p>1983 description is : shaft -194m. The bottom was reached in 1984, at
depths variously estimated -240m, -260m and -285m, when the rift became too
narrow. 1983 survey (which was never drawn up) only goes to -194m.
<h3><a name="136p1" href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>
rigging</h3>
<p><a href="fullsize/136elv.png"><img alt="Elevation - 26k GIF" width=300
height=709 align=left hspace=10 vspace=10 src="inline/136elv.png"></a><br>
<center><a href="l/jh97-3.htm"><img alt="Photo - 57k"
src="t/jh97-3.jpg" width=150 height=225 hspace=20></a>
</center>
<p>The rope (60m used in 1997, though this is not generous) for the first
pitch is belayed to the 3m boulder. A short drop from the surface (c.3m)
leads to the top of a steeply inclined boulder slope which is also very
loose. The head of the main entrance pitch hang used to be immediately at the
foot of this slope, however it has now been rigged from the right hand wall,
out of the immediate line-of-fire from the boulder slope. A traverse line of
around 10m at 30&deg; is rigged on the right hand wall to reach the pitch
head. The main hang is around 35m almost free-hanging, but for a minor
deviation about 8m below the pitch head.
<p><center><a name="p1" href="l/jh97-7.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 38k" src="t/jh97-7.jpg" width=148 height=225 hspace=20></a>
</center>
<p>From the foot of the entrance pitch, a fairly narrow slot with a short
climb down (c 1m) connects to a large boulder-strewn chamber. This chamber is
entered from the top left corner (standing looking down the slope) and the
main way on is around 10m down the slope, under a very large boulder towards
the right hand wall. At the foot of the chamber are two large holes of around
5m depth, one in each corner. One of these holes has a spit above it,
suggesting it was descended in 1983/4, however no descent was made of either
hole in 1997. It is speculated that these may connect to the second pitch at
a lower point than that used as the pitch head in 1997.
<h4><a name="136p2">Second</a> Pitch</h4>
<p>Returning to the main route down, the head of the second pitch is a belay
point on the right hand wall of the chamber immediately above a very large
perched boulder at "floor" level. A 130m rope was initially used here, though
some spare was later cut off. Beware of apparently sound footholds here as
they have a habit of falling off down the next 70m or so of the pitch series!
A rebelay is required just below the take-off point on the boulder to avoid
rubbing the edge of the block on the way up. This rebelay is particularly
awkward on the way up since the rope tends to pull into the crack between
wall and boulder. The shaft continues down more or less vertically for a
further 3 rebelays (50m) until the first substantial ledge is reached. (A
deviation is required below the 3rd rebelay from the pitch head to avoid an
otherwise serious rub just below the rebelay bolt).
<p><center><a href="l/jh97-9.htm"><img alt="Photo - 55k"
src="t/jh97-9.jpg" width=225 height=150 hspace=20></a><a href="l/jh9711.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 60k" src="t/jh9711.jpg" width=150 height=225 hspace=20></a>
</center>
<p>From this ledge, a further pitch descends, rigged from two bolts on the
left hand wall with an immediate deviation off the right hand wall.
Traversing ahead over the pitch, it appears that there is a parallel shaft
visible through an eyehole in the left hand wall. It is believed that this is
the shaft described as being accessed by a "desperate step across" which was
descended in 1984 and found to reconnect to the wet route lower down.
<p>Descending from the ledge, a further substantial ledge is reached after
c8m. On the way up it is advisable to cower under the overhanging wall of
this ledge to avoid exposing yourself to rocks dislodged by people on the
pitch above - the pitch head is especially loose.
<h4><a name="3rdp">Third Pitch</a></h4>
<p>From the ledge an awkward take-off to an almost immediate rebelay leads to
a connection with a wet shaft - the main source of water below this point.
The hang is fortunately almost dry, aided by a very wide rebelay about 12m
below the ledge. A further 15m hang reaches another large ledge where water
continues through a large slot in the floor at the foot of the pitch. It is
at this point that the two routes diverge into <a href="#wetdream">Wet
Dreams</a> (the way explored in 1983/4) and the <b>Eyehole Route</b>.
<h3><a name="eyehole">Eyehole</a> Route
(<a href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>)</h3>
<p>The Eyehole Route is to-date the main route in 136, leading eventually to
the 1997 connection with the <a href="fbl136.htm">Forbidden Land</a> in 161,
and the 2&frac12;km <a href="chile.htm">Chile</a> series, found in 1999.
<p>The eyehole is reached by means of a traverse over the slot in the floor
(through which the water disappears) and is the obvious large hole on the
right. A short horizontal rift, with a steeply-inclined hole in the floor,
connects to the head of the fourth pitch series. This pitch series is about
30m of dry shaft, broken by three ledges and landing on a much larger ledge
with a couple of large boulders jammed in the exit rift. A 54m rope was
sufficient in 1997. From the foot of the fourth pitch, the head of the fifth
is only a few metres away over the jammed boulders.
<p><a name="pitch4">The head of</a> the fifth pitch does an extremely good
job of hiding the enormous cavern into which it breaks some 10m below. Do not
be mistaken into believing that the floor, as it appears, is only 5m below
your feet, nor that your light will be even remotely adequate for ensuring
maximum exposure on the multiple hanging rebelays below. The pitch
starts with a large Y-hang across the rift at the pitch head.
<p><center><a href="l/jh9715.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 21k" src="t/jh9715.jpg" width=150 height=225 hspace=20></a>
</center>
<p><a name="over5">An airy</a> traverse around the corner to the left
(<a href="../../fixaid.htm#over5">rigged rope</a>) leads eventually to the
<a href="#footlight">Footlights Traverse</a>. (The eyehole immediately
opposite the pitch head connects with the climb around to the left).
<p>Below the Y-hang is a large, mud-covered outcrop of rock, over which you
must traverse before proceeding further to a very wide deviation, hated by
those with short legs, just below the muddy "floor". A further 5m descent
leads to a smallish ledge with another rock outcrop to cross to a hanging
rebelay on the left-hand wall. This point is around 60m above the floor of
the chamber and is where the <a href="#thegods">Gods' Traverse</a> begins.
A 35m rope was sufficient to reach this point in 1997.
<p><a name="theatre">Continuing</a> straight down from the rebelay, first a
parallel shaft is reached and the wall of the chamber becomes convex,
requiring another hanging rebelay 21m below the last. A further 24m hang
drops to a boulder floor at the top of a huge chamber - <b>The Theatre</b>.
The landing point for the main route into the Theatre is at the top of the
steeply inclined floor.
<p><center><a href="l/jh9719.htm">
<img alt="Photo - 38k" src="t/jh9719.jpg" width=150 height=200 hspace=20></a></center>
<p><a name="orchestral">Standing</a> at this point, looking down the slope of
the floor, an opening at the bottom of the chamber of the left-hand wall
leads to the <b>Orchestral Pit</b>. From the foot of the chamber up a short
(c 8m) climb over mud and boulders and then up another (c 8m) climb on steep
rock, leads to a small opening. (The rope has been left
<a href="../../fixaid.htm#opit">permanently rigged</a> on this climb). On the
right hand wall at the foot of the chamber is a boulder choke through which
it is possible to climb down around 10m. No recommendable leads were found
here. Immediately behind the landing point and around 30m higher up the wall
is the connection to the <a href="fbl136.htm">Forbidden Land</a> (161) which
must be reached via the God's Traverse.
<p><a name="exitsl">Proceeding</a> up the 16m climb from the floor of
the Theatre, a narrow opening leads to a precarious climb down the other
side (c.5m) over the top of a large wedged boulder in a rift chamber, <b>Exit Stage Left</b>. There is an aven in the roof of this chamber, which can be
descended as a pitch (the 30m continuation of Plughole Pitch) from the end of
the <a href="#footlight">Footlights Traverse</a>. A second aven is reached by
a short (c 3m) climb up opposite the entry climb. A small window (too small
for human access) in the left hand wall of the chamber connects to the
undescended pitch accessible from the <a href="#plughole">rock bridge</a> 18m
down Plughole pitch, 26m above. Rocks can also be thrown in through a small
gap in the boulder floor. This pitch continues below this level.
<p>In the Orchestral Pit, a number of wet shafts connect from the ceiling in
addition to a number of dry avens. The dry avens nearest to the Forbidden
Land have been connected to an eyehole on the God's Traverse around 15m
above the connection to <a href="fbl136.htm#ealgor">Elin Algor</a>. The
floor of the Orchestral Pit has a number of pools and also a considerable
amount of brown powdery mud, similar to that found in the horizontal areas of
Kaninchenh&ouml;hle such as <a href="offffr.htm#mmudpie">Mississippi Mud
Pie</a>, <a href="triasp.htm#triasp">Triassic Park</a> etc. , of which
the majority of 136 is devoid. No leads were found in the Orchestral Pit.
<h3><a name="thegods">The Gods'</a> Traverse
(<a href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>)</h3>
<p>The earlier (and lower) of two impressive traverse routes off the fifth
pitch, The Gods' Traverse heads NE towards Kaninchenh&ouml;hle, to which
it eventually connects.
<p><a href="l/godst.htm"><img alt="Photo - 48k jpeg" width=150 height=200
align=left hspace=10 vspace=10 src="t/godst.jpg"></a>
<p>From the hanging rebelay 10m below the head of the 5th pitch (on Eyehole
Route), a short (4m) descent with a swing leads to a small muddy sloping
ledge, with precipitous drop. A bolt in the middle of the traverse "protects"
a caver who teeters around the ledge and up a short (c.2m) climb over a
corner bulge onto the main face of the traverse. This roughly horizontal
section is about 12m in length across a slab of limestone inclined at 70 - 80
&deg;. Should your lighting equipment allow, you will be able to admire the
enormous vertical rock-face which forms the opposite wall of the Theatre and
the precipitous drop to the floor 40+ metres below. Hand holds (barring the
rope) are non-existent on the second half of the traverse and most foot
ledges were of the disposable type (single use only), now long gone. At the
far end of the traverse a hanging rebelay just over the edge of the wall
leads, with a wide swing, to a large eyehole on the opposite wall. A short
(15m) pitch against the wall on the outside of the hole leads to a large
muddy sloping ledge at the back of which is a hole into narrow traversy
passage. This is the final impressive overlook reached in
<a href="fbl136.htm#ealgor">Elin Algor</a> from the Forbidden Land in
Kaninchenh&ouml;hle in 1996. The whole of the pitch - traverse - pitch
to this point was <a href="../../fixaid.htm#gods">left rigged</a>.
<p>Back through the eyehole, a couple of pitches lead eventually to the
Orchestral Pit.
<h3><a name="footlight">Fifth pitch and Footlights</a> Traverses
(<a href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>)</h3>
<p>The later traverse route off the fifth pitch (starting at the pitch
head, some 10m higher than the Gods'). This heads generally SW, and is
in two sections, split by a 16m pitch. The lower section is strictly
the Footlights traverse, but the name has been applied to the whole
route, causing some confusion.
<p>A short, unobvious (<a href="../../fixaid.htm#over5">roped</a>)
traverse, <b>Service Duct</b>, starts from the left hand side of the Y hang
at the head of the fifth pitch. It goes left round the corner into a
window, then climbs up 3m above a deep hole to a lip into a chamber with
a large hole in the steeply sloping floor that drops down near the start
of <a href="#thegods">Traverse of the Gods</a>. Traversing to the right
of this chamber, past an eyehole with a view back to the Y hang, a pitch (<b>Ventilation Shaft</b> p.16, 1 bolt rebelay, -5m) descends to the
<b>Box</b>, a platform with a fine view to the left across the Theatre to
the Gods' Traverse. Looking out and to the right from the Box is the
start of <b>Footlights Traverse</b>.
<p><a name="foottrav">This airy,</a> diagonal, section around and down the
south-western corner of the Theatre, 30m off the floor was <a
href="../../fixaid.htm#footl">left rigged</a> after the 1997 expedition, but
in 1999 was deemed easy enough to rig afresh on each expedition, so the rope
was taken off. Two bolt rebelays reach a Y hang, and descending from this a
window can be reached by an entertaining pendulum to reach a rift in the
wall. This window enters a choss-filled passage whose boulder floor is
apparently suspended above a void (traverse line recommended). An old
phreatic level was hypothesised to exist at a similar height to the
connection with Elin Algor, and this seems to correspond roughly to that
level, although at this point the morphology is a tall rift, passable at
various levels, with many windows, climbs and pitches, difficult to explore
exhaustively.
<p><a name="plughole">The passage</a> leads, after a 3m climb up and a 2m
climb down, to a narrow slot opening out into the spacious <b>Plughole
pitch</b> below, which drops 18m to a rock bridge.
<p>At the rock bridge the single shaft splits into three. An inlet enters
from an aven and goes down an undescended clean-washed shaft [99-xx A]. This
descends about 8m to a ledge where a slot drops at least 30m, past the choked
floor at the bottom of the Footlights pitch (determined by rocks thrown in
from two points below). This apparently does not connect (at least directly)
with the Orchestral Pit - rocks were not audible from there. The second of
the shafts is more like a 3m blind pit, of little interest.
<p>The third, and biggest, of the dry shafts is a further drop of 30 m (bolt,
tape deviation at -10m) and lands on the floor of
<a href="#exitsl">Exit Stage Left</a> (originally reached by the 16m climb up
from the Theatre).
<p>Across the rock bridge, over a few boulders and through a smallish
slot, is a short 5m pitch. This is the way on to
<a href="chile.htm">Chile</a>, 1999's major find.
<h3><a name="wetdream">Wet Dreams</a> (1983/4)</h3>
<p>Wet Dreams is the original route, explored first in 1983/4, but named in 1997 in memory of the anticipated connection with 161 by this route. In fact
no such connection has yet been found, but the shaft series has not yet been
bottomed and so it's still a possibility.
<p>Continuing from the foot of the <a href="#3rdp">third pitch</a> and
crossing the traverse to the point where the Eyehole Route diverges, a dry
hang is possible to the bottom of the rift down which the water disappears.
At the foot of this 15m pitch is a narrow rift, leading quickly to a further
12m pitch followed by another narrow rift to another pitch.
<p><a name="pfantasy">Around</a> the head of this pitch, <b>Phreatic
Fantasy</b> - so called because of the anticipated large sloping ramps
expected from a previous cave description - are a number of small, clean and
fairly uninteresting roof tubes, probably phreatic in origin. The shaft at
this point becomes roughly vertical and descends in a number of sections a
further surveyed 35m, becoming increasingly wet towards the bottom. From the
surveyed limit a further pitch of around 30m (estimated) can be seen
descending immediately below.
<h4>1983 rigging</h4>
<p>The split between Eyehole and Wet Dreams is about three quarters of the
way down what the 1983 description had as a broken shaft of c 100m. This was
in sections of 14m vertical, 24m sloping, 13m vertical to a ledge. Here a
desperate step across (worse on exit) attained a parallel shaft which
apparently connected back lower down. The main way dropped 9m sloping, 29m
vertical, to a 9m slope and a final 3m vertical to what is assumed to have
been the Phreatic Fantasy level - though the pitch lengths (mainly deduced
from survey data) don't correspond well with the 1997 experience and this may
be below the next pitch. 1983 figures put the next pitch as 17m sloping, then
15m vertical to a bolt at -194m, which may be a similar point to that reached
on this route in 1997, or not quite as deep.
<h4>1984 series</h4>
<p>A further drop is 5m to "a very bad bolt" and either 15m total, or a
further 15m from the bolt, to a spray lashed ledge with only one small alcove
in which to cower and brew up. A rift in the floor leads 6m to a rebelay and
a final 20-25m pitch into a chamber with two ways off. One was very tight to
an aven and small drop which stones indicate ends blind in mud floor after
c10m. The main way was a squeeze past a very large boulder, down a 10m pitch
to a stream which flows into the classic too-narrow draughting rift. Logbook
describes this as -260m, which fits with the non-existence of a 30m
"virtual" pitch which is believed to be the result of an ambiguity elsewhere
in the 1984 log book.
<p><b>Exploration:</b> CUCC 1983, 1984,
<a href="../../years/1997/index.htm">1997</a>,
<a href="../../years/1999/index.htm">1999</a>
<br><b>Survey:</b> 1983 Surface survey from Vord. Schwarzmooskogel (p1843)
<br>1997 Surface survey to 1623/147
<br>underground survey, CUCC 1983 to -194m (unpublished ?), and a new one in 1997
<hr>
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