diff --git a/core/views/caves.py b/core/views/caves.py
index 3884a1a..ae9cef7 100644
--- a/core/views/caves.py
+++ b/core/views/caves.py
@@ -347,36 +347,55 @@ def cavepage(request, karea=None, subpath=None):
     There are also A LOT OF URLS to e.g. /1623/161/l/rl89a.htm which are IMAGES and real html files
     in cave descriptions. These need to be handled HERE too (accident of history).
     """
- 
-    # lack of validation for karea, it could be any 4 digits.
+    
+    # lack of validation for karea, 162x
     # subpath has an initial /
     kpath = karea + subpath
-    # print(f" ! cavepage:'{kpath}' kataster area:'{karea}' rest of path:'{subpath}'")
-    try:
-        cave = Cave.objects.get(url=kpath)  # ideally this will be unique
-    except Cave.DoesNotExist:
-        # probably a link to text or an image e.g. 1623/161/l/rl89a.htm i.e. an expoweb page
-        # cannot assume that this is a simple cave page, for a cave we don't know.
-        # print(f" ! cavepage: url={kpath} A cave of this name does not exist")
-        return expo.expopage(request, kpath)
-    except Cave.MultipleObjectsReturned:
-        caves = Cave.objects.filter(url=kpath)
-        # print(f" ! cavepage: url={kpath} multiple caves exist")
-        # we should have a -several variant for the cave pages, not just the svxcaves:
-        return render(request, "svxcaveseveral.html", {"settings": settings, "caves": caves})
+    #print(f" ! cavepage:'{kpath}' kataster area:'{karea}' rest of path:'{subpath}'")
+    
+    caves = Cave.objects.filter(url=kpath)
+    if len(caves) == 1:
+        cave = caves[0]
+        return rendercave(request, cave, cave.slug())
 
-    try:
-        r = rendercave(request, cave, cave.slug())
-        return r
-    except NoReverseMatch:
-        if settings.DEBUG:
-            raise
+
+    # re do all this using pathlib functions
+    parts = subpath.strip("/").split("/")
+    if len(parts) > 5:
+        # recursive loop. break out of it.
+        subparts = parts[0].split(".")
+        caveid = subparts[0] 
+        slug = f"{karea}-{caveid}"
+        caves = Cave.objects.filter(caveslug__slug=slug)
+        if len(caves) == 1:
+            cave = caves[0]
+            return redirect(f"/{cave.url}")
         else:
-            message = f"Failed to render cave: {kpath} (it does exist and is unique) because of a Django URL resolution error. Check urls.py."
-            return render(request, "errors/generic.html", {"message": message})
-    except:
-        # anything else is a new problem. Add in specific error messages here as we discover new types of error
-        raise
+            return redirect(f"/caves")
+       
+    # BUGGER the real problem is the the cave descrit has embedded in it images like
+    # src="110/entrance.jpeg and since the cave url is now /1623/110/110.html
+    # the images try to load from /1623/110/110/entrance.jpeg and of course fail.
+    # THIS IS A HORRIBLE HACK
+            
+    if len(parts) == 1: # simple filename, no folders in path, need to insert caveid
+        subparts = parts[0].split(".")
+        caveid = subparts[0] 
+        k2path = karea +"/"+ caveid + subpath
+        return redirect(f"/{k2path}") # infinite loop
+    elif len(parts) >2:
+        if parts[0] == parts[1]: # double caveid
+            epath = karea 
+            for i in parts[1:]:
+                epath += "/" + i               
+            #print(f"{subpath=}\n  {epath=}")
+            return expo.expopage(request, epath)
+
+    # if either the first two parts are not /caveid/caveid/
+    # or the number of parts == 2, 
+    # print(f"2 {subpath=}")
+    epath = karea + "/" + subpath
+    return expo.expopage(request, epath)
 
 @login_required_if_public
 def edit_cave(request, path="", slug=None):
diff --git a/urls.py b/urls.py
index 5283849..a78167b 100644
--- a/urls.py
+++ b/urls.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ trogglepatterns = [
     re_path(r'^(?P<path>.*)/(?P<caveslug>[^/]+)_entrance_new$', edit_entrance, name = "newentrance"), # new entrance for a cave
 
     re_path(r'^(.*)_edit$',         editexpopage, name="editexpopage"),
-    re_path(r'^(?P<karea>\d\d\d\d)(?P<subpath>.*)$',   cavepage,  name="cavepage"), # shorthand /1623/264 or 1623/161/top.htm
+    re_path(r'^(?P<karea>162\d)(?P<subpath>.*)$',   cavepage,  name="cavepage"), # shorthand /1623/264 or 1623/161/top.htm
     # Note that urls eg '/1623/161/l/rl89a.htm' are handled by cavepage which redirects them to 'expopage'    
     # Note that _edit$ for a cave description page in a subfolder e.g. /1623/204/204.html_edit  gets caught here and breaks with 404