Stellerweghöhle Question mark list

An attempt has been made to classify these chronologically, so that the numbering of newly found QMs can start from 1 each year, and no QM ever changes its number. Prefix X0000-41- indicates deduced pre-CUCC QM. Leads found by CUCC are prefixed C<year>-41- under the system introduced in 1999.

Key:

Quality Grades: see documentation at QM conventions.

Probably seriously incomplete, especially for 1983-85.

X0000-41-00 X Entrance 41a/b [leads to CUCC and German routes & all the rest :-]
X0000-115-01 X Entrance 115 [led to choke dug by CUCC]
X0000-115-02 X Stone-filled crawl inside 115 [led to rest of cave]
X0000-41-03 * Traverse pitch in 'German Route' [allegedly blind after 28m]
X0000-41-04 X Shaft at end in 'German Route' [led allegedly to -220m]
X0000-41-05 C Up left in first ramp crossed on 'German Route'
X0000-41-06 B Down right in first ramp crossed on 'German Route'
X0000-41-07 C Up left in second ramp crossed on 'German Route'
X0000-41-08 B Down right in second ramp crossed on 'German Route'
C1980-41-00 X Left turn inside 41a entrance [led to CUCC route]
C1980-41-01 C First ramp traversed over in 41a CUCC route [probably to German Route 00-41-05]
C1980-41-02 C Uphill ramp where main way turns right along dip (must be near surface)
C1980-41-03 C Second ramp traversed in CUCC route [probably to German Route 00-41-07]
C1980-41-04 C Small uphill passage on left at corner after second traverse
C1980-41-05 B Third ramp traversed in CUCC route
C1980-41-06 C Small uphill passage to left by big boulders after third traverse
C1980-41-07 B Fourth ramp traversed in CUCC route
C1980-41-08 B Down passage to right after fourth ramp (probably to same place)
C1980-41-09 C Left (uphill) leads to T-jn. T-left
C1980-41-10 C T-right
C1980-41-11 B Fifth ramp down in CUCC route
C1980-41-12 C Uphill to left after fifth ramp
C1980-41-13 X Last ramp down (serious traverse) [led to base of pitch, same as C1980-41-14]
C1980-41-14 X Pitch after last ramp [led to C1980-41-16/17]
C1980-41-15 B Continuation of high-level over pitch
C1980-41-16 X Ramp down to chamber from pitch [led to way on to Big Pitch]
C1980-41-17 X Ramp up under pitch [led to C1982-142-34 at NE end 142 Big Chamber]
C1980-41-18 C Joint plane down dip from chamber below 1st pitch
C1980-41-19 C Climb down through squeeze from chamber below 1st pitch to vadose canyon
C1980-41-20 B First ramp up NE then NW from chamber
C1980-41-21 X Second (narrow) ramp up from chamber [led to way on to Big Pitch]
C1980-41-22 B Right turn reached from down narrow ramp right from C1980-41-21
C1980-41-23 A First ramp down at corner below descent ramp from C1980-41-21 (est. 25m drop)
C1980-41-24 A Second ramp down (nasty traverse, est. 25m drop)
C1980-41-25 X Downhill in first huge ramp [routes to Big Pitch]
C1980-41-26 B Uphill in first huge ramp (two ways to same place)
C1980-41-27 X Right turn off uphill in first huge ramp [leads to second huge ramp]
C1980-41-28 ? Downhill in 2nd huge ramp - description fails around here but more in 82
C1980-41-29 B Uphill in small inlet (above second huge ramp ?)
C1980-41-30 X Right via small pitch from descent of C1980-41-25 [original way to Big Pitch]
C1980-41-31 X Left via two small pitches from descent of C1980-41-25 [new way to Big Pitch]
C1980-41-32 X Hole in wall near bottom of Big Pitch [reached from 1623/88]
C1980-41-33 X Chimney in right wall 20m downstream from Big Pitch [way in from 144]
C1980-41-34 A Climb to passage on left 10m downstream from Big Pitch
C1980-41-35 X Downstream in sharp passage [main way on]
C1980-41-36 B Large (2.5m dia + trench?) passage on right (no draught, never entered)
C1980-41-37 C Possible roof traverse(s) above tight pitch(es)
C1980-41-38 X Continuation of Big Rift [main way on 1981]
C1980-41-39 ? Area at start of Stalaglufthöhle - missed route on to Big Pitch ?
C1980-41-40 C Continuation of canyon after sloping traverse, end series, German route
C1980-41-41 C Continuation of 'dried out sump' crawl beyond window right
C1980-41-42 C Hole down traversed after climb down from window
C1980-41-43 C Tiny exit from chamber below 20m alternative pitch after initial p6m, p18m
C1980-41-44 C Tight drop at limit of German route 'Stalaglufthöhle'
C1980-115-45 C Hopeless choke at bottom of initial passage in 115 (not the one dug)
C1980-115-46 X Hole opposite initial 7m pitch [reaches blind roof passage]
C1980-115-47 X Climb up on right in 115 initial passage [main way on, found at end]
C1980-41-48 X Right at phreatic tube broken into by Der Igel [chokes, shat in]
C1980-41-49 X Obvious traverse off 10m down blind Rift Pitch (Baker's Bungle) [way on]
C1981-115-00 X Inlet above Ramp at Baker's Bungle [up cascades, then ends]
C1981-115-01 B Obvious (but lethally unsafe) black space ahead below Ramp
C1981-115-02 B Narrow rift below rebelay at the Col (crapped into)
C1981-115-03 ? Possible way on beyond pitch into Big Chamber (but probably not)
C1981-115-04 ? Aven at end of 60m upstream from Big Chamber, shown on survey. Description, however, says inlet sump.
C1981-115-05 C Aven beyond short crawl through hole in wall from food dump in 115 Big Chanber.
C1981-115-06 B Continuation traverse above Purgatory (too hard)
C1981-41-07 C Upstream at the Confluence below Purgatory (thought to divide - all tributaries too small to follow)
C1981-41-08 X Downstream continuation at silly depth [way on 1982]
C1981-115-09 X Left turn from traverse level just downstream of Big Chamber [ends - may =81-41-05 - or is this way to Futility Series?]
C1981-115-10 X Right where traverse gets too hard at C1981-115-05 [into phreatic maze area]
C1981-115-11 X Right from junction in phreatic maze after low arch [now Purgatory Bypass]
C1981-115-12 X Steeply rising continuation right from Cairn Junction [original link 41/115, joins C1981-41-11]
C1981-115-13 A Continuation left from Cairn Junction (may be several passages here)
C1981-41-14 B Follow stream below traverse right from Junction Chamber
C1981-41-15 ? Continuation of traverse over stream (may not exist)
C1981-115-16 C Descent to the stream from Cairn Junction
C1981-115-17 A Left turn 16m before 115 main passage, when coming from 41, mentioned in Journal, and quite clear on both sketch grade 1 of whole of this level and the grade 5 notes. This is a genuine QM. *Unless* its the steeply rising tube which loops back.

Some of these QMs are rather spurious - they only existed for a few days during expo at most. On the other hand, the original survey notes are showing up some more QMs, not yet formally in the list:

Hole down to sound of water at second junction with passage leading to Cairn Junction
Hole to sound of water in Bypass well before Junction Chamber

There may be other QMs here - the descriptions/survey from each end (41 and 115) don't quite gel. We don't have the UBSS survey data for this connection area, and once the main way on was open, this area was never looked at again.

C1981-41-18 X Phreatic passage left from 15m climb up at Junction Chamber "cucc/UBSS 1981" [main way back to stream avoiding Purgatory]
Other ways on from this passage (Dartford Tunnel) were not noted in 1981, so have 1982 numbers
C1981-41-19 C Descent to stream below traverse in passage right from Junction Chamber
C1981-41-20 C First big aven in passage right from Junction Chamber climb
C1981-41-21 C Terminal big aven in passage right from Junction Chamber climb
C1981-41-22 B Continuation in sump bypass in lower streamway
C1981-41-23 B Stream inlet on right between sump and 12' climb
C1981-41-24 B Stream inlet on left just before Subtle approach
C1982-41-00 B Downhill crawl on right at start of Dartford Tunnel
C1982-41-01 B Inaccessible passage up on left, 40m down Dartford Tunnel
C1982-41-02 B Another one 20m further on
C1982-41-03 C Possible penetration down tight rift in floor of Dartford Tunnel
C1982-41-04 B Passage high on left at cross-rift where main route goes right
C1982-41-05 C Aven in inlet at end of right turn where cross-rift hits T-junction
C1982-41-06 C Passage right at 4m climb down in P.B. to low mud/boulder area
C1982-41-07 ! Possible ways into vadose floor slots at various points along Purgatory Bypass, some with sound of stream.
C1982-41-08 C Wet aven in alcove to left in last section of Purgatory Bypass
C1982-41-09 C Aven on right a bit further on
C1982-41-10 B Ways down into stream rift below "cucc/UBSS 1981" traverse
C1982-41-11 C Continuation of Camp passage as traverse above Purgatory ?
C1982-41-12 A Possible traverse right where descent to Confluence starts (hairy - mud.)
C1982-41-13 B 25m+ climb up Köln Dom (not attempted)
C1982-41-14 B Echo Aven (reached by hard climb, another climb to go)
C1982-41-15 B Roof passage from sharp left bend before 7m pitch below Confluence "Dry Purgatory" (entered, unclear if it ends)
C1982-41-16 B Cascade inlet (on right on survey, on left in description) downstream of short sump in main streamway
C1982-41-17 C Terminal sump - but only an idiot would dive this.
C1982-41-18 C Small choked tube with no draught above final sump.
Other QMs around C1980-41-28 were found in 1982, but I've currently mislaid the sketching of this area. Published descriptions are very confusing hereabouts.

"132" discovered 31st July 1982, entered 1st August, only really pushed to the pitch and the Big Chamber - "all" surveying done 1983. Properly called 1623/142, but may be 1623/115g in Austrian's books... There are stupid numbers of QMs in here, all of which will probably link together. The "survey" shows at least 31 QMs which must have been seen in 1982, and fifteen more for 1983, but the sketching I have (which looks nothing like the drawn up survey) suggests as many again. I am only including ones mentioned in the description. Some of them may need turning into multiple QMs.

C1982-142-19 A Down first ramp on right in 142 "Wiggy's way to 60' pitch"
C1982-142-20 A Down trench in floor 15m later to pitch
C1982-142-21 B Holes in floor right before chamber
C1982-142-22 X Through various gaps on right to low way [leads to huge batch of C1983-QMs]
C1982-142-23 C Tight lead on the left where main way narrows
C1982-142-24 C Way up/left to a tight rift from main way
C1982-142-25 B Down ramp from main way (one preceding "Bad Step")
C1982-142-26 B Down ramp - the "Bad Step"
C1982-142-27 C Small hole to right after the "Bad Step"
C1982-142-28 C Small hole to the left after the "Bad Step"
C1982-142-29 B Down ramp at step down in main way
C1982-142-30 C Hole in the floor of main way
C1982-142-31 C Left at T-junction up from boulder chamber (allegedly blocked by boulder, but apparently the connection point from Schwabenschacht - 6km not bad for a "C" lead :-)
C1982-142-32 X Right at T-junction [to pitch into 142 Big Chamber]
C1982-142-33 C Various ways down boulders in Big Chamber (judged unsafe)
C1982-142-34 X Way up at NE end of Big Chamber [connects to C1980-41-17]
C1982-115-35 C Two avens above gully at first junction left in Futility Series
C1982-115-36 A Draughting sand-choked tube at end of Futility Series - near surface ?
C1982-115-37 C Choke in left passage from Big Enough Chamber

There are quite a few 1982 QMs in 144, none of which have yet been extracted from the description.

C1983-142-00 X Obscure route right through boulders part way up to T-jn of C1982-142-31 [to Rodent Runway, thence to 41]
C1983-142-01 ! c 7 unexplored leads off Rodent Runway
C1983-142-02 ! c 4 ways off at start of route from C1982-142-22
C1983-142-03 A Way on "To stream" in route from C1982-142-22
C1983-142-04 ? Way just right of C1983-142-03 - not in description, but appears on survey
C1983-142-05 A Continuation(s) of Dripping Chamber - end of route from C1982-142-22

There is a suspicion that the passages of C1982-142-22 have reached the German Route

1983 QMs are very vague 'cos the survey is so crap. There are also a few QMs from 84, and I haven't even vaguely put in the QMs in 1623/144, of which there are quite a large number, which belong here since the cave connects (the linking-in point is C1980-41-33, which should have been a 1980 QM, but can't tell if it was actually noticed that year).

I count over 80 of those QM's as having no described continuation. Several of these are groups of ways on which may or may not go to the same place. No doubt some of these have been looked at, but not written up or surveyed. Most of those will be fairly short. Equally, I suspect that quite a lot will have been missed on the surveys, which would bring the numbers back up again.

A large proportion of these QMs can be reached without ANY rigging of existing pitches. The survey of 142 is/was a shambles, and needs, at the very least, someone to go in and do a lot of sketching, simply to tie down what has been looked at. The more I think about it, the more I believe that the shaft at the end of the German Route alleged to be 220m must have been a way into the Big Pitch, and not what CUCC pushed in 1980. We have no adequate survey of the German route, which would be handy to have (at least for that part which doesn't need rigging), as we could then see if the QMs in 142 and the CUCC route in 41 do indeed reach the German Route.

Initial impressions are that the further from the entrance a QM was, the more likely it is to have been pushed (unlike 161 :-). This may simply mean that people were less observant and less careful to note QMs lower down.

CUCC does now have survey data and a published plan, showing where 1623/88 (Lärchenhöhle) connects to the big pitch. However, we haven't yet generated any kind of passage description.

The QM situation in 142 is such that a chronological numbering is getting silly. It may be impossible to identify the numbered QMs "in the cave", in which case the thing to do is to delete that QM, and number all new ones with C2000-142- (or whatever year it is) numbers.