| 258 - a b | Tunnockschacht: entrance | 2 ?? |
|---|
Warning: Beware of loose rocks.
The shaft of the 258b entrance, rigged with an initial belay, deviation and Y-hang just below the lip, gives onto the main entrance shaft just above a single bolt rebelay also accessible from the 258a entrance. A hang of around 10 metres from this single bolt lands on a flat floor where there is sometimes a snow plug. (The 258a entrance, no longer used, was rigged with a thread in the bottom of the shakehole and a bolt on the left wall under the dripline. This enabled a descent of several metres to a small ledge, where working around to the right gained a rebelay, succeeded by the single bolt rebelay mentioned above.) A bolt on the left wall (looking down the pitch) may be used to reanchor the rope here. Upslope leads to an alcove. The rear of this alcove opens onto the top of a pitch that appears to be of quite some depth [2006-258-1-B] which may connect with Stone Monkey below.
Following the left wall, a traverse leads to a low bolt, which is succeeded by a scruffy descent of only two metres to another rebelay on a flat wall. The descent continues down the side, or on top of, a large snow plug to a lip where two bolts in the ceiling (ring hangers essential) provide a high Y-belay for the next stage of the pitch. (The original route used in 2006 did not use this Y-belay, and instead descended via an undercut rift to the left known as The Col.) A deviation helps slightly to alleviate rope rub on the lip and is succeeded by a further ledge. There is sometimes a snow plug here, and upslope, a rift leads off (under The Col) which could maybe lead to further passage [2006-258-3-B].
The rope is rebelayed at the ledge, and after a further rebelay from a nose, drops for a few metres to the head of a large snow slope. The descent is continued from the same belay all the way to the bottom of the slope. There is a possible way on to the side of the snow plug on the left wall [2006-258-4-C]. Passing under an arch the slope terminates with ice stalactites in alcoves to either side and (depending on the year) an ice lake or pile of snow. The ice stal in the alcove to the left could be ascended with ice and/or climbing equipment to reach a passage [2006-258-5-C].
[Description needed 2006-258-2-B is missing - Dave Loeffler or Aaron Curtis or Mark Shinwell]
The main way on from the bottom of the snow slope is a hole at floor level that leads into a chamber. This chamber is on occasion occupied by a large ice stalactite and accompanying ice floor. A small hole to the right gives access to Bauernkrapfen Passage, a well-formed sloping crawl debouching into a large rift chamber, Three Fried Mice. Following the chamber around to the left leads to a choke at the bottom of a slope, although before this it is possible to climb up the wall and through a hole under boulders to gain a higher level, with a view over the chamber before Bauernkrapfen Passage but no other ways on.
Following the rift around to the right from the end of Bauernkrapfen Passage, passing some small faulted phreatic tubes in the left wall, leads to an opening in the right wall. The succeeding phreatic passage, Strudel Crawl, sucks strongly and continues sloping down past a delicate traverse over a hole [2006-258-12-C] to eventually arrive at a further hole in the floor [2006-258-13-B]. A traverse line is required to cross this. Shortly after the traverse, there is an eyehole in the right-hand wall (facing downslope), which leads to the large passage of Ribs with Knödel. Strudel Crawl may also be followed down without going through the eyehole to reach the same point, although this route is not recommended for descent, due to a drop underneath.
[Description needed 2006-258-6-X, 2006-258-7-X, 2006-258-8-X, 2006-258-9-X, 2006-258-10-D, 2006-258-11-C is missing from below - Dave Loeffler or Aaron Curtis or Mark Shinwell]
[Description needed Flapjack choke qm 2006-258-13B has been removed from tunnel. Qm list need ammending - Steve Jones or Serena Povia or Becka Lawson][2007-258-08-106B][2007-258-08-107X]
One exits Strudel Crawl to find the large passage of Ribs with Knödel sloping down to the right. In this direction, a hole in the floor is passed, before a much larger hole right across the passage is reached. A rope belayed to bolts on the left side of the passage enables a descent to be made to a point where it is possible to climb down, behind and around a rock pillar to complete the crossing of the hole. A further passage leads off from behind this pillar [QM ?].
After the hole, a sloping traverse is crossed; water enters from the roof here. This is followed by a long ramp downwards. A rope belayed to a large thread over towards the left, well back from the lip, enables a descent towards the right wall to reach the traverse of Caramel Catharsis. This follows the right wall, still sloping down and passing a hole in that wall, (leading to Stone Monkey) to a pitch of a few metres landing on a sandy floor in an impressive chamber.
From the foot of Caramel Catharsis, Secret Squirrel is downhill to the left. The major route is a large, passage leading for around 20m past taped formations on the floor. The branch to the left here leads to Stomach Ulsa. The main way is through a low arch straight ahead to a 3m climb down in a rift below an aven, which can be climbed far enough to see that it probably doesn't go. At the bottom is a wide stony passage with a pool useful for collecting water, and an important junction.
The most obvious route is (rightish) up another awkward climb leading to Y KeyKey Beach and the Littoral North; left leads almost immediately to a 12m pitch into Frankly Freezing. Ahead is the climb towards Usual Suspects.
[Description needed - Tom Handford or Dave Loeffler] [2006-258-14-C] [2006-258-15-C] [2006-258-16-B] [2006-258-17-C] [2006-258-18-C] [2006-258-40-C]
More to deal with: misc