204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
Anthony Day
Bombed down to the bottom of Mike & Becka's pitch series (descended on 11/8/2000). To push/survey the rift at the bottom until we got to the end or another pitch, or until we got bored, whichever came first. Rift is a bit of a pain in the arse - mostly ~50cm wide, apart from a widening at a ~5m cascade (handline useful), very sharp. Lots of shinning up and down the rift (which is essentially infinitely tall) occurred to try and find the widest bit. Got 90m of survey in the book when we came across a pitch of ~10m. Looks like the rift continues with significantly larger dimensions (though it could just narrow down again quite quickly). Last survey station (at the top of the undescended pitch) is at a new deep point of -365m. This is a good lead, but pushing it is likely to become a serious trip, esp. if the rift continues in a similar vein. There is a reasonable stream (estimate about like the TC water hole in spate).
Then derigged out, fairly efficiently, but it took a while. Derigged to top of Ariston greasing most of the spits (but no matchsticks). I spent ~ 15 mins trying to undo one of Mike's deviations, but failed so the sling is still there.
Rift is to be christened "Razor Dance" after the Richard Thompson ditty of the same name.