# 1623:71

71 a b | Fledermaushöhle | 2/S/W +
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Altitude: 1600m
Depth: 90m
Location: West of Kratzer valley, off path to Schwarzmoossattel.

Entrance is in a fair-sized shakehole in the dwarf-pine-covered karren before Schwarzmoossattel.

Initial hands and knees crawl for 20m soon enlarges and descends past a couple of oxbows (one leading to within sight of daylight up an aven) to reach twin climbs of 8m, the easier being through a hole to the right. Soon afterwards is the first pitch, a sloping 8m. Below this, a pleasant passage with occasional bat-droppings leads to a short muddy crawl, an earth bank and a sizeable chamber. The next pitch, of 7m, is reached after more muddy passage, and may be climbed/jumped by a rift to one side, but is best rigged for the return.

Easy going continues past a right turn to a complex junction at several levels. The water can be followed down a rift to a drop into an impenetrable fissure. Back at the junction, a traverse and thrutch through lead to a small tube, which crosses a cross-rift and ends at a filthy sump. Left at the cross rift, however, a low crawl gives onto a greasy chimney climb of 4m with very little in the way of holds. At the foot of this, the water reenters, and soon develops acute verticality. The first 5m are technical and best rigged, but below that, the descent becomes more spiralling in mainly solid rock. After 30m, things become more shattered and muddy and the climb drops into water leading very quickly to a sump at -90m.

Shortly before the second pitch, a right turn leads into an inlet passage, over a slot to the main passage below, over a traverse and a false floor, to reach, eventually, an aven ascended for about 25m and continuing, but with no great prospects.

From the Chamber, a traverse can be entered from the top of the rock-slope. The level closes off after about 15m, but below a climb down, a pitch was excavated dropping into a larger passage which soon choked comprehensively.

Exploration: Discovered by Karl Gaisberger in October 1975, but prevented from continuing by start of winter snows, so shared exploration with CUCC, 1976.

Survey: Cambridge Underground 1977, facing page 46.

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