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< meta id = "description" content = "Cambridge University Caving Club ' s Advanced
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expedition camps on the Loser Plateau" />
< title > CUCC's Austria Expeditions: High camps< / title >
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< link rel = "stylesheet" type = "text/css" href = "css/main2.css" / >
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< / head >
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< h1 > CUCC's high camps on < span lang = "de-at" > Loser< / span > < / h1 >
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< p > Over the almost four decades during which CUCC have been visiting the < span
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lang="de-at">Loser-AugstEck< / span > plateau, they have found it essential to
camp nearer the caves than the base camps in < span
lang="de-at">Altaussee< / span > (1976-82) and < span lang = "de-at" > Grundlsee< / span >
(1983 to present). The < a href = "years/1978/log.htm#driveroty" > 1978 accident< / a >
demonstrated the foolishness of trying to conduct long explorations without a
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high camp. Several people have been benighted on the plateau over the years
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and rescues in 1989, 2007 and 2016 as well as numerous other incidents show
the value of rapid assistance from Top Camp in
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the event of a mishap underground.< / p >
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< p > From 2002 to date our only top camp has been in "204 Steinbrü ckenhö hle" (see below).
In 2017 we (mostly UBSS guests)
established a bivvy camp very close to Organhö hle (see below)
which will be established more soundly in 2018.< / p >
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< p > The terminology of these camps has become very confused over
time, as the campsites have changed. At some time, virtually every
early camp has been called "Camp 1" by someone or other, and several
sites have been called "Top Camp"! Note that it has been
< b > illegal< / b > to camp within the Nature Reserve < span lang = "de" > (Naturschutzgebiet)< / span >
area since 1993, and we obtain special permission every year for
exploratory purposes.< / p >
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< h3 > < a id = "id1977camp" > 1977< / a > Advance Camp< / h3 >
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< p > CUCC's first high camp was set up in 1977, on a site identified on the first
visit in 1976. This was on an area of pasture above a small limestone scar from
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< a href = "1623/l/tc1977.htm" > < span lang = "de-at" > Brä uning Alm< / span > < / a > . At
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the time, the springs in the valley here were the only reliable water supply we
had discovered. There were caves nearby, as well as ones on the plateau to
explore, so the site proved very pleasant, until washed out in one (of many)
mega-thunderstorm.< / p >
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< div class = "centre" >
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< a href = "1623/l/tc1977.htm" > < img src = "1623/t/tc1977.jpg"
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width="158" height="108" alt="Camp 1977" />< / a >
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< a href = "1623/l/tc77a.htm" >
< img src = "1623/t/tc77a.jpg" width = "138" height = "103"
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alt="Camp 1977" />< / a >
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< a href = "1623/l/tc77b.htm" >
< img src = "1623/t/tc77b.jpg" width = "151" height = "88"
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alt="Camp 1977" />< / a >
< p class = "caption" >
Views of 1977 Advance camp.
< / p > < / div >
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< h3 > < a id = "id1979camp" > < span lang = "de-at" > Schwarzmoossattel< / span > < / a >
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bivouac< / h3 >
< p > Once most exploration was centred on the plateau, the camp at
< span lang = "de-at" > Brä uning Alm< / span > proved of little real value, and
all exploration was conducted by driving up from the valley. The difficulties
and dangers of returning across the plateau in the dark led to some cavers
doing "overnight" trips, in which the cave was descended in daylight, and
exitted in daylight the next day. The risk associated with this approach was
that of < a href = "years/1978/log.htm#driveroty" > falling asleep< / a > on the
drive down, as Julian Griffiths demonstrated. Having stayed awake down all
the seriously fatal hairpin bends, the car drove itself through a fence and
down a 10m drop in the valley below. The mangled steering wheel, bent by a
tree-sized piece of fence coming through the windscreen, became CUCC's
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"Driver of the Year" award at subsequent dinners.< / p >
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< p > It was realised that for overnight trips to work, there had to be at least
a bivouac of some sort near the plateau. A tiny trickle of water was found,
which could be used to fill a water container buried in the ground, and a
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single tent established just to the south of < span
lang="de-at">Schwarzmoossattel< / span > ("The Col") in 1979. This never really
deserved the title "camp". It was never used again, as exploration in 1980
switched to the < span lang = "de-at" > Stellerweghö hle< / span > area, and
neither of the previous high camps were really of any use.< / p >
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< h3 > < a id = "topcamp" > Schwarzmoossattel Top Camp< / a > < / h3 >
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< table class = "imgtable" >
< tr > < td > < a href = "piclinks/tpcamp.htm" >
< img src = "tinypix/tpcamp.jpg" width = "166" height = "114"
alt="Top Camp" />< / a > < / td >
< td > < a href = "piclinks/tc1996.htm" > < img width = "200" height = "134"
src="tinypix/tc1996.jpg" alt="Top Camp" />< / a > < / td >
< td > < a href = "piclinks/tc-161.htm" >
< img src = "tinypix/tc-161.jpg" width = "181" height = "123"
alt="Top Camp from 161" />< / a > < / td >
< / tr >
< tr class = "caption" >
< td > Top Camp on upper site, 1993
< / td > < td > Lower site, 1996< / td >
< td > Seen from < span lang = "de" > Schwarzmooskogel< / span > ridge
< / td >
< / tr > < / table >
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< p > A really good permanent spring was found in a small
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climbable shaft a short way beyond
< span lang = "de-at" > Schwarzmoossattel< / span > ("The Col").
As this was adjacent to one of the very few flat areas of grass, and right
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next to the path as well, this has made an ideal camp site, and was the normal
Top Camp from 1988 to 2001. Logbooks and Journal accounts at the time
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referred to this as "Camp I", despite its not being the first high
camp. A few references are to "Camp 3", which tried to reflect the
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chronology. Later it was known just as "Top Camp". In
fact, to minimise the impact on grassy areas, the camp alternated between
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the small site immediately adjacent to the spring and a larger (but boggier)
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area a little lower (used in 1994, 1996, 1998 etc.).< / p >
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< h3 > < a id = "vd1camp" > VD1 Camp< / a > < / h3 >
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< p > In 1988, and again in 1989, there was a small advance camp much nearer to
the < span lang = "de" > Kaninchenhö hle< / span > entrance, again to overcome the
trials of crossing the very rough plateau in the dark. This was on a relatively
flat area of low bunde (dwarf pine) just on the east side of the flat area of
limestone on which the permanent survey station "VD1" is located, on the normal
walk up to the 161 entrances on the col between the < span
lang="de-at">Vorderer< / span > and < span lang = "de-at" > Hinterer
Schwarzmooskogels.< / span > This was variously known as 'far campsite' or 'Camp
2', in the logbooks. A lack of water, sanitation, space and comfort led to this
camp being abandoned.< / p >
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< h3 > Scarface Camp< / h3 >
< p > It was hoped that in 1996, a new Top Camp would be established somewhere
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where access to the 161d, 'Scarface' entrance to < span
lang="de">Kaninchenhö hle< / span > would be easier, as all trips used this
new entrance, giving rapid access to the majority of current question marks in
the cave. Unfortunately, access via the < span lang = "de-at" > Stogerweg< / span >
proved to be more strenuous than from the old plateau top camp, and no usable
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water supply was found, so this campsite never came into existence.< / p >
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< h3 > 40 Eishö hle bivvy< / h3 >
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< p > In 2001 people decided to bivvy nearer to the the cave entrances. This
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involved putting up tarpaulins in natural shelters, and sleeping on inflatable
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lilos. The 40 bivvy is in the main 40a < span lang = "de-at" > Eishö hle< / span >
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entrance. It is surprisingly comfortable as this entrance does not have a cold
gale coming out of it, and the floor is very flat. It is luxurious for 2, comfy
for 3 and can sleep 4. Water is collected by putting a tarp. in a steep gulley
opposite with a hose to a butt in the bivi - very effective.< / p >
< div class = "centre" > < a href = "images/40bivy.jpg" > < img src = "tinypix/40bivy.jpg"
width="200" height="128" alt="40 bivvy" />< / a > < / div >
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< h3 > 204 Steinbrü ckenhö hle ("The Stone Bridge") bivvy< / h3 >
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< p > Cavers working in 204 (< span
lang="de-at">Steinbrü ckenhö hle< / span > ) used the eponymous stone
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bridge as a bivouac. The sloping floor was terraced and flat sleeping
and cooking areas were made. Tarpaulins were put up to reduce the
drips and wind. Water was obtained from snow at 231, collecting drips
in 231 and a funnel inserted in a grike on the roof of the stone
bridge. Initially two, and later 3 butts were used for
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water storage. < / p >
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< p > This has been the main high camp since 2002; it has
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been extensively reterraced to increase its capacity (as of 2003 it
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could sleep 12 and by 2017 22 could be jammed in), the water
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collection methods refined, and a cooking area created, to give an
exceedingly comfortable bivvy site. A much larger single tarp covering
the whole length, used since 2015, has made it much drier at the back,
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and the place is now very civilised indeed.
See the < a href = "handbook/bivirig.html" > bivvy rigging guide< / a > for tarp erection details.< / p >
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< div class = "centre" > < a href = "1623/204/bivvy.html" >
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< img src = "tinypix/204bivy.jpg" width = "233" height = "168"
alt="204 bivvy" />< / a > < / div >
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< h3 > 76 Eislufthö hle bivvy< / h3 >
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< p > In 2004-2007, the 76 < a href = "1623/76/76.htm" > Eislufthö hle< / a >
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re-exploration project necessitated a camp close to the 76 entrance. A bivouac
was established in a convenient rock shelter nearby. This was also
used in 2012,13,15,16. Camping on the nearby grassy bit, which has
room for 2 small tents is a lot warmer than staying in the bivi cave.< / p >
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< div class = "centre" > < a href = "1623/others/l/76bivvyvw.html" >
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< img src = "tinypix/76bivvy.jpg" / > < / a > < / div >
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< h3 > < a id = "id2017camp" > 2017< / a > Organhö hle Camp< / h3 >
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< p > Sleeping 3 or 4, a bivvy with rainwater collection was established in a small
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overhang very closeto < a href = "http://expo.survex.com/noinfo/1623/bs17.htm" > Organhö hle< / a > and Guten Morgen hö hle. This is a further hour or two walk from
the main top camp at Steinbruckhö hle; and would be very hard to establish without
the resources available at Steinbruckhö hle. The usual route goes very close to Tunnocksschaft entrance and within view of the
entrance to < a href = "http://expo.survex.com/1623/264/264.html" > Balkonhö hle< / a > - and then rather a lot further and over the ridge with a view down to the Appelhaus area.
< p > When UBSS first explored Organhö hle they approached from the other direction. See their write-up
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in Descent (see page 18
of < a href = "http://expo.survex.com/others/ubss/UBSS_NL_web_series2_v6_sv3.pdf" > UBSS newsletter< / a > )
for the horrendous walk that this involves.
< div class = "centre" > < a href = "missing.html" >
< img src = "tinypix/ohcamp.jpg" / > < / a > < / div >
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< hr / >
< ul id = "links" >
< li > Back to < a href = "infodx.htm" > Main Index< / a > < / li >
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< li > CUCC's < a href = "bcamps.htm" > Base Camps< / a > < / li >
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< / ul >
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< / body >
< / html >
