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<title>1977: Mike Perryman's report in Descent 38</title>
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2004-04-21 10:35:34 +01:00
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2003-11-09 15:15:14 +00:00
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<font size=-1>CTS 78.2027: Descent 38 (March/April 1978) p 34</font>
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<p>This article first appeared in <i>Descent</i>(38) for Mar/Apr 1978,
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p34 and is reproduced here with the
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permission of the author and Wild Places Publishing.
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<h2>Cambridge push the hard pots of Altaussee</h2>
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<p align=right><i>Mike Perryman, CUCC</i>
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<p>FOR THE SECOND YEAR running, Cambridge Cavers, somewhat disillusioned
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after several summers prospecting in the Pyrenees, made a visit to the karst
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regions of western Austria in 1977. The 1976 expedition (full details in the
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current <a href="../../../years/1976/report.htm"><i>Cambridge Underground</i></a>) did
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important foundation work in the area, and even though little of note was
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found, sufficient knowledge was gained to make our prospecting last summer
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easier and more rewarding. It also found the Dachstein/Totesgebirge area
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excellent for tourist trips into the huge phreatic systems that abound, but
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attention was focussed on the extensive lapiaz plateau above Altaussee,
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where the caves have turned out to be of a very different nature.
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<p>Until recently access to it had been difficult and the area consequently
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remained unexplored, but a toll road now serves this limestone mass nearly
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3300ft above the nearest valley floor. Although prospecting now involves a
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mere one and a half hours walk, one arrives much poorer!
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<p>The depth potential of this region is of the order of 3300ft, but serious
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dye-testing has yet to be carried out. Rumours this summer of a 2300ft+ pot
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discovered further east on the Tauplitz plateau by a French team lifted
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morale even further. If confirmed this find would displace
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Gruberhornhöhle as the deepest in Austria. Then bear in mind that
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serious prospecting in the mountains has only just begun!
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<p>Our finds have been more modest - amongst numerous small pots they include
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those now catalogued as holes 82, 97 and 106. The first of these would not be
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out of place in Yorkshire, with a stream cascading in at -130ft. After an
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awkward 65ft crawl, a series of wet pitches in progressively larger rifts
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reaches a sump at -754ft.
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<p>97 is equally sporting with a tight entrance series leading to a
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succession of smallish pitches again in large rift passage. At 886ft it
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suddenly closes down and becomes too constricted.
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<p>106 was not pushed to definite conclusion due to lack of time, but a team
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reached 460ft in a series of enormous shafts.
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<p>Exploration of these and other smaller shafts went rather slowly - partly
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because of their location in relation to our camp, and partly due to their
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nature. We were rather surprised to find the systems wet and responding
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rapidly to rain, and cold even by English standards. And almost without
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exception the pitches had to be bolted due to the scarcity of good natural
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belays.
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<p>But we have returned with valuable knowledge of the region, and more than
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enough enthusiasm to organise another visit.
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<hr>
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<img alt=">" src="../../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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1977 Expedition info:<br>
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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<a href="../../../years/1977/log.htm">Logbook</a> (currently missing)<br>
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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Andy Waddington's <a href="../../../years/1977/andylg.htm">Logbook</a><br>
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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<a href="../../../years/1977/report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1978</a><br>
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<!-- <img src="../../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report (NOT ON SITE)<br>-->
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href="../../../years/1977/771649.htm">Belfry Bulletin 354</a><br>
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<img alt=">" src="../../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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2004-04-22 10:44:44 +01:00
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<a href="../../../pubs.htm#pubs1977">Index</a> to all publications<br>
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2003-11-09 15:15:14 +00:00
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<img alt=">" src="../../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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<a href="../../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a><br>
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2004-04-29 14:54:40 +01:00
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<img alt=">" src="../../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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2003-11-09 15:15:14 +00:00
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<a href="../../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
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