<non_public>True</non_public><!-- 'False' or 'True'. True if the cave should only be visible to logged-in users. Caves are normally public, so enter 'False' unless you know otherwise. -->
<caveslug>1626-50</caveslug><!--(Required). Internal I.D. used to refer to this cave in entrance data files. Typically the same as the filebase, e.g. '1623-195' -->
<official_name>Ahnenschacht</official_name><!-- Name of the cave (normally in German) Use ü for u+Umlaut and ö for o+umlaut eg Höhle for Hohle and Glück for Gluck-->
code used in the Austrian kataster e.g '1/S +' - https://expo/.survex.com/katast.htm
T Trockenhöhlen (Dry caves)
W Wasserhöhlen (Caves with water)
(W) Zeitweilig aktiv Wasserhöhlen (Caves with seasonal water)
E Eishohlen (Caves with ice formations)
S Schachthöhlen (Caves with pitches)
H Halbhöhlen (Rock shelters ?)
- unerforscht (unexplored)
= befahren (visited)
× teilweise vermessen (partly surveyed)
+ erforscht (exploration considered complete)
-->
<kataster_number>50</kataster_number><!-- (Either this or unofficial_number is required). Official number in Austrian kataster if one has been allocated -->
<unofficial_number></unofficial_number><!-- (Either this or kataster_number is required). Initial temporary cave ID used until kataster number is allocated e.g. '2012-DD-01'-->
<entranceslug>1626-50</entranceslug><!-- Internal ID to refer to each entrance instance in the entrance files (typically the same as that filename (e.g. 1623-161c). Matches the 'slug' field in the entrance file -->
<!-- DEBUG 1626-50+1626-50 'Z' == -->
<letter></letter><!--Leave blank for single-entrance cave. If there is more than one entrace then the letter needs to be given. Generally matches the entranceslug ID. -->
<explorers></p><ul><li>Discovered by Upper Austrians in 1856.</li><li>The point -320m was reached by them in 1958.</li><li>In 1967 and 1968 the <ahref="../../others/bec/index.htm">Bristol Exploration Club</a> reached -395m, the Horizontal network, with a length of 1 km, was discovered.</li><li>In 1972, 73, 74 and 75, the GSAB <spanlang="fr">"Les Gours"</span> explored and discovered over 5km of passage and about 1500m of pitches. This got them to -612m.</li><li>We note also the participation, in 1974, of three clubs from Eastern France: <spanlang="fr">S.C.Vesoul, G.S.Clerval & S.S.Daules.</span></li><li>In 1975 CARSS joined a mini-expedition in July and likewise, CASEO in August.</li><li>A GSAB expedition in August 1977 connected a new entrance <spanlang="de">(Frigoschacht)</span> at -130m, surveyed the Vegetable Garden and explored the new areas Yodl and KGB.</li><li><cite>Descent 176</cite> (Feb/Mar 2004) p18 states:<blockquote><p>Meanwhile, on the other side of the range, Upper Austrian cavers have undertaken some homework that others left behind a quarter of a century ago. <b>Ahnenschacht</b> (Ancestors' Shaft) was discovered in the 1950s and pushed to -395m. In the 1970s, Belgian cavers found vast horizontal passages amounting to about 5km in total – and a continuation to -602m. Their pushes came to an abrupt halt, however, when in 1975 a caver fractured his pelvis and had to be transported out of the cave. It was Austria's biggest cave rescue operation in the 20th century.</p><p>Since documentation of the Belgian finds was fragmentary and of very poor quality, some members of the <spanlang="de">Verein für Höhlenkunde in Oberösterreich</span> decided to fill in the gaps in the maps and resume surveying activities. So far, 1.7km have been accurately surveyed.</p><divstyle="text-align: right">Correspondent: Theo Pfarr</div></blockquote><p>(I fear attempting to reconcile the chronology of the above snippet with theinformation above is a hopeless task.)</p></li></ul><p></explorers><!-- 'CUCC Expo' and year(s) of exploration. To distinguish from caves explored by foreign groups. Individual names can be given too if it was a small cave. -->
<survex_file>caves-1626/50/50.svx</survex_file><!-- Name of top-level survey file for this cave. Relative to the 'loser' survex repository. So for most caves that's "caves-162x/cavenum/cavnum.svx". (e.g. caves-1623/204/204.svx -->
<underground_description></p><h4>Entrance series</h4><p>The entrance is in a small shakehole situated on the ridge separating <spanlang="de">Feuertal</span> and <spanlang="de">Hintergras.</span> The cave starts with four pitches (p14, p11, p5 and p11) which drop onto a slope formed of big boulders (rope desirable). After this, another series of small pitches (p9, p7, p6, p4, p10, p18, p11) from which is reached the <spanlang="de">Sinterterrasse</span> at -141m.</p><p>From this point, one has left the zone of small pitches and started a series of pitches which in reality are part of a single shaft down to -400m.</p><p>Indeed, if you had an unfortunate accident on the <spanlang="de">Sinterterrasse,</span> you would fall all the way to -400m. These pitches are usually wet, especially after rain... Here is the list of pitches: p25, <spanlang="de">Schuppenstufe</span> 30, p10, <spanlang="de">Sicherungsstufe</span> 32, <spanlang="de">Schachtgabel</span> 48, a 10m ramp, <spanlang="de">Josef Schacht</span> 100m. On the <spanlang="de">Josef Schacht,</span> a pendulum 6m from the top enables one to reach the entry to the Horizontal network. Descending the <spanlang="de">Josef Schacht</span> a little further, after a 6.5m and a 10m pitch, access can be gained to a wide canyon, active in the bottom, and which ends in a fissure. This canyon is fossil in the upper level and certainly presents possibilities for continuation.</p><h4>Lateral development from <spanlang="de">Josef Schacht</span></h4><p>After one has crossed the "doorway" and a short squeeze, one enters the network proper. At this point is a passage covered in rather special formations. The first junction gives access to a network ... [unfortunately there are lines missing in my photocopy of <spanlang="fr">Spéalp</span> 1]</p><h4>The Vegetable Garden</h4><p>This fossil system, which has not been fully travelled through, contains numerous possibilities. It is reached by three principal access routes: the pitch already mentioned; a descending fissure a little before the Belgica; and a sloping passage with formations in the Mammoth pitch chamber. The system is composed of a big chamber with numerous passages and junctions; it is very poorly known and no doubt houses many surprises. Continuing along the passage, one passes a step of 4m to find a junction, to the left at which lies the bivouac.</p><h4>Belgica system</h4><p>Directly after the bivouac, there is a 10m pitch, and at the bottom, a new junction: downhill the Belgica passage, of fairly small dimensions, which leads, after traversing past three holes, to a descent of an 8m and a 17m pitch and to the squeezes passed by our French colleagues.</p><p>Uphill, discovered by D.Motte and PIE, in the course of the expedition in 1974, is the <spanlang="fr">Galerie de Francs Comtois.</span> This is a large ascending fossil passage interspersed with traverses, dips and pitches. It reascends to -90m. At -150m, a 20m pitch reaches the <spanlang="fr">Résomega.</span></p><p>A little before the 20m pitch, a short descending canyon passage avoids the 20m pitch and the series of squeezes following it. The <spanlang="fr">Résomega</span> is an alternately ascending and descending passage, very chaotic, interspersed with several junctions and pitches which leads to the <spanlang="fr">Balcon du Visionnaire,</span> offering several possibilities. A 60m pitch gives onto another 60m pitch which is undescended. There is another big pitch in excess of 100m and an unfinished ascending passage. A little before, a 10m pitch allows one to reach a passage interspersed with 3 junctions and 7 exits ! This shows the level of complexity which we ran into.</p><p>It was also at the <spanlang="fr">Balcon du Visionnaire</span> that an accident occurred in 1975, which terminated exploration in that year.</p><p>Back in the Horizontal network, and after passing a little bouldery climb an inlet is encountered, named The Bath. The passage continues a little longer, to end in a pitch. [ exploration incomplete ]</p><p>The
<equipment></equipment><!-- For a small cave, summary of gear needed to descend. For longer caves it could be blank, a table, or just refer to the description/topos. Leave blank if this info is in the description. -->
<references></p><dl><dt>78.2012</dt><dd><cite>(GSAB) <spanlang="fr">Spéalp</span> 1 (June 1977) pp 33-49</cite>, <b>Totes Gebirge : <spanlang="fr">Description des principaux gouffres de la zone ouest du massif</span></b>, <spanlang="fr">Jean Claude Hans & Etienne Degrave</span><br/><ahref="../../others/gsab/en/782012.htm#id117">English Translation</a><br/><ahref="../../others/gsab/fr/782012.htm#id117"lang="fr">En Français</a></dd><dt>79.1855</dt><dd><cite>(GSAB) <spanlang="fr">Spéalp</span> 3 (Oct. 1978) pp 44-45, survey</cite>, <blang="de">Ahnenschacht 77/78</b>, Jean Pierre Braun<br/><ahref="../../others/gsab/en/791855.htm">English Translation</a><br/><ahref="../../others/gsab/fr/791855.htm"lang="fr">En Français</a></dd></dl><p>The description was translated from the references by Andy Waddington and Jill Gates.</references><!-- References to documentation. Could be Journal articles or Logbook entries. Can be links if the docs are online. -->
<survey></survey><!-- Drawn-up surveys. Scans of paper surveys or images/PDFs of electronic surveys. Should include HTML to display current plan and elevation, with links to larger versions (See section on URLs and files). Could list links to multiple years of survey, or even a separate survey page if it's complicated enough. -->
<underground_centre_line></underground_centre_line><!-- 'In dataset' if it is in the survex dataset. Blank if not, or notes about status such as 'surveyed, but no entrance fix so not yet in dataset'. -->
<notes></notes><!-- Normally empty, but place for anything else that should be noted, such as info on cave maybe being a duplicate, or lost -->
<length></length><!-- Cave length. Can be left blank and system should fill it in automatically from survey data (it doesn't yet) -->
<depth></depth><!--Cave depth. Can be left blank and system should fill it in automatically from survey data (it doesn't yet) -->
<url>1626/50/50.html</url><!-- (Required). Relative URL of this cave. i.e the URL this cave appears at on the website, not including 'https://expo.survex.com/. Normally area/cavenum., e.g ('1623/000')-->
