<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>
<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>
<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>
