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<title>1623/115 Schnellzugh&ouml;hle Guidebook</title>
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<center><h2><a name="ent115">Schnellzugh&ouml;hle Entrance</a> 1623/115</h2>
<h3>(AKA Gemsescheissenh&ouml;hle)</h3></center>
<p><b>Location:</b> E 35849.2 N (52)81046.7 H 1479.5m<br>
<p>Depth to sump 740m
<h3>Location</h3>
<p>The entrance opens in the southern slopes of Vorderer Schwarzmooskogel,
reached by marked path number 201 from the Bergrestaurant and car park at
the top of the Loser Panoramastr&szlig;e. This is followed over Egglgrube,
past the Kratzer Valley and along the well-marked Stogerweg perched on the
hillside above Wei&szlig;e Wand. Shortly beyond the draughting hole of
1623/32 <a href="../../noinfo/1623/32.htm">Windloch</a>, the path drops
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steeply down the hillside. The entrance is reached by steeply descending to
90m vertically below the Stoger Weg just beyond the point where it levels out
again. There is a permanent survey station ('P3') just at the junction.
<h3>Entrance series (1980)</h3>
<p>A large tube runs horizontally into the hillside [<a name="X0000-115-01"
href="qmlist.htm#X0000-115-01">X0000-115-01</a> X] (passing below a small skylight), until it
suddenly closes down to a steeply descending crawl full of loose stones
([<a name="X0000-115-02" href="qmlist.htm#X0000-115-02">X0000-115-02</a>], originally excavated) and strongly draughting out in summer. This drops into a small chamber with a
drip inlet which is the ideal place for a tin to collect water for carbide
lamps. Down the slope an 8m pitch (the hole opposite, [<a name="C1980-115-46"
href="qmlist.htm#C1980-115-46">C1980-115-46</a>], leads only to a blind passage) is
followed by a scramble down loose stones to a conclusive choke
[<a name="C1980-115-45" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-115-45">C1980-115-45</a>]. The main route lies in
following the draught up an obscure 8m climb, [<a name="C1980-115-47"
href="qmlist.htm#C1980-115-47">C1980-115-47</a>], on the right above the pitch (bolt aid
required for reascent, ladder recommended), to a sharp crawl through a small
tube.
<p><img alt="entrance series plan: 33k gif" width=800 height=1080
src="115p.png">
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<h4><a name="derigel">Bell Pitch and The Hedgehog</a></h4>
<p>A climb down and a traverse to the left over blocks (avoiding the obvious
loose hole on the right) finds the head of the free hanging <b>Bell Pitch</b>
(20m) hidden behind a block. This lands on a boulder floor with two dry
trenches leading off: the right leads to a 7m ladder with unstable boulders
at the head. This lands in a sharp thrutchy tube, <b>The Hedgehog</b>, which
heads Southeast to emerge in a dry meandering trench which breaks out into a
large abandoned phreatic passage.
<p><img alt="entrance series extended section: 23k gif" width=1090 height=700
src="115x.png">
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<p>Right (SW) becomes low over a silty mud floor [<a name="C1980-115-48"
href="qmlist.htm#C1980-115-48">C1980-115-48</a>]. Left (NE) is developed along the strike
through a chamber with an aven and on to a climb up. This is the start of a
series of traverses where a narrow trench cuts into a roller-coaster tube.
This ends at a short climb down to a junction where a larger tube is
intersected. Almost straight ahead, the large passage with a choked trench in
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the floor reaches a larger hole down (<b><a id="bbungle">Baker's Bungle</a></b>) which is crossed
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to a small rift leading to the head of <b>The Ramp</b>. The Ramp can
also be reached by an obvious traverse off, 10m down Baker's Bungle,
[<a name="C1980-115-49" href="qmlist.htm#C1980-115-49">C1980-115-49</a>]. This is the start
of 200m of continuous pitches to the <b>Big Chamber</b>. [Not the same Big
Chamber as in 142. Ed.]
<h3><a name="ramp">The Ramp and Inlet Pitches</a> (1981)</h3>
<p><a name="thecol">The</a> Ramp has formed where a deep vadose trench (now
abandoned) has cut down from a phreatic passage sloping at 45&deg;. The way
is down the ramp, initially on the near side, but crossing the trench to a
ledge system at the far end of which a better hang down a 45&deg; slope leads
back to the top of the trench. Across this is a slope to <b>The Col</b>; left
here leads to a vast black space to the Southeast [<a name="C1981-115-01"
href="qmlist.htm#C1981-115-01">C1981-115-01</a>], but loose boulders prevented exploration
of this route.
<p>The main way on follows right (south), down a series of sloping pitches,
largely against the wall and developed in a hading rift. The pitches become
more vertical as a prominent WNW-ESE joint or fault is reached. After passing
some loose boulders, a 26m pitch reaches the bottom of the rift where a small
stream joins the route. This can be followed up until a pitch is met.
Downstream, a short way above the water, a thrutch under and over chockstones
leads to a further drop.
<p><a name="inletp">A</a> short traverse (bolts) round two bends enables two
clean washed and fluted pitches (18, 19m) to be rigged. These are the first
of the <b>Inlet Pitches</b>. The rebelay between the pitches is at the level
of a damp ledge, but well out on the (true) left wall where it is usually
dry. From the large wet ledge now reached, a traverse out onto the right wall
(ledge, but line very useful) reaches the top of a 6m pitch avoiding the
rather broken and splashy final section of the rift pitch.
<p>The Inlet streamway rises rapidly in wet weather and makes the lower
pitches unpleasant but not impassable. The 6m pitch lands on a boulder floor
where the water flows down to the left, but right, avoiding the water (except
in wet conditions), a boulder slope reaches a 24m pitch from a large
chockstone. The pitch hangs free, landing on the floor near the centre of the
<b>Big Chamber</b>.
<p><a name="bigcham115">The Big Chamber</a> (115 final chamber) marks
the end of the initial vertical part of the cave, and the start of the
most extensive horizontal development at about 1200m asl. From here
<a href="off115.htm#offbigcha">several ways</a> lead on. Up the boulder
slope in the chamber leads to the site of a food dump where an inlet is
seen in wet weather. The two main ways on lie downstream. Following the
large abandoned passage above the streamway leads to the connection to
<a href="deepwy.htm#jncha">Junction Chamber</a>. The water itself can be
followed as <a href="off115.htm#petepurg">Pete's Purgatory</a>.
Both lead to the deepest parts of the system via the
<a href="deepwy.htm#confluence">Confluence</a>.
<h3><a name="purgbypass0">The Connection</a> (1981) - the start of Purgatory
Bypass</h3>
<p>The large abandoned tube may be followed West above the Purgatory by
crossing from ledge to ledge, or by climbing up from below some way
downstream of the chamber. Eventually <a href="off115.htm#C1981-115-06">further
traversing</a> becomes impractical as the ledge and tube give out, but
shortly before this, the low mud filled continuation [<a name="C1981-115-10"
href="qmlist.htm#C1981-115-10">C1981-115-10</a>] leads off to the right, Northwest, into a
mazy fossil phreatic area. The passage size increases in this, past one or
two passages right - the main way on being fairly obvious and marked by the
prints of previous explorers. A small vadose trench in the floor contains
only seepage water, but the route lowers to a crawl through a sandy floored
arch to a point where the route diverges. Slightly left (NNW), a short
thrutch emerges at <b>Connection Cairn</b>, but more sharply <a
name="C1981-115-11">right (uphill - NE)</a> is the easiest route through in a low,
wide sandy crawl rejoined by the original route on the left after forty
metres or so. The passage continues large, with a small vadose trench in the
floor and much mud infill. Following the large tube for a hundred metres or
so to its conclusion emerges about 10m up the side of <b>Junction Chamber</b>
with an excellent view, but no easy way down.
<p>The best route to reach the floor lies 50m back down the passage, where a
small hole in the right wall (coming from 115) leads to a horribly muddy
bedding plane crawl which pops out above a streamway which is followed up to
Junction Chamber by careful traversing.
<p>Junction Chamber is a nexus of routes where the entrance series of both
Schnellzugh&ouml;hle and the ramifications of Stellerwegh&ouml;hle join.
<a href="off115.htm#offjcha">Several other routes</a> can be followed for
varying distances - the main continuation of the Purgatory Bypass is
<a href="deepwy.htm#dartford">Dartford Tunnel</a>: the way to the
deeper parts of the system.
<hr />
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