2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
|
|
|
<html lang="en">
|
|
|
|
|
<head>
|
|
|
|
|
<title>Alternative activities</title>
|
|
|
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
|
<body>
|
|
|
|
|
<h1 align=center>Expo Festering Guide</h1>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>What to do for R&R when burnt out from too much caving, or when
|
|
|
|
|
the weather is simply too hot or too awful to go up to the plateau ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Expo members often bring alternative sports equipment, or there are a wide
|
|
|
|
|
range of games which don't need any. Try:
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#abseil">Abseiling</a> off the stupidly huge cliff at Grundlsee,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#bier">Bier drinking</a>, <a href="#cake">Cake</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#canoe">Canoeing</a>, <a href="#cars">Car Fixing</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#cycle">Cycling</a>, <a href="#dachstein">Dachstein-climbing</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#dinghy">Dinghy floating</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#dive">Diving</a>, <a href="#kite">Hang-gliding</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#fryup">High-frying</a>, <a href="#hydro">Hydro-speeding</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#ices">Ice creams</a>, <a href="#mihs">Mohr-im-Hemd eating</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#pedalo">Pedalo Pedalling</a>, <a href="#spudhut">Potato Hut</a>
|
|
|
|
|
festering, <a href="#radio">Radio-fettling</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#rope">Ropewashing</a>, <a href="#salt">Salt-mining</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#swim">Swimming</a>, <a href="#fester">Sunbathing</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#sled">Tobogganning</a>, <a href="#tberg">Trisselberg ascent</a>,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#tyrol">Tyrolean building</a>, <a href="#surf">Windsurfing</a>...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dl>
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="abseil">Huge Abseil</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Recommended by the local cavers, this 200m almost-a-free-hang cliff
|
|
|
|
|
provides mind-bending sport, probably not to be repeated by any of those
|
|
|
|
|
that had a go first time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="bier">Bier drinking</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>In the "early days" Expo used to drink Reininghaus Bier in the Bar
|
|
|
|
|
Fischer in Altaussee, as we didn't have a good socialising tent (or potato
|
|
|
|
|
hut) to drink the more economic bottled variety. Nowadays, bier
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="piclinks/phut1.htm"><img src="tinypix/phut1.jpg" width=170
|
|
|
|
|
height=143 align=left hspace=10></a> comes dead cheap, in crates, from the
|
|
|
|
|
supermarket (and the preferred brand is
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="http://www.goesser.at/" lang="de-at">Gösser</a>). Expo always
|
|
|
|
|
maintains a tally of bottled beers drunk, so that the right people get
|
|
|
|
|
charged for it - and so we can report how many metric tons we got through
|
|
|
|
|
each year. There is a corresponding Limonade tally.<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="cake">Cake</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Austrians do pretty good cakes for pigging out on calorie-restoration
|
|
|
|
|
days when veggie-slop just isn't enough. It's best to point and say "Ein
|
|
|
|
|
stuck bitte" rather than try to ask for exactly what you want. One person's
|
|
|
|
|
mega-sticky-chocoloate-cake arrived as a cup of cocoa through trying to be
|
|
|
|
|
too clever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="canoe">Canoeing</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>on the lake is a pleasant way to cool off for all and sundry. There are
|
|
|
|
|
also white water rivers, from the easy (ie. they need a bit of rain) to the
|
|
|
|
|
"sporting" delights of the Traun from Bad Aussee to Hallstatt - in a deep
|
|
|
|
|
valley nowhere near an escape route. This was first done by Vic Brown (6th in
|
|
|
|
|
women's K1 slalom at the 1972 Olympics) with an assortment of exCS "Victims".
|
|
|
|
|
More relaxing is to paddle from Grundlsee back to
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="bcamps.htm">Basecamp</a>, but watch out for Hilde's weir:
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="piclinks/ohshit.htm"><img src="tinypix/ohshit.jpg" width=170
|
|
|
|
|
height=143 align=top></a>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="cars">Car-fixing</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Owing to being mainly impoverished students, expo has an annual crop of
|
|
|
|
|
shit cars which limp across Europe with infeasibly large loads and equally
|
|
|
|
|
crap trailers <a href="piclinks/trailr.htm"><img width=170 height=143
|
|
|
|
|
src="tinypix/trailr.jpg" align=right hspace=10></a> which provides for
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="years/1995/log.htm#trailerepic">epic</a> travel. This usually
|
|
|
|
|
results in at least one car being fettled at any time during expo, which
|
|
|
|
|
provides relaxing spectator sport for everyone else in
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="bcamps.htm">Basecamp</a> at the time. One chariot which was more
|
|
|
|
|
reliable than most, until its eventual demise through old age and several
|
|
|
|
|
visits to Austria was Rover Richardson: <a href="piclinks/rover.htm">
|
|
|
|
|
<img src="tinypix/rover.jpg" width=140 height=116 align=left hspace=10></a><br>
|
|
|
|
|
who had the distinction of being older than his owner. For an account
|
|
|
|
|
of amazing persistence in the face of crap transport read
|
|
|
|
|
"<a href="years/1991/driver.htm">How (not) to drive round Europe</a>"
|
|
|
|
|
from CU 1992. This tale involves a Citroen van and a volvo:
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="piclinks/wkmob.htm"><img src="tinypix/wkmob.jpg" width=140
|
|
|
|
|
height=111 align=right hspace=10></a><br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="cycle">Cycling</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Far more people seem to travel by bike in Austria than in the UK despite
|
|
|
|
|
the obvious disadvantages of (a) ridiculous heat or (b) it pissing buckets
|
|
|
|
|
and (c) it's <b>very</b> hilly. However, cycling <b>down</b> the
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="tollrd.htm">toll road</a> is very pleasant, or can be very exciting,
|
|
|
|
|
depending on whether or not you are trying to break the club record of under
|
|
|
|
|
ten minutes or it is (again) pissing buckets. Most people foolish enough to
|
|
|
|
|
do it at all, only cycle <b>up</b> the toll road <b>once</b> (but there are
|
|
|
|
|
exceptions, even to this rule).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="dachstein">Dachstein climbing</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><img align=left src="tinypix/dbahn.jpg" width=128 height=152 hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
<img src="tinypix/dachx.jpg" width=145 height=285 align=right hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
This is the fine peak with glacier visible from the
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="tollrd.htm">toll road</a> on a clear day. Although the postcards
|
|
|
|
|
would have you believe it is a 3k peak, this is really only 2994m, not that
|
|
|
|
|
this detracts from a fine day out. One look at the "via ferrata" up the
|
|
|
|
|
south-facing cliff is enough to convince everyone of the wisdom of investing
|
|
|
|
|
in a seilbahn ticket up to the glacier, where summer skiing is possible if
|
|
|
|
|
you are early enough. The climb itself is fun, and well-equipped with great
|
|
|
|
|
reinforcing bar handholds everywhere, which probably explains the drongo
|
|
|
|
|
density - a helmet or a suitable turn of speed are advised to avoid
|
|
|
|
|
stone-fall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>It can be done in a day <a href="years/1990/log.htm#dachstein">on
|
|
|
|
|
foot from Hallstatt</a>, but only if you are <b>very</b> fit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>Dave Brindle tops out in cloud<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="dinghy">Dinghy floating</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><img align=left src="tinypix/dinghy.jpg" width=225 height=201 hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
One of a plethora of festering activities centred around the conveniently
|
|
|
|
|
nearby, but out of earshot of the campsite, lake (Grundlsee). Parking has
|
|
|
|
|
become a problem if you have too much gear, but an inflatable dinghy is one
|
|
|
|
|
of the most easily carried bits of kit, thus avoiding the parking meters.<br
|
|
|
|
|
clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="dive">Diving</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>There is not much scope for cave diving in CUCC's caves, though some has
|
|
|
|
|
been done in nearby resurgences. However, for relaxing by the lake, a set of
|
|
|
|
|
scuba gear and wetsuit or Michelin-man drysuit are ideal. The water is clear,
|
|
|
|
|
and in Grundlsee lies an underwater habitat which is fun to visit, and an old
|
|
|
|
|
lorry which is "verboten".
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="years/1989/log.htm#1989-dive-1">Diving in Altausseer See</a>
|
|
|
|
|
revealed not the hoped for resurgence, but a few bits of 50's vintage human
|
|
|
|
|
remains. Still it got us a go in the Feuerwehr's big red rescue boat :-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="kite">Hang-gliding</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><img align=right src="tinypix/julian.jpg" width=170 height=143 hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
Not for the complete beginner is the mind-bending takeoff from a ramp at the
|
|
|
|
|
top of the <a href="tollrd.htm">Toll-road</a>. On early expos, everyone
|
|
|
|
|
thought that this was only for loonies, but now a small contingent of
|
|
|
|
|
C.U.Hang-gliding Club have shown that it is even possible to land in a tree
|
|
|
|
|
and survive.<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="fryup">High-frying</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><a href="images/chips.jpg"><img width=160 height=128 align=left hspace=10
|
|
|
|
|
src="tinypix/chips.jpg"></a>This is a sort of Russian-roulette with the base
|
|
|
|
|
camp barbecue. A large Dutch Oven is filled far too full with oil, perched on
|
|
|
|
|
the swinging barbecue above a large open fire and used to fry chips (at which
|
|
|
|
|
point it almost overflows onto said fire). A swinging barbecue is ideal for
|
|
|
|
|
getting lumps of meat off without getting burnt, but less than perfect when
|
|
|
|
|
the victim is set the task of getting a large hot pan of chips off. Needless
|
|
|
|
|
to say, we survived....<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="hydro">Hydro-speeding</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Ideally, this means body-surfing down a river with a flat thing to
|
|
|
|
|
ride on to protect chest and arms from rocks, and with fins (flippers
|
|
|
|
|
to you) to give some degree of control. Needless to say, CUCC's version
|
|
|
|
|
involved a body board or an inner tube on the river from Grundlsee down
|
|
|
|
|
to Basecamp. "Reasonable" water levels are required, and getting out
|
|
|
|
|
to walk round the weir is strongly recommended. <i>"Interesting to find out
|
|
|
|
|
how wet it can get before you hurt yourself or drown"</i> (Wookey).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="ices">Ice creams</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Austrians do ice creams every bit as good as their sticky cakes - and
|
|
|
|
|
with the advantage of Schlagobers to appeal to the calorifically-challenged.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="mihs">Mohr-im-Hemd</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>No, not the <a href="smkridge/161/offffr.htm#mihemd">passage</a> in
|
|
|
|
|
Kaninchenhöhle, but the death-by-chocolate pudding which it was named
|
|
|
|
|
after. The first challenge is to persuade the other attendees at the expo
|
|
|
|
|
dinner to pay for the game if you win. The second challenge is to eat ten of
|
|
|
|
|
these delicacies and not throw up for at least five minutes.
|
|
|
|
|
It has been done :-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="pedalo">Pedalo pedalling</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><img align=left src="tinypix/pedalo.jpg" width=221 height=161 hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
Used to occur from Fritz's jetty when <a href="bcamps.htm">Basecamp</a> was
|
|
|
|
|
at Altaussee, but is now more likely to be an excuse for a trip to Hallstatt,
|
|
|
|
|
where there is also a handy gear shop and a <a href="#dive">diving</a> school
|
|
|
|
|
to get bottles filled.<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="spudhut">Potato Hut</a> festering</b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>(See also <a href="#bier">Bier Drinking</a>) <img
|
|
|
|
|
src="tinypix/phut94.jpg" width=205 height=147 align=right hspace=10>.
|
|
|
|
|
Festering in the evenings, or daytime in the rain, generally takes place in
|
|
|
|
|
Hilde's "Potato Hut", so called because it is the meeting place of the
|
|
|
|
|
"Potato Club". <img src="tinypix/bc94.jpg" width=137 height=109 align=left
|
|
|
|
|
hspace=10> This august local organisation exists mainly to drink
|
|
|
|
|
potato-derived alcohol, and engage in curling on Hilde's ice - more usually a
|
|
|
|
|
lake at the time of year of our visit.<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="radio">Radio-fettling</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Ever since we had a set of really excellent communications equipment on
|
|
|
|
|
evaluation from Philips in 1990, until the advent of mobile phones on expo
|
|
|
|
|
1999, expo hankered after a working set of CB-type radios. Top Camp to Base
|
|
|
|
|
Camp is not line of sight, and thus needed a repeater, which (a) didn't work
|
|
|
|
|
or (b) worked all the time and flattened its battery or (c) cut in and out
|
|
|
|
|
continuously during use or, very rarely, (d) worked perfectly. The temptation
|
|
|
|
|
to 'improve' it during time (d) resulted in hours being spent fettling it in
|
|
|
|
|
states (a) to (c). For better (probably) or worse, this activity is now
|
|
|
|
|
pretty much a thing of the past
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="rope">Ropewashing</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><img align=right src="tinypix/washit.jpg" width=161 height=192 hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
OK, I admit, this is really caving, but it happens at
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="bcamps.htm">Basecamp</a> and is refreshing if it's hot.
|
|
|
|
|
However, it can be a bit epic in the river if it is in flood, in which case a
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#tyrol">Tyrolean traverse</a> over the river is a sporting game.
|
|
|
|
|
<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="salt">Salt-mining</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>There are Salt Mines at both Hallstatt and Altaussee which are worth a
|
|
|
|
|
visit. The latter were used as a stash for huge amounts of stolen art
|
|
|
|
|
treasures by the Nazis, a fact that they keep strangely quiet about, given
|
|
|
|
|
that it was the brave action of one of the local workers which saved them
|
|
|
|
|
from being dynamited.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="swim">Swimming</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Either in the river behind the Staud'nwirt or in one of the lakes, where
|
|
|
|
|
the top metre or so gets quite warm in hot weather.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="fester">Sunbathing</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd><img src="tinypix/tcdoze.jpg" width=201 height=123 align=left hspace=10>
|
|
|
|
|
Can be done almost anywhere, when it doesn't piss down - but usually combined
|
|
|
|
|
with other activities at the side of the lake. However, more rays can be
|
|
|
|
|
picked up at Top Camp in the unusual event of good weather and not caving.<br
|
|
|
|
|
clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="sled">Tobogganning</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>There is a dry (metal trough) toboggan run
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="piclinks/tobog.htm"><img src="tinypix/tobog.jpg" width=143
|
|
|
|
|
height=170 align=right hspace=10></a> worth a visit near Bad Ischl. Wear long
|
|
|
|
|
sleeves and trousers if you value your skin - doing so enables you to
|
|
|
|
|
dispense with the brakes entirely.<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="tberg">Trisselberg ascent</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Of four expo attempts, two have succeeded - in
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="years/1984/twand.htm">1984</a> and again in
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="years/1990/log.htm#trissel">1990</a>.
|
|
|
|
|
An earlier attempt was thwarted by a wasps' nest, and the
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="years/1992/log.htm#trissel">1992 attempt</a> made the error of
|
|
|
|
|
retreating from high up in what turned out to be quite an epic in a
|
|
|
|
|
thunderstorm. It must be about time someone else had a go...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="tyrol">Tyrolean traverse</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Typically occurs towards the end of expo when large amounts of gear,
|
|
|
|
|
particularly rope and pulleys, ends up down by the river for
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#rope">ropewashing</a>. If the river really is too epic to stand in,
|
|
|
|
|
a tyrolean traverse from Hilde's to some trees opposite can provide an
|
|
|
|
|
awesome sense of exposure and not a little danger !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<dt><b><a name="surf">Windsurfing</a></b>
|
|
|
|
|
<dd>Yet another lakeside activity - this one really is easiest if there is
|
|
|
|
|
some wind, but as long as this is not too strong, it's a good game for total
|
|
|
|
|
beginners (unlike <a href="#kite">Hang-gliding</a>, for example).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
</dl>
|
|
|
|
|
<hr>
|
|
|
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
Back to <a href="../index.htm">CUCC Home page</a><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
Back to <a href="index.htm">Expedition Intro page</a><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<b>Main Indices:</b><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<a href="infodx.htm"><b>Index</b> to Expo</a> information pages<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<a href="areas.htm">Description of CUCC's area</a> and split to subareas<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
Full <a href="indxal.htm">Index to cave descriptions</a> in area 1623<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
List of (links to) <a href="pubs.htm">published reports and logbooks</a><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<b>Pictures:</b><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<a href="gall0.htm">Text only Index</a><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<a href="gallery/0.htm">Index pages (with thumbnails)</a><br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
Other info:<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<b>Table</b> of <a href="folk/index.htm">members of CUCC expeditions</a> 1976-present<br>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
</body>
|
|
|
|
|
</html>
|
