<non_public>False</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>1623-283</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>Organhöhle</official_name><!-- Use ü for u+Umlaut and ö for o+umlaut eg Höhle for Hohle and Glück for Gluck--><!-- Name of the cave (normally in German) -->
<area>1623</area><!-- Name of the cave (normally in German) -->
<area>6</area><!-- the CUCC-defined areas shown in http://expo.survex.com/areas.htm -->
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>283</kataster_number><!-- (Either this or unofficial_number is required). Official number in Austrian kataster if one has been allocated -->
<unofficial_number>BS17</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>1623-283</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 -->
<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><ahref="../../others/ubss/index.htm">UBSS</a> 1990</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. -->
<underground_description>A deep and serious cave in a very remote location, with numerous Puits en bayonettes, from which rescue would be virtually impossible after a tortuous tube at -100m.</p><p>The 1m diameter entrance is followed by a walking sized phreatic passage with further entrances in the roof. This continues to a four-way junction. Straight on soon chokes at a boulder slope. Up to the left, the passage winds back to a further entrance. The way on is down to the right. The 5m high passage continues, passing low crawls on the left and right to a point where the roof lowers and the passage is split horizontally. The lower passage leads to an extensive series of low crawls whilst the upper passage continues to a squeeze past a debris cone with a distinct draught. Past the debris cone the passage splits again. The right hand passage chokes soon after a 12m pitch but the left hand passage carries on as a hands and knees crawl, crosses a blind 4m pit and soon reaches the <b>first pitch</b>.</p><p>A fine descent of 66m in a large shaft lands on a boulder ledge with the <b>second pitch</b> following on immediately. This descends 50m to a 15cm wide rift. Although there is a possible continuation beyond, this would require considerable effort to enter and was not pushed. A climb up to a window above the second pitch (krab and sling left rigged) gains a climb down to the boulder-strewn foot of an aven and a horizontal tube going off (not explored). 13m down the second pitch, <b>Fledermaus ledge</b> can be gained, with a passage leading off to <b>Fledermaus pitch</b>, named for the quantities of bat skeletons at its head. This 27m descent reaches about the same level as the base of the second pitch, and is blind except for a small slot in one wall. Traversing over Fledermaus leads to a small chamber with two tubes leading off, both draughting. The left tube becomes too tight, but a pitch can be seen beyond the constriction. The right tube is the <b>Organ Grinder</b>.</p><p>The Organ Grinder is 46m of exceedingly tortuous passage - nowhere extremely tight but twisting and turning, rising and falling, requiring a unique combination of contortions. It is best tackled feet first on the way in (head first on the way out) until a flat out crawl near the end which leads to the crux: a U-bend, best approached head first on the descent. This is even more difficult on the return, when it is best tackled feet first. UBSS's times to pass this passage varied from 10 minutes to 3½ hours, with an average of 20 minutes. There is just room to replace SRT gear before the following pitch. <b>The return of an injured person through this tube would be almost impossible without extensive modification of the cave.</b></p><p>The <b>third pitch</b> descends 42m, passing two windows, to a floor with no way on. From the foot of the pitch, a 3m climb up to a ledge reveals two climbs down. One of thse is blind, but the other leads to an undescended pitch of c20m.</p><p>Both of the windows in the third pitch connect with <b>Topher's pitch</b>, and the lower one was rigged. From here the pitch is 86m with a large ledge near the bottom. At the foot, a window leads to an aven, whilst in the opposite wall, another window looks onto the fifth pitch, <b>Toccata and Feuge</b> (sic).</p><p>Toccata and Feuge is best descended from a ledge above the large ledge in Topher's pitch. Rigged mainly from flakes and threads, it drops in a series of steps, 39m in total. A small hole in the floor drops into a chamber with no passable way on - just two exits, both too tight. 10m back up the pitch, a ledge can be gained and is the start of the <b>Rift Climb</b>. This is a 40m descent, and is best rigged as a self-lined climb. The rift continues for some distance horizontally, but has not been followed. Below the Rift climb, the head of another pitch can be gained, but great care should be exercised in the Rift Climb and this following pitch (<b>The Pitch of the Flying Boulders</b>) as there are many loose rocks, which, when dislodged, fall the full depth of both pitches.
<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>The above description is adapted from the <ahref="/others/ubss/News6_3.htm"><cite>UBSS report in Newsletter Vol 6 No. 3, November 1990</cite></a>. <br>ALSO <cite><ahref="http://www.ubss.org.uk/resources/proceedings/vol19/UBSS_Proc_19_2_251-264.pdf">Proc. Univ. Bristol Spelaeol Soc. 1992 19 (2), 263</a></cite></references><!-- References to documentation. Could be Journal articles or Logbook entries. Can be links if the docs are online. -->
<survey>Grade 3c survey on cover of <ahref="/others/ubss/News6_3.htm">UBSS Nls 6(3), 11/90</a></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>This cave might have been refound as 2012-OK-03</notes><!-- Normally empty, but place for anything else that should be noted, such as info on cave maybe being a duplicate, or lost -->
<length>235m</length><!-- Cave length. Can be left blank and system should fill it in automatically from survey data (it doesn't yet) -->
<depth>295m</depth><!--Cave depth. Can be left blank and system should fill it in automatically from survey data (it doesn't yet) -->
<survex_file>caves-1623/283/283.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/cavenum/cavnum.svx". (e.g. caves/204/204.svx -->
<description_file></description_file><!-- Path of top-level description file for this cave, when a separate file is used. Otherwise blank. -->
<url>1623/283.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')-->
