<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>1626-LA12</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>Sternloch</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></kataster_number><!-- (Either this or unofficial_number is required). Official number in Austrian kataster if one has been allocated -->
<unofficial_number>LA12</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-LA12</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-LA12+1626-LA12 '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><ahref="../others/luss/index.htm">LUSS</a> 1987-8</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/LA12/LA12.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>A narrow slot (1m x 5m) with a small capping roof, soon bells out to a landing after 17m on a boulder-strewn ledge. The second pitch, <b>Virgo</b>, follows immediately, bolt belays giving a fine hang of 21m. Ways down through the boulder floor soon choke, but a step up into a small alcove reveals a small hole dropping into a rift. This is the take-off for <b>Aquarius</b>, an 85m shaft in six sections. Halfway down, the water cascades in from the roof, usually in large quantities.</p><p>From the base of Aquarius, traversing forwards gains a drier hang for the next pitch of 16m. A pendulum 10m down avoids the worst of the water, which continues down a clean circular shaft (see below).</p><p>The pendulum reaches <b>W.C.S. series</b> where two short drops in a rift lead to a bolt rebelay in a massive jammed boulder. Just below this, a window opens into a narrow shaft which is undescended. At the foot of the rift, a short section of hading rift gets wetter at the head of the next pitch, whose 11m are always lashed by spray from somewhere above.</p><p>A short traverse into a large alcove escapes the spray and facilitates a dry hang for <b>FUDE</b>, a 14m pitch with natural belays set well back and soft squidgy choss at the pitch head. Two climbs lead to a rift/ramp area where the way on is tight and thrutchy. <b>Nil Desperandum</b> soon drops to the head of a short pitch and more climbs down into a chamber.</p><p>The rift outlet is too tight, but a 5m climb up gains a bypass where a short traverse leads to <b>Ardua</b>, a pitch of 11m. Down the slope, the water sinks in boulders, but the way on is a slot in the wall behind a large boulder. This immediately bells out onto <b>Astra</b>, a 38m pitch where a pendulum onto and over a huge chocked boulder reaches bolts for the second part of the pitch, a superb 25m drop down one end of a large rift.</p><p>Climbing down at the far end of the rift, an area of breakdown is reached. Up the boulders, a rift enters from the right (presumed to be an inlet, but not explored), while water can be heard away to the left. However, the loose nature of this area, combined with the pitch below, precluded anything more than a cursory examination.</p><p>Under the boulders, a short pitch lands in a chamber where the water is rejoined shortly before it cascades over the lip of another large shaft, the limit of exploration in 1987.</p><p>The pitch is 57m and quite wet, dropping into a sizeable chamber (50m x 10m and 40m high), <b>The Planetarium</b>. This chamber is formed along a fault, with breakdown littering the floor. At one end, under a large waterfall, is a pitch between the wall and the boulders. This drops 15m into an extremely loose boulder choke <b>Religious Places</b>, with no way on. No other route out could be found from the Planetarium, giving an overall depth of 331m.</p><p>The wet way on from the bottom of Aquarius descends pitches of 7m and 27m. The latter is arguably the best pitch of the cave, hanging free for 23m beside a column of water. Unfortunately, the way on is a tiny impassable rift.</underground_description><!-- Underground description. (description of approach and entrance goes in entrance file). For a small cave this will be the entire description. For larger caves it will be the front page of the description, or a short intro, containing links to other pages with the cave description in, or even nothing but a link. -->
<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><ul><li><dl><dt>87.1514</dt><dd><cite>Austria Reconnaissance Expedition 1987, Lancaster University Speleological Society</cite></dd></dl></li><li><dl><dt>89.1866</dt><dd><cite>Dead Mountains Expedition 1988, L.U.S.S.</cite> 24pp illus.</dd></dl></li></ul><p></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) -->
<description_file></description_file><!-- Path of top-level description file for this cave, when a separate file is used. Otherwise blank. -->
<url>1626/la12.htm</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')-->
