2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
|
|
|
<html lang="en">
|
|
|
|
|
<head>
|
|
|
|
|
<title>1994: An independent view</title>
|
2004-04-21 10:35:34 +01:00
|
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
|
<body>
|
|
|
|
|
<p>This write-up was first published in the "Cavers' Digest" (an internet
|
|
|
|
|
mailing list) #4871, submitted 20th July 1994, just after the Expo. Thanks to
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Bloodworth for permission to use it here and to reprint it in
|
|
|
|
|
<b>Cambridge Underground 1996</b>.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<h3>Subject: An American Wrinklie on Expedition in Austria</h3>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>I recently got onto Cavers-Digest looking for people to cave with on the
|
|
|
|
|
European continent. One of the familiar sigs on the digest, Wookey, from the
|
|
|
|
|
Cambridge University Caving Club (CUCC) invited me to join them for part of
|
|
|
|
|
their yearly 5 week expedition to explore Kaninchenhöhle near Bad
|
|
|
|
|
Aussee, Austria. KH is a very vertical cave in the mountains near Dachstein.
|
|
|
|
|
The current survey goes about 500m deep with 10 km of passages, but there is
|
|
|
|
|
much more to be explored. Although I was a novice to vertical caves, and (as
|
|
|
|
|
Wookey graciously pointed out) about 10 years older than most of the
|
|
|
|
|
participants, I accepted Wookey's friendly invitation to join the "Expo" for
|
|
|
|
|
a few days of caving. I spent the next couple of weeks collecting gear and
|
|
|
|
|
practicing SRT in the trees of the Rheinpark near my apartment. As Wookey
|
|
|
|
|
wasn't able to make the trip to KH this year, I sent him the following letter
|
|
|
|
|
detailing my experiences. He suggested that I post it to the Digest with a
|
|
|
|
|
few notes to help the uninitiated. The names of the various parts of the cave
|
|
|
|
|
probably won't mean much to those who havn't been there, but surveys are
|
|
|
|
|
available to those who are really interested in this deep large system.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>As there were no innocents on this expedition, none of the names have been
|
|
|
|
|
changed to protect anyone.<hr>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<h2>"<a name="tale">Tale</a> of an American Wrinklie on Expedition in Austria"</h2>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>It started out so well on Tuesday evening after work, the sky a blazing
|
|
|
|
|
red over Cologne as I headed to the train station with happy thoughts of cool
|
|
|
|
|
caves, the sun roof open and the windows down. Well, at least it was good
|
|
|
|
|
until I tried to put the passenger side window (electric) back up and it
|
|
|
|
|
jammed. An hour later I had taken apart the door in the parking lot and
|
|
|
|
|
repaired the window, but had missed my train.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>I ended up arriving about 2h late in Bad Aussee on Wednesday morning, and
|
|
|
|
|
found Karin's Gasthaus on the edge of town easily. She looked a little
|
|
|
|
|
shocked as I asked her "Haben Sie eine Gruppe englischer Höhlenforscher
|
|
|
|
|
zur Gast?" Apparently she hadn't expected anyone with the group to be able
|
|
|
|
|
to speak German and was preparing herself for some type of complaint, but as
|
|
|
|
|
I made it clear I only wanted to join the group she dutifully directed me to
|
|
|
|
|
a virtually deserted base camp. Everyone had already headed for top camp (a
|
|
|
|
|
45 min drive and a good hours hike up the mountain). Luckily, Shawn was
|
|
|
|
|
doggedly festering and offered to take me up to top camp. In retrospect, I
|
|
|
|
|
think he was happy for an excuse go to top camp without actually having to
|
|
|
|
|
go caving!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>(Note: Festering, for our american readers, has nothing to do with open
|
|
|
|
|
wounds. It is rather a Cambridge term for wasting time doing anything other
|
|
|
|
|
than what you are supposed to be doing; be that working, studying, or in
|
|
|
|
|
this case, caving)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>The day was shot, as it started raining heavily upon my arrival at top
|
|
|
|
|
camp, a collection of tents on a flowering alpine meadow. We spent the day
|
|
|
|
|
going back down into town, purchasing large quantities of beer, and hauling
|
|
|
|
|
it up on our backs. Andy was virtually jogging up the path to top camp with
|
|
|
|
|
his rucksack full of beer and I really had to work to keep up. At this
|
|
|
|
|
point, I was beginning to wonder if maybe I had bitten off more than I could
|
|
|
|
|
chew. Until that is, that I found out later that Andy is just one of those
|
|
|
|
|
hard-core, terribly fit mountain types who pushes everything to the limit!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Several beers later, out of either gratitude, pity, inebriation, or a
|
|
|
|
|
combination of the three, Mike and Andy suggested that we go on a short
|
|
|
|
|
(7-8h) trip down the main shaft to Vestabule to introduce me to SRT and to
|
|
|
|
|
check out some question marks before the expo dinner the next day. The cave
|
|
|
|
|
entrance was pretty impressive (as was the murderous walk up to it), going
|
|
|
|
|
down, down, down those pitches, and learning by doing SRT. After negotiating
|
|
|
|
|
a pretty tight squeeze which I am told you (Wookey) were responsible for
|
|
|
|
|
finding (thanks) we eventually got to Vestabule, Andy set up some rigging
|
|
|
|
|
for the next pitch down. His rad deviation required a 90 deg full body
|
|
|
|
|
length chimney move and herculean strength to cross, but it was tightly
|
|
|
|
|
rigged and therefore O.K. Mike found a short climb at the bottom, and a
|
|
|
|
|
passage that got us back to Gnome II. Thank God for that, as we were in a
|
|
|
|
|
hurry to get back in time for dinner and in no mood to do the Squeeze again.
|
|
|
|
|
Mike went back to get the rigging that had been set up for the trip down
|
|
|
|
|
into Vestabule and got a taste of adventure as the bolt popped out as he was
|
|
|
|
|
prusiking up. The combination of Andy's tight rigging and some rotten rock
|
|
|
|
|
combined to give him quite a scare. Thank goodness for that natural backup
|
|
|
|
|
anchor!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>After checking out some question marks and making plans for next trip, we
|
|
|
|
|
hauled ass back for the Expo dinner, where we had a great time eating,
|
|
|
|
|
drinking, and singing cave songs. This was fun, but the high point of the
|
|
|
|
|
evening had to be when Kate accepted a bet to eat 10 chocolate cake desserts
|
|
|
|
|
without losing it.., and she did! I and everyone else at the table was
|
|
|
|
|
completely dazed and amazed by this accomplishment, even after some 5 min
|
|
|
|
|
later, as she held her mouth and ran for the ladys room, looking a bit
|
|
|
|
|
green.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>I was thinking, <i>"These CUCC cavers are good people"</i>.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>The only casualty of the Expo I know of happened after dinner, as Alister
|
|
|
|
|
stubbed his toe crossing the road from the Gasthaus back to base camp.
|
|
|
|
|
Karin, our patient hostess, drove us to the local hospital, where the night
|
|
|
|
|
doctor asked quaintly, "Haf he somesing soo trinking?". Apparently it wasn't
|
|
|
|
|
bad enough for stitches.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Friday we got an early start and made it up to the cave entrance by 2pm.
|
|
|
|
|
:-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Julian, Steve, Kate and I went down to Algeria (a tall chamber dominating
|
|
|
|
|
an entrance shaft named France) and after abseiling halfway down an adjacent
|
|
|
|
|
large chamber onto a ledge, we found just masses of new cave. A big, approx.
|
|
|
|
|
7m wide sloping passage that looks like a dried up river bed (tentatively
|
|
|
|
|
named Mississippi, after the river of my hometown) and several side passages
|
|
|
|
|
heading in the general direction of Stellerweg (another deep cave nearby),
|
|
|
|
|
each ending in a different tall chamber. The passage Julian and I looked at
|
|
|
|
|
was so filled with deep soft chocolatey mud, that Kate (appropriately
|
|
|
|
|
enough) suggested that it be named Mississippi Mud Pie. Kate found a lovely
|
|
|
|
|
crawl of her own that I'm sure you'd like as well <g>.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Well, after surveying all the new stuff and adding numerous question
|
|
|
|
|
marks to the survey map, we headed up for breakfeast. Unfortunately, my
|
|
|
|
|
batteries gave out just after I had clipped into the hanging rebelay in
|
|
|
|
|
Algeria about 30-40m above the chamber floor. I ended up prussiking up to a
|
|
|
|
|
ledge with a mini mag torch in my mouth where I could finally change
|
|
|
|
|
batteries. After about two hours of SRT ascending torture and a lovely walk
|
|
|
|
|
back in the morning twilight, we had a great breakfast of Vesta's dehydrated
|
|
|
|
|
chicken and rice and caught a few hours of much needed sleep. We woke up at
|
|
|
|
|
noon Saturday realising that a moutain tent also doubles as a broiling oven
|
|
|
|
|
in the midday heat. Andy and Mike were arriving at top camp, psyched to
|
|
|
|
|
check out and survey a few question marks from the previous trip on
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday. "A great opportunity to get in another long trip and still catch
|
|
|
|
|
my train Sunday afternoon", I thought, and quickly packed my gear for the
|
|
|
|
|
trudge up to the entrance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>We dropped down and used the new detour to Vestabule, climbing back up
|
|
|
|
|
and derigging Driller Killer in the process. That tight traverse along the
|
|
|
|
|
very deep ridge connecting the two pitches is a bitch with a big bag of
|
|
|
|
|
rope, and we were happy to be doing it for the last time. Anyway, we pushed
|
|
|
|
|
and found loads of new ?'s, finally deciding to survey our way out about 1
|
|
|
|
|
am. My dead batteries the night before had me convinced of the joys of
|
|
|
|
|
carbide and I was using Anthony s lamp and generator. I was so happy to find
|
|
|
|
|
that I could also use it like a hot water bottle under my oversuit to help
|
|
|
|
|
me keep warm while waiting around to prussik! Another morning climb back
|
|
|
|
|
down to top camp and another breakfast of delicous Vestas completed my
|
|
|
|
|
caving experience at the '94 CUCC Expo. I was as tired as I've probably been
|
|
|
|
|
in a long time. My body was sore and bruised, my hands scraped, and my
|
|
|
|
|
fingertips numbed. I felt like I had been run over by a semi and was happy
|
|
|
|
|
as hell about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Mike and I drank a few brews at base camp to unwind as Olly (author of
|
|
|
|
|
SURVEX) typed the new survey data into the computer. Andy, the wild man,
|
|
|
|
|
stayed up top and was going for his 4th caving trip of the week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>As it was, I ended up spending a grand total of about 33hrs on three
|
|
|
|
|
trips underground in about 3 days. Helped survey about 500m of new cave with
|
|
|
|
|
about 65 survey stations. I also learned a hell of a lot about european
|
|
|
|
|
caving techniques (and english organizational skills, or the pleasant
|
|
|
|
|
absence thereof <g>). I was pretty beat as Olly dropped me off at the
|
|
|
|
|
Bahnhof for the ride home, but I was smiling because I knew I'd be back
|
|
|
|
|
again next year. Thanks for making it possible Wookey.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>bob
|
|
|
|
|
<hr>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>I want to publicly thank everyone from the CUCC at the Expo. Everyone was
|
|
|
|
|
just great, never making me feel like an idiot for being a novice. I liked
|
|
|
|
|
the folks from CUCC; besides being good cavers, they are a lot of fun to
|
|
|
|
|
party with! I can't thank them enough for letting me tag along for a few days
|
|
|
|
|
of caving. As Wookey so aptly put it:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p><b>"The Internet is good gear!"</b>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Robert Bloodworth
|
|
|
|
|
<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
|
|
|
<a href="../../../jnl/1996/index.htm">Table of Contents</a>
|
|
|
|
|
for Cambridge Underground 1996<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
1994 Expedition 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
|
|
|
<a href="index.htm">Index</a> (more complete than this list)<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="log.htm">Logbook</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
|
|
|
Expedition <a href="report.htm">Report</a> 1994<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="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving</a> Report<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
Index to <a href="161.htm">Kaninchenhöhle trips</a> in the log<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
This year's <a href="sponsr.htm">sponsors</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
|
|
|
(Index of) <a href="../../pubs.htm#1994">Published accounts</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
|
|
|
<a href="../../sponsr.htm">Current year's</a> sponsors<br>
|
2001-08-16 13:43:09 +01:00
|
|
|
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions 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
|
|
|
<a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
</body>
|
|
|
|
|
</html>
|
