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1977: Nick Thorne's Belfry Bulletin report
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<center><font size=-1>Bristol Exploration Club Belfry Bulletin 354 pp 96-98</font>
<h2>TOTES GEBIRGE<br>1977</h2>
<p>by Nick Thorne</center>
<p>It is many years since Britain could offer open potholes for pioneers to
explore, and now even Europe is fast running out of areas of genuinely virgin
limestone. One area where almost no work has been done however is the Totes
Gebirge in Austria. Cambridge University Caving Club had a short expedition
to that area in 1976 and I went with them when they paid their second visit
in the summer of 1977. Since, in their past, the B.E.C. have shown an active
interest in Austria, I thought that members might like to know how things
went.
<p>C.U.C.C. set up camp by a lake in Alt Aussee, a sleepy little village some
80Km (50 miles) east of Salzburg. The scenery is spectacular in the extreme.
On the opposite side of the lake to our camp stood the Trisselwand, a sheer
rock wall six times taller than the Avon gorge. Our interest was focussed on
the nearby Loser Plateau, a sharply undulating plain nearly 2000m (6,600ft)
above sea level. Until recently the plateau was inaccessible to anyone with
anything short of a helicopter. However, a few years ago, a road up there was
built for the skiers and the plateau is now a brisk three quarters of an
hours' walk along dubious tracks from where the road ends. The road itself is
no trifling effort but a great autobahn affair zigzagging its way up the
hillside. Near the top, it has a heart-stopping hang gliders' take-off ramp.
The road is a toll road, and a car plus four people would cost about £5.50
per trip. Before we parted with cash, however, a curious aspect of local
attitudes was utilised. Cavers in Austria, and I believe in other parts of
the continent too, are regarded as real heroes. The words "Hohlen Forscher"
were all that we needed to gain us free tolls, reduced camping fees and even
free beer!
<p>Once on the plateau, we began prospecting. The tens of miles of lapiaz
have rather daunted Carl, the only local caver. He welcomed our extra
manpower, pointed us in the right direction and essentially said "Explore
whatever takes your fancy!" I found that after the British caving scene, some
adjustment of scale was necessary, both above and below ground. Looking
across the plateau the Schonberg looked to be within spitting distance, but
in fact it would have been a long days' very tough walking. Crossing the
lapiaz was a real headache. Unlike Yorkshire, this stuff is faulted, folded,
overfolded and has patches of tough, hardy vegetation growing all over it.
The plateau can be a very unfriendly place with its abundance of snakes and
its very changeable weather. In two minutes, prospectors can have their
surtbthing (Oh! what a giveaway!) interrupted by some very spectacular
thunder and lightning and be pummelled by hailstones as big as marbles. The
run-off from these thunderstorms is so fast as to be almost comforting. I am
sure that if one were caught underground in a floodable passage (of which
there are thankfully very few!) and not be drwoned instantly, one could
almost hold ones breath until the flood subsided!
<p>When it comes to the caves themselves, finding the deep ones requires a
little thought and a lot of luck. At first we looked at big open shafts, and
found many fine and undescended examples. Some were up to 4Om (150ft) deep,
but they were invariably choked or plugged with snow. A much better type of
entrance to look for is the horizontal type. A short section of horizontal
development is all that is needed to protect subsequent shafts from the
debris that chokes the open pots. An additional clue for a good site we
learned was the presence of a draught. So healthy an indication of good
things is a draught that we even hammered out the entrance to one cave - a
Yorkshire trick that leaves the continentals absolutely staggered! The
subsequent hole led to a fine series of shafts before becoming too tight at
about 25Om (820ft) depth. Although deep, this is nothing to what Loser could
produce with its maximum depth potential being in the order of 900m (2,950ft)
<p>As an example of the type of caves that we were finding, I include a
survey of one of the caves with which I was personally involved. We are
provisionally calling our find the Eisluft Hohle. The official Austrian
number designated to a cave initially is only worth superceding by a name
when the cave reaches some 150m (490ft) depth. The cave draughts outwards.
This we find very puzzling as the cave temperature is considerably lower than
that outside. The draught varies with the temperature of the atmosphere -
implying a convection draught as opposed to a stream driven one - and there
are no higher entrances that draught in. Indeed, no entrances on the plateau
seem to take an inblowing draught. We are still thinking this one out and
would welcome any suggestions.
<p>The cave has three entrances that each share the draught. These soon unite
above a snow slope. A handline descent of this leads to the top of Plugged
Shaft which is over two hundred feet deep and broken by numerous but very
small ledges. The icy draught is at its strongest at the top of the shaft and
on a good day difficulty was found in keeping carbide lamps alight. Sound
natural belays are scarce as all good looking flakes and threads just come
off in your hand, so bolting was the order of the day. This was very slow as
the limestone is very hard and rock anchors soon blunted. Half an hour's
hammering in the cooling breeze and the snow at the top of Plugged Shaft was
nothing if not soul-destroying.
<p>The shaft descends through snow plugs to a very dubious platform of dirty
snow. It was while standing on this that we began to wonder about the degree
by which the caver's presence alters the cave environment. ("I don't want to
worr you chaps - but it's melting!") Further down, the shaft enlarges and a
small rock bridge is met. Behind the bridge is some horizontal passage to a
shaft. Time was short, we left this undescended and followed the draught down
the main shaft. The shaft ends at a chamber and some short horizontal passage
that thankfully marks the end of the snow. Saved Shaft was descended to a
chamber and a fearful looking boulder choke. The draught filtered enticingly
through the ruckle and, prudence lost, we crawled through to a rift beyond.
We reached a pitch and descended 32m (105ft) and pushed on to the head of
another shaft, when we realised that we had lost the draught. We therefore
left this next shaft undescended anc returned and traversed over the pitch
head to another up which the faithful old draught was blowing. We then
descended 30m (98ft) down this one, past a ledge to a rift passage. This
enlarged to a reasonable sized chamber with a choice of routes onwards. We
had just about run out of tackle and, with the expedition nearing its end,
time was short too. We started the awesome task of de-rigging. (Yes, we were
on ladders!)
<p>We've left the cave with enough promise and question marks that I am sure
will draw us back to it next year. If you think that I've been a little rash
in telling you of this unfinished find, then I might warn the would-be pirate
that the plateau is very, very big and the Eisluft Hohle, like many of
Loser's caves, cannot be seen from more than five yards away! And, whilst on
his wanderings across the unexplored lapiaz, the pirate might just find
something better than the Eisluft Hohle. How about it ? "Noch ein Bier,
bitte!"
<dl>
<dt>References:
<dd><a href="../1976/report.htm">Cambridge Underground 1977</a>
for details of C.U.C.C. finds in 1976
<dd><a href="report.htm">Cambridge Underground 1978</a> to be published
next spring/summmer for details of finds on the 1977 expedition.
</dl>
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<img alt="&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/0.gif">
1977 Expedition info:<br>
<img alt="---&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/1.gif">
<a href="log.htm">Logbook</a> (currently missing)<br>
<img alt="---&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/1.gif">
Andy Waddington's <a href="andylg.htm">Logbook</a><br>
<img alt="---&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/1.gif">
<a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1978</a><br>
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<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves &amp; Caving Report</a><br> -->
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Eislufth&ouml;hle - <a href="descnt.htm">from Descent 40</a><br>
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<a href="../../pubs.htm#1977">Index</a> to all publications<br>
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