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<title>Cambridge Underground 1982: 1981 Expo report</title>
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<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1982 pp 4-14</font>
<h1>Austria 1981</h1></center>
<p>For newcomers to Cambridge Underground, a few words may be in order about
our involvement with Austria. The first CUCC expedition in 1976 stayed at
the small village of Altaussee, 55km southeast of Salzburg and on the
southwestern fringe of the Totes Gebirge - and we have had no reason to
move. The 77-79 expeditions worked on the Loser Plateau and found 82
(-215m), 97 (-265m) and 76 (-506m) (<a href="loser.htm">see map</a>). The
numbers are those of the Austrian Catalogue and should be prefixed by the
area code 1623/. The 1980 expedition concentrated on an area further south
(and nearer the car park at the top of the toll road); this was the region
near Stoger Weg (path no. 201).
<p>113 (Sonnenstrahlh&ouml;hle) went to -329m; 41 (Stellerwegh&ouml;hle) was
still going at -350m; and 115 (Schnellzugh&ouml;hle, but referred to as
Gemsescheisenh&ouml;hle in <a href="../1980/report.htm">last year's
journal</a>) was discovered. The 41 entrance is just above the path near the
point where it drops sharply and 115 is nearby, below the path. It was with
the intention of looking at these two pots that the 1981 expedition went out
for the first three weeks of August.
<p>This year's expedition included a large number of new faces. The usual
exCS contingent had decided to give Austria a rest for a year and live it up
in the Pyrenees; so that there were mostly resident CUCC members on this
year's trip. They were joined by a large party from UBSS, some of whom had
been to Austria before. Although the expedition as a whole lacked experience
outside Britain, the larger than usual number of very enthusiastic and able
speleos gave hopes of a successful expedition.
<p>Those partaking of regular refreshment in the Bar Fischer were:
<p>Rich Barker (UBSS)
<br>Dave Brindle
<br>Chas Butcher
<br>John Cownie
<br>Judith Greaves
<br>Simon Kellet
<br>Pete Lancaster
<br>Jane Lolly
<br>Tim Lyons (UBSS)
<br>Fraser MacDonald
<br>Mick McHale (UBSS)
<br>Mike Martin
<br>Pat Martin (UBSS)
<br>Janet Morgan
<br>Clive Owen (UBSS)
<br>Rob Parker (SWCC)
<br>Tim Parker
<br>Steve Perry
<br>Phil Townsend
<br>Julian Walker (UBSS)
<br>Martin Warren (UBSS)
<p>four of whom had caved on the CUCC expedition in previous years.
<p>The expedition intended to continue the exploration of 41 and 115 from
1980 and so Altaussee was the obvious place to stay. The steady influx of
nineteen cavers, their cars, ropes and heaps of smelly tackle came as rather
a shock to Fritz the campsite owner and even more so to the other campers.
The half-sized campsite rapidly became overcrowded - some of us nearly had to
sleep in t'bottom o't'lake with only a handful of cold ravioli for breakfast.
This overcrowding was certainly a factor, along with the hedgehog, in the
spreading of the dreaded lurgi in the second week, when everybody on the site
was struck down at some time by the legendary Spanish tummy, Delhi belly, or
whatever you care to call it. This illness nearly had serious consequences
when several people were taken ill underground, one particularly badly,
leading to a certain lack of enthusiasm to enter 115 amongst other cavers for
fear of what they might put their hands in ! Many thanks are due to our
eminent expedition surgeon for ministering to the sick with undying
affection.
<p>CUCC will not forsake Fritz another opportunity of forcing them to drink a
crate of beer on arrival; Seecamping Madlmeier will see them again next year.
As in previous years, a special rate was negotiated for the toll road -
bottles of Scotch should go at the top of any quartermaster's list of
essentials. An accident-free three weeks on the driving front was an
unexpected achievement considering the many early hours trips back from the
plateau and our previous record of crashes.
<p>The arrival of the UBSS in force on the Loser this year was particularly
useful from an expedition point of view. They had received and spent a
sizeable grant on expedition tackle so that there was enough rope to explore
two large caves at once and furthermore no necessity to chop up personal
rope. The UBSS also provided much of the transport during the first week.
<p>It was decided that the ubss/SWCC H&ouml;hlenforschers would concentrate
on 41 whilst CUCC renewed the attack on 115. This decision was based purely
on the fact that Steve Perry knew where 41 was and Simon Kellet purported to
know the whereabouts of 115. In fact everyone who wished got a trip in both
caves; which produced some constructive criticism of the rigging in 115! The
exploration of 41 was perhaps carried out by too few and as a result very
long tackling trips were undertaken, worth many hero points but leaving
several days when no-one entered the cave. The rigging was a superb piece of
engineering and the cave was a real pleasure to descend. In contrast 115 was
overmanned, largely because the prospect of breaking new ground was present
from the first trip, and some pretty unimaginative rigging was done. It is
fair to say that the entrance series of 115 to the streamway, does not lend
itself to long free-hanging pitches, much of the depth being gained in hading
rifts; any exploration next year ought to start by rigging a more enticing
route in.
<p>Once the streamway and high-level dry phreatic maze had been reached in
115, and a similar situation revealed in 41, the chance of a connection
became more than a dream. A 115 trip to find a bypass to the first arduous
500m of streamway discovered a considerable amount of phreatic passage, some
with seemingly anomalous draughts. Finding no obvious right way on, a cairn
was built at the furthest point of exploration and a decision to push on down
the streamway made. Three days later a pushing trip in 41 found the cairn and
the connection was made. Unfortunately it now became easier to get into the
system so that the more spectacular and better-rigged entrance was used only
for tourist through-trips and may not be rigged next year.
<p>The exploration of the streamway was dogged by illness, badly coordinated
trips in which teams reached the bottom to find that there was insufficient
rope or the bolt kit had been taken out, and by the arduous nature of the
first tight 500m of streamway. It will be necessary to find a high level
route if the exploration is not to involve twenty hour trips and a lot of
enthusiasm.
<p>Very little prospecting was done this year, and most of it concentrated on
finding a third entrance to the 41/115 system. 32 is a promising hole but
requires either a lot of hammer wielding or an application of Dr. Nobel's
Linctus. The region to the north of 113 has yet to be investigated, largely
because it is a long walk to lug tackle!
<p>CUCC is not in the habit of mounting serious scientific expeditions and
this was no exception. Surveying was the usual pain in the posterior and the
club lacks a committed cartographer to sit around in the cold distasteful
bits of 115. The club does have a surfeit of geologists, but they showed very
little interest in applying their brains to the hydrology and geology of the
system, though they did find some "pretty fossils - **** knows what they
are".
<p>CUCC may be criticised for not moving to pastures new, but the fact
remains that the Loser Plateau continues to provide good caving, considerable
depth potential - the current bottom of 41/115 is around 800m below the
entrance to Eislufth&ouml;hle - and is a very accessible area. This latter
part has to be the greatest advantage, after all, for most participants, the
expedition is a holiday and so there should be a minimum amount of donkey
work, trekking and roughing it involved, and easy access to beer,
Apfelstrudel and Pfeffersteaks.
<p>Finally thanks to campsite owner Fritz Madlmeier and to our local contacts
Gunther Graf and Karl Gaisberger.
<p align=right>Phil Townsend
<p><img alt="&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/0.gif">
<a href="loser.htm">Link to area map</a> accompanying this article.
<hr>
<h2><a name="115">115</a> - Schnellzugh&ouml;hle</h2>
<p>Schnellzugh&ouml;hle was discovered in 1980, a draughting, horizontal
passage which ended in a choke (with some survey cotton found). This was dug
and a complex abandoned system reached via a bolted climb. The limit of
exploration was a ramp which led both up and down to undescended avens at
-80m. The size of the passage and strength of breeze made a return very
attractive.
<p>The initial rigging in and pushing trips did not follow the
marathon-from-the-word-go pattern of the Stellerweg heroes; usually two
2-man teams would descend in relay each day. This avoided the withdrawal
symptoms and 'driver of the year' risks associated with all night trips.
<p>Rigging in to the 1980 limit took one trip, the old bolts were reused. An
inlet above the ramp was also explored; a series of 8 cascades led up 30m to
a choke. At the aven a decision was made not to descend via the main shaft
but to a rift to one side. This was primarily because a pile of loose
boulders threatened to mangle anyone dangling below. Also, a peer into the
depths showed that rebelaying would be necessary, giving no advantage over
the rift. The rope dropped via a series of muddy ledges (although there were
no severe cam-slipping problems) into a small active streamway, just a tiny
dribble when it wasn't raining. Two fine, clean-washed pitches of 19m and
14m followed, which were the scene of an exciting trip when it did rain
once. A tremendous whooshing noise announced the arrival of quite a small
flood pulse, which would have made the pitches miserable rather than
impassable; the intrepid explorers were exiting too rapidly to actually
prove this. The second wet pitch was followed by a damp 9m ladder climb to a
15m by 5m ledge. Here the water disappeared into boulders, and then a 34m
freehang dropped into a chamber.
<p>This was big, 30m by 30m with the roof beyond stinky range. A food dump
was established here, complete with stove in case the pitches ever did become
impassable. A stream vanished into an uninviting slot in the floor. Upstream,
60m of big phreatic tube connected with another aven. Downstream, a similar
5m diameter tube was reached by traversing up through boulders from the
stream bed. It proved too difficult to follow the stream at high level (this
had also been found out by a rather forlorn, green bat here found entombed).
However, 50m from the chamber the tube branched off into a phreatic maze. The
draught was pursued to a second stream, and a small cairn built. This was
later to be found by the Stellerweg team.
<p>Meanwhile the streamway was pushed. It meandered on and on for 800m, and
required much shuffling and a couple of awkward traverses. An hour of this
led to a more comfortable sized streamway (probably the Stellerweg water).
This proceeded with a 7m lined climb to a sump.
<p>This was easily bypassed via a 3m diameter phreatic tube which emerged
above the stream again. The discovery was celebrated by a severe attack of
the Lurgi and an epic 11 hour exit, after which the narrow streamway was
christened Pete's Purgatory. A ladder was rigged back to the stream, and the
descent continued with increasing enthusiasm. The canyon was 1.5-2m wide, too
high to see the roof and getting bigger all the time. Fifty metres and a 5m
ladder climb led to 500m of fine stream, which descended quite rapidly by
numerous sporting cascades.
<p>A 5m pitch (the 'twelve foot climb') was reached and bolted when play was
stopped again by Lurgi. The victim escaped this time, but his partner got
lost near the entrance and had to be rescued the following morning. 500m
after the short pitch came a 10m wet pitch and then 300m more passage. In two
places here, classic vadose canyon gave way to low, wet ramps with some
grotting in boulders. A fine, free-hanging pitch of 10m then dropped into a
dark pool. 150m more stream, and a 15m pitch, broken by a ledge, was followed
by a 4m roped climb. 70m of horizontal passage followed, with dismal pools
leading to hopes of a sump; these were dashed by another pitch, a dry 15m
free-hang. The streamway continued inexorably to yet another 10m pitch, but a
realistic decision / miserable witter was made and the derig commenced to the
sump bypass. This was completed in a mammoth 3-wave session, remarkable for
feats of gluttony and nicotine consumption, and an attempt to wall in the
consultant geologist and catering manager.
<p>Trips into the lower streamway were becoming quite serious, with
hitch-free trips taking from 12-14 hours, typically adding just a couple of
bolts. Flooding could be an extremely dangerous proposition: there is nowhere
warm and dry to hide. However, it needs a good survey and the combined system
is getting close enough to the 700m mark to put a return next year very much
on the cards.
<p align=right>Simon Kellet.
<p><img alt="&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/0.gif">
<a href="115.htm">Link to 115 survey</a> and accompanying notes to go with
this article.
<p><img alt="&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/0.gif">
<a href="41germ.htm">Link to 41 German route survey</a> and accompanying
notes.
<hr>
<h2><a name="ubss">UBSS in Austria</a> - Stellerwegh&ouml;hle and the
connection</h2>
<p>Stories of pitches, classic continental rigging and depth, honour and
glory attracted the UBSS to join CUCC in Austria. With them came the state of
art tackle they had bought to the keen specifications of their more
experienced members. The latter came too, though not all of their experience
had been of caving over the previous few years. One, a Doctor noted for his
energy, sent out to buy an escort for transport, misinterpreted his brief and
provided a racy little sportster. The others showed good humour by providing
the real transport; an Escort advertising longevity and the redundancy of
prissy bodywork, and an Imp with a trailer its own size. The trailer was in
quite reasonable repair. Your correspondent provided a tent suitable for the
bridge parties and a cook to double as decoration and baggage for the
sportster.
<p>The walk to Stellerwegh&ouml;hle (41a) takes a contoured path from the
restaurant overlooking the campsite. In the sun it is an enjoyable stroll
made serious only by the thoughts of caving ahead. Memories of the long slog
across the plateau on previous trips are recounted with expansive gestures
over the skyline, and just a hint of 'hard days remembered' in the eyes. The
easy efficiency of our path soon leads to an orange paint blob marking the
start of the winding climb up through thick bush and stone gullies to the 41a
entrance. Below, a more serious slither leads down to 115. The entrance
belches cold air, welcome relief to sweat for just a moment before the
various chills of present, past and future cool the mind.
<p>The route to the big pitch follows phreatic passages developed along
inclined bedding planes. It is crossed by 45 degree ramps which are
traversed, several with the aid of fixed lines. The first pitch bypass takes
one of these ramps down, then along the strike to join the bottom of the
pitch chamber. The final ramp is descended, dropping down the base of its
'T' section, then over large boulders to the division of the rift. To the
right last year's route gains an airy take-off made horrid by mud and spoilt
further by rebelays at several contact points. To the left, a couple of 10m
abseils lead to a fine free hang for the big pitch: a splendid 100m drop,
hanging at times at least 10m from the nearest wall, broken only by a free
rebelay in slings.
<p>At the foot of the pitch a stream runs down the rift, then below an
awkward traverse section which is followed by a series of progressivly wetter
and tighter pitches. We remember the sound of flood pulses, a feature not to
be taken lightly in a place with the promise of this cave. A hammered squeeze
on a 6m pitch adds interest as a marker of better to come - not the least
interest is the thought of others negotiating it. Strange Comfort. An awkward
7m pitch then a thrutchy climb (up over large boulders and losing the water)
folows the rift into a magnificent cleft some 3m wide and over 100m high.
Oddly it was at this spot last year that we directed attention to an
alternative route (the 'German Route') for 3 days, pushing to -140m in
increasingly nasty sharp, tight passage. Odd how that narrow rift quietened
enthusiasm with such a superb way lying ahead.
<p>The route on follows the now dry rift and includes numerous small pitches
and traverse rebelays. The water is rejoined and the passage roof closes to
within 10m in places. The final pitches are in clean washed round pots with
a stream lip and more spray from above. The walls are decorated with the
fossils of large bivalve molluscs about 30cm across. The rift must surely
plunge on down, grey and businesslike, and deep.
<p>Here, on our third major rigging-in day, we placed a final bolt ahead of
last year's progress. We had consolidated the route with fine rigging in
preparation for the pushing trips beyond. Each trip had been tiring to the
experienced members, now we were damp as well and still the return to make.
During the ascent one wondered what one was doing here; building character
or the foundation of more good stories ? Certainly we had provided the basis
for a memorable through trip as the next visit revealed. We even lured the
115 contingent down to this spectacle of fine cave and tasteful rigging and
the through trip gave us the opportunity to curl a lip over the 115 entrance
series.
<p>The last pitch drops into Junction Chamber. Turning right one follows a
gently descending stream. Soon the way traverses the rift above the stream.
Above (after 40m) a hole in the roof leads to a series of small and dusty
tubes. We are in a phreatic zone. After a few bends the passage on closes
down to a short flat out crawl regaining the stream. More traversing on
dusty loose mud ledges in the passage roof gains a hole in the roof and a
series of phreatic tubes of railway tunnel proportions. These tubes can be
followed back to Junction Chamber entering about 10m above the floor. Ahead
they take a series of swooping inclines punctuated by dramatic bends. This
area was much appreciated by the surveying party. A final incline to a sharp
left bend regains the stream in its rift and reveals the sight, surprising
to the first explorers, of a cairn.
<p>From this lowest point of the connection there are two routes on - one a
traverse over the stream then a climb over large boulders into a passage
entering from the left; the other a 0.75m hole at floor level to the left of
the start of the final incline. The two ways join in an uphill sandy passage
(1.5m high by 3m wide).
<p>At some stage one should appreciate the significance of the cairn -
marking the limit of exploration of a side line in 115. The eagerness to get
out through 115 may have reduced interest in 41a, a shame as it was only
later that we looked at another exit from Junction Chamber. Anyway, following
the uphill passage one can reflect on the peace of this area, the comfort and
ease of progess. A nice site for a bivvy if necessary.
<p>Next a flat out crawl hardly slows progress into the teeth of a healthy
draught. Enthusiasm is rewarded by a motorway (almost) sized passage (all
things, the educated mind realises, are relative. John Parker once described
a passage: &quot;It's huge in places, one can stand up even.&quot; This
passage really is big). Now turning right - who knows what lay to the left -
a further 90m of phreatic tube led to the 115 main passage.
<p>Our next interest in 41a lay in derigging it. This came after a suitable
period for through trips of both a caving and an enteric nature - which some
of our party combined.
<p>At Junction Chamber we noticed the obvious and hitherto ignored 15m climb
leading left into a choice of phreatic passages with further avens gaping
above - a really large junctional complex. To the right after 50m the
passage led to a rift above a stream. The other choice was a large phreatic
tube (10m by 10m) in which easy progress down a 30 degree slope gained 50m
of depth. This scramble down boulders leads to a cross-rift after about
150m. To the right a stream, to the left a traverse after a short distance.
It is galling to find such a passage on your derigging trip, but that's why
the description stops here.
<p align=right>Steve Perry
<p><center><img alt="Connection survey - 8k gif" width=520 height=490
src="115con.gif"></center>
<hr>
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Cambridge Underground 1982
<a href="../../../jnl/1982/index.htm">Table of Contents</a><br>
<img alt="&gt;" src="../../../icons/lists/0.gif">
1981 Expedition info:<br>
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<a href="log.htm">Logbook</a><br>
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<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves &amp; Caving Report</a><br>
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<a href="cavdev.htm">Cave Development in the Totes Gebirge</a>
(from CU Report)<br>
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