From 4fe615918e1c563f0736ee16b6d6c5e7bc5c0c51 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: expo
Easy going continues past a right turn to a complex junction at several levels. The water can be followed down a rift to a drop into an impenetrable fissure. Back at the junction, a traverse and thrutch through lead to a small tube, which crosses a cross-rift and ends at a filthy sump. Left at the cross rift, however, a low crawl gives onto a greasy chimney climb of 4m with very little in the way of holds. At the foot of this, the water reenters, and soon develops acute verticality. The first 5m are technical and best rigged, but below that, the descent becomes more spiralling in mainly solid rock. After 30m, things become more shattered and muddy and the climb drops into water leading very quickly to a sump at -90m.
Shortly before the second pitch, a right turn leads into an inlet passage, over a slot to the main passage below, over a traverse and a false floor, to reach, eventually, an aven ascended for about 25m and continuing, but with no great prospects.
From the Chamber, a traverse can be entered from the top of the rock-slope. The level closes off after about 15m, but below a climb down, a pitch was excavated dropping into a larger passage which soon choked comprehensively.",,,,,"no","Cambridge Underground 1977, facing page 46.
(The original notes have been lost; the length cited was calculated by inventing stations and survey legs based on the drawn-up survey.)",,"347m","90m","116m",,,,,,,,,,,,"1600m",,,"West of Kratzer valley, off path to Schwarzmoossattel.",,"Entrance is in a fair-sized shakehole in the dwarf-pine-covered karren before Schwarzmoossattel.",,"Paint (?)","Believed to be numbered in red","Refindable","AERW knows where it is" 72,"1/T +",,,,"noinfo/loser/72.htm",,,"Skeletthöhle",,,"8c","Sektion Ausseerland, 1976 ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"1720m",,,"West of Augstsee. ",,,,,,"Lost", 73,"2/S =",,,,"noinfo/kratzer/73.htm",,,"Suppentellerschacht",,,4,"
","The first step is sprayed by meltwater, and the second step leads to -30m. A short rope leads to the next step. A rift follows an acute angle under the entrance way, some metres back. This section is very narrow, and over the narrow section pours a showerbath. Now a second squeeze leads to a fine pitch which bends back under the previous section. Then it gets complicated (the language, not the cave). It sounds like a series of either roomy or narrow wet pitches. Exploration appears to cease at -60m because of water down the neck and in the suit. It isn't clear if the cave actually stops at this point.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"1580m",,,"In Kratzer valley, some way up valley from Fledermaushöhle (Kat.71).",,,,,,"Lost", -74,"1/T +",,,,"noinfo/kratzer/74.htm",,,"Schneckenhaushöhle",,,4,"Edith Bednarik, 1977","Sounds like a free-climb to a snow choke (very much like B5, which must be in virtually the same place ?)",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"1600m",,,"In Kratzer valley, down valley from Fledermaushöhle (Kat. 71), on true right some way above bottom of valley. In the same entrance doline as Dr.Kerschner Höhle (Kat.35).",,,,,,"Lost","Probably =B5" +74,"1/T +",,,,"noinfo/kratzer/74.htm",,,"Schneckenhaushöhle",,,4,"Edith Bednarik, 1977","Sounds like a free-climb to a snow choke (very much like B5, which must be in virtually the same place ?)",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"1600m",,,"In Kratzer valley, down valley from Fledermaushöhle (Kat. 71), on true right some way above bottom of valley.",,,,,,"Lost","Probably =B5" 75,"2/T +",,,,"noinfo/kratzer/75.htm",,,"Wisenthöhle",,,4,"Edith Bednarik, 1977","This entrance connects with a second shaft just down valley. The Austrian article describing the cave says it is about 60m long, but this did not appear to be the case in 1990, since it seems to choke very quickly - perhaps digging would now be required to get in. In 2006, it appears there's a low crawl leading off from the base of the entrance slope, so perhaps the 1990 inspection missed this...",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Surface survey",,,,,"1680m",,,"Just south of Schwarzmoossattel, in the far upper reaches of Kratzertal. There is an obvious freeclimbable shaft/cave just down valley from the equally obvious shakehole/shaft labelled B4.",,,,"Tag","It is numbered twice in red paint, once very faded and once very badly run (and also very faded in 2006): both numbers are needed to deduce (with difficulty) that this is indeed ""75"". Tag ""1623/75"" placed by CUCC on 2006-08-14.","Surveyed","Seen in 1990 and 1996 (by AERW?). Relocated, tagged, and surfaced surveyed to in 2006." 76,"5/S/E x","main a b",,"yes","plateau/76/76.htm",,,"Eislufthöhle",,,"1d","CUCC 1977-79,2004-2006","
",,"Question Mark List",,"The exploration is written up in many places:This last item, the only complete write up of 1977-79, appeared in Polish translation, and is published in the English original for the first time here.","Data for the sections covered so far by the resurvey project begun in 2004 can be downloaded as a .3d file or raw Survex data.","
The lower parts of the 1970s surveys are based on measurement of rope lengths and thus probably best categorised as Grade 2. The 2004 resurveyed depth for the taproom agrees closely with the 1970s surveys:
",,"The entrance is prominently numbered 106 which is the number we had allocated to it, but a description of the cave was published in the Belfry Bulletin, which is seen by Alfred Auer, who allocated his own number to it in advance of our report.",," " 76,,"main",,"entrance",,,,,,,,"CUCC 1977-79,2004-2006",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"p76","entrance dotted triangle on 76",,"Surface survey",,,,,,,,,,,,"Tag",,"Surveyed", @@ -358,11 +358,11 @@ 120,,"d",,"last entrance",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Altarkögerlhöhle",,,,,,,,,,"1670m",,,,,,,,,, 122,"3/S =",,,,"noinfo/1626/122.htm",,,"Ufoschacht","Gouffre Ovni",,1626,"
","The entrance consists of a crack about 20cm high, which was at first cleared as far as a chamber with no exit. The draught which had enabled the entrance to be found now showed the way on. After having unblocked a fissure dubbed Sas, a pitch, Escalier Anti-G, was reached. This is broken in five places. A second pitch, Puits Andromède, broken into three, leads to a short canyon, then to several drops and pitches interspersed with short squeezes. The following pitches can be seen as forming a single 80m shaft, the Puits Ganimède, divided into five and becoming bigger and bigger in depth as well as width. The cave continues by a fault rift two or three metres wide and 40m deep, Puits Trou Noir (The Black Hole). The early pitches are dry, but by this point, at -200m, the shafts are much wetter.
The explorers in 1977 started on the descent of a fine 60m pitch of constant shape, slightly sloping, Puits Zorglub. At the bottom of this is the only chamber of the cave : the Salle Galactique. Here the cave splits into two routes, the active and the fossil.
Downstream from the chamber a drop leads to a small chamber among boulders, the Love Nest. (No idea who ventured to call it this). Between the boulders a 20m pitch opens, immediately followed by a 25m pitch. In fact, the last 25m of descent drops between the walls of an immense aven to land on a flat gravel floor. A diagonal chimney leads to a trickle of water.
A fissure marks the start of the Méandre Anti-Matière, where one immediately rejoins the underground stream. This has an average flow of two litres per second but quite rapidly increases to 10-15 litres per second in flood. The first part of the meander is straight and interrupted by 3 small pitches and two drops. At the top of the first, in the roof, is the connection with the fossil system. Quickly, the meander becomes less amenable: high and narrow, it is plastered with mud (the anti-matter) which makes progress quite arduous. Three pitches of 5, 14 and 10m punctuate progress. This last, followed by a drop of 3m, gives access to a section of passage blocked by clay. At the end of this, the stream disappears into a fissure with tight impenetrable bends.
The main passage continues ahead as a quite large fossil branch. After some 50m, the draught goes into an earthy hole, the start of a big pitch of 70m in several stages, the Puits du Centaure.
Halfway down, the pitch is rejoined by the stream which is avoided by a parallel fossil shaft. There immediately follows another pitch of 55m, the Puits du Fond des Ages, totally wet and characterised by an elliptical cross-section and constant slope. At the bottom, the water is engulfed by a fissure about three metres long, followed by a tight meander which has not been pushed. This is the deepest point : -565m.
Upstream from the Salle Galactique, a window some metres high gives access to a good-sized passage (3x3m on average), the Méandre des Petits Hommes Verts (the Little Green Men's passage). One comes up against a climb of 3m at the base of which the trickle of water is lost into a meander cut below the fossil passage (see below). After a narrowing and a climb, the passage ends in boulders between which it is still possible to penetrate for a dozen metres.
Back in the meander below the fossil passage: this ends at the Puit de la Comète (discovered by the Gaumais), a 60m pitch, spray-lashed in its lower part by Le Pipi (the wee-wee). At the base of this pitch is the beginning of the Méandre des Mutants. This is a passage for masochists par excellence: low and tight, gear gets caught everywhere. It ends in a series of climbs and a 30m pitch joining the active system.",,,,"
",,,,,,,"Description adapted from the references by Andy Waddington. This translation has not been vetted by a fluent french reader, and I'm afraid it shows rather badly in places.
See reference 78-2008 for Geology and Meteorology.",,,,,,,,,,,"1520m",,,"Plagitzergrube, NE of Hangender Kogel. This puts it quite close to Trunkemboldschacht, 1626/117 (which is 90m higher) and also near the path.",,,,,,, ,"1/S +",,"A1",,"kratzer/a1.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/A1",,,4,"CUCC 1976","An obvious open entrance leads to an 11m pitch into a rift chamber choked in both directions. ",,,,,,,,,"11m",,,,,,,,,,,,,"c 1635m",,,"Situated some 50m vertically below Schwarzmoossattel, up valley from the Loser Hütte. (I think the reference to the Loser Hütte is very misleading outside the context of the original article in Cambridge Underground, and should really be up valley from Bräuning Alm).",,,,,,"Lost","Probably hopeless" -,"1/S/T +",,"B1",,"kratzer/b1.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B1",,,4,"CUCC 1976","A 14m pitch drops into rift passage quickly choking to the east. To the west, a short walk reaches a 3m climb to a higher level, choking rapidly.",,,,,,,,,"14m ",,"Thought by the Austrians to be one of a group of shafts numbered 36 in the Kataster, but the location of B1 relative to B4, which is very near 36, precludes this interpretation. Unfortunately, B1 was not relocated in a search in 1990.",,,,,,,,,,,"c 1640m ?",,,"Situated some 40m from A1, up valley and slightly higher up the east slope, the hole lies in an obvious E-W fault.",,,,,,"Lost","Probably hopeless" +,"1/S/T +",,"B1",,"kratzer/b1.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B1",,,4,"CUCC 1976","A 14m pitch drops into rift passage quickly choking to the east. To the west, a short walk reaches a 3m climb to a higher level, choking rapidly.",,,,,,,,,"14m ",,"Thought by the Austrians to be one of a group of shafts numbered 36 in the Kataster, but the location of B1 relative to B4, which is very near 36, precludes this interpretation. Unfortunately, B1 was not relocated in a search in 1990.",,,,,,,,,,,"c 1640m ?",,,"Situated some 40m from A1, up valley and slightly higher up the east slope, the hole lies in an obvious E-W fault.",,,,,,"Lost","Probably hopeless" ,"1/S +",,"B2",,"kratzer/b2.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B2",,,4,"CUCC 1976 ","A 4m climb leads to two 5m drops and a snow plug. Across the snow a direct pitch can be reached.",,,,,,,,,"15m",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Up the bottom of the valley from B1, B2 is met just at the foot of the last steep pull up onto the col. Not relocated in search in 1990.",,,,,,"Lost","Probably hopeless" ,"1/S +",,"B3",,"kratzer/b3.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B3",,,4,"CUCC 1976","The lowest entrance drops via a 10m pitch into a descending rift. The rift drops steadily over boulders to a choke. Up rift from the pitch, daylight is reached from one of the other holes.",,,,,,,,,"15m ?",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Just a few metres up valley from B2, a series of holes. (Cambridge Underground 1977 gives bearings of Loser 238°, Bräuning Nase 280°. However, Loser is not visible from this area and it is most likely that this bearing is to Sommersitz, which looks rather similar from this direction.) Not relocated in search in 1990. ",,,,,,"Lost", -,"1/S +",,"B4",,"kratzer/b4.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B4",,,4,"CUCC 1976","Descent of 45° snow slope reaches a choked rift. Above and ahead water enters via small aven but no sign of a way on.",,,,,,"CUCC sketch 1996",,,"?",,,,,"p1976_b4",,,"Surface survey",,"gps00.b4",,,,,,"Again just a short distance up valley from B3, a significant shakehole with snow at foot. (Cambridge Underground 1977 gives bearings of Loser 234°, Bräuning Nase 292°. However, Loser is not visible from this area and it is most likely that this bearing is to Sommersitz, which looks rather similar from this direction.)
Relocated in searches in 1990 and 1996 - best (and pretty easily) found from Schwarzmoossattel or Top Camp by following the path south until a small spring (at the site of the 1979 bivouac) feeds a tiny stream descending into the valley. This sinks in the northernmost shaft of Schachtgruppe 36. In the centre of the valley across from this point is an obvious shakehole, usually with a small snowchoke, in a shaft.",,,,"Tag",,"Surveyed", -,"1/S +",,"B5",,"kratzer/b5.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B5",,"probably = 74",4,"CUCC 1976","Descent over snow of 10m or so ended a snow choke.",,,,,,,,,"10m",,"Probably = 74",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"""Right on the col - the scar to the west has large holes immediately below it."" A scar to the west with large holes below it exactly describes Schachtgruppe 36 as seen from B4. B5 was not relocated in a search in 1990, nor so far in 1995. However, the Austrians thought B5 was the same as Kat. 35, whose description is nothing similar, but 35 is in the same doline as Kat. 74, which does sound exactly like B5, so we can probably assume that it is the same place.",,,,,,"Lost","Probably hopeless" +,"1/S +",,"B4",,"kratzer/b4.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B4",,,4,"CUCC 1976","Descent of 45° snow slope reaches a choked rift. Above and ahead water enters via small aven but no sign of a way on.",,,,,,"CUCC sketch 1996",,,"?",,,,,"p1976_b4",,,"Surface survey",,"gps00.b4",,,,,,"Again just a short distance up valley from B3, a significant shakehole with snow at foot. (Cambridge Underground 1977 gives bearings of Loser 234°, Bräuning Nase 292°. However, Loser is not visible from this area and it is most likely that this bearing is to Sommersitz, which looks rather similar from this direction.)
Relocated in searches in 1990 and 1996 - best (and pretty easily) found from Schwarzmoossattel or Top Camp by following the path south until a small spring (at the site of the 1979 bivouac) feeds a tiny stream descending into the valley. This sinks in the northernmost shaft of Schachtgruppe 36. In the centre of the valley across from this point is an obvious shakehole, usually with a small snowchoke, in a shaft.",,,,"Tag",,"Surveyed", +,"1/S +",,"B5",,"kratzer/b5.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B5",,"probably = 75",4,"CUCC 1976","Descent over snow of 10m or so ended a snow choke.",,,,,,,,,"10m",,"Probably = 75",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"""Right on the col - the scar to the west has large holes immediately below it."" This seems to exactly describe Schachtgruppe 36 as seen from B4. B5 was not relocated in searches in 1990 and 1995. The Austrians thought B5 was the same as Kat. 35, but Waddington notes that the descriptions don't match well and Auer's map shows 35 as SW from 36. However, Wisenthöhle (1623/75) is very close to B4, and if snow levels were high could be a 10m descent to a snow choke (Olly's theory).",,,,,,"Lost","Probably hopeless" ,"1/S +",,"B6",,"plateau/b6.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B6",,,"1a","CUCC 1976","Descent of 8m to a choke.",,,,,,,,,"8m",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Small shaft on plateau just over the col. It is believed that this has not been found since 1976, despite a number of searches.",,,,,,"Lost", ,"1/S +",,"B10",,"plateau/b10.htm",,,"CUCC 1976/B10",,,"1a","CUCC 1976, 1988","Simply a 5m climb to two short pitches choked at foot of second. Rigged entirely on natural belays in 1988.",,,,,,,,,,,"This was apparently relocated and reexplored by CUCC in 1988, before they spotted the number. Shown as being near the foot of the Bräuning wall, in the same area as 159 and 160. Not relocated, however, in a search in 1990, probably because it's further out onto the plateau than the 91,93,94 area where I looked. There are a couple of likely looking holes immediately north of the grassy area containing lower top camp, but no number was visible in 1998.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Lies in maze of karren north of B9.",,,,,,"Refindable","Persistent reports of this being seen (including accidental reexploration in 1988), but not by those doing the documentation :-(" ,"2/S +",,"LA11",,"1626/la11.htm",,,"Lungehöhle",,,1626,"LUSS 1987-9","A large rift gives an awkward 7m ladder climb down into a chamber leading to a boulder slope. Climb down in a rift for 8m (narrow at top) until a loose slope leads down to a 7m pitch where a small dry inlet enters. The pitch leads onto a rocking boulder wedged in a narrow rift and a tight squeeze down, The Jaws, forms the head of the next 16m pitch and the start of Deep Throat Series.
The pitch lands in a small chamber with a short walking rift exit. Pitches of 14m, 8m and 10m follow in rapid succession. At the foot of the 10m pitch, a smooth, oval squeeze, The Cnut (spelling mistake), opens onto The Womb. This is a fine pitch of 41m in a spacious shaft, landing in a chamber 12m x 10m with a floor of large boulders of dubious stability.
A rift to one side is a loose and narrow pitch of 17m to a ledge and much nicer drop of 10m. A large rift, The Large Intestine, follows. Initially traversed on wide ledges, this soon narrows to a crawl along the rift at roof level. A 14m pitch descends to the foot of the rift and a short section of sharp, suit-ripping rift leads to a chamber with an inlet up to one side. The suit ripping rift can be bypassed by a pendulum, but the rope left for this is now hanging inaccessible, so the original manoevre would need to be repeated.
The exit from the chamber is too tight, but a 12m pitch up reaches a muddy solution tube at roof level, originally reached by an exposed traverse from a point halfway down the previous pitch. A slippery climb up and a short flat-out crawl, The Small Intestine, leads to the head of a constricted pitch of 10m to a wider section of the rift. After a few metres, a pit in the floor necessitates a climb down, then back up of 5m. At this point, a traverse follows the roof of the rift while the floor cuts down sharply. A pair of 13m deep holes are crossed by fairly exposed traverses, and further traversing reaches the next pitch Fantasy, in a shaft which is initially about 15m in diameter.
A drop of 46m, broken by ledges covered in loose boulders, lands on a large sloping ledge at a junction with a much larger shaft. The rubble needs caution, as much of the rest of the pitch is in the firing line.
The next section is 58m with two deviations, close to a wall down which some water falls. The opposite wall is some 20-30m away, and to either side, no walls are visible. Below this section, a narrow saddle of rock splits the shaft, the left hand route (facing the water) being taken. A further 27m lands on an enormous (20m x 30m) flat ledge right across the shaft, with pitches continuing both sides.
The right hand (facing the water) shaft is the continuation of the route voided at the rock saddle. A steep, muddy slope leads onto a 41m pitch and, below this, a climb over a muddy boulder pile leads onto a steep ramp (rope required) descending 15m into The Dream Machine. This is a massive passage 30m wide leading through boulders the size of houses. After about 100m, a boulder pile with a large central boulder is reached. Beyond, the passage can be seen to continue, but scaling equipment will be required to reach it.
From the 30m x 20m ledge, the left hand shaft is undescended, but rock tests indicate a similar depth to the right hand shaft, ie. about 50m.
At the end of 1988, the depth is 354m with excellent potential.
Stopped at -375m, no further details at present.",,,,"
",,,,,"354m Still going",,,,,,,,,,,,,"1839m",,,"13° 50' 22" E, 47° 42' 26" N
150m due south of Roß Kogel summit - to north of a snowfield. In a depression 90m due East of Sternloch and the Rock Shelter.",,,,,,,