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@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ July - August 1999</h2>
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<h3>Background</h3>
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<p>For the last eleven years CUCC has been exploring the cave system known as <a href="../../smkridge/161/top.htm"><span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle.</span></a></p>
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<p>For the last eleven years CUCC has been exploring the cave system known as <a href="../../1623/161/top.htm"><span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle.</span></a></p>
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<p>To the south of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> lies the major <span lang="de">Schwarzmooskogelhöhlensystem,</span> consisting of <span lang="de"><a href="../../noinfo/smkridge/40.htm">Eishöhle,</a> <a href="../../smkridge/41/41.htm">Stellerweghöhle,</a> <a href="../../smkridge/41/115.htm">Schnellzughöhle,</a> <a href="../../noinfo/smkridge/88.htm">Lärchenschacht,</a></span> and <a href="../../noinfo/smkridge/78.htm"><span lang="de">Schwabenschacht</span></a> as well as a few other entrances. Parts of this were explored as long ago as 1938, but the major central part of the cave, <span lang="de">Stellerweghöhle,</span> was explored by CUCC in 1980-85, to a depth of 973m and a length of some 7km. Other parts of the cave have been explored by both French and German groups, and the total length of this cave system is around 20km. After the CUCC 1998 expedition, the gap between these two systems was about 130m, in passages at much the same level.</p>
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<p>To the south of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> lies the major <span lang="de">Schwarzmooskogelhöhlensystem,</span> consisting of <span lang="de"><a href="../../noinfo/1623/40.htm">Eishöhle,</a> <a href="../../1623/41/41.htm">Stellerweghöhle,</a> <a href="../../1623/41/115.htm">Schnellzughöhle,</a> <a href="../../noinfo/1623/88.htm">Lärchenschacht,</a></span> and <a href="../../noinfo/1623/78.htm"><span lang="de">Schwabenschacht</span></a> as well as a few other entrances. Parts of this were explored as long ago as 1938, but the major central part of the cave, <span lang="de">Stellerweghöhle,</span> was explored by CUCC in 1980-85, to a depth of 973m and a length of some 7km. Other parts of the cave have been explored by both French and German groups, and the total length of this cave system is around 20km. After the CUCC 1998 expedition, the gap between these two systems was about 130m, in passages at much the same level.</p>
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<p>Linking the two systems would involve not only exciting new exploration, but also a great deal of tie-up surveying to establish definitive figures for the length and depth of the combined system. Current survey information suggests that the complete system would be over 42km long and over 1050m deep, ranking the system as one of the world's major cave systems - approximately 50<sup>th</sup> in both the world's longest <b>and</b> deepest caves lists.</p>
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@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ July - August 1999</h2>
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<p>A major aim of the 1999 expedition was thus to attempt to link <span lang="de">Steinschlagschacht</span> to the <span lang="de">Schwarzmooskogelhöhlensystem.</span> The aim was to connect with the part of the <span lang="de">Schwarzmooskogelhöhlensystem</span> known as <span lang="de">Eishöhle,</span> which, being the northernmost part of the <span lang="de">Schwarzmooskogelhöhlensystem,</span> is the closest point to <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle.</span></p>
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<p>Additionally there were well over 200 <a href="../../smkridge/161/qmtodo.htm">ways on</a> in the rest of the <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> system, and expedition members were keen to investigate certain of them with the aim of further extending the system.</p>
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<p>Additionally there were well over 200 <a href="../../1623/161/qmtodo.htm">ways on</a> in the rest of the <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> system, and expedition members were keen to investigate certain of them with the aim of further extending the system.</p>
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<p>In keeping with CUCC's high standards of documentation and surveying, it was as usual an object of the expedition to document and survey every new cave passage found.</p>
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@@ -59,25 +59,25 @@ July - August 1999</h2>
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<h4>Further exploration</h4>
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<p>The <a href="../../smkridge/161/chile.htm#oatso">new passage</a> was named <b>Oatso Simple,</b> after the oats eaten at Top Camp and a play on words "Oh so simple!" (The area of cave concerned had been looked at before and deemed to have no way on!).</p>
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<p>The <a href="../../1623/161/chile.htm#oatso">new passage</a> was named <b>Oatso Simple,</b> after the oats eaten at Top Camp and a play on words "Oh so simple!" (The area of cave concerned had been looked at before and deemed to have no way on!).</p>
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<p>Two days after the initial discovery was made a larger team returned to continue the exploration. A huge passage was discovered - "Overshoot" - heading directly SW for 250m, thus surprising everyone by going straight past <span lang="de">Eishöhle.</span> On examining the survey data it became clear that this section was almost directly in line with the <a href="../../smkridge/41/deepwy.htm#confluence">main streamway</a> in <span lang="de">Stellerweghöhle</span> several hundred metres away!</p>
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<p>Two days after the initial discovery was made a larger team returned to continue the exploration. A huge passage was discovered - "Overshoot" - heading directly SW for 250m, thus surprising everyone by going straight past <span lang="de">Eishöhle.</span> On examining the survey data it became clear that this section was almost directly in line with the <a href="../../1623/41/deepwy.htm#confluence">main streamway</a> in <span lang="de">Stellerweghöhle</span> several hundred metres away!</p>
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<p>Some idea of the size of the passage might be gleaned from the logbook entry from this day:</p>
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<blockquote><p>... It is <b>huge</b>! with 3 big holes in floor and 4 other pitches. Far end is enormous jumble of boulders where lots of cavers wandered about in the interstices peering out over big holes at each other and shouting "Where am I?!" a lot ...</p></blockquote>
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<p>Much further exploration continued over the next weeks. "Windy Bottom", <a href="../../smkridge/161/chile.htm#lost3">"Steady Aim",</a> <a href="../../smkridge/161/chile.htm#carpet">"CarpetWorld"</a> and many other passages were discovered, in addition to the discovery of a sump [a flooded passage blocking the way on] named <a href="../../smkridge/161/chile.htm#natborns">"Totality"</a> (Expo was directly in the path of the solar eclipse in August 1999).</p>
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<p>Much further exploration continued over the next weeks. "Windy Bottom", <a href="../../1623/161/chile.htm#lost3">"Steady Aim",</a> <a href="../../1623/161/chile.htm#carpet">"CarpetWorld"</a> and many other passages were discovered, in addition to the discovery of a sump [a flooded passage blocking the way on] named <a href="../../1623/161/chile.htm#natborns">"Totality"</a> (Expo was directly in the path of the solar eclipse in August 1999).</p>
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<p>After the initial horizontal section the passage trended steeply downwards to -450m depth and also swung towards the NE, making a direct connection to the <span lang="de-at">Stellerweghöhle</span> streamway less likely from the <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> end.</p>
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<p>This general part of the cave was named <a href="../../smkridge/161/chile.htm">"Chile".</a> In total about 4km of new passage was discovered, leaving <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> about 500m distant from the <span lang="de-at">Stellerweghöhle</span> streamway. A major achievement.</p>
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<p>This general part of the cave was named <a href="../../1623/161/chile.htm">"Chile".</a> In total about 4km of new passage was discovered, leaving <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> about 500m distant from the <span lang="de-at">Stellerweghöhle</span> streamway. A major achievement.</p>
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<p>However, the connection with <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> was to remain elusive. Just 75m away!</p>
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<h3 lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</h3>
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<p>A "surface stroll" by three cavers on the 25<sup>th</sup> July discovered "a very large horizontal entrance by a prominent rock bridge". There were actually two entrances discovered and the cave was named <a href="../../smkridge/204/204.html"><span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span></a> after the rock bridge.</p>
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<p>A "surface stroll" by three cavers on the 25<sup>th</sup> July discovered "a very large horizontal entrance by a prominent rock bridge". There were actually two entrances discovered and the cave was named <a href="../../1623/204/204.html"><span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span></a> after the rock bridge.</p>
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<p>The next day saw two of the discoverers return to start descending the new cave. A significant amount new passage was discovered - spirits were high when the cavers returned! The <a href="log.htm">log book</a> records:</p>
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@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Proper write up soon. x x x dunks</p></blockquote>
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<p>The cave occupies an important position as it is not inconceivable that it might connect into the north-western extremities of the <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> system.</p>
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<p>This connection, even though it is not known to be achievable for sure, is worth striving for on future expeditions, as such a connection would render the <a href="../../smkridge/161/farnth.htm">Far North</a> regions of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> far more accessible than at the present time. No doubt future expeditions will shed more light on the subject.</p>
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<p>This connection, even though it is not known to be achievable for sure, is worth striving for on future expeditions, as such a connection would render the <a href="../../1623/161/farnth.htm">Far North</a> regions of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> far more accessible than at the present time. No doubt future expeditions will shed more light on the subject.</p>
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<h3 lang="de">Eishöhle</h3>
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@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Proper write up soon. x x x dunks</p></blockquote>
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<p>The entrance having been found, a team descended into the cave, down the huge snow and ice slope into <span lang="de">Schneevulkanhalle,</span> the largest ice-bearing chamber in Western Europe. Photographs were taken and several leads explored.</p>
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<p>Finding a possible way on in the right general direction proved easy but each pitch was choked and the explorers ended up <a href="../../smkridge/40/cucc.htm#pov">climbing up 60m</a> before descending 60m again - a lot of difficult caving to get only somewhat closer to the goal. It is still going though... Another team resurveyed the route into the original (1938) part of <span lang="de">Eishöhle,</span> connecting the last major missing section of survey data and finding some more possible leads.</p>
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<p>Finding a possible way on in the right general direction proved easy but each pitch was choked and the explorers ended up <a href="../../1623/40/cucc.htm#pov">climbing up 60m</a> before descending 60m again - a lot of difficult caving to get only somewhat closer to the goal. It is still going though... Another team resurveyed the route into the original (1938) part of <span lang="de">Eishöhle,</span> connecting the last major missing section of survey data and finding some more possible leads.</p>
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<p>The trips into the cave were successful, especially in increasing CUCC's knowledge of the cave. A priority next year will be to resurvey the areas we know of where data is lost or innaccurate.</p>
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@@ -117,11 +117,11 @@ Proper write up soon. x x x dunks</p></blockquote>
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<p>Additional discoveries were made this year in the "main" part of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> reached from the horizontal entrances known as 161d and 161e.</p>
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<p>Teams visited the <a href="../../smkridge/161/icelnd.htm">Iceland area</a> of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> via the remote 161e entrance, 1½ hours' walk from Top Camp. Some known pitches were descended and other passages explored, but unfortunately there were no major finds.</p>
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<p>Teams visited the <a href="../../1623/161/icelnd.htm">Iceland area</a> of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> via the remote 161e entrance, 1½ hours' walk from Top Camp. Some known pitches were descended and other passages explored, but unfortunately there were no major finds.</p>
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<p>A couple of trips were made into an area known as <a href="../../smkridge/161/offffr.htm#regurgitn">Regurgitation,</a> an interesting corner of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle,</span> where a known rift was extended down to a continuing stream passage and an undescended pitch. A lack of time prevented any further investigation this year.</p>
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<p>A couple of trips were made into an area known as <a href="../../1623/161/offffr.htm#regurgitn">Regurgitation,</a> an interesting corner of <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle,</span> where a known rift was extended down to a continuing stream passage and an undescended pitch. A lack of time prevented any further investigation this year.</p>
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<p>Finally a large rift pitch was discovered near a chamber known as the <a href="../../smkridge/161/fbl136.htm#hotmc">Hall of the Mounting Choss,</a> but this was not descended on the expedition.</p>
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<p>Finally a large rift pitch was discovered near a chamber known as the <a href="../../1623/161/fbl136.htm#hotmc">Hall of the Mounting Choss,</a> but this was not descended on the expedition.</p>
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<h3>Surface Work and Other Caves</h3>
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@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ Proper write up soon. x x x dunks</p></blockquote>
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<p>Some experimental work was carried out using a combination of GPS and portable computer to locate caves on the plateau, but it was discovered that this needs further development before it will be useable.</p>
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<p>A new cave <a href="../../smkridge/205/205.html"><span lang="de">"Nordalpenhöhle"</span></a> was discovered and explored not far from the <span lang="de">Steinschlagschacht</span> entrance, but unfortunately this proved to end in a pitch with no way on at the bottom. Another cave nearby, <a href="../../smkridge/147.htm">"147",</a> was re-surveyed and re-documented, and a couple of other known shafts on the plateau noted in previous years were descended and documented.</p>
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<p>A new cave <a href="../../1623/205/205.html"><span lang="de">"Nordalpenhöhle"</span></a> was discovered and explored not far from the <span lang="de">Steinschlagschacht</span> entrance, but unfortunately this proved to end in a pitch with no way on at the bottom. Another cave nearby, <a href="../../1623/147.htm">"147",</a> was re-surveyed and re-documented, and a couple of other known shafts on the plateau noted in previous years were descended and documented.</p>
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<p>Finally, in a new development, mobile phones replaced radios to provide more reliable communication between Top Camp and Base Camp.</p>
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Wookey