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<title>1977: Mike Perryman's report in Descent 38</title>
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<font size=-1>CTS 78.2027: Descent 38 (March/April 1978) p 34</font>
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<h2>Cambridge push the hard pots of Altaussee</h2>
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<p align=right><i>Mike Perryman, CUCC</i>
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<p>FOR THE SECOND YEAR running, Cambridge Cavers, somewhat disillusioned
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after several summers prospecting in the Pyrenees, made a visit to the karst
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regions of western Austria in 1977. The 1976 expedition (full details in the
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current <a href="../1976/report.htm"><i>Cambridge Underground</i></a>) did
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important foundation work in the area, and even though little of note was
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found, sufficient knowledge was gained to make our prospecting last summer
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easier and more rewarding. It also found the Dachstein/Totesgebirge area
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excellent for tourist trips into the huge phreatic systems that abound, but
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attention was focussed on the extensive lapiaz plateau above Altaussee,
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where the caves have turned out to be of a very different nature.
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<p>Until recently access to it had been difficult and the area consequently
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remained unexplored, but a toll road now serves this limestone mass nearly
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3300ft above the nearest valley floor. Although prospecting now involves a
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mere one and a half hours walk, one arrives much poorer!
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<p>The depth potential of this region is of the order of 3300ft, but serious
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dye-testing has yet to be carried out. Rumours this summer of a 2300ft+ pot
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discovered further east on the Tauplitz plateau by a French team lifted
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morale even further. If confirmed this find would displace
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Gruberhornhöhle as the deepest in Austria. Then bear in mind that
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serious prospecting in the mountains has only just begun!
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<p>Our finds have been more modest - amongst numerous small pots they include
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those now catalogued as holes 82, 97 and 106. The first of these would not be
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out of place in Yorkshire, with a stream cascading in at -130ft. After an
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awkward 65ft crawl, a series of wet pitches in progressively larger rifts
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reaches a sump at -754ft.
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<p>97 is equally sporting with a tight entrance series leading to a
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succession of smallish pitches again in large rift passage. At 886ft it
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suddenly closes down and becomes too constricted.
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<p>106 was not pushed to definite conclusion due to lack of time, but a team
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reached 460ft in a series of enormous shafts.
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<p>Exploration of these and other smaller shafts went rather slowly - partly
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because of their location in relation to our camp, and partly due to their
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nature. We were rather surprised to find the systems wet and responding
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rapidly to rain, and cold even by English standards. And almost without
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exception the pitches had to be bolted due to the scarcity of good natural
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belays.
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<p>But we have returned with valuable knowledge of the region, and more than
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enough enthusiasm to organise another visit.
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<hr>
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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1977 Expedition info:<br>
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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<a href="log.htm">Logbook</a> (currently missing)<br>
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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Andy Waddington's <a href="andylg.htm">Logbook</a><br>
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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<a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1978</a><br>
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<!-- <img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a><br> -->
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href="771649.htm">Belfry Bulletin 354</a><br>
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<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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<a href="../../pubs.htm#1977">Index</a> to all publications<br>
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<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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<a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a><br>
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<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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<a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
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<head>
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<title>1978: Nick Thorne's report for Descent 40</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<font size=-1>CTS 79.2025: Descent 40 (Jan/Feb 1979) pp 10-11</font>
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<h2>Eislufthole still going for CUCC at 1148 ft</h2>
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<p align=right><b>By Nick Thorne</b>
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<p>After last year's quietly successful Cambridge UCC expedition (see
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<a href="../1977/descnt.htm"><i>Descent 38</i></a>), enthusiasm to return to
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the karst regions of Western Austria soared. The main incentive was to carry
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on prospecting on the almost virgin lapiaz of the plateau above
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<span lang="de">Altaussee,</span> and to continue pushing our unfinished find
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of last year, 106 - <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> (good name,
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eh?).
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<p>By way of introduction, <span lang="de">Altaussee</span> is a small
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village about 50 miles east of <span lang="de">Salzburg,</span> and it was
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there that we set up our camp. The Loser Plateau where we carried out most of
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our work is then reached by a steep (in more ways than one) toll road,
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follwed by an hour's brisk walk from the top. Furtunately for us, one of the
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few local cavers, <span lang="de">Karl Gaisberger,</span> who seems to be
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able to arrange anything, managed to secure free passes for us on the toll
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road. Cheers Karl; how about a sedan chair for the walk at the top next year
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?
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<p>So in July and August of this year, we were back on the Loser with a
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fairly hefty team. Expedition members divided logically into three groups:
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Team <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle:</span> Andy Waddington, Simon Farrow,
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Nick Thorne, Doug Florence and Julian Griffiths - the crack ropes team, ready
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for anything. Team Ladders: John Bowers, Ben van Millingen, Mike Shearme and
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Nicola Davies - all spending their first year in Austria. Team Geriatric: Rod
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and Jont Leach, Vic Brown, Dave Fox, plus "hangers on". These acted as the
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emergency reserve powerhouse, to be called into service should things get out
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of hand for the rest of us. (Something like Aladdin's lamp I suppose, but
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this lot looked more like a clapped out carbide).
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<p>And so to caving. Team Ladders didn't take long to find a promising,
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draughting entrance. All well and good so far, but the entrance initially was
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only big enough for a midget and it was only after a couple of days of
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boulder hauling that they got underground. The cave, 107, they called
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<span lang="de">Gemsehöhle.</span> Since I didn't get a trip down it,
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and know Berger all about it, I won't go into too much detail.
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<p>Apparently they descended a series of pitches in a large rift, down to
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about 560ft, when the tackle started to run out, with the cave continuing.
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They chose to get out of this dilemma by rubbing the magic carbide lamp.
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Wham! Team Geriatric hauled their weary bodies out of their canoes (canoes?)
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and went down <span lang="de">Gemsehöhle</span> with a brand new reel of
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Marlow. Once underground, the Geriatrics were immediately transformed into an
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efficient well-oiled machine. Within a couple of trips,
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<span lang="de">Gemsehöhle</span> had been pushed to a choke at minus
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918ft.
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<p>Meanwhile, back at the ranch, what of Team
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<span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> ? Mixed fortunes really. A slow rig
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in down to last year's terminus (ie. the Tap Room - see survey) was due to
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greater amounts of snow and ice than last year. ("Are you sure this is the
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right cave?") At one point a huge ice boulder was suspended at a pitch
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take-off, and it refused to give way to a well-directed wellie. Farrow and
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Florence then carted a great crowbar into the cave to shift the thing, only
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to find that the boulder had fallen down in the meantime. Ah, well !
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<p>Once we had rigged down to The Tap Room, but before pushing far into new
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ground, we had an interesting policy change - to overnight trips. The lapiaz
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in which the cave entrance is sited is impossible to negotiate in darkness,
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and therefore trips during the daytime are limited to a maximum of eight
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hours underground. Longer trips could be attained by going underground in the
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late afternoon, spending a minimum time underground of about ten hours, and
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then emerging into the morning light.
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<p>Good idea, we thought, and indeed the first of these trips did add 394ft
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to the depth of <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle,</span> including the
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magnificent 197ft abseil into The Hall of the Greene King. Subsequent
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overnight trips pushed on down some more pitches, and a very muddy 'Fiesta
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Run' to give a total depth of 1,148ft, the cave still continuing. This bottom
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part of the cave is a very tall vadose stream canyon. The passage is very
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tight at stream level and traversing was necessary.
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<p>It was whilst driving back from the last of these overnight trips, at
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about 7 o'clock in the morning, when we had a slight mishap. The driver of
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the car carrying three of Team <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> back
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down the toll road, fell asleep at the wheel. With that Great Karst Area in
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the Sky Looming ever nearer, the car missed a telegraph pole and a tree by
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inches, went through a fence cum crash barrier, and gracefully launched
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itself over the void.
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<p>Well, it could have been a drop of a couple of hundred feet had it
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happened further up the road, but as it was, any spectators stupid enough to
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be awake at that ungodly hour would have seen a fine piece of 'S' registered,
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British engineering fall, roll, and tumble down a near vertical 30ft bank, to
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land wheels down in the river at the bottom. (all film rights reserved.)
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<p>The driver had a broken sternum, cuts to face and hands, and concussion.
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The front seat passenger had a bad gash in the head, and was suspected of
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having a lightly fractured neck, and as the passenger in the back (I'm almost
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ashamed to say it!) I escaped uninjured. The car was a write-off. Both
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injured parties are now out of hospital, and well on the way to recovery.
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(Rats, I wanted his watch!)
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<p>One consequence of the crash was to leave Team
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<span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> a little short of manpower. Efforts
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were shifted from surveying and photographing to derigging. As the expedition
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neared its close, we even started fondling insurance policies as we
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contemplated having to abandon some tackle down the cave. With most of the
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cave still to derig, things looked bleak. Then we remembered the magic
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carbide lamp . . . Wham! In came Team Geriatric, fresh from
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<span lang="de">Gemsehöhle,</span> and in one magnificent combined
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effort, we cleared the cave with one day to spare.
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<p>On the return journey we were waved through Belgian customs by the
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cleaning lady, and just reached an English telly five minutes before Sid's
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Pippikin film started.
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<p>In conclusion then, the expedition was a great success, even if the
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exploration of <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> was halted a little
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early. As for <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> itself, it is now one
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of Austria's most significant caves. From our end point this year, we could
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lob stones down a considerable distance below, with the stream canyon
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continuing. No sump appears imminent as there is no fresh mud on the walls.
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(The mud of the Fiesta Run is probably associated with a shaft overhead, and
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is quite old stuff.)
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<p>To get 1300ft out of the place should be a mere formality, and after that,
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there's still 1640ft of depth potential left. Now we must try and muster a
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really crack team for next year. And crack team it must be, as
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<span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> is no longer the easy series of
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shafts it was, but a long and serious undertaking.
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<p><i>References: Cambridge Underground
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<a href="../1976/report.htm">1977</a>, <a href="../1977/report.htm">1978</a>
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and <a href="report.htm">1979</a> [to be published] containing surveys of all
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underground discoveries made by CUCC inrecent years, plus surface survey
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giving accurate entrance locations and altitudes.</i> <font size=-1>[This is
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a slight exagerration, WebEd.]</font>
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<hr>
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<!-- LINKS -->
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||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
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||||||
1978 Expedition info:<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="log.htm">Logbook</a><br>
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|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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|
||||||
<a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1979</a><br>
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|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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|
||||||
<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href="782034.htm">Belfry Bulletin 366</a><br>
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|
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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|
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1977/78 report from <a href="npc79.htm">NPC Journal</a><br>
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|
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<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
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|
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<a href="sponsr.htm">Sponsors</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../pubs.htm#1978">Index</a> to all publications<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
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</body>
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</html>
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<html lang="en">
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<head>
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<title>1979: Nick Thorne's report for Descent 44</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<center><font size=-1>CTS 80.1739: Descent 44 (January/February 1980) pp 36-38</font>
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<h2>Cambridge expedition bottoms Austria's Eislufthöhle</h2>
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<p>By Nick Thorne</center>
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<p>IN LATE July and August, Cambridge University Caving Club again went to
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the Loser Plateau in the Totes Gebirge of Austria. The plateau, situated
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|
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above the quiet village of Altaussee in Steiermark, had been the scene of our
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|
||||||
previous three summer expeditions.
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<p>The prospecting done to date on the vast virgin lapiaz of the plateau had
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given us no fewer than three pots in the 650-1000ft (200-300m) bracket, and
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one, Eislufthöhle, 1150ft (350m) deep, and as yet unfinished.
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<p>As one of our rank concludes, finding deep pots on the Loser Plateau is a
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real cinch; pushing them, however, is just a little more difficult.
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||||||
Consequently, this year's expedition concentrated not on more prospecting
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||||||
(for fear of finding yet another deep pot), but instead on the exciting task
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of bottoming Eislufthöhle.
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<p>The cave, designated 106 in the official Austrian catalogue, was
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discovered in 1977 and pushed down to 500ft (150m) depth before time forced a
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||||||
derig. Last year we added another 650ft (200m) depth before a car accident
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||||||
wiped out (temporarily) half of the pushing team. (See
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|
||||||
<a href="../1978/descnt.htm"><i>Descent 40</i></a> for the action replay).
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|
||||||
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|
||||||
<p>The cave to this depth includes (see survey), Plugged Sahft, 250ft (75m)
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|
||||||
of horrific snow plugs; The Keg Series, a red herring route that diverted our
|
|
||||||
attention until we noticed that - wait for it - it had no draught; and the
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|
||||||
Tap Room, a fair sized chamber with a stream inlet in the roof.
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||||||
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|
||||||
<p>Next occurred a superb section of verticality including the drop into The
|
|
||||||
Hall of the Greene King, a real belter of a pitch, 180ft (55m) free to the
|
|
||||||
floor, huge and black. This was followed by an uncharacteristically
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|
||||||
horizontal section, mainly traversing in a tall stream canyon, punctuated by
|
|
||||||
short muddy pitches. The traverse below the Fiesta Run was the limit of
|
|
||||||
previous exploration before this summer.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>This year's expedition started slowly. A lot of surface preparation was
|
|
||||||
needed first, and things were not speeded up by a car breakdown in Germany!
|
|
||||||
We supplemented our luxurious base camp in Altaussee with an advanced camp up
|
|
||||||
in the mountains on the edge of the karren field, about 20 minutes walk from
|
|
||||||
the cave. This walk across the difficult lapiaz from cave to camp, we marked
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|
||||||
in style with a continuous piece of white polypropylene string. This enabled
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|
||||||
us to negotiate the walk over the clints at any time of the day or night,
|
|
||||||
come rain or shine. And so to the underground.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The customary ice boulders of Plugged Shaft were merely replaced this year
|
|
||||||
by overhanging snow cornices, huge icicles of critical plummet potential, and
|
|
||||||
the like. These necessitated a rebolting of the shaft, an unpleasant job
|
|
||||||
undertaken by those pulling the short straw. Once below Plugged, the other
|
|
||||||
pitches were rigged without too much hassle, to bring us to the Fiesta Run
|
|
||||||
and new ground.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>We rigged Madlmaier Shaft, named after our beer vending campsite owner,
|
|
||||||
and descended only ten feet before a decision was required. Continuing on
|
|
||||||
downwards seemed to be fairly restricted and more obvious was a traverse
|
|
||||||
outwards. We opted for the latter believing it would lead to a more sociable
|
|
||||||
pitch down to the same place. So much for theory. Before long we found
|
|
||||||
ourselves in a totally different passage, with the sound of the stream fading
|
|
||||||
into the background. This route was followed down two broken 50ft (15m)
|
|
||||||
pitches to a fairly small passage. The loon out in front at the time squirmed
|
|
||||||
along 100ft (30m) of tight grovel until he popped out into the side of a
|
|
||||||
roomy aven. He reckoned it was about 50ft (15m) down to a
|
|
||||||
streamway - end of trip.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Enthusiasm for passage at depth like this was low, and the next party
|
|
||||||
consequently took a closer look at the way on down Madlmaier Shaft. To
|
|
||||||
everyone's surprise and delight, the place soon opened out into a comfortable
|
|
||||||
sized rift. On this particular trip a ledge 90ft (28m) down was reached, the
|
|
||||||
pitch continuing down a second, large rift, at right angles to the first.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The next trip capitalised on the new found verticality that the pot was
|
|
||||||
displaying. Madlmaier Shaft was bottomed after a damp 110ft (33m) section
|
|
||||||
below the ledge. As the stream sank into the floor a dry, broken 160ft (50m)
|
|
||||||
pitch was descended down a vast gulley. The next section was very
|
|
||||||
atmospheric. (I mean wet). The stream reissued from a hole high up in the
|
|
||||||
wall and cascaded down on the free climb and 14th pitch that followed almost
|
|
||||||
immediately. This was unfortunate, as the pitch was 70ft (20m) deep! Spitting
|
|
||||||
over their shoulders, the two cavers, now firmly believing Loser to be
|
|
||||||
hollow, left the cave for a celebration in the local bar.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Then unfortunately it rained... and rained... for days. And it only
|
|
||||||
stopped raining when it was time for a thunderstorm. As the weather continued
|
|
||||||
to look pretty Schwarz over Wilhelm's Mutter's, we spent several sleepless
|
|
||||||
nights up at the advanced camp, speculating on run-off times for the water,
|
|
||||||
and the possibility of getting flight clearance for our tents.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>When the sun finally condescended to shine, a five-man mega
|
|
||||||
pushing/surveying/photgraphing team stormed underground. The 15th pitch was
|
|
||||||
soon rigged sensibly and descended to a large walking passage, with the
|
|
||||||
stream flowing just under the boulder floor. The passage sloped steeply
|
|
||||||
down/over/under/around boulders of all shapes sizes and stabilities, and
|
|
||||||
then, just when least expected, absolutely unmistakeable, thick, black mud
|
|
||||||
covered the rock - the cave would shortly sump. Another short pitch and we
|
|
||||||
were there. The sump pool was a fittingly large lake, and signified the
|
|
||||||
culmination of three years' interesting work in the pot.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Whatever feelings we had at the time, either surprise, relief, pleasure,
|
|
||||||
disappointment, etc. were soon completely wiped out by the sheer effort we
|
|
||||||
put in as we cleared the cave of tackle below The Hall of the Greene King.
|
|
||||||
The bottoming party surfaced to a starlit sky, after a trip of 15 hours.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The rest of the derigging and the clearing of the advanced camp proceeded
|
|
||||||
with relatively little fuss, but a lot of effort, over the remaining few days
|
|
||||||
of the expedition. We then returned to England, mission accomplished.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The survey: A grade 5 survey of the pot stopped at the Tap Room with a
|
|
||||||
duff clino. For the rest of the pot we measured pitch lengths and feel that
|
|
||||||
1650ft (506m) is a fair minimum depth estimate. A higher grade survey and a
|
|
||||||
surface survey of the Loser's cave entrances will be published in
|
|
||||||
<i>Cambridge Underground</i> 1980.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>In conclusion then, apart from a few odd leads that we didn't bother to
|
|
||||||
follow, Eislufthöhle is finished. And sporting though it was, I can't
|
|
||||||
see anyone returning to the place for a long time to come. And why should
|
|
||||||
they? There's the rest of the plateau to look at, and deeper pots to be found
|
|
||||||
by anyone caring to have an expedition there. Thanks due to Karl Gaisberger,
|
|
||||||
our local contact, and Rocksport for the donation of some rope.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<hr>
|
|
||||||
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
1979 Expedition info:<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="log.htm">Logbook</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1980</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href="792026.htm">Belfry Bulletin 378</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
Odkrycie i eksploracja Eislufthöhle - <a href="811412.htm">original
|
|
||||||
english article</a> (published in Polish in 1980)<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../pubs.htm#1979">Index</a> to all publications<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
</body>
|
|
||||||
</html>
|
|
||||||
@@ -1,105 +0,0 @@
|
|||||||
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
||||||
<html lang="en">
|
|
||||||
<head>
|
|
||||||
<title>1980: Nick Thorne's report for Descent 49</title>
|
|
||||||
</head>
|
|
||||||
<body>
|
|
||||||
<font size=-1>CTS 81.1410: Descent 49 (Jul/Aug 1981) p 46</font>
|
|
||||||
<h2>Stellerweghöhle</h2>
|
|
||||||
<h3>CUCC's -1200ft Alternative to Early German Route</h3>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p align=right>By Nick Thorne
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>FOR THE FIFTH year in succession, Cambridge University Caving Club again
|
|
||||||
visited the Loser Plateau of Austria for their annual expedition in 1980.
|
|
||||||
This expedition's personnel was supplemented by a University of Bristol
|
|
||||||
contingent to give a relatively hefty thirteen man team. In all we spent
|
|
||||||
three weeks in the fray, the fray being a combination of deep potholes, long
|
|
||||||
walks, prospecting trips, eating schnitzels and drinking beer.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>The expedition started with a brief inspection of the limestone of the
|
|
||||||
Tennengebirge above Golling and Abtenau. This area has a depth potential of
|
|
||||||
around 4000ft/1200m and is under heavy scrutiny from many foreign caving
|
|
||||||
clubs. Consequently we soon returned to our 'home patch', the Loser Plateau,
|
|
||||||
above Alt Aussee in the Totes Gebirge. Although it has a smaller depth
|
|
||||||
potential, this area is almost virgin, is much more accessible and isn't yet
|
|
||||||
crowded out with hopeful speleos.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>This time we concentrated our explorations not on the plateau itself, but
|
|
||||||
on the nearby Stoger Weg area. This was prompted by the presence there of a
|
|
||||||
cave called Stellerweghöhle (designated 1623/41 in the Austrian
|
|
||||||
catalogue). Stellerweg was pushed several years ago by a German team,
|
|
||||||
supposedly all in one shaft, to a depth of 905ft/276m and left unfinished due
|
|
||||||
to lack of tackle.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>On descending Stellerweg, the cave we found was nothing like what we
|
|
||||||
expected. Initially, the German route was missed and a promising alternative
|
|
||||||
follwed across several traverses, down a couple of pitches, and one huge,
|
|
||||||
broken 330ft/100m shaft, until things became more cramped and sporting.
|
|
||||||
Courageously, we abandoned this route and made more determined efforts to
|
|
||||||
find the original German's route.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Once located, this proved to be fairly disillusioning too, and we pushed
|
|
||||||
it down a series of stepped pitches, past what we reckoned was the German's
|
|
||||||
limit of exploration, until this route also became fairly squalid - and we
|
|
||||||
were still only about 650ft/200m deep. Leaving this way unfinished we
|
|
||||||
returned to our route.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>As the expedition unfurled, our route was explored down more amiable cave
|
|
||||||
with many pitches to a depth of about 1200ft/370m, the cave continuing. The
|
|
||||||
whole of Stellerweghöhle is very interesting and sporting, resembling,
|
|
||||||
in parts, a huge version of Mendip's Eastwater, with many passages developed
|
|
||||||
along inclined bedding planes. The place ramifies considerably, draughts
|
|
||||||
encouragingly, and is more laterally extensive than anything else we'd
|
|
||||||
previously come across in Austria. It will undoubtedly become one of the most
|
|
||||||
important caves of the area, and as it stands now, will repay any work,
|
|
||||||
albeit quite hard, undertaken in it.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>In addition to the exploration of Stellerweg, the expedition also
|
|
||||||
prospected the immediate vicinity, and discovered a considerable number of
|
|
||||||
interesting sites. Some of these finds draughted phenomenally, occasionally
|
|
||||||
the wind being strong enough to be audible and to move small stones. The
|
|
||||||
caves found here were, not surprisingly, developed along similar lines to
|
|
||||||
Stellerweg, and many leads were left unpushed.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Our most significant find after Stellerweg was one we called
|
|
||||||
Sonnenstrahlhöhle (1623/113). An airy 100ft/30m entrance pitch led down
|
|
||||||
several steep ramps, more pitches and easy going to reach a restriction at
|
|
||||||
minus 1120ft/340m. During its exploration one trip proved to be fairly
|
|
||||||
exciting. Whilst a party was below a damp series of pitches near the bottom
|
|
||||||
of the cave, the cloudburst of the year started. The water runs off this
|
|
||||||
limestone like greased W.S., and the party were soon overtaken by something
|
|
||||||
akin to a tidal wave. Fortunately, they had dry sanctuary in a passage just
|
|
||||||
above the final pitch, and there they sat out the flood until the water
|
|
||||||
abated and a relief party got down to them.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Further details of our discoveries in this area will be issued in future
|
|
||||||
CUCC and UBSS publications. Stellerweghöhle and environs offers exciting
|
|
||||||
rewards for hard work. The possibility exists of inter-connecting many of the
|
|
||||||
caves here, thus producing a system both long and deep. We'll be back.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<p>Many thanks to locals, Fritz Madlmaier, Karl Gaisverger, and Gunter Graf.
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
<hr>
|
|
||||||
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<b>1980 Expedition info</b>:<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="log.htm">Logbook</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1981</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<!-- <img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a><br> -->
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
Austria 1980 - from <a href="npcpub.htm">NPC Newsletter</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt="--->" src="../../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="song.htm">Another Kick in the Balls</a> (expedition song)<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../pubs.htm#1980">Index</a> to all publications<br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a><br>
|
|
||||||
<img alt=">" src="../../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
|
||||||
<a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
</body>
|
|
||||||
</html>
|
|
||||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user