CUCC Expo Surveying Handbook
Surface surveys
-All features of speleological interest should be recorded with a minimum -of two bearings on fixed landmarks (see separate -document for pictures of the various peaks we use). However, anything -which gets a number should eventually be linked into an existing Surface -Survey. The number (on a metal tag) will eventually be attached to the cave -entrance with a bolt, so it is useful to drill a hole for this (and place the -spit if possible) early on, so you can use that point as the start of the -underground or surface surveys. If possible, it helps to fix new stuff with a -GPS (use waypoint averaging for a couple of hours whilst you explore it). -There is a separate manual document for using GPS on -expo.
+ +Surface surveying is different
@@ -33,8 +22,9 @@ photographic tripod which is handy. Make sure not to place a compass too near
anything made of steel! An aluminium pole (old tent pole, ski stick or any
odd bit of tube or angle) is light and effective. Making it a useful length
(eg. 1m or 1.5m) means it can double as a ruler for measuring features.
+
Surface survey legs tend to be longer than underground ones, so errors from -poor compass/clino readings are bigger. In good light you may find it easier +poor compass/clino/distoX angle readings are bigger. In good light you may find it easier or get more consistent results by sighting the compass with one eye rather than two. Remember to do this consistently, and use the same method when doing your calibration. For better accuracy, you should really keep the @@ -42,13 +32,16 @@ survey legs short (6m gives a compass/clino error comparable with a 5cm station position error). This makes the survey take much longer, and maybe more prone to recording errors, so a good compromise is to keep legs down to 15m or less, which also makes sketching a little easier.
+Using a distoX above ground does make it hard to see the laser spot in bright +sunlight of course, which limits the length of legs (except at dusk).
Don't neglect sketching! Cold, exhaustion and call-out times should not be such a restriction on surface surveys, so don't do a rush job (it is best not to do surface surveys when the weather is awful:-). A good surface sketch makes caves easier to find, possibly saving future cavers from repeating your bearings to find the entrance. Eventually such sketches will -build to a map of the area, showing which bits have really been looked at. It +build to a map of the area, showing which bits have really been looked at. +
It is conventional to survey to the cave marker tag, where there is one (and you could always drill a spit for one, and survey to it). Failing that, the centre of the painted number or middle of the "+" sign, or the first bolt of the @@ -62,6 +55,32 @@ readily be found again, for example a drilled hole in a prominent boulder easier to find end point - better to lose one or two legs than have to redo the whole survey!
+Entrances and holes
+All features of speleological interest should have their position recorded exactly. +These days (2018) a long-average (200+ readings) GPS location is fine (see GPS for entrances) in most parts of our caving area. +This usually means using a handheld GPS device rather than a phone unless you have a particularly +good GPS app which provides an averaging function. + +
If you are close to a big cliff, or almost inside an overhang, then an averaged-GPS will be good (~ 2m accuracy) +for latitude/longitude but appallingly misleading for altitude. In some parts of our area, such as the steep cliffs of +the Weisse Wand near Schnellzughöhle (as seen in the photo at the top of this page), +altitude is important for route-finding so GPS becomes surprisingly much less useful for re-finding locations. Before you use +GPS you really should read GPS for entrances. +There is more about GPS altitudes in Olaf's article on GPS in Austria. + +
Without GPS we need an old-fashioned survey location using fixed points +with a minimum +of two bearings on fixed landmarks (see taking bearings + page for how to do this and for pictures of the various peaks we use). +
Anything +which gets a number (e.g. 2018-ad-01) should eventually be linked into an existing surface +survey. The number (on a metal tag) will be attached to the cave +entrance with a bolt, so it is useful to drill a hole for this (and place the +spit if possible) early on, so you can use that point as the start of the +underground or surface surveys. Always fix new stuff with a +GPS (use waypoint averaging) as even if this is not full survey-quality it does prevent things getting lost. +There is a separate manual page for using GPS for entrances.
+Finding a starting point
If your new cave is near a well-documented one, then a short connecting diff --git a/handbook/survey/why.htm b/handbook/survey/why.htm index 03610f17e..8fca6ce55 100644 --- a/handbook/survey/why.htm +++ b/handbook/survey/why.htm @@ -1,14 +1,12 @@ -
-CUCC Expo Surveying Handbook
-Why am I doing this? The rationale for surveying what you find
+Why am I doing this?
The main aim of the expedition is to explore new passages - to boldly diff --git a/piclinks/ssvypl.htm b/piclinks/ssvypl.htm index f4a6d4104..bfe83eefd 100644 --- a/piclinks/ssvypl.htm +++ b/piclinks/ssvypl.htm @@ -1,7 +1,5 @@ -
-Pete Lancaster surface surveying on the SE slopes of the Vorderer Schwarzmooskogel, above the Stellerweghöhle system.
-Photo © Chas. Butcher, 1982?
+Photo © Chas. Butcher, 1983. lookfutile.svx
diff --git a/primer.htm b/primer.htm index 306278820..8e20b34b9 100644 --- a/primer.htm +++ b/primer.htm @@ -73,9 +73,10 @@ clearly places a lot more wear and tear on the ropes, which also tend to get muddier, so quality rigging is essential. Of course, some of this rigging is new exploration, not just "follow the P-hangers", so it is an exciting and challenging activity. Also, unlike a Yorkshire tourist trip, you must survey -and describe what you find – logbook write-ups form part of a long-term record +and describe what you find – logbooks write-ups +form part of a long-term record of what has been done so are rather more important than on weekend meets at -home. Surveying may be an entirely new activity for first-time expo members, +home. Surveying may be an entirely new activity for first-time expo members, but it is also a very important one, and one which it is worth making the effort to get right from the start. diff --git a/tcamps.htm b/tcamps.htm index 9b68f7e59..b43537711 100644 --- a/tcamps.htm +++ b/tcamps.htm @@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ climbable shaft a short way beyond Schwarzmoossattel ("The Col"). As this was adjacent to one of the very few flat areas of grass, and right next to the path as well, this has made an ideal camp site, and was the normal -Top Camp from 1988 to 2001. Logbooks and Journal accounts at the time +Top Camp from 1988 to 2001. Logbooks and Journal accounts at the time referred to this as "Camp I", despite its not being the first high camp. A few references are to "Camp 3", which tried to reflect the chronology. Later it was known just as "Top Camp". In @@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ limestone on which the permanent survey station "VD1" is located, on the normal walk up to the 161 entrances on the col between the Vorderer and Hinterer Schwarzmooskogels. This was variously known as 'far campsite' or 'Camp -2', in the logbooks. A lack of water, sanitation, space and comfort led to this +2', in the logbooks. +A lack of water, sanitation, space and comfort led to this camp being abandoned.
Scarface Camp
diff --git a/years/2018/logbook.html b/years/2018/logbook.html index 7b5ff3e42..50db84f82 100644 --- a/years/2018/logbook.html +++ b/years/2018/logbook.html @@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ Continues deeper but I was in t-shirt and shorts. Slight cold outwards draft.Using Garmin eTrex Venture Cx GPS (WGS84)
"lookfutile.svx" was surveyed by Chas and Planc in 1983 following the discovery of the futility series in 1982.
This entry includes recent emails which don't otherwise have a good place to record. +
[Discovered a photo on the website of Planc doing this survey.]
Much bunde going directly down from the p115x entrance. Don't do that,go back along the route to Stoger Weg and go down gully at the tree with the small cairn on it (see 115 route 18th July 2018).