From ad127e7b4c18a0ee976bfc15539927cb77b41667 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Aiora Zabala
The CUCC had been out the previous year and had only scratched the surface -by the time they had to depart. +by the time they had to depart.
The three of us travelled out by train; a fairly arduous 30-hour journey without any real sleep. Eventually we met up with the other members of the expedition and I was able to swop my two-day old copy of the 'Times' for a good English cup of tea; it's remarkable how British one becomes when on the -continent! +continent!
Our first night under canvas was greeted by a classic alpine storm with thunderbolts and lightning (pyrotechnics worthy of even Hryndyj). Later we made acquaintance with the Austrian lager, not a patch on Tetleys but very -potent. +potent.
Next day we began prospecting and spent the following few days inspecting small shafts (100'). These all choked so we concluded that we were looking for the wrong sort of entrance. What was needed was an entrance with horizontal passage so that any glacial debris could not enter and block the -pitch below. +pitch below.
We eventually came across a small hole which was draughting violently. Andy descended and found a snow slope on which he rigged a ladder as a @@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ the hole he found another snow slope which led to the head of a pitch with a large gale, sufficient to put out a carbide lamp, blowing up it. Returning the following day, with a bolting kit, since there were no natural belays, we rigged the pitch and descended to discover a vertical snow plug. Deeper still -a pitch belled out to Bar Pot dimensions. +a pitch belled out to Bar Pot dimensions.
We later had grave doubts about the stability of this snow bridge which was definitely melting and only seemed to stay suspended above the void by will-power. Pressing on down the shaft we had great problems rigging it; in fact we spent a good two days bolting/rigging and rerigging before the thing -was satisfactory. The total depth of the pitch was 70 metres. +was satisfactory. The total depth of the pitch was 70 metres.
At the base of the shaft we passed into a hole with fluted walls soaring up into the distance further than our lights could penetrate; it was @@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ came to a boulder choke! This was a surprise; we had not considered this possibility because of the large draught. First appearances suggested a total choke. However, a man-size hole was found at the base of the choke and the boulders seemed safely stuck. We pushed Andy through the hole and he found a -pitch, so we retreated until the next day. +pitch, so we retreated until the next day.
The shaft was descended for 30 metres to another pitch but the draught had disappeared, so we named it 'Keg Series'. We traversed over this pitch into @@ -76,26 +76,26 @@ taking the draught so we were back on the trail again. We found two more pitches; the first was a good hang of 16 metres, the second (down the side of a large vadose passage) was 11 metres. Then came the first bit of horizontal development we had encountered - it led to a large chamber and a hefty inlet -making the place a maelstrom of spray. +making the place a maelstrom of spray.
Unfortunately at this point we ran out of both ladder and time so we had to derig with the sight of more pitches ahead (a sort of Ghar Parau in miniature). The pot is definitely still going and we shall be back next year -to continue on into the unknown.... +to continue on into the unknown....
I think we were all impressed by the area, which is virtually virgin territory. The Loser Plateau must be one of the least explored areas of Europe; it has 800 metres potential and large areas -of cavernous limestone which are totally unexplored. +of cavernous limestone which are totally unexplored.
-S.Farrow +
S.Farrow
August 1978 saw a return of University cavers to the Totes Gebirge of Austria. Since five members of the expedition were also Pennine members, this report is included to show that we -don't spend all year digging on Fountains Fell. +don't spend all year digging on Fountains Fell.
Following a successful trip in 1977, a much more organised group set off in July with a ton of gear (mainly food and rope) for the two-and-a-half day @@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ days of icy digging and bolting to rig 'Plugged Shaft'. At the bottom was a 15-metre free drop overhung by a large ice boulder in the process of melting - indeed, below this point, we were the target for any ice falling in the shaft. The pitch lands in a large round chamber, on a pile of shattered ice -blocks. +blocks.
From the chamber a further 13-metre pitch (Saved Shaft), drops over the last of the ice into 'Boulder Chamber'. A small hole in the wall of huge @@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ down leads to the head of 'Follow-through shaft', a 30-metre pitch broken by a large ledge half-way down. An abandoned stream passage leads out into a high rift chamber - 'The Taproom' - last year's terminus. On our first trip, the heavy drip in the chamber was absent, but later it returned with a -vengeance. +vengeance.
A climb down leas to the continuing rift - too narrow at stream level - but a travese to sections of false floor leads to an alternative way down. @@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ boulders, a large black hole suggests a chamber going up a vast distance, but downwards is more directly interesting and accessible. The explorers rigged a short drop to a narrow slit which rapidly opened into a magnificent 55-metre free drop from which it was seen that the upward black space is the top of an -80-metre high chamber - the Hall of the Greene King. +80-metre high chamber - the Hall of the Greene King.
Doug and Andy reached the chaotic boulder floor of the chamber after descending a short 'Balcony' pitch. The Hall is about 20 metres in diameter @@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ split in half, causing the floor below Andy to drop 6 inches! Shortly after, a series of mysterious sump-like gurgling noises from below suggested that surface rain was coming through - the explorers retreated from the increasingly intimidating hole - twelve hours plus, this time, having been -spent underground. +spent underground.
The third and final overnight visit was the last pushing trip. Nick, Simon and Julian descended the rift to find a muddy stream passage - again too @@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ down. More traversing led to an oxbow containing an incredible volume of sticky mud. A 13-metre pitch descends down a filthy wall - prussiking here was a losing battle except with Gibbs. We called the pitch the 'Fiesta Run' for reasons soon to be apparent. More traversing leads to an unbottomed black -space where the stream could be heard below. +space where the stream could be heard below.
We got 5 metres down what seemed to be a 50-ish metre pitch. From a depth of about 330 metres the party slogged out to the surface after 12 hours @@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ spectacular leap (double somersault with twist). Nick, Simon and Julian woke up to find themselves in the river - eliminating two of our group of five on the spot. There were three more trips involving members of the other groups. Two derigging and one surveying trip cleared the pot and took the survey to --140 metres. +-140 metres.
Meanwhile, the other group had found a powerfully draughting entrance which took three days of Yorkshire digging to enter. This soon proved to be a @@ -189,18 +189,18 @@ smaller rift by pitches of 5, 40 and 30 metres (by-passing a parallel 75-metre free drop) to more rift streamway and further pitches. ExCS descended the big rift in a 95-metre pitch to reach the same point and eventually reached a very nasty choke at -280 metres, thus making 'Gemsehöhle' the second deepest on the plateau. +lang="de-at">'Gemsehöhle' the second deepest on the plateau.
At least two NPC will be out again in 1979 to push Eislufthöhle, and to look at other leads in Gemsehöhle - finding deep pots is amazingly easy out -there, pushing them just a little more trouble. +there, pushing them just a little more trouble.
A.Waddington
Lat: 47° 40' 40"
Long: 13° 48' 50"
-Altitude: 1790 metres
+Altitude: 1790 metres
The entrance to 161 was located at the start of what proved to be a very successful year for CUCC. The entrance is located on a limestone ridge, just along from the col between the Hint. and Vord. Schwarzmooskogel. Due to its location, the cave has been unaffected by the large amount of rock shattering -usually found blocking shafts in the area. +usually found blocking shafts in the area.
The relatively free hanging entrance shaft lands in a small chamber with two ways on. The most obvious being a 20m shaft leading to a 3rd pitch through an eye hole, being 10m in length landing on a boulder strewn floor, -with two ways on. +with two ways on.
The left way continues as a 12m pitch landing on a loose boulder slope ending in a choke. The right way through a small hole under a huge boulder resting on a loose boulder slope, this continues at an angle of 30 degrees to a further pitch, this has as yet not been descended due to the unstable -nature of the boulder slope. +nature of the boulder slope.
The second route out of the chamber at the bottom of the entrance pitch, known as the "Rabbit Warren Series" leads via a small phreatic tube to a series of shafts of 10.5m, 40m, 47.5m in length eventually ending in a sand -filled tube with no way on at a depth of 170m. +filled tube with no way on at a depth of 170m.
The key to the system is to be found on the second pitch, where, after descending approx 12m, you pendulum off on to an inclined rift leading to a @@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ followed by a very unstable boulder slope leading to a further 26m pitch known as "Death's Door" in an inclined rift. This is followed by a free climbable rift ending in a very tight 8m pitch "Beer Belly Blues". This rift then enlarges and merges with another, entering a huge phreatic passage. This -gives two possible ways on, the Left Hand Route and the Right Hand Route. +gives two possible ways on, the Left Hand Route and the Right Hand Route.
-LEFT HAND ROUTE +
LEFT HAND ROUTE
This consists of an inclined rift which you continue along avoiding the holes in the floor. Many ways on have been seen, but none pushed, along this @@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ shafts continued down with ledges hindering your descent, until a large black hole with sheer walls is found. This, the "Niflheim" has as yet not been fully descended. The word Niflheim comes from the Norse Myths and means "A realm of freezing mist and darkness under one root of Yggdrasall (world tree) -which hell lies within". +which hell lies within".
-RIGHT HAND ROUTE +
RIGHT HAND ROUTE
This takes the form of a large phreatic passage which is covered by a thin layer of moon milk. This continues via a short 5m pitch to an area with rock @@ -71,30 +71,30 @@ to a large 45 degree boulder slope "Boulder Alley". The passage continues descending with the roof gaining height all along until a 32m pitch is reached at the edge of a large black space. This pitch lands in a very large sloping chamber (60m x 45m approx) called "Knossus" containing a frozen -manganese oxide stream and house size boulders. +manganese oxide stream and house size boulders.
A walking sized route through a boulder choke "Star Wars" leads to yet another large chamber (possibly a continuation of the first) called "Tower Blocks" in which you can quite easily get lost. Various routes lead off, none -of which have yet been properly looked at. +of which have yet been properly looked at.
The 1989 expedition to Austria will be concentrating mainly on further pushing 161 as there are many wide open leads to be looked at left from last -year's expedition. +year's expedition.
Also it is hoped to investigate by diving, the known resurgence in -Altaussee Lake. +Altaussee Lake.
We'll be back in 1990, and it will be fun to see if we can make it a bit -more civilised. Now, a music system would be really nice..... +more civilised. Now, a music system would be really nice.....
The relatively free hanging 45m entrance shaft lands in a small chamber with four ways on. The most obvious being a 20m shaft leading to a 3rd pitch through an eyehole, being 10m in length landing on a boulder strewn floor, -with two ways on. +with two ways on.
The left way continues as a 12m pitch landing on a loose boulder slope ending in a choke. The right way through a small hole under a huge boulder resting on a loose boulder slope, this continues at an angle of 30 degrees to a further pitch, this has as yet not been descended due to the unstable -nature of the boulder slope. +nature of the boulder slope.
At the lowest point of this end of Big Sainsbury's - to the right of the foot of the pitch a rift leads back through to the '88 second pitch and on through the floor (undescended but probably connected to The Dungeon passages at base of said 2nd pitch). On the second pitch you descend approx 12m before penduluming off on to a ledge giving access to this connecting -rift. +rift.
walking 20m up the boulders of Big Sainsbury's takes you to the highest point of the chamber. In the left wall is a pair of eyeholes overlooking @@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ at the bottom. A few metres further along the left wall is a short low passage which chokes after 12m. Another 25m along Big Sainsbury's there is a 2m x 4m hole against the right hand wall. This is the start of Drunk & Stupid, a steeply descending rift which goes down to -200m before -connecting with the Left Hand Route at French Connection Pitch. +connecting with the Left Hand Route at French Connection Pitch.
The continuation descends for 30m past windows into a large rift on the right, before closing down. The route continues to the right into a narrower -section, and soon leads to a pitch, with two ways down. +section, and soon leads to a pitch, with two ways down.
A hole to the left descends a 30m pitch (measured but not surveyed beyond a window on the left). At the bottom, this closes down to a tight rift to a sharp corner and drop, which was not descended due to the near impossibility -of rigging and return. +of rigging and return.
Climbing off the pitch through the window, and continuing round to the left, pass underneath jammed boulders which form the floor at the pitch head, and enter a chamber. The second way down the pitch, ahead rather than to the -left, lands at this point. +left, lands at this point.
Climb up a couple of metres at the back of the chamber and pass through an eyehole. From here, a vertical climb down for some 6m in an elliptical tube enters a bedding plane. To the left, the bedding plane continues to the top -of a pitch which has not been descended. +of a pitch which has not been descended.
The examined route goes ahead, as the bedding plane opens into a rift. From here on, the passable passages are widened sections within the rift, until the limit of exploration is reached, where there are two or three -possible pitches. +possible pitches.
From the bottom of the 20m pitch, a traverse line is required to lead down a slippery slope to the head of an excellent 30m pitch (rope pad for the belay knot). The main route is now washed rift with traverse lines and a -couple of short hangs. +couple of short hangs.
At the bottom of the 30m pitch there is a very tight rift leading back which is too tight, and also a parallel rift to the main one, reached by climbing up 7m to find a bolt to rig it. This rift heads down and enlarges -with a 15m pitch at the limit of exploration in 1989. +with a 15m pitch at the limit of exploration in 1989.
The main route comes to a 20m pitch, where several alternatives are possible. The continuation of the D&S route is across into another -passage at the head of the pitch. +passage at the head of the pitch.
10m down the pitch is a ledge and a good natural rebelay. From this ledge a 1m diameter tube descends a series of climbs and is unexplored. At the bottom of the 20m pitch is a 3m diameter chamber with nice fossilized bivalves set in the floor. A very tight damp rift heads off from one side. At the other side is a very tight squeeze through an eyehole, White Hole, -into a neighbouring shaft - the continuation. +into a neighbouring shaft - the continuation.
Follow the passage from the head of the 20m pitch (minding holes in floor) to reach a superb natural belay with natural backup in the roof - Parallel @@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ muddy hading rift, Bacon Slicer, which requires a traverse line to reach a ladder pitch some 15m down. The walls of the rift slope at 65°. The rift is relatively tight and awkward although a reasonably easy route was eventually discovered that involved doubling back to the streamway 15m below -the head of the ladder. +the head of the ladder.
A short climb out of the rift leads to a larger section with a trench in the floor. Within 20m the passage closes down into a very loose looking @@ -183,13 +183,13 @@ boulder choke. Beneath this is a short section of narrow rift leading to the head of a fifteen metre pitch, Darkness Dooms. At the base of the pitch, the stream disappears down a 3m trench that slopes steeply downwards for about 15m. A handline is useful here. The trench gradually widens until a -sharp right turn where large rift passage is again entered. +sharp right turn where large rift passage is again entered.
After a short section of wider passage, a 2m boulder climb leads to the head of another hading rift. This is much larger than the Bacon Slicer although the walls slope at the same angle of 65°. The boulder climb marks the start of a spectacular climb down a boulder slope with a vertical -descent of 18m. The boulder slope ends in:- +descent of 18m. The boulder slope ends in:-
To the right of the waterfall in the Helipad is a short climb up leading to a section of small, twisting phreatic tubes. These were not surveyed but @@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ Immediately behind the French Connection Pitch is a large phreatic passage approximately 5m high. This leads to a small sandy chamber. A climb into a rift from the chamber leads to a small section of ever diminishing rift that ends at a pitch; this is in fact the other side of Dead and Buried and thus a -survey connection was made between Left Hand Route and Drunk and Stupid. +survey connection was made between Left Hand Route and Drunk and Stupid.
Butcher is found by climbing down under some boulders by the left hand end of the far wall of the chamber (the arrow of the chamber name points to the relevant boulder). This 45m pitch lands on a choked shaft floor where a further parallel shaft can be seen at each side through slots in the walls. A large eyehole into the shaft on the right shows the way on, being a -traverse followed by a 10m pitch. +traverse followed by a 10m pitch.
About 25m after the climb there is a boulder slope down to the left. Climbing under these boulders gives access to a 17m pitch followed by a 10m pitch with two ways on at the bottom. The first goes through a small chamber (2m high) and then chokes, the second goes along a descending rift for about -25m before becoming too tight. +25m before becoming too tight.
At the foot of the boulder slope there is a walking passage which joins back to Ragnorok in about 15m and a 4m pitch down to the foot of a sandy slope. Climbing up this slope and around a corner to the left leads to an open area with a pitch/climb down about 10m to the left and a sizable stream -canyon to the right. This is a major way on. +canyon to the right. This is a major way on.
Back in Ragnorok just beyond the pitches is another small wet hole in the floor (undescended) and then another 30m of passage (with a choice of either @@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ unchecked offshoots, leading to a 12m pitch into a boulder-floored rift. Climbing up the sloping floor and then down the other side leads to a 20m pitch down to a wet passage. A couple of metres to the left is Thumper the Talking Sump and to the right is a couple of short climbs up to an aven -where the sump water comes down. +where the sump water comes down.
The main Olympus passage continues for another 30m, passing a turn off on the right hand side. At the end of the passage is an impressive cemented @@ -437,12 +437,12 @@ a couple of crawls with an aven between them brings you into larger passage with yet another choked inlet on the right and a very unlikely-looking zig-zag ending with a crawling passage to the left and a 3m climb up into a rift straight ahead. This rift leads straight to the top of Flapjack, -directly opposite the way in from Carrefour. +directly opposite the way in from Carrefour.
The crawling passage leads to a 2m climb down after 15m with a phreatic going left to a 2m climb into a high, choked rift, and right over boulders to another view into the Flapjack pitch and a complex collapse chamber with -various climbs and passages through boulders. +various climbs and passages through boulders.
To the right is YAPATE Inlet (Yet Another Pitch At The End) which goes for 100m with a couple of climbs up, an inlet on the left and a large @@ -462,13 +462,13 @@ the floor to a boulder-floored area with a way on 5m up the end wall and a reach a bedding plane going back to the foot of the hole that was climbed over, and another 25m wet pitch - Wish you were here (not me) pitch leading to a choice of ways on down a dodgy hole in the floor or over the -boulders around it into a tight rift. +boulders around it into a tight rift.
Straight across Carrefour takes you into the Toilet Block, the camp-site for the Right Hand Route. A short walking section leads into a very high cross rift via a 2m climb. This rift is chocked at both ends, but going straight across takes you into a 3m high 2m wide sandy floored passage to a -crawl into a chamber containing a damp climb down to a choked streamway. +crawl into a chamber containing a damp climb down to a choked streamway.
Turning left at Carrefour leads past the very wet window into Waterfall Chamber to Flapjack, a large pitch leading straight down 30m and then @@ -486,12 +486,12 @@ enough for cavers and a very tight pitch descends 8m to a small chamber where all the water goes through a .5m diameter hole in the floor. Passing through this leads to a very wet steeply descending rift and 15m along at the end of this is a ridiculously wet 32m pitch to a vertical sump, which is at least a -couple of metres deep. The Bottom! +couple of metres deep. The Bottom!
The 1989 expedition aimed to continue the exploration of 161 and resurvey the whole cave. One of the primary aims was to find a by-pass to the Squeeze -Pitch to enable faster descent of the system. +Pitch to enable faster descent of the system.
The expedition began officially on 5th August, 1989. Most of the expedition members arrived by car, bringing with them food and tackle. The remainder came by train or flew to Austria. Base camp was established at the camp-site at Bad Aussee outside the Gasthof Staudenwirt. A top camp was wet up on the Plateau itself close to the Bräuning Nase where a spring -provided an almost continuous supply of water. +provided an almost continuous supply of water.
The first week was spent rigging the cave down to the limits of exploration and attempting to find a by-pass to the squeeze in the maze of @@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ completely out of character with the rest of the cave. A longer and larger pitch, 30m, left the ledge. At this point the route was below the level of the squeeze and yet was only a small distance horizontally from it. There was a strong chance that this route would by-pass the squeeze. The route was not -named after its discoverers; Drunk and Stupid. +named after its discoverers; Drunk and Stupid.
Also in the first week, much of the upper parts of the cave and a good deal of the Left Hand Route were surveyed. The survey was to B.C.R.A. grade @@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ and clinometer readings were taken of a centre line down the cave. Cross sections drawn at each places where there was a change in the passage shape. Approximate passage height and widths were measured or estimated where appropriate. All data was recorded on permatrace paper that was kept in -aluminium binders. +aluminium binders.
The beginning of the second week saw the bottoming of Niflheim; the long pitch on the Left Hand Route. The pitch was spray lashed and cold and the @@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ rigging trips down here were the most uncomfortable in the cave. A brief reconnaissance at the bottom of the pitch showed there to be a way on through a two foot diameter hole (small for Kaninchenhöhle). However further exploration on this trip was not possible due to a shortage of -carbide underground. +carbide underground.
The pushing and surveying continued down Drunk and Stupid although a link with either of the routes below the squeeze still proved elusive. Below the @@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ development in a vadose trench before another series of pitches that dropped into a small chamber; Wet Nappy Chamber. Here a large joint between two types of limestone was met which formed a long thin Hading Rift. The rift was approximately 30m long and 20m deep although the easiest way through -took three pushing trips to find. +took three pushing trips to find.
Several long surveying trips were required to survey the large chambers at the bottom of the Right Hand Route, Knossus and Tower Blocks. Several routes @@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ led from these chambers and the most promising was pushed down a 50m series of short pitches; the Flapjack series. The last of these landed in a small streamway where the water sank into small boulders into a canyon that was reached further down the passage. A traverse along the canyon led over an -enormous drop estimated to be seventy to eighty metres. +enormous drop estimated to be seventy to eighty metres.
By the 16th August good progress had been made down the Right Hand Route and Drunk and Stupid, and passages had been surveyed almost up to the pushing @@ -101,13 +101,13 @@ winched up the entrance pitch and rushed to hospital by helicopter. It took eight hours to evacuate her from the cave but in spite of this she arrived at the hospital with normal pulse, blood pressure and temperature. This reinforces the view that practicing rescue techniques regularly is essential -and reflects very well on the excellent Austrian Cave Rescue. +and reflects very well on the excellent Austrian Cave Rescue.
Not surprisingly the accident somewhat dampened the enthusiasm that had been prevalent at the start of the expedition. Morale was further depressed when the first pushing trip after the rescue found a sump down the Right Hand Route. The cave plummeted down a canyon and the sump was discovered at the -bottom of a circular shaft. +bottom of a circular shaft.
A team of four divers arrived in Austria at the time of the accident to investigate resurgences in the area. Their major aim was to discover whether @@ -119,13 +119,13 @@ had yielded another interesting find. On the second dive the right humerus of a human skeleton was retrieved from the bottom of the lake. After further searching with the Austrian Authorities the following day a boot and sock were found. The body proved to be that of a villager from Altaussee who had -drowned in the lake thirty years previously. +drowned in the lake thirty years previously.
The diving team stayed in Austria for almost two weeks and spent most of their time investigating promising resurgences in the area. They found several leads that are worth pursuing including resurgences in Wolfgangsee and Kessel. One resurgence in Goldloch was pushed to -65m. They hope to -return again next year. +return again next year.
Work was continued down the routes in Kaninchenhöhle by the dry cavers. A camping trip down the Right Hand Route saw the completion of the @@ -136,14 +136,14 @@ of the head of the Flapjack pitches. Another route, also leading off Tower Blocks, ascended a large boulder ramp before dropping down 25m into an impenetrably tight slot. A pitch at the end of the inlet near the camp was also rigged but remains undescended. Several other smaller routes from Tower -Blocks were also explored and surveyed. +Blocks were also explored and surveyed.
On the 23rd August, a week after Rebecca's accident, Niflheim was finally redescended. Several routes were found from the bottom; the most obvious ending in a small slot at the bottom of a 6m pitch. However a side passage led across a boulder floor to The Black Lagoon, a chamber with what appeared to be a silted sump. From here there were at least two ways on; one leading -down into a canyon and the second entering a maze-like area of passages. +down into a canyon and the second entering a maze-like area of passages.
Exploration continued down Drunk & Stupid. At the base of the Hading Rift was a small section of horizontal development ending in an 18m pitch @@ -151,13 +151,13 @@ with awkward take-off. This led to a series of climbs that became ever more spectacular in the widening rift. These finally dropped into a chamber with a side passage leading off to a short pitch and a waterfall dropping into the far end of the chamber. The chamber had a sandy floor with 1m high sand -ledges around the edge. +ledges around the edge.
The surveying continued down Kaninchenhöhle until all the routes except sections of the Left Hand Route had been surveyed. Elevations and projections were drawn at Base Camp. Drunk and Stupid appeared to pass within 10m of the Right Hand Route below the squeeze. Several attempts were made to -link the two routes although no connection was forthcoming. +link the two routes although no connection was forthcoming.
A second camping trip was mounted to push the routes at the bottom of Niflheim. Before this could be done, rope had to be retrieved from the @@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ with soil. The way on looked very promising and so the exploration at the bottom of Niflheim was abandoned in preference to this. A day of exploration yielded several rift pitches that led to a few small chambers. Finally the rifts became too tight. The area was surveyed and the campers emerged after -48 hours underground. +48 hours underground.
Up until this point, the weather in Austria had been reasonable. There had been a few impressive thunder storms but we had had more than our share of @@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ the tops of the mountains. We walked up to the plateau to investigate the damage to Top Camp and found it almost completely destroyed. Of the six tents that were there, only two had survived unscathed and three were unusable. Almost all the caving trips from this point were conducted from -Base Camp making for very long days. +Base Camp making for very long days.
A further pushing trip down Drunk and Stupid saw the termination of the route that left the bottom chamber in a tight squeeze. However another way on @@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ pitch choked and so the bottom of Drunk & Stupid had been found. The unknown rope was very clean washed and was assumed to be that of a group of French Cavers who were exploring a cave close to Kaninchenhöhle. A note was attached to the bottom of the rope explaining that C.U.C.C. had found a -connection and the cave surveyed to the bottom. +connection and the cave surveyed to the bottom.
On drawing up the survey however, it was found that the bottom of Drunk & Stupid was exceedingly close to the bottom of Niflheim. The connection @@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ led up out of the chamber; no other routes left the chamber. At this stage it was almost time to detackle the cave. A short exploratory trip across the very loose and dangerous section above the third pitch yielded a large section of phreatic passage. This ends in an undescended pitch that might -drop into the Right Hand Route, thus by-passing the squeeze. +drop into the Right Hand Route, thus by-passing the squeeze.
Detackling eventually arrived with a vengeance on the 3rd September. Three teams of three descended each of the three major routes. Unfortunately @@ -232,13 +232,13 @@ After a rest at what was left of Top Camp we carried him to the car park. We were met by the others from Base Camp near Top Camp and we carried him down to Top Camp on two poles. Chris arrived in hospital two minutes before Rebecca was discharged. After a romantic reunion Chris was wheeled away to -the x-ray room where it was found that he had fractured his pelvis. +the x-ray room where it was found that he had fractured his pelvis.
After this accident there was no time for recuperation. The cave had to be detackled and so people had to cave the day after the accident. After much effort all the rope was brought out from the cave. A further two days of carrying saw all the gear down at Base Camp. There was just time to wash and -dry everything before we had to leave. +dry everything before we had to leave.
Although two sumps were found, there are still several ways on in Kaninchenhöhle. Down the Right Hand Route there is an unexplored lead @@ -248,11 +248,11 @@ at the end of the phreatic passage that leads off from over the third pitch. There are certainly bound to be many other routes that have not been noticed yet. Kaninchenhöhle is an extremely complicated system and there is much to investigate next year. There are also many possibilities of -exploration in other caves on the Loser Plateau. +exploration in other caves on the Loser Plateau.
1976 This was the first CUCC expedition to Austria, and was primarily a reconnaissance trip. The area was sufficiently promising that it was decided -to return in 1977. +to return in 1977.
1977 82 Bräuninghöhle -216m (BCRA Grade 3) Entrance crawl -followed by a series of wet pitches. +followed by a series of wet pitches.
97 Schneewindschacht -265m (BCRA Grade 1) Tight entrance series leads to a -succession of small pitches in a large rift. Too tight at -265m. +succession of small pitches in a large rift. Too tight at -265m.
76 Eislufthöhle -150m (BCRA Grades 1-4c) Pushed as far as the Tap -Room (was originally 106). +Room (was originally 106).
1978 76 Eislufthöhle -350m Pushed to -350m as far as The Fiesta Run, -and still going. +and still going.
107 Gämsehöhle -280m (BCRA Grade 3) A series of pitches ending -in a choke. +in a choke.
1979 76 Eislufthöhle -506m Bottomed, though a few side passages left -unexplored. +unexplored.
1980 - Joint expedition with UBSS 41 Stellerweghöhle -320m A new -route explored in what was originally a German find. +route explored in what was originally a German find.
-113 Sonnenstrahlhöhle -329m +
113 Sonnenstrahlhöhle -329m
1981 - Joint expedition with UBSS 41 Stellerweghöhle -680m Pushed -through Pete's Purgatory. Connected to Schnellzughöhle (115) at -400m. +through Pete's Purgatory. Connected to Schnellzughöhle (115) at -400m.
1982 41 Stellerweghöhle -898m (BCRA Grade 5, below Confluence) -Bottomed via Purgatory Bypass. +Bottomed via Purgatory Bypass.
-113 Sonnenstrahlhöhle Redescended, but the cave went no further. +
113 Sonnenstrahlhöhle Redescended, but the cave went no further.
1983 142 (near Stellerweghöhle) Explored to the Big Chamber and -connected to Stellerweg. +connected to Stellerweg.
-136 Steinschlagschacht -194m Very many loose boulders. +
136 Steinschlagschacht -194m Very many loose boulders.
143 -125m (BCRA Grade 5a) Became too tight after a series of pitches. -Later explored to -140m. +Later explored to -140m.
144 -284m (BCRA Grade 5b) Met phreatic level at -200m, but could not gain -access to passage heading towards Stellerweghöhle. +access to passage heading towards Stellerweghöhle.
145 Wolfhöhle -300m This cave was named (incorrectly) after a bear skeleton that was found near the entrance. Still going at the end of the -expedition. +expedition.
1984 A small expedition involving only ten people for three weeks. Wet -weather at the start of the expedition resulting in low morale. +weather at the start of the expedition resulting in low morale.
The main aim of exploring Wolfhöhle further was achieved as the cave only went to -426m (approx. 125m further). One pushing team was trapped for 12hrs by flooding, with water levels rising suddenly. They emerged to meet -the rescue party who were delayed by the weather. +the rescue party who were delayed by the weather.
136 Steinschlagschacht -240m (BCRA Grade 1) Ending in a narrowing rift, -no proper survey due to the dangerous nature of the cave. +no proper survey due to the dangerous nature of the cave.
143 Explored for connection to Stellerweg. An audible connection was -found, but was too tight to allow the passage of cavers. +found, but was too tight to allow the passage of cavers.
-145 Wolfhöhle -426m (BCRA Grade 5b) Bottomed. +
145 Wolfhöhle -426m (BCRA Grade 5b) Bottomed.
1985 The connection between Stellerweg and 144 was the year's big find. Minor extensions were found in 142, and 152 was discovered and explored to a connection with Sonnenstrahlhöhle. The expedition was even smaller than -the 1984 one, comprising only eight people. +the 1984 one, comprising only eight people.
-142 Minor extensions were found. +
142 Minor extensions were found.
144 Connecting to Stellerweg giving a total depth of -971 m and 6.5km of -passage. +passage.
152 (BCRA Grade 5b) Explored to a connection with Sonnenstrahlhöhle -at -150m. +at -150m.
-1986 This expedition intentionally left blank +
1986 This expedition intentionally left blank
1987 A small and generally inexperienced party had a rather unsuccessful expedition, finding lots of small extensions to existing systems, but only -one new cave. +one new cave.
A group of German and French cavers linked their system into Stellerweg, making the entire system over 1 km deep, and giving them the highest -entrance. +entrance.
-87 Minor extensions found but no extra depth gained. +
87 Minor extensions found but no extra depth gained.
113 Sonnenstrahlhöhle Found new route from just inside the entrance -to the Opera House. +to the Opera House.
-158 Donner-und-Blitzenhöhle Pushed to small wet chamber. +
158 Donner-und-Blitzenhöhle Pushed to small wet chamber.
1988 This was the largest expedition to date, with over twenty-five members. A total of three weeks was spent in Austria. With little to continue from 1987, the main emphasis was on finding new caves, but -atrocious weather hampered progress. +atrocious weather hampered progress.
-147 Rediscovered and explored. +
147 Rediscovered and explored.
158 Donner-und-Blitzenhöhle Rerigged but didn't go beyond last -year's final chamber. +year's final chamber.
-164 Bottomed, but not surveyed due to flooding. +
164 Bottomed, but not surveyed due to flooding.
161 Kaninchenhöhle -300m (BCRA Grade 3) A promising and complicated system. A tight vertical squeeze was eventually passed to give several ways -on. +on.
-1989 See the expedition diary for a description. +
1989 See the expedition diary for a description.
161 Kaninchenhöhle System -500m (BCRA grade 5) A sump was found at -500m, and a major new route was developed. Several routes remain undescended and there is plenty of potential for further discoveries as the -complexity of the system becomes apparent. +complexity of the system becomes apparent.
-1990 ?????????? +
1990 ??????????