From d3533e003e17b9ca503c5d6e404ab22d7cd79053 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Wookey <wookey@wookware.org> Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:33:19 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add Speleo Austria Proceedings article, plus links to various 2011 and 2012 reports/articles/presentations --- pubs.htm | 20 +- years/2011/index.html | 1 + years/2012/SpeleoAustria.html | 390 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 410 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 years/2012/SpeleoAustria.html diff --git a/pubs.htm b/pubs.htm index ef98e7157..29c4ceba5 100644 --- a/pubs.htm +++ b/pubs.htm @@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ not been looked up:</p> <a href="#pubs2007">2007</a> <b>|</b> <a href="#pubs2008">2008</a> <b>|</b> <a href="#pubs2009">2009</a> <b>|</b> -<a href="#pubs2010">2010</a> <b>|</b></p> +<a href="#pubs2010">2010</a> <b>|</b> +<a href="#pubs2011">2011</a> <b>|</b> +<a href="#pubs2012">2012</a> <b>|</b></p> <hr /> <h3 style="text-align: center"> <a id="logbooks" name= "logbooks">Expedition Logbooks</a></h3> @@ -495,15 +497,31 @@ Black</dd> <h4>Pre-Expo statements and Post-Expo reports of CUCC <a id="pubs2008" href="years/2008/" name="pubs2008">Austria 2008</a></h4> <p>To do.</p> <hr /> + <h4>Pre-Expo statements and Post-Expo reports of CUCC <a id="pubs2009" href="years/2009/" name="pubs2009">Austria 2009</a></h4> <p><a href="years/2009/mission.html">Mission Statement</a><br> <a href="years/2009/prospectus.pdf">Prospectus</a><br> <a href="years/2009/report.html">Expedition Report</a> </p> +<hr /> <h4>Pre-Expo statements and Post-Expo reports of CUCC <a id="pubs2010" href="years/2010/" name="pubs2010">Austria 2010</a></h4> <p><a href="years/2010/descentreport.pdf">Descent article</a> </p> <hr /> +<h4>Pre-Expo statements and Post-Expo reports of CUCC <a id="pubs2011" +href="years/2011/" name="pubs2011">Austria 2011</a></h4> +<p><a href="years/2011/descentarticle.html">Descent article (Never +actually submitted or published, it seems)</a> +</p> +<hr /> +<h4>Pre-Expo statements and Post-Expo reports of CUCC <a id="pubs2012" href="years/2012/" name="pubs2012">Austria 2012</a></h4> +<p><a href="years/2012/SpeleoAustria.html">Speleo Austria Proceedings Article</a><br> +<a href="http://seagrass.goatchurch.org.uk/~expo/expofiles/presentations/SpeleoAustria/2012/AustrianConference2012.pdf">Speleo +Austria Presentation (39MB PDF)</a> <a href="http://seagrass.goatchurch.org.uk/~expo/expofiles/presentations/SpeleoAustria/2012/AustrianConference2012.odp">(78MB +OpenDocumentPresentation)</a><br> +<a href="http://seagrass.goatchurch.org.uk/~expo/expofiles/presentations/HiddenEarth/2012/HE2012.odp">Hidden Earth Presentation</a> +</p> +<hr /> <!-- LINKS --> <ul id="links"> <li>Back to <a href="../">CUCC Home page</a></li> diff --git a/years/2011/index.html b/years/2011/index.html index 934c42e9f..ea43b967b 100644 --- a/years/2011/index.html +++ b/years/2011/index.html @@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ <li><a href="topcamplist.html">Stuff left at top camp</a></li> <li><a href="basecamplist.html">Stuff left at base camp</a></li> <li><a href="gpf_report.pdf">GPF feedback report</a></li> +<li><a href="descentarticle.html">(unpublished)Descent Article</a></li> </ul> </div> <hr /> diff --git a/years/2012/SpeleoAustria.html b/years/2012/SpeleoAustria.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..c7a1f325b --- /dev/null +++ b/years/2012/SpeleoAustria.html @@ -0,0 +1,390 @@ +<h1>Cambridge University Caving Club: Totes Gebirge 2001--2011</h1> + +<p><emph>by Anthony Day and Mark Shinwell</emph></p> + +<p>Cambridge University Caving Club have been exploring in the Totes Gebirge since +1976. An article in the "Speleo Austria 2001" publication gave a history of +these explorations up until the turn of the millenium. Here we continue the +story with some of the highlights of the explorations between 2001 and 2011.</p> + +<p>The area explored by CUCC lies around the Schwarzmooskogel ridge, a succession +of rounded peaks lying to the north-east of the Altaussee, and reached by +walking from the car park at the top of the Loser Panoramastrasse toll road. +Explorations both by CUCC (from 1976 onwards) and others have revealed several +large cave systems in the area including Stellerweghoehle, Kaninchenhoehle and +the long-known Schwarzmooskogeleishoehle famous for its towering ice +formations. Further to the north-east lie the systems of Steinbrueckenhoehle +and the more recently-discovered Tunnockschacht, both of which have been the +major focus of CUCC expeditions in recent years. Out to the north-west of the +Schwarzmooskogel ridge is a large "plateau"---only flat when seen on a large +scale, and pock-marked with grikes and jagged limestone---holding the entrances +to caves such as Eislufthoehle, one of CUCC's earliest discoveries.</p> + +<p>The deepest known point out of all these systems lies at the bottom of the +Stellerweghoehle streamway, a remote location which has not now been visited +for many years, in turn lying above the level of the various resurgences in and +around Altaussee such as the Liagerhoehle. The ramifications of +Stellerweghoehle extend north-eastwards under the Schwarzmooskogel, passing +entrances such as Schnellzughoehle, until they eventually join to the large +ice-bearing chambers of the Schwarzmooskogeleishoehle. As of 2001 the passages +of the Eishoehle came close to the lower level of a cave explored by CUCC some +years earlier, Steinschlagschacht, whose entrance lies high on the flanks of +the Vorderer Schwarzmooskogel. This cave in turn was connected some years +previously through a loose, faulted zone to the large system of +Kaninchenhoehle. KH, as the cave is known informally, was one of CUCC's major +discoveries and now extends from near the Eishoehle right under the Hinterer +Schwarzmooskogel to the north-east. However as of 2001 it did not actually +join to the Eishoehle, despite survey data showing it being possibly as close +as only twenty metres away, and a real focus of exploration at that time was +finding a connection between the two systems. The combined system would be +over 50km long and 1000m deep.</p> + +<p>In this article we tell the story of how this connection was forged and +describe the work in caves further to the north which has led CUCC to seek +another as yet undiscovered connection between Kaninchenhoehle and +Steinbrueckenhoehle. Owing to the discovery of Tunnockschacht, a cave even +further to the north which was found in 2006 and connected to +Steinbrueckenhoehle in 2011, there is now the potential of a system which +stretches from the lowest sump in Stellerweghoehle right up almost to the +Nieder Augst-Eck. The potential for further discoveries is vast.</p> + +<p>The explorations of CUCC have always been subject to permission from the +Austrian Landesregierung, for whose past and continued support the club is very +grateful, and have been greatly assisted by the VFHO. The German group ARGE +has and continues to be active in the area and CUCC are pleased to be engaged +in a mutually beneficial relationship. Finally enormous thanks must go to the +Wilpernig family and their staff at Gasthof Staud'n wirt, which stands on the +road from Bad Aussee to Grundlsee, where since 1983 the expedition has had its +base camp. The facilities and hospitality they provide each year are +invaluable.</p> + +<h2>Steinbrueckenhoehle</h2> + +<p>The entrance to Steinbrueckenhoehle, the cave which has seen the most +exploration by CUCC over the past ten years, was discovered in 1999 near the +col between the Hinterer Schwarzmooskogel and the Niederer Augst Eck. The cave +takes its name from the prominent natural stone bridge that was spotted 30 +seconds before the twin entrances to the cave itself, 1623/204a and b. On +entering the cave, it rapidly became obvious that we had stumbled upon a major +find. Descending two pitches leads to an extensive network of phreatic passages +on two levels separated by about 15m vertically. These passages are generally +of modest proportions, at least relative to the major trunk routes in +Kaninchenhoehle and elsewhere, but carry a substantial draught into the cave +during the Summer months. Almost immediately thoughts turned to a possible +connection to Kaninchenhoehle, though based on past experience we understood +that this would be a long-term project. The caves were separated by a few +hundred metres and, given the broken nature of the limestone in this part of +Austria, we anticipated that many obstacles to cave development would be +encountered in the intervening distance.</p> + +<p>By the end of the 1999 expedition, Steinbrueckenhoehle had been explored to a +length of 1365m with a number of promising unexplored leads. This ensured that +exploration of Steinbrueckenhoehle would be one of the primary objectives of +CUCC expeditions from 2000 onwards. Near the end of the 2000 expedition it +appeared that the major horizontal development had all been discovered and only +smaller passages remained to be explored. However, some new expedition members +were undeterred and proceeded to systematically explore all the crawling sized +leads they could find. This dogged persistence was rewarded late in the +expedition with the discovery of a major trunk passage, Treeumphant Passage, +of considerably larger proportions than those near the entrance. Over the +course of subsequent years this horizontal development was explored and found +to extend in all directions. The local bedding dips gently to the south, so +exploration of north-trending passages tended to involve going uphill such that +the northernmost extremity of the system is at a higher altitude than the +initial entrance.</p> + +<p>The intense exploration in Steinbreuckenhoehle stimulated interest in the +surrounding area of the mountain, which had previously been thought remote, and +it soon became apparent that the area was rich in cave entrances. A number of +minor caves were explored in this period and it was inevitable that some of +these entrances would lead to the Steinbrueckenhoehle system. On one occasion, +a party arrived at a previously-discovered aven to find a rope hanging out of +it and a caver standing at the bottom. This caver had correctly identified the +corresponding hole on the surface using a GPS location, and so the 1623/204c +entrance was found. 1623/204d was discovered by a group following a large +horizontal passage who suddenly found themselves at the bottom of a bouldery +climb with daylight streaming down. One of the many horizontal surface holes +was found to quickly lead to a pitch directly into the main horizontal level. +This entrance, 1623/204e, has proved to be the most convenient route into most +parts of the system, since it avoids the crawling passages via which the main +trunk passages were initially found. Finally, in 2005 a significant extension +to the northwest was discovered leading to three new entrances. This made +nine entrances in total, with many other places where it is clear that the +surface is not far away.</p> + +<p>Whilst all these finds were exciting of themselves and extended the area of +known cave development into virgin areas, we were still no nearer finding a +connection to Kaninchenhoehle and the major systems to the south. There +appeared to be some geological barrier to cave development at the southern +extremity of the known system at this time. None of the horizontal trunk +passages went past this apparent barrier and it was unclear which route +the significant draught in the upper level passages followed.</p> + +<h2>Razor Dance</h2> + +<p>The only possible leads in the vicinity of the geological barrier, given the +absence of horizontal passages, appeared to be various shafts. Some of these +were of significant proportions but many lead to no significant finds. A +notable exception was the earliest to be explored, starting in 1999, was named +the Ariston Series. This went on and on down five pitches reaching a small +phreatic level at about 200m depth. All continuations of the phreatic passage +were found to be choked with sand but another pitch series continuing from this +level, Kiwi Suit, was descended in 2000 to a depth of 330m. At this point a +modest streamway was encountered flowing into a tall, narrow rift passage, +named Razor Dance. Following this streamway became something of a war of +attrition over the course of the next few years. The draughty rift is +generally quite awkward necessitating frequent changes of level to find the +most convenient traverse level, and is interspersed with numerous small +pitches, so the relatively small exploration teams made only modest progress. +However, the passage was heading in an interesting direction, having passed +beyond the apparent barrier to horizontal development, albeit much deeper than +any of the known horizontal levels in Kaninchenhoehle. Although the rift is +locally quite sinuous, over almost its entire length it generally follows a +bearing of 235 degrees. When superimposed on the surface topography, Razor +Dance follows the line of a prominent surface gully suggesting that it exploits +the same geological feature hundreds of metres below. Eventually, in 2007 a +strong team was assembled to try to complete the exploration and a sump was +found at an altitude of 1220m, some 600m below the 1623/204a entrance. Razor +Dance is one of the longest active stream passages discovered by CUCC in +Austria -- perhaps second only to the Stellerweghoehle streamway.</p> + +<p>However, the discovery of the sump did not mark the end of the exploration in +this area. A bolt traverse was installed over the sump pool to gain access to +another inlet stream oriented at right angles to Razor Dance, which was +followed upstream for about 100m. When the trend of this passage is +extrapolated up-dip it intersects the bottom of Rasputin, the northwestern +extremity of Kaninchenhoehle and the deepest point in the main part of this +system.</p> + +<p>At this location a small stream had been discovered draining into a mud choke +in 1998. The separation between the two systems at this point is only 150m. +Even more exciting, a series of climbs up dry cascades were conquered to emerge +in a large chamber some 120m above the level of the sump. From here a number +of phreatic passages lead off, some of considerable dimensions. Evidence of +substantial phreatic development at a similar altitude had been observed in +Kaninchenhoehle in 1998, though it was thought to be completely choked with +mud.</p> + +<p>These finds at the end of Razor Dance provided the first firm evidence of a +possible connection between Steinbrueckenhoehle and Kaninchenhoehle. However, +it was also clear that any connection in this area was likely to entail +significant excavation---hardly a practical proposition for a five week summer +expedition. Moreover the location of the points of closest proximity lie at +the extremities of the two systems meaning that significant equipment and +manpower would be required to explore these areas efficiently. Nevertheless, a +connection had never seemed more likely and these discoveries served to +rekindle interest in exploration of Kaninchenhoehle.</p> + +<h2>Gaffered</h2> + +<p>The other major shaft series descending from the upper levels of +Steinbrueckenhoehle, along with Razor Dance, was Gaffered to the Walls. This +fine 70m shaft was first explored in 2002 and leads, via a series of further +pitches and a band containing 70cm long bivalve shells, to an extensive +phreatic level named The Underworld. Appreciation of the pitch series and its +fine principal shaft is somewhat tempered by the tendency of mud from the +horizontal level below to make its way onto the ropes, despite efforts to keep +personal caving gear clean, which makes for an often tedious ascent.</p> + +<p>The Underworld is relatively well decorated, with stalactites and walls of +strange upward protrusions. These white walls contrast to the floor sediment, +with its thin crust of oxidized mud, which gives way to light brown sand +beneath. This discovery, some 160m deeper than the phreatic development +previously discovered in the system, was clearly significant. However, +exploration of a pitch heading down from here revealed the presence of a deeper +level of development that proved to be even more extensive. As with the +more shallow phreatic development, these levels are not strictly horizontal but +follow the dip of the local bedding such that the northern end tends to lie at +a higher altitude than the south. The northern part of this deeper level, known +collectively as The Wares, extends considerably further north than any of the +other phreatic levels so far discovered. In 2011 this area was explored from an +underground camp, the first such camp conducted by CUCC for many years. Thanks +mainly to the choice of a suitable campsite, this proved to be an efficient +approach to exploration of the northern large chambers, pitches and avens.</p> + +<p>The southern end of this level, which contains fine examples of mud stalagmites +and dried up mud pools, leads to a pitch series called the Four Horsemen of the +Apocalypse. This pitch series leads down a wide clean washed rift to yet +another level of phreatic development, Subway, at a depth of around 420m +below the entrance. Taking into account the dip of the beds, Subway represents +the deepest level of phreatic development in stratigraphic terms hitherto +discovered in Steinbrueckenhoehle.</p> + +<h2>Pussy Prance</h2> + +<p>Meanwhile, exploration continued apace in the shallower parts of +Steinbrueckenhoehle. A particular area of interest was a horizontal passage +near the top of the Ariston Series (the route down to Razor Dance), which +seemed to offer the best hope of finding a passage heading towards +Kaninchenhoehle at a more convenient altitude. The significant inward draught +was observed to head down a passage that was initially considered to be too +tight, but in 2001 someone with more imagination proved this assessment wrong +and passed through to emerge in a large chamber. The area was then largely +left alone until 2008 when two further pitches were descended to a steeply +descending rift (Pussy Prance), leading to a significant phreatic passage that +encouraged a return with a larger team in 2009.</p> + +<p>The 2009 expedition firmly established that there was a considerable amount of +cave passage waiting to be found in this area. Most significantly, the new +finds were firmly located to the south of the apparent barrier to horizontal +cave development at this altitude, a barrier that had not been breached in the +previous ten years of exploration. Although no clear single trunk route was +found, a number of pitches were descended or traversed over to find horizontal +passages going in all directions. On descending one particular pitch, the +explorers discovered a hanger at the bottom and worked out that they had landed +at the bottom a 100m shaft last descended in 2000. This connection will provide +an alternative access route for further exploration of this area that will +bypass some of the tighter sections. There are a number of unexplored leads in +this area, most of them vertical, and given their important strategic position +a return is certain.</p> + +<h2>Return to Kaninchenhoehle</h2> + +<p>2009 also saw a return to Kaninchenhoehle after a long absence inspired by the +deep discoveries in Steinbrueckenhoehle. The intention was to explore some of +the many leads in the Far End region of Kaninchenhoehle that had not been +visited since 1994. Indeed, one trip had the pleasure of placing anchors in +holes that had been drilled in 1993 since the original explorers had forgotten +to bring any anchors.</p> + +<p>Our preferred strategy was to focus on the north east of the system since this +area boasted the most promising leads, rather than go all-out for a connection +at the point of closest approach between the two systems where progress was +likely to be slow. This approach yielded a number of interesting finds and +promising leads. However, it turned out that the most significant find was made +at the end of the 2009 expedition during derigging. A previously unseen hole +was spotted in the roof of Repton chamber. Armed with a drill, the explorers +climbed up to it and explored about 100m of comfortable sized passage with an +enticing draught until running out of time.</p> + +<p>This lead was the first target on returning to Kaninchenhoehle in 2011. After +another 100m or so, the explorers popped out into a 10m round phreatic tube +heading in both directions. It quickly became obvious that this was a major +breakthrough, and was named Country for Old Men after its relatively geriatric +explorers. The passage continues approximately north directly towards +Steinbrueckenhoehle. It appears to be the northward continuation of the large +phreatic level (YAPATE and Chicken Flied Nice) that was discovered in the early +years of exploration of Kaninchenhoehle. The draught is very considerable, +especially considering the passage dimensions, and becomes uncomfortably cold +at local narrowings. After 300m a pitch is descended to an even larger +phreatic passage heading in both directions. To the south, it appears likely +that further exploration will yield an easier route into the rest of the +Kaninchenhoehle system. At the northern end, the closest approach to the Pussy +Prance area of Steinbrueckenhoehle is now 50m. That the gap was 420m at the +start of the 2011 expedition gives some idea of the scale of the new +discoveries.</p> + +<h2>Tunnockschacht</h2> + +<p>The first day of exploration on the 2006 expedition saw the discovery of a new +hole, christened Tunnockschacht after a long-serving sponsor of chocolate wafer +bars and dome-shaped marshmallow treats to the expedition, some distance to +the north of the known entrances of Steinbrueckenhoehle. In a small rocky bowl +an entrance of modest proportions appeared to lead onto a descending slope; an +adjacent shaft entrance looked likely to be connected. Often, entrances which +are not entirely horizontal are full of rocks, but such were the proportions of +the shaft visible inside the entrance that it appeared there was some chance of +penetrating into the caverns underneath.</p> + +<p>Rigging of the shaft was slow; there were no drills on expedition that year +and only a small number of cavers. However progress was gradually made down +and across multiple ledges holding large piles of boulders and loose rock; +eventually, a large steeply-inclined snow slope appeared out of the gloom. +The bottom was eventually reached, and to the delight of the explorers, above +the pool of ice which had formed at the bottom of the shaft a small aperture +gave onto a rift passage. An orifice to the right led onto a crawl, +Bauernkrapfen Passage (named after the dessert of the same name often served +up in Gasthof Staud'n wirt), eventually debouching into a much larger passage. +This was followed for some distance eventually overlooking a pitch into a +chamber, which was the end of exploration that year.</p> + +<p>Expeditions subsequent to 2006 have revealed large amounts of cave passage in +Tunnockschacht, some including calcite decorations (which are rare in the caves +which CUCC explore). An extensive horizontal level extends northwards, with +sandy crawls and towering chambers, and provides access to the heads of various +deep shafts. One of these, the 80-metre-deep String Theory, has been said to +be the most voluminous shaft ever found by CUCC. Its sheer walls lead down to +a lower horizontal level, from where an obscure route lead in 2011 to a +connection with one of the lower levels of Steinbrueckenhoehle. +Quoting one of the explorers on the trip:</p> + +<p><blockquote>"The others were still bolting so we surveyed a QM [question mark grade] B i'd + spotted at the base of Eh Bah Gum. This was another small, drafty rift which, + again popped out into The Beast but this time we could get out onto a wide + ledge so we started surveying along the left wall with various tubes on the + left. "Holly did you walk down that mud bank", "No, I thought that looked like + footprints" I peered again - it could be due to rock fall, but it did look + very like footprints..... and then I saw two more -- we've definitely got to + somewhere people have been before. I walked over with tape and straight to + survey station 23 and we finished the survey then went for a run to see where + we were. We traced the footprints back and into a small muddy tube. Holly and + I muttered to each other that this looked very like The Wares -- but we didn't + want to count our chickens so on we ran until "Oooh" said Holly pointing at a + nondescript mud bank we had to crawl over "I've been here -- for sure -- its + The Wares -- WE'VE CONNECTED we shrieked at each other" </blockquote></p> + +<p>It had previously been postulated that a fault might prohibit this connection +being made, but thankfully that was not the case. This discovery makes +Tunnockschacht the highest entrance to the Steinbrueckenhoehle system.</p> + +<h2>Eislufthoehle</h2> + +<p>In parallel with explorations in the Steinbrueckenhoehle area a small team made +a return to a cave by the name of Eislufthoehle, an exceedingly draughty place, +whose entrance lies in a depression out on the main Loser/Augst-Eck plateau +amongst a group of erratic boulders. This cave was one of the first to be +explored by CUCC way back in 1976 when single rope techniques were in their +infancy. At that time it was visited over three expeditions, reaching a sump +at a crudely-surveyed depth of 506m in 1979. An extended elevation was +produced, a handful of leads noted, and exploration moved on to other areas +(initially Stellerweghoehle). The first visit in recent times was in 2004, to +produce a modern survey and see what had been missed before. For four +expeditions a small team (often just two cavers) re-explored down to 297m, +surveying 2.5km of passage on the way. Many leads were noted and explored, +most notably a small alcove in the wall about 50m down the entrance pitch +series which lead to the Brave New World area. This was the first significant +horizontal development to be explored under the plateau; previously such +passages had only been found under the neighbouring Schwarzmooskogel ridge. +Several pitch leads still remain to be explored in Brave New World, another +part way down the original route, and two upstream leads at about -260m.</p> + +<p>Other nearby caves have also been re-explored and surveyed, and several +connections were made, first between 1623/99 and 1623/76, and later 1623/81 to +1623/148 (Marilyn Munroe Hoehle) and 1623/85 with 1623/82 (Br�uningh�hle). A +new pitch series "Deep Space" was found in 1623/148 shortly before the end of +the 2007 expedition, leaving exploration at -100m, about half way down a 70m +pitch.</p> + +<p>Many questions remain unanswered. Some of the areas of interest include +obtaining a more accurate altitude of the sump at the bottom of 1623/76, +whether the system forms but part of a larger system under the Loser/Augst-Eck +plateau, and whether there may be a connection with the Schwarzmooskogel +system.</p> + +<h2>The future</h2> + +<p>At the time of writing CUCC's 2012 expedition is in the planning stages. The +main aim is likely to be work in the area between Kaninchenhoehle and +Steinbrueckenhoehle with a view to establishing a connection between these two +systems. Hopes are high that this may be achieved in 2012. At the present +time, Tunnockschacht would form the new highest entrance to such a combined +system. The area in which any such connection likely lies is one in which +relatively little cave passage is known; there is probably much more to be +found. In particular, there is some indication that there may be development +trending out from the relevant area of Kaninchenhoehle under the +Loser/Augst-Eck plateau itself; who knows if this might connect to caves in the +area of Eislufthoehle, or even to Eislufthoehle itself.</p> + +<p>Work will also no doubt continue in the coming years in other areas of +Steinbrueckenhole---there are deep leads remaining---together with +Tunnockschacht, and any further holes which might be found by prospecting +further to the north. The German group ARGE have already made some discoveries +in this area and there were sporadic discoveries by other groups some time ago. +It seems likely that many kilometres of passages and pitches are lying silently +under the barren karst, never having heard the trudging of wellington boots +nor the clinking of metalwork, and as yet unseen by human eyes. Who knows if, +one day, these galleries may be found to connect the Schwarzmooskogel systems +draining to Altaussee with the caves under Schoenberg, perhaps even including +the great system of Raucherkarhoehle and Feuertalsystem, whose waters reach +daylight at the Nagelsteghoehle above Blaa-Alm. One can but wait: the long +story of the caves of the Schwarzmooskogel is only beginning.</p>