From b0e8431b7d5af8046bb695f89ea0397036188144 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: DWalker Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 18:43:59 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 01/11] added some headings to things left at base camp --- years/2013/basecamplist.html | 279 ++++++++++++++++++++++------------- 1 file changed, 178 insertions(+), 101 deletions(-) diff --git a/years/2013/basecamplist.html b/years/2013/basecamplist.html index cd99ab7f8..2fe9e23f2 100644 --- a/years/2013/basecamplist.html +++ b/years/2013/basecamplist.html @@ -7,119 +7,196 @@ -

Stuff left at base camp (2013)

+

Stuff left at base camp (2013)

-( List from back of log book) + ( List from back of log book) +

Rigging

+ +

Food

+ + +

First aid

+ + +

Misc

+

Stuff to be bought for 2014:

+

 

From 04635ef207fa7219d1279e8442a8c797e94ef2ac Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andy Waddington on Loser Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2014 08:48:40 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 02/11] Minor typo fixing and a bit of html markup modernising (mostly adding

) user: Andy Waddington on Loser branch 'expoweb' changed years/1978/log.htm just typos here - needs fixing for troggle parsing when I understand better changed years/1978/npc79.htm changed years/1978/report.htm --- years/1978/log.htm | 8 +-- years/1978/npc79.htm | 8 +-- years/1978/report.htm | 136 +++++++++++++++++++++--------------------- 3 files changed, 76 insertions(+), 76 deletions(-) diff --git a/years/1978/log.htm b/years/1978/log.htm index cdd4cbf55..78ddee8b5 100644 --- a/years/1978/log.htm +++ b/years/1978/log.htm @@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ stream to pitch c 30-50'. Depth so far this way 570'. Ben. Time 7 hrs. Team Geriatric (Vic, Rod, Dave) crawled up the hillside half a mile behind the fast moving dust cloud that showed where team youth was burning up the miles. At the cave entrance, when they eventually got there, the -pensionaers were heard to be talking about family responsibilities, +pensioners were heard to be talking about family responsibilities, arthritis and other ploys for not going underground (one of them even had to be lent a descender, having conveniently forgotten his own). Marshalled between members of the Youth Team, the ancients were carefully fed down the @@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ sat down and told of hitherto undescended holes ahead of them. Then Team Youth vanished into the darkness to push into discoveries elsewhere.

Left alone at last, the crones shook off their disguise of weariness. -Swiftly they fixed a rope down the thirty foot pitch to a large flor of +Swiftly they fixed a rope down the thirty foot pitch to a large floor of unstable boulders. One of them carried on to the bottom of the boulder choke while another was fixing a bolt at the top of the rift. Soon Rod was going down the rift till he ran out of rope at about 70'. He called for another @@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ just over the hour to get out onto the plateau where they were in time to enjoy the last few hours of sunshine.

And Team Youth ? They came eventually, weary, dirty and dishevelled as -usual. They had missed the sunshine. It was dark by the time they got got +usual. They had missed the sunshine. It was dark by the time they got down. Team Geriatric had wined and dined and already gone to the pub.

Previous trip/ @@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ van.

Nicky and I went down a bit late (12.30) due to hanggliding. We rigged the 30' John and Ben had found using 3 bolts (all manky). About 100' of -freeclibing ensued down to the Geriatric's previous far point. Due to lack +freeclimbing ensued down to the Geriatric's previous far point. Due to lack of time, we then had to leave. Mike.

diff --git a/years/1978/npc79.htm b/years/1978/npc79.htm index 2e4436db4..cae450f93 100644 --- a/years/1978/npc79.htm +++ b/years/1978/npc79.htm @@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ 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.

-

S.Farrow

+

S.Farrow

Austria 1978

@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ 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.

-

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. +

A climb down leads to the continuing rift - too narrow at stream level - +but a traverse to sections of false floor leads to an alternative way down. Boulders dropped here told us of a deep pitch ahead but much bolting was needed to rig it - one for a handline down the first short but exposed climb down and two for the pitch itself; none of which was helped by the rather @@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ lang="de-at">Eislufthöhle, and to look at other leads in Gemsehöhle - finding deep pots is amazingly easy out there, pushing them just a little more trouble.

-

A.Waddington

+

A.Waddington

diff --git a/years/1978/report.htm b/years/1978/report.htm index a9df3a089..9cefdb1bc 100644 --- a/years/1978/report.htm +++ b/years/1978/report.htm @@ -11,7 +11,7 @@

Austria 1978

-After several years in the Pyrenees, 1976 saw a break and a holiday cum +

After several years in the Pyrenees, 1976 saw a break and a holiday cum reconnaissance to the Loser Plateau in the Totes Gebirge of Austria. What was seen was enough to convince those present that here was a new area with good potential and @@ -24,24 +24,24 @@ powerful draught. Enthusiasm to return ran high and in 1978, a well-organised undergraduate expedition emerged with the dual aims of continuing down Eislufthöhle and of finding new holes on the plateau. The 'Old Lags' came too, of course, and proved invaluable later on -in the expedition. +in the expedition.

Loser expeditions tend to be well-stratified, though this year some people visited other groups' pots, and Team Geriatric probably visited more -cave in a shorter time than any other group. +cave in a shorter time than any other group.

Personnel

-Team Youth -
John Bowers, Nicky Davies, Ben van Millingen, Mike Shearme
-

Team Ropes -

First Wave : Doug Florence, Simon Farrow, Andy Waddington
-Second Wave : Julian Griffiths, Nick Thorne
-

Team Geriatric -

Vic Brown, Rod, Jont & Carole Leach, Dave Fox, Keith who ?
+

Team Youth -

John Bowers, Nicky Davies, Ben van Millingen, Mike Shearme

+

Team Ropes -

First Wave : Doug Florence, Simon Farrow, Andy Waddington
+Second Wave : Julian Griffiths, Nick Thorne

+

Team Geriatric -

Vic Brown, Rod, Jont & Carole Leach, Dave Fox, Keith who ?

The most noticeable changes from last year were adequate transport (just), huge piles of new rope and food, a large transparent mess tent for watching thunderstorms from, and much more snow on the plateau. The beer, the hospitality (definitely no double meaning intended !), and the potential -were all the same - the former reducing our exploitation of the latter. +were all the same - the former reducing our exploitation of the latter.

We must again thank Karl Gaisberger (our contact), Fritz Madlmeier (campsite owner and @@ -50,47 +50,47 @@ purveyor of cheap beer and free spirits), the officials at the plateau), and the Austrian Health Service (for bodywork repairs). We would also like to thank the numerous individuals and organisations in the UK who generously provided support, financial and in kind, for the expedition (see -acknowledgements). +acknowledgements).

Expedition diary

-July +

July

-21st New engine in van (!)
+21st New engine in van (!)
27th At 4am, the alternator packs up, finally replaced just as our 9.30 -hovercraft departed. Arrive Calais 2pm.
+hovercraft departed. Arrive Calais 2pm.
28th Teams Youth and Ropes (First wave) arrive in -Altaussee
+Altaussee
29th Rigging into Eislufthöhle and -prospecting commences in blistering sunshine.

-August +prospecting commences in blistering sunshine.

+

August

-3rd 107 found. Digging commences
-4th New ground made in Eislufthöhle
+3rd 107 found. Digging commences
+4th New ground made in Eislufthöhle
13th -350m made in Eislufthöhle. Bottoming -trip wiped out, so exploration ceased. Geriatrics arrive - just in time.
+trip wiped out, so exploration ceased. Geriatrics arrive - just in time.
16th 107 (Gemshöhle) reaches 280m and a -conclusive choke.
-19th Final derigging completed
+conclusive choke.
+19th Final derigging completed
22nd expedition arrives back in UK, just in time for Sid's Pippikin -film on TV !
+film on TV !

TEAM ROPES REPORT

Nick and Julian arrived about a week after the rest of us due respectively -to long-vac term and the pressures of being an accountant. +to long-vac term and the pressures of being an accountant.

It was obvious on the first walk up to the plateau that there had been more snow than during the previous year. Many of the holes that we had explored last year were full to the brim, so fears were running high that 106 would be blocked. Having disturbed several adders on the little used path on the way up, it was apparent that no-one had been up to the col since -our last visit. +our last visit.

The hole was indeed badly blocked, and Andy spent several very cold sessions digging through snow plugs to find the way on. Stances at pitch heads tended to be about five feet further up the wall, and we were -effectively dealing with the exploration of a new hole. +effectively dealing with the exploration of a new hole.

The 13m pitch from Yesterday's Terminus was found to be blocked with several ice boulders, most of which we were able to dislodge. However, we @@ -99,14 +99,14 @@ wellie work would move it. Still, it did provide a good stance for putting a bolt in ! After several days of consternation (the thing was visibly melting) a team was despatched with a crowbar. Much to our surprise, the berg had descended the pitch and lay on the floor smashed into tiny -fragments. +fragments.

Progress was slowly made to our last year's end point, the Tap Room. Here Doug and Andy rushed down a 6m climb on which we later placed a handline, and continued over a gargantuan boulder into the lower section of the Tap Room. The chamber was at least as large as our hazy memories had recorded it! The way on was found in a narrow traverse reached by a 2m climb up. The -traverse led to the head of a short drop into a 2x3x4m chamber. +traverse led to the head of a short drop into a 2x3x4m chamber.

The following day Doug and Simon descended and placed a bolt at the head of the drop, a handline was slung down and Simon descended, ascending @@ -118,35 +118,35 @@ and took stock of the situation. The huge draught they were following came roaring out of a hole in the floor. A way on could be discerned following the rift at the same level, but this was ignored in favour of the hole when stones dropped echoed down for a long time. It finally looked as though we -were on the verge of some decent vertical stuff. +were on the verge of some decent vertical stuff.

The next day, the same team descended and a bolt was placed. Simon descended 20m in a shaft that was huge and getting bigger, but fears of rubs -necessitated a rerig and lack of time prevented a further descent. +necessitated a rerig and lack of time prevented a further descent.

It was at this point that Nick and Julian arrived and after a day of prospecting (see below) and a day of festering in a Salzburg bar, they went on the first overnight -trip. They descened pitches of 10m to a rebelay, then 35m to a ledge followed +trip. They descended pitches of 10m to a rebelay, then 35m to a ledge followed by a rather giddy step across the abyss carrying the roaring stream below. Next came an 8m pitch, then a traverse along a rift for about 20m to a rocking chockstone which brought them to a large black space. This was the head of a 60m pitch similar to the final one in Juniper Gulf - and just as free. It landed on a balcony which gave the explorers a grandstand view of -the base of a huge aven. +the base of a huge aven.

The stream was seen to disappear back down the rift in a narrow winding passage. This was soon abandoned in favour of the aven - here they called it a day and began the ascent. Julian, the first man up, accidentally moved the rope which returned through the boulders and Nick found himself trying to prusik through a 4" gap between the boulders. After much shouting, -Julian was forced to abseil down to reposition the rope correctly. +Julian was forced to abseil down to reposition the rope correctly.

The following night, Doug and Andy went on their first overnight trip, rigging the short 6m pitch down the balcony on a rather surreal set of belays. The pair landed on the massive boulder floor of the Hall of the Greene King. Estimates of the height varied, but 90-100m seemed reasonable. -The diameter was approximately 20m. +The diameter was approximately 20m.

After some scrambling around amongst the huge boulders, a large gallery was found leading off from the base of the aven. This was, to use Andy's @@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ bridges". Several involuntary descents were made as the boulder floor rearranged itself. After many metres of unstable going, a short climb down was found which rapidly turned into an overhanging pitch of 5m. It was only on descending this pitch that the explorers realised quite how little they -had been standing on at the take-off. +had been standing on at the take-off.

Continuing on down the gallery, a small stream was seen to debouche from the right hand wall, flowing across the passage and into a small passage in @@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ free-hanging pitch, but the intrepid pair (following the draught) decided to cross the passage and ascend a small climb reaching the head of a pitch. Here, exploration halted for the day. A passage could be seen opposite the head of the pitch - Julian later entered this, but it merely regained the -main passage further downstream. +main passage further downstream.

Julian, Nick and Simon returned a couple of days later, and descended the pitch of 23m, split 12m down by a boulder jam and a complex of vadose @@ -177,13 +177,13 @@ muddiest pitch going. Ascenders and other gear became transformed into lumps of mud after a short time. Pausing only to rig yet another pitch, the explorers made for the surface. Considerable problems with slipping ascenders were experienced by those not using Jumars, and much use was made -of Nick's toothbrush. +of Nick's toothbrush.

It was while driving down from the last of these overnight trips that the three travellers woke up to find themselves in the river, having crashed through a barrier and somersaulted 10m down a near vertical bank. With one highly concussed chauffeur and a passenger with a severe head gash, Nick ran -for help.... +for help....

Sunday evening saw Julian in Bad Aussee hospital with a fractured sternum, ripped thumb muscles, and stitches in his nose, while Simon had been rushed @@ -194,17 +194,17 @@ exploration in Eislufthöhle, and people began to consider the feasibility of a derig with such a small team. Mike, Andy and Doug did a survey trip the following day, and later in the week Andy and Doug got down to the previously undescended pitch. Andy went down about 10m to the -end of the rope and was able to hurl rocks an estimated 50-60m further. +end of the rope and was able to hurl rocks an estimated 50-60m further.

A strenuous derig as far as Hall of the Greene King followed, Doug and Andy carrying large amounts of tackle out to the surface. Three days later, Doug, Nick, Dave Fox, Jont, Vic and Rod descended to remove the remaining -tackle and grease the bolts with only 24 hours left before departure time. +tackle and grease the bolts with only 24 hours left before departure time.

Summing up, the hole is now 350m deep, and 400m should be a formality -next year. +next year.

-

grade 1 survey, 25k gif +

grade 1 survey, 25k gif

Rigging and Gear

@@ -214,20 +214,20 @@ rebelayed in many places. We were rather proud of this, as we needed only one protector on the whole 100m length. Saved Shaft would have been nearly impossible to rig safely for SRT and was equipped with a ladder and self-line. The rest of the pot was rigged on 11mm Interalp Speleo-rope, and -short stretches of Marlow 16 plait terylene. +short stretches of Marlow 16 plait terylene.

On some of our new Interalp, the sheath tended to bunch up on the core after several days at the base of a pitch - this was despite pre-washing to encourage sheath shrinkage. The Marlow had an unfortunate tendency to creak. -Personally, I found this somewhat disconcerting. +Personally, I found this somewhat disconcerting.

In general, despite its relative stretchiness (which does at least suggest that it is not going to snap under a small dynamic load) the -Interalp was liked for ts superb handling qualities and compactness (more +Interalp was liked for its superb handling qualities and compactness (more than 100m in a tackle bag), and of course the Bluewater inspired great -confidence in a part of the pot that we had been dreading to rig for SRT. +confidence in a part of the pot that we had been dreading to rig for SRT.

-

Simon Farrow. +

Simon Farrow.

TEAM LADDERS AND TEAM GERIATRIC REPORT

@@ -237,14 +237,14 @@ Plateau were spent prospecting, sherping tackle up to the pots and trying to find some shelter either from the sun, or from thunderstorms. Several entrances were looked at, and we quickly learnt which holes were likely to be promising - almost without exception the vertical shafts were choked. Only -one, 98, was numbered in the first few days. +one, 98, was numbered in the first few days.

This is situated further into the plateau than 97 and 106, on a large sloping face of rock. The entrance is in a gryke dropping down 29 metres. The shaft enlarges at the bottom, and the landing is in a small chamber. On one side a rift descends for nine metres until it becomes too tight. On the other, a slot led to the top of another pitch. This was 17m deep, and ended -in a solid floor with no way on. The total depth of the cave is 47 metres. +in a solid floor with no way on. The total depth of the cave is 47 metres.

After this, we decided to look at a different area of the plateau, on the east side near 82 - Team Geriatric's 1977 find. The result was 107. The @@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ strong draught blew out of it. A short drop under the boulders landed in a small chamber, in the bottom corner of which was a hole blocked by boulders. This is the head of the first pitch, and the draught still blew out from it. It took two days of excavating to clear out and belay the boulders until the -pitch was fit to descend. +pitch was fit to descend.

Beyond the small hole at the head of the pitch, the dimensions were magnificent. The shaft is six metres in diameter and 18 metres deep, and the @@ -262,13 +262,13 @@ passage was of a very different character from the rest of the cave, being large and horizontal, with a visible roof. The rest of the cave is formed along faults, and it was rare to see the roof again. The passage choked in both directions, and the way on was down a rift off to the side of the -passage, out of which the draught was blowing. +passage, out of which the draught was blowing.

Two pitches followed in quick succession - one of 23 metres and one of 19 metres. Halfway down the first, a small inlet entered, which made both pitches unpleasant in wet weather. At the bottom of the 19 metre pitch, two possible ways led on - either continuing down with the water or traversing -round the drop, which led to another passage. +round the drop, which led to another passage.

Initially, the second way was chosen and followed for about 100 metres to the top of another shaft. In this passage the draught was reversed, blowing @@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ below the top of the shaft, Boulder Shaft, and a ladder was put down. Again, two ways led on, one through the boulders, the other across the shaft and down a narrow rift. However, the stability of the boulders seemed doubtful, and we went back to look at the way on from the bottom of the 19 metre -pitch. +pitch.

Until this time, all trips had taken place during hours of daylight, but this meant that we had a maximum of twelve hours to get up to the plateau, @@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ a half hours each way. For these reasons, an overnight trip seemed an attractive proposition, allowing a longer time underground with a walk home in certain daylight. The only disadvantage seemed to be missing out on the bar in the evening, although a further shortfall (!) was discovered later by -Team Ropes. +Team Ropes.

The next trip down 107, Gemshöhle, was an overnight trip. We followed on down below the third pitch. A short passage @@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ the small pitch, stones were dropped down a hole in the corner of the passage. These took several seconds to land, and the length of the pitch was estimated to be about 60 metres, which induced panic in the two team members underground. Luckily the rift at the bottom of the small pitch was found to -lead into the large shaft, and it was a much easier ladder climb. +lead into the large shaft, and it was a much easier ladder climb.

It seemed to take ages to bolt that pitch, and cold and fatigue soon set in. It must have been raining on the surface because a small inlet had @@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ singing a song that was played on the juke box every night in Bar Fischer. It was pretty eerie and finally we both decided to jack, leaving the cave eventually with fading illumination. Not much was achieved on this trip, and no other overnight trips took place in 107, although in a deeper pot, the -idea is probably worth considering. +idea is probably worth considering.

Another short, cold, wet trip took place, trying to get down the pitch. The first ladder landed on a pile of jammed boulders where the ladder was @@ -319,22 +319,22 @@ rebelayed to follow down one wall of the shaft. The depth of this shaft turned out to be 67 metres - pretty close to our estimate. Had we laddered the pitch direct, it would have hung free most of the way, partly in the water. The way on now followed the water down the rift, which must be 60 -metres high, although the roof could not be seen. +metres high, although the roof could not be seen.

At about this time, Team Geriatric arrived in Altaussee, and since they would not have time to prospect for and explore a new cave, the decided to join team Ladders in 107. Despite their great age, Team Geriatric are still -very agile and, couled with their experience, this made them invaluable in +very agile and, coupled with their experience, this made them invaluable in Gemshöhle. On their first trip they went back to Boulder Shaft and found the way on through the boulders choked, but rigged the rift on the opposite side of the shaft. They abseiled the pitch, rebelaying part way down, and landed in the stream that was later realised to be the same one that Team Ladders were in. The total pitch length was 100 -metres. +metres.

The next pitch for Team Ladders took them along the Big Rift, following the stream as far as the bottom of the Geriatrics' Pitch, at which point -they were almost out of ladders. +they were almost out of ladders.

In the Geriatrics' last trip into 107, they got to the bottom. The last pitch of 44 metres was quite wet and landed in a much larger rift at right @@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ small hole in the floor and the rift choked. This is all according to Vic, who has a reputation for giving the blessing to the bottom of pots. Team Geriatric then derigged their rope, and surveyed the top half of the cave on their way out. Team Ladders derigged several days later due to inclement -weather. +weather.

The surveying of the cave revealed a depth of 280 metres, making it CUCC's second deepest find. The survey shows it to be remarkably similar to 82, @@ -355,15 +355,15 @@ metres below that of 82, putting the bottom of 82 at a level just before the final large rift in 107. When it was found that 82 ended in a perched sump, it was thought that all caves in the area might do this. 107 disproves this theory. Their similarities are perhaps not too surprising since their -entrances are only about 100 metres apart. +entrances are only about 100 metres apart.

-

survey: 30k gif +

survey: 30k gif

For our first attempt at caving abroad, Gemshöhle provided a good introduction with -quite an impressive depth. +quite an impressive depth.

-

Ben van Millingen +

Ben van Millingen

TWO EXECUTIVE GUMBIES GO PROSPECTING

@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ the entrance ('I thought you'd brought the compass'), but it lies at least 2 km beyond Eislufthöhle, roughly in the direction of the Schönberg. The number 110 appears in red paint near to the cave's low, insignificant entrance. Its -discovery was the classic situation of an icy wind howling up your shorts ! +discovery was the classic situation of an icy wind howling up your shorts !

The draught was followed, with hand torches, along a short crawl to a partial boulder choke. Hmmm... Returning for 70m of brand new SRT 'digging' @@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ Super Cool pushed the exploration further. In the course of a couple of hours, Nick bolted, rigged and descended a short pitch, and investigated an easy walking passage (curiously doubling back under the entrance passage) to a collapsed chamber. Several possible routes through the boulders all proved -fruitless, and an exit was made. +fruitless, and an exit was made.

grade 1 plan: 12k gif @@ -403,14 +403,14 @@ shafts were found and had to be explored. The first of these, 111, was quickly rigged, and Julian winched down 30m to a narrow choked rift, having passed a ledge at the -20m level. With his helmet still on, Julian then descended the second of the shafts, 112, which lay about 50m from 111. He -passed two ledges on his way down to a choke at -50m. +passed two ledges on his way down to a choke at -50m.

After derigging, the two then ignominiously staggered off the plateau, and down to the campsite to claim thair quota of lagerbier in the forlorn hope of restoring some of their hard-lost flab. A profitable day's work, -nevertheless. +nevertheless.

-

Nick Thorne. +

Nick Thorne.