Summary

In July of this year, Cambridge University Caving Club (CUCC) embarked upon its 11th annual expedition to the Kaninchenhöhle cave system in the Totes Gebirge mountains of Austria. The club has been exploring previously undiscovered caves in this area since accepting an invitation by an Austrian club, (then the Sektion Ausseerland of LVfHO, now VfHO), in 1976. During the intervening years several of these caves have grown to be of international significance, this includes Kaninchenhöhle, the subject of our current and ongoing expeditions.

Members have recently returned to Cambridge and work is in progress on a full report and survey of the new finds. The smaller scale of the 1998 trip and the relative inexperience of many of the members has meant that finds have been somewhat less spectacular than on some of the recent expeditions. However, a number of important finds were made:

The furthest reaches of Siberia were pushed to a conclusion at a new depth of 534m in a series of long trips (up to 18½ hours). This work revealed the existence of a large fossil trunk passage at considerable depth in an area far from the main part of the cave. At the point explored it was comprehensively choked in both directions, but indicates the potential for the future in this area of the cave.

Also from Siberia, a somewhat less impressive series of passages and pitches, Fuzzy Logic, was pushed to considerable depth, and no definite conclusion. It is hoped that this area could reach the above mentioned trunk passage at a point where the somewhat larger amounts of water in this series could have removed more of the infill.

Various possible ways on were looked at in the huge ice-decorated chamber of Schneevulkanhalle, the closest point of approach of the massive south Schwarzmooskogel system to Kaninchenhöhle. Some new passage was found and surveyed, but no great breakthrough was made. This year's work was essential as familiarisation with this cave which CUCC have not worked in previously, and more substantive progress may be hoped for next year.

A number of leads off Triassic Park and Locophobia, reached from the 161d entrance of Kaninchenhöhle were pushed. None of these were expected to lead to major breakthroughs, but exploring and surveying them was an important part of our complete project.

Our Thanks

The expedition is funded entirely by its members and support and sponsorship such as has been provided by yourselves is a considerable help. The continued success of the expedition in the training of new members and in pushing back the boundaries of human experience and knowledge is with thanks to you.