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<h1>Cambridge Expo 1983</h1>

<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1984 pp 35-36</font>

<h2>Reality is an illusion caused by alcohol deficiency</h2>
<h3>(or Why Stellerweg rotated this year)</h3></center>

<p>In 1980, when CUCC started to explore the new route in Stellerweghohle,
surveying was, for the first time, considered a priority. So it was that
a party of two surveyed from the Big Pitch to the head of the Big Rift
using the CUCC Suuntos. The same surveyor returned a few days later with
a different companion, to survey out from the Big Pitch to the entrance,
this time with the EXCS Suuntos.

<p>Back in the camp, calculators were punched, coordinates scribbled,
and the survey hastily drawn up. The surveyors looked at each other in
some confusion. The cave seemed to be floating, airborne, across the
valley and over a cliff. Unable to recall that it had been in daylight
with a sense of exposure, they came to the conclusion that it was
plotted in the wrong place.

<p>The surveyors retired to Bar Fischer to consider the dilemma. All
problems dissolved in a haze of Reininghaus bier fumes as the truth
dawned. One R.J.Shackleton, who had been in possession of the EXCS
compass for some time, was in the habit of storing it in the top of
his fridge. This has resulted in a slight magnetic adjustment, so the
survey was now plotted not to grid- or true-north, but to fridge-north!
What was needed was a little calibration, so, armed with a map, both
compasses, and several more bottles of ale, the party set out to take
bearing on local landmarks.

<p>An hour or so later, it was decreed that the compass was 134&deg; in
error and the survey redrawn accordingly. Since it was now inside the
hill, all seemed to be well. The compass quietly vanished from sight and
all accompnying evidence was destroyed.

<p>1981 saw a connection between Stellerweg- and Schnellzugh&ouml;hlen, but
serious surveying was carefully avoided. 1982 saw CUCC at the bottom
of the system, and a lot of surveying was undertaken to avoid ever going
there again, but Stellerweg was not rigged and hence the biggest closed
loop kept its secret.

<p>1983, and out heroes connect the new entrance, 142 (n&eacute;e 132),
into the system. Now comes the critical mistake. Wide-eyed, innocent and
pleased with the glory brought to CUCC by pretty surveys, CUCC connect
everything together with a half-mile closed loop through 142.

<p>Back in England the greedy computer devours all the numbers and prints
out the misclosure, about two inches vertically - pretty good that eh?
But what's this? Just over a quarter of a mile out horizontally?!?!?!?

<p>Detective work soon revealed that a slight rotation would make
Stellerweg fit very nicely. In fact, the figure turned out to be
46&deg;. But 46+134=180. And 180&deg; is a much more probable figure
for a compass error than 134&deg;. Also, when the compass was traced,
a sober experimenter found it had precisely the error expected. Thus the
survey as published should rotate the section from the entrance to the
Big Pitch by 46&deg; clockwise. The streamway from the Big Pitch to the
Big Rift needs translating appropriately, and the conveniently
unsurveyed Big Rift is a lot shorter than shown. None of the remainder
of the system was surveyed with the duff compass, but a big section of
the Sonnenstrahlh&ouml;hle survey is also wrong, but that didn't have a
north arrow anyway (guess why !).

<p>It is expected that the survey will be redrawn correctly when
enough additional passage has been found to justify the work involved.

<p align=right><font size=+1>A.E.R.Waddington</font> (now sober!)

<p><hr />
<!-- LINKS -->
<ul id="links">
<li><a href="../../1623/41/41.htm">Stellerwegh&ouml;hle</a>
main guidebook page</li>
<li>Cambridge Underground 1984,
<a href="http://cucc.survex.com/jnl/1984/index.htm">Table of Contents</a></li>
<li>1983 Expedition info:
<ul>
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
<li>Main Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1984:
<ul>
<li><a href="wolf1.htm">Wolfehohle</a> - Act I</li>
<li>Exploration and Survey of <a href="exp142.htm">1623/142</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="exp142.htm#possext">Possible extensions</a>
to the 41-142-115 System</li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="143144.htm">143 and 144</a> Guidebook descriptions</li>
<li><a href="list.htm">Summary of Caves 1983</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves &amp; Caving Report</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1983">Index</a> to all publications</li>
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
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