Stellerweghöhlen system History

This history file is really intended to be a clickable index to all the various trips write ups in the log books (ie. just CUCC trips) for the whole of the Stellerweg system (ie. 41, 115, 142, 144 and also 143). It is currently incomplete because the two logbooks detailing the earliest explorations are missing.

1978

08.12 Karl Gaisberger, Andy W, Doug (1 hour) visit 41a collecting bugs

1980

trip list reconstructed from Journal report and personal log book entries - some dates are by correlation with trips in other caves. Note that the link to the 1980 logbook is not very useful, as the logbook is missing and there is just some dummy info in the file. This also is why there are no other links to trips in 1980.

07.30 Andy W, Budge (3½ hrs) enter 41a and find new way on at once
07.30 Steve, Julian reach greasy ladder pitch above Big Pitch in 41
07.31 Steve, Julian 15m down Big Pitch in 41 before light failure
08.02 Julian, Nick bottom Big Pitch and find start of small pitches in 41
08.02 Steve, Ben push on to head of Big Rift in 41
08.02 Clive, Tim fail to reach front owing to mishap on Big Pitch in 41
08.03 Nick, Budge check out 'obvious' way to German Route in 41
08.04 Julian, Nick push down pitches in German route in 41
08.05 Ben, Steve push to end of reasonable pitches in German Route in 41
08.06 Clive, Julian rig into Big Rift in 41
08.08 Steve, Julian hasty retreat from flood in Big Rift in 41
08.10 Ben, Steve push on in Big Rift in 41
08.11 Andy W, Julian (surveying to Big Rift), Steve, Tim (push down last two 17m pitches) (12½-13 hrs) and derig 41
08.xx Julian, Budge survey from head of Big Pitch out to 41 entrance
0x.xx Ken, Tim?, Clive?, Simon K find 115 and start first dig
0x.xx+1 Clive, ?,? through first dig to hopeless choke in 115
0x.xx+ First bolting trip in 115
0x.xx+ Clive, ? Second bolting trip in 115 reaches hole across pitch head - blind, real way on found
0x.xx Simon K, Ken push to head of Ramp in 115 but fail to spot way on
0x.xx Derigging 115, and proper way on found

1981

A 1981 trip list is pretty much impossible to reconstruct because of the non-narrative nature of the published reports and the absence of the log book. Stellerweg took "about a week" to rig to the previous limit, whilst 115 was rigged in one day. Several trips pushed into the depths via the Purgatory from 115, and there were a number of 41/115 through trips. Derigging 115 was done in three waves.

0x.xx Rigging in to previous limit in 115
0x.xx more trips
0x.xx Pete, ? (11 hrs) push the Purgatory from 115, Pete ill on trip 0x.xx Chas., Clive O grade 3 survey from Confluence to 12 foot climb

1982

07.27 Dave, Ian 115 rigging wave 1 down Ramp (9 hrs)
07.27 Mike, Phil T 115 rigging wave 2 down into Rift pitches (8 hrs)
07.27 Chas, Andy D surface survey 113 to 115
07.28 Chas, Ian 115 rigging wave 1 in Rift pitches (8 hrs)
07.28 Andy D, Dave 115 rigging wave 2 to Big Chamber (11 hrs)
07.29 Pete, Phil T 115 through Purgatory and rig 3 streamway pitches (14 hrs)
07.30 Andy D, Chas 115 rig last three 1981 pitches and two new ones to The Slit (14 hrs)
07.31 Pete, Mike, Phil T prospecting, found 141, 142
08.01 Phil T, Mike push 142 and 141 (3 hrs)
08.01 Ian, Dave in 115 to Dartford Tunnel and new ground to Echo Aven, finding the confluence from above without recognising it (10 hrs)
08.01 Tim, Phil S 115 tourist to Inlet Pitches (5 hrs)
08.02 Phil S, Chas surveying 115 Big Chamber area (7 hrs)
08.02 Mike, Phil T some rerigging and push 115 to Coming Soon (15 hrs)
08.02 Tim, Pete push 115 through duck to find Orgasm Chasm (16 hrs)
08.04 Doug, Mike in 142 for 4 hours, both lost each other
08.05 Phil S, Janet in 115 abortive Purgatory survey (c6 hrs)
08.05 Chas, Dave in 115 pushing Orgasm Chasm, spot Purgatory Bypass from the Confluence, and use it to exit (16½ hrs)
08.05 Phil T, Pete push Dartford Tunnel ramifications, finding Chas & Dave's arrows up from confluence (11 hrs)
08.05 Tim, Andy D, Mike in 142, find Big Chamber (5 hrs)
08.08 Paddy, Dave in 115 sherpa gear for camp (not written up separately)
08.08-9 Tim, Phil T in 115 to establish camp 1 then push almost to duck (31 hrs)
08.08 Pete, Andy W survey 115 entrance series (6 hrs)
08.10-11 Mike, Andy D in 115 find Orgasm Chasm too wet, but camp anyway (28 hrs)
08.10-11 Pete, Andy W survey 115 streamway and Purgatory bypass centre line (21 hrs)
08.11-12 Chas, Dave 115 - the bottom (29½ hrs)
08.13-14 Pete, Andy D survey and derig from bottom of 115 (32 hrs)
08.14 Mike T, Andy W survey 115 Ramp pitches and derig sherpa (6 hrs)

At this point, people writing in the log book lost track of either what day it was, or what date it was. Dates here assume the latter.

08.14-15 Chas, Dave survey 115 streamway, photo, derig, bat removal (33 hrs)
08.16-17 Andy W, Andy D 115 finish Rift and Bypass surveys and sketch over bypass centre line, then carry streamway tackle out (18½ hrs)
08.16-17 Mike, Pete derig 115 from Lake Pitch to camp (31½ hrs)
08.18-19 Dave, Andy D, Paddy, Chas derig 115 to surface (10 hrs)
08.19 Mike, Pete derig 142 (1½ hrs)

1983

07.25 Mike T, Wiggy (4 hrs) pushing leads in 142 Big Chamber
07.27 Mike T, Dave B (no TU) surveying in 142
07.27 Becky, Wiggy (no TU) push pitch near 142 entrance to choke
07.28 Tony M, Nicky discover 143 & 144 (not entered)
07.30 Tony M, Nicky (no TU) push both 143 and 144 a short way
07.31 Tony M, Nicky (no TU) push 143 to 3rd pitch
08.01 Wiggy, Gail, Phil S (no TU) pushed and surveyed odd bits in 142
08.01 Pete L, Dave B (5½ hrs) take over 143 and bottom it
08.01 Tony M, Nicky (no TU) push 144 down a couple of pitches
08.04 Phil S, Gail (5 hrs) 142 08.04 Pete L, Dave B (7 hrs) 144 down pitches until no more gear 08.06? Phil S, Julian, Naomi (5 hrs) connect 142 to 41 08.06 Pete L, Chas (5 hrs) survey and derig 143 08.07 Pete L, Dave B (no TU) bottomed 144 08.09 Phil S, Gail (7½ hrs) survey and derig 142 - 41 08.09 Pete L, Dave B (16½ hrs) tidy up, survey and derig 144

1984

07.23 Mike M, Bill, Brian D (4 hrs) in 142 to 41 to look for upward leads towards 143
07.24 Mike M, Brian D, Wiggy (10 hrs) 142 photo trip to Big Chamber then push in 41
07.29 Bill, Pete L, Mike M (8 hrs) 142 to 41 survey inlet towards 143
07.30 John, Brian, Wiggy (6 hrs) 142 photo trip and fail to reach 41 leads
07.31 Pete L, Mike M (4½ hrs) rig 143 to look for connection
08.02 John P, Andy W (4 hrs) down 143 to hammer and shout
08.02 Bill, Wiggy (4 hrs) in 142 to listen and shout
08.06 Pete, John P (2 hrs) derig 142
08.08 Brian D, Wiggy (4½ hrs) derig 143

1985

The logbook is pretty light on dates, and the photocopy is missing a few title lines and T/Us, so this may be incomplete.

07.29 Brian D, Mike R, Chris S (1½ hrs) start rigging 144
07.29-30 Mike M, Mark R, Gavin, Tina, Stef (6¼ hrs) SRT practice in 142 and new connection to 41
07.30? Chris S, Mike R (6 hrs) more rigging 144
07.30 Mike M, Gavin, Tina (8 hrs) survey in 142
07.31 Brian, Mark R, Stef (10½ hrs) push 144 finding Roddick's Dive
07.31 ?,? (11 hrs) join above and push extension in 144
08.06? Mike R, Chris S, Stef (6½ hrs) establish 144 food dump and push on
08.07 Mike M, Mark R, Chris S (18 hrs) made 144/41 connection and surveyed out
08.08-09 Mike R, Tina, Brian D (11 hrs), Gavin (9½ hrs), Stef (8 hrs) derigging in 144
08.11 Gavin, Mike R (8 hrs), Chris S, Tina (8½ hrs) survey 142 Big Chamber and Mg ribbon burn

1980-1996

A large amount of exploration in Schwabenschacht carried on in the interregnum by our friends from Stuttgart - connecting to 142 near head of Big Chamber pitch in May 1996.

1996

07.16 Wookey, Thilo, (5 hrs) ... Surveying connection from 78 to 142

Post-1996

A considerable amount of resurvey work has been carried out in the system by our friends from Stuttgart, along with quite a bit of new exploration. This culminated in the discovery of some huge trunk passage completely overlooked by CUCC in 1981/2, which promises to produce a new low-level entrance in 2000 or 2001. This is a continuing project typically involving several short expeditions each year. CUCC liaises with Arge, and there is a healthy exchange of survey data. However - we don't yet document their finds on the site - it is hoped to provide English translations of the cave descriptions some time, but it's unlikely we'll ever list all the trips which explored the cave.

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