<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>
1623: plateau approach
</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/main2.css" />
<!-- AERW walk-in descriptions, originally in expoweb/1623/... 
Move so that EditThisPage works and does not clash with cave data rendering -->
</head>
<body>
<h1>Loser plateau - the walk-in</h1>

<p>From the <a href="../handbook/tollrd.html">Loser Panoramastra&szlig;e</a>
Bergrestaurant car park, take the path leading from the NE corner, which is
slightly shorter, and soon joins the main path (numbered 201, and marked with
red and white paint at frequent intervals).</p>

<div class="centre"><a href="../piclinks/bgwalk.htm"><img src="../tinypix/bgwalk.jpg"
width="223" height="123" alt="View from Loser towards the plateau" /></a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;<a href="../piclinks/2011st.htm"><img src="../tinypix/2011st.jpg"
width="155" height="86" alt="Tony Rooke on path 201" /></a></div>

<p>Following this gently undulating path for ten to fifteen minutes leads to
<a href="egglgrub.html">Egglgrube</a>. Ahead and to the right is a 10m
cliff rising from the pasture to an area of karren and dwarf pine. To the
left is a valley containing several obvious sinkholes, with a junction path
signposted &quot;Br&auml;uning Zinken&quot; (Weg Nr. 257) leading to <a
href="br-alm.html">Br&auml;uning Alm.</a></p>

<table class="imgtable">
<tr><td><a href="../piclinks/2012nd.htm"><img src="../tinypix/2012nd.jpg" width="163"
height="120" alt="" /></a></td>
<td><a href="l/signpost.html"><img
src="t/signpost.jpg" height="118" alt="" /></a></td>
<td><a href="l/almtal.htm"><img
src="t/almtal.jpg" width="155" height="118" alt="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr class="caption">
<td>
Path 201 approaching Egglgrube</td>
<td>Signpost at junction</td>
<td>Valley to Br&auml;uning Alm</td></tr></table>

<p>Take this left turn, up the west side of the grassy valley to a
collection of six huts (seven from 1995) on level pasture near a number of
small springs. The route to Br&auml;uning Zinken passes these huts to reach
the col to the left of the biggest peak - however this area is of little
speleological interest. Our path crosses to east side of the valley and
continues past a small limestone scarp on the right.</p>

<table class="imgtable">
<tr><td><a href="l/tc77b.htm"><img src="t/tc77b.jpg"
width="151" height="88" alt="" /></a></td><td><a href="l/tc1977.htm"><img
src="t/tc1977.jpg" width="158" height="108" alt="" /></a></td></tr><tr
class="caption"><td colspan="2">Br&auml;uning Alm</td></tr></table>

<p>Above this scarp is another flat area of pasture, the site of CUCC's <a
href="../handbook/tcamps.html#id1977camp">advance camp</a> of 1977. The path also climbs
this scarp a little further on, turning right (not very obvious) out of the
continuing main valley. If the valley is followed up (this was our normal
route in 1976 and 1977), the same destination can eventually be reached by a
slightly rougher walk, as the path fades out in limestone pavement.</p>

<table class="imgtable">
<tr><td><a href="l/kuntal.htm"><img
src="t/kuntal.jpg" width="158"
height="110" alt="" /></a></td><td><a
href="../piclinks/colwi.htm"><img src="../tinypix/colwi.jpg" width="187"
height="112" alt="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr class="caption"><td colspan="2">Schwarzmoossattel approach</td></tr></table>

<p>The main path leads to short climbs up and breaks out onto a ridge between
the above-mentioned valley and the much deeper <a href="kratzer.html">
Kratzer valley,</a> access to which is difficult at this point owing to steep
limestone scars. Continuing, the path converges with the 1976 route coming in
from the left at a small col, then contours below the small peak of
Br&auml;uning Nase to the left. Ahead is the site of CUCC's <a
href="../handbook/tcamps.html#id1979camp">bivouac of 1979</a>, and, slightly beyond, the
broad col of Schwarzmoossattel.</p>

<p><a href="plateau.html">The plateau</a> lies directly ahead over this col, and may be reached by any
of several routes through dwarf pine, with various amounts of scrambling.
The whole area is pathless and very rough, though a few routes are marked
by hunters with sporadic cairns. In recent years we have cairned a route
(it is not a path) from just below the col (via a hidden climb down) to
the Steinbr&uuml;cken top camp bivvy. Every year we repair the cairns and 
place reflectors on them just for the period that expo is running.</p>

<p>Following the path round to the left (WNW) soon leads to a big cairn and
a short scramble down to the old <a href="../handbook/tcamps.html#topcamp">Top Camp</a>, which
has been used by CUCC between 1988 and 2000. This is adjacent to the only reliable
water supply we have found, situated below the dramatic Br&auml;uning wall.
Please take care not to pollute the spring! Note that this camp site is
still within the area designated as a &quot;Naturschutzgebiet&quot; (Nature
Reserve) and permission is required to camp there.</p>

<p>The path continues below the Br&auml;uning wall to the west, eventually to
reach the inaccessible pasture of <a href="gschwand.html"> Gschwandt
Alm</a> north of Loser.</p>

<p>Turning right off the path shortly before old top camp cairned
routes across the plateau lead eventually to the 76 bivouac location and then 
the Stone Bridge (Steinbr&uuml;cken).</p>
<hr />
<ul>
<li><a href="   via201.htm">Stellerweg</a> area;</li>
<li><a href="   br-alm.html">Br&auml;uning Alm</a>  description
<li><a href="   walkin.htm">Walk-in</a></li>
<li><a href="   plateau.html">Plateau</a> description</li>
<li><a href="   areas.htm">Area descriptions</a></li>
<li><a href="   kratzer.html">Kratzer</a>.</li>
</ul>
<hr />
</body>
</html>