Kratzer valley

Consequently, few of CUCC have explored the valley since the initial trip of 1976, and most of the caves hereabouts have been entered by the local cavers (at the north end). The locals were exploring and numbering caves around the time when CUCC looked in the valley, and there is a suspicion that some of the "Austrian" numbers refer to the same caves looked at by CUCC. However, the supposed correlation between CUCC and kataster numbers mentioned in the Austrian caving journal does not seem to be correct, from evidence gathered on a visit in 1990, so CUCC's caves appear here with their original CUCC numbers, pending more investigation.

There is a suspicion that one of the German groups may have explored some other entrances near the bottom of the valley (marked with red paint, but not in the kataster), but we have no documentation on these.

If the valley is followed down, it leads into a closed depression with a low point at 1527m, not at all obvious from the map. A steep climb up leads to a more level section, where a path materialises, to meet the marked path 201 (Stögerweg) as the north branch of a T-junction at c 1580m. Straight on (initially south for a short way) is the Stellerweg area approach route, whilst right (west) is the route from Egglgrube and the Bergrestaurant. The first part of this path into Kratzer from the south appears to be well-used only because of people missing this T-junction and going some way before realising the error.