<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf8" />
<title>1978: Andy Waddington's report for BCRA Caves &amp; Caving</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/main2.css" />
</head>
<body>
<h1>1978 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY CAVING CLUB EXPEDITION</h1>
<font size=-1>CTS 78.2037: BCRA Caves &amp; Caving 2 (November 1978) pp 9-10 [ISSN 0142-1832]</font>

<h2>CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY CAVING CLUB EXPEDITION<br>
To the <span lang="de">Totes Gebirge</span> of Austria 1978</h2>



<p>The 1978 expedition of CUCC returned to the promising area of the last two
years to continue the exploration of last year's deep pot
<span lang="de">Eislufth&ouml;hle</span> (1623/106) and to prospect for
further pots on the <span lang="de">Loser Augst-Eck</span> plateau. Seven
members of the expedition were present for shorter periods, all during August
this year.

<p>The expedition formed two groups, the first of which were to continue
forcing <span lang="de">Eislufth&ouml;hle,</span> abandoned at -150m last
year due to lack of time. We were not prepared for the increase in snow this
year and it took us three cold trips of rebolting and digging through snow
plugs to get down the 80m "Plugged Shaft" just inside the entrance; but below
this rigging was fairly easy. Several short drops of 12-20m led to last
year's final chamber "The Taproom" from which a short climb led to a rift
passage with a strong draught. This led us to the head of a pitch, which
dropped 60m in three sections, the bottom 15m being very damp in wet weather.
A traverse above the stream led to the head of a 55m free drop and then a
short balcony pitch to the floor of the Hall of the Greene King, a large
chamber of 25m in diameter and at least 80m high. Beyond a boulder pile was a
subsidiary chamber and the way on was a pitch into a high vadose streamway
where progress was by traversing 3-15m above the narrow stream trench. This
passage took us to a depth of 350m via a very muddy pitch in an oxbow and we
were forced to terminate exploration 10m down a 40-60m pitch when a car crash
removed two of the team of five after an overnight trip. De-rigging was
achieved in two trips of 10 hours (bottom 50m and spare tackle) and 6 hours;
and a trip to the furthest point would take about 6 hours with the pot fully
rigged.

<p>The stream should be rejoined by the next pitch (it could be heard below)
and the final draught is inwards suggesting a lower outlet, though the
entrance draught is inward [this "inward" is a typo for "outwards",
WebEditor] suggesting a higher entrance, probably coming in via the high aven
above Hall of the Greene King. The other group spent a few days investigating
entrances on the plateau, including one hole of about 50m, before finding a
powerfully draughting entrance which required 3 days digging to enter,
revealing a pitch of 18m to a series of passages. Two further pitches were
descended to a junction of ways. One way by-passing an 80m direct shaft and
leading to a series of smaller pitches which joined the other route. This
involved a short pitch to boulders and then a 95m shaft. Beyond the
confluence, a streamway dropped down various climbs and pitches to another
rift, ending at a fairly conclusive choke, though it is conceivable that a
route could be found above this. The total depth of the pot, named
<span lang="de">Gemseh&ouml;hle</span> (1623/107) was 280m.

<p>Together with last year's finds of
<span lang="de">Schneewindschacht</span> (-265m) and
<span lang="de">Br&auml;uningh&ouml;hle</span> (-220m), these pots represent
four of the five deepest holes in the area.
<span lang="de">Eislufth&ouml;hle</span> at 350m comes twentieth in the
Austrian list (based on Spelunca Special 1977) and as a going hole certainly
justifies our return in 1979.

<p>A provisional report has been prepared (not for publication, though copies
are available from N.Thorne, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge) and a full
report will be published in "Cambridge Underground 1979" out about May 1979.

<p align=right>A.E.R.Waddington

<hr />

1978 Expedition info:
<ul>
<li><a href="log.htm">1978 Logbook</a></li>
<li><a href="report.htm">1978 Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1979</a></li>
<li>Eislufth&ouml;hle - <a href="descnt.htm">from Descent 40</a></li>
<li>Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href="782034.htm">Belfry Bulletin 366</a></li>
<li>1977/78 report from <a href="npc79.htm">NPC Journal</a></li>
<li><a href="sponsr.htm">Sponsors</a></li>
</ul></body>
</html>