mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-26 17:21:55 +00:00
269 lines
14 KiB
HTML
269 lines
14 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
||
<html lang=en>
|
||
<head>
|
||
<title>
|
||
Cambridge University Caving Club Prospecting Handbook.
|
||
Last update 1998.04.08
|
||
</title>
|
||
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/main2.css" />
|
||
</head>
|
||
<body>
|
||
<h2><center>CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY CAVING CLUB<br>
|
||
PROSPECTING HANDBOOK</center></h2>
|
||
|
||
<p>Much of the area of the Loser Augst-Eck plateau is rough limestone
|
||
pavement (<b>karren</b>), liberally covered with dense areas of dwarf pine,
|
||
and interspersed with small cliffs, open shafts and snow patches. The latter,
|
||
in particular, can change the appearance of the plateau from year to year,
|
||
and even from week to week in the summer. Getting from one point to another
|
||
may involve detours to avoid any of these obstacles, and the whole effect is
|
||
very disorientating. There are few landmarks recognisable from a distance or
|
||
from a variety of angles, and little chance to relate the ground to the
|
||
1:25000 Austrian Alpine Club map. Prospecting is either a matter of searching
|
||
for promising-looking caves with a draught, or shaft bashing many open holes
|
||
in the hope that one will go. This latter approach is often a waste of time,
|
||
but just a few of them lead to really significant finds !
|
||
|
||
<p><b>Shaft bashing:</b> <a href="../plateau/others/l/lrh0.htm">
|
||
<img src="../plateau/others/t/lrh0.jpg" align=middle width=143 height=173
|
||
alt="Lost Rucksack Hole 0"></a>
|
||
<a href="../plateau/others/l/lrh.htm">
|
||
<img src="../plateau/others/t/lrh.jpg" align=middle width=123 height=169
|
||
alt="Lost Rucksack Hole"></a>
|
||
<b>Bolt placing:</b> <a href="../plateau/others/l/lrh1.htm">
|
||
<img src="../plateau/others/t/lrh1.jpg" align=middle width=143 height=170
|
||
alt="Lost Rucksack Hole 1"></a><br>
|
||
Typical shaft bashing, often easiest on ladders: Adam Cooper near Top Camp
|
||
in 1993. Bolt placing usually easier on rope, but still in T-shirt &
|
||
shorts !
|
||
|
||
<p>All of this has made any systematic prospecting difficult, so there is
|
||
still the chance of a significant discovery quite close to Top Camp or to
|
||
other known caves. Life is made even more difficult through sloppy recording
|
||
in previous years. Hence it is very important that any cave which has been
|
||
looked at is marked and documented, to avoid duplication of effort. Very
|
||
small caves are usually marked with a simple painted cross to indicate that
|
||
they are worth no further effort, however, nowadays we are not allowed to
|
||
mark things with paint. More significant caves get a number, and a written
|
||
description. The aim is to link all such caves in to existing surface
|
||
surveys, which in turn are tied to a number of
|
||
<a href="survey/lasers.htm">fixed points</a> located by laser
|
||
theodolite/rangefinder from local trig. points.
|
||
|
||
<p>The web pages contain as much description as we have of every cave we know
|
||
about. To avoid any possibility of errors, this includes some info on caves
|
||
not explored by CUCC, though for reasons of Austrian Kataster politics, these
|
||
are not publicly accessible on the "live" web site.
|
||
|
||
<p>Clearly, descriptions of two hundred caves are too much to assimilate or
|
||
carry about with you (unless, like Wookey, you carry this entire website
|
||
in a Psion !). However, every prospecting party needs to be able to
|
||
decide if what they have found needs exploring, marking, surveying, locating
|
||
or ignoring. Some caves have been fully explored but are lost, others have
|
||
been marked but not explored or vice versa. Hence there is a tabular summary
|
||
of CUCC's knowledge of the caves of the Loser plateau. EVERY PROSPECTING
|
||
PARTY SHOULD TAKE A (PRINTED) COPY OF THIS WITH THEM INTO THE FIELD. The
|
||
caves are divided into five tables:
|
||
|
||
<dl>
|
||
<dt><a href="known.htm">Known</a><dd>
|
||
Caves which are marked and the location of which is "well known"
|
||
ie. very well described and surveyed, or known by someone on expo.
|
||
The aim is to get all the caves into this table :-)
|
||
<dt><a href="where.htm">Marked</a><dd>
|
||
Caves which are marked but the location of which is not believed
|
||
to be known by anyone on expo. Some may prove easy enough to find if
|
||
someone looks, but most have been looked for without success. If found,
|
||
they need to be surveyed to and the route to them described.
|
||
<dt><a href="nomark.htm">Unmarked</a><dd>
|
||
Caves which are believed unmarked, but are readily found or have been
|
||
seen recently. These need at least to be marked, and may need surveying to.
|
||
<dt><a href="unknow.htm">Unknown</a><dd>
|
||
Caves whose location is uncertain, and which may not be marked. If
|
||
they prove to be marked and are found, they should be written up - otherwise
|
||
we need to trace someone who knows where they are, or abandon them.
|
||
<dt><a href="plus.htm">Noted</a><dd>
|
||
Caves which have been recorded in a log or survey book, but never given a
|
||
number. They may be marked with a "+" or a "-". These are all caves which
|
||
we believe can be found again, and which need revisiting to document them
|
||
and give them a number. In some cases they are completely unexplored, but
|
||
looked like good prospects when first found.
|
||
</dl>
|
||
|
||
<p>In the tables (and the cave descriptions), bearings are quoted with a
|
||
series of standard <a href="abbrev.htm">abbreviations for landmarks</a>,
|
||
which gives a good indication of which ones are most useful.
|
||
|
||
<p>There is also a table of which numbers are CUCC ones and of numbers which
|
||
appear on entrances which are wholly misleading, the
|
||
<a href="cockup.htm">Cock-Ups</a>.
|
||
|
||
<p><i>Note that there is still much missing information about many caves
|
||
which appear in the "known" and "marked" lists. Though marked, this may not
|
||
be correctly with their Austrian Kataster number. The aim is to mark all of
|
||
these correctly with a metal tag bearing their 'official' number over the
|
||
next few years. Also, many known caves do not have surface surveys to their
|
||
entrances.</i>
|
||
|
||
<p>In the lists, caves marked with an asterisk are those which
|
||
should be refound as a matter of priority, or for which the missing
|
||
information can be obtained with relative ease (eg. those which are close
|
||
enough to a known point to make a surface survey to the entrance easy to
|
||
achieve).
|
||
|
||
<h4>Numbering Convention</h4>
|
||
|
||
<p>One problem that has recently arisen is a prohibition on painting numbers
|
||
on entrances within the Naturschutzgebiet (Nature Reserve) area. The
|
||
Austrians have for a while been marking caves with a numbered alloy
|
||
tag bolted to the cave entrance. This also has the advantage of a definite
|
||
fixed point to take the survey to.
|
||
|
||
<p>From 1996, we have also had to abandon the system (which we believed
|
||
worked pretty well) whereby we had a block of numbers allocated from the
|
||
Austrian Kataster, which we could use to number newly found caves. Nowadays
|
||
we have to produce documentation before we get an 'official' number, which
|
||
usually means an extra visit with someone who knows the cave's location in
|
||
the year following exploration. Such a someone will not necessarily exist,
|
||
which is a recipe for the number of "missing" caves increasing rather than
|
||
decreasing. However, it is the Austrians' kataster, and we have to work with
|
||
their system.
|
||
|
||
<p>To overcome this limitation, and try to stop losing caves in which we have
|
||
invested effort, CUCC now applies its own unique number to each new cave,
|
||
ideally at the time of discovery, using a rock anchor and a tag which can be
|
||
replaced when an 'official' number tag is available. This means that the cave
|
||
can be identified when refound, even if no-one who knew where it was came out
|
||
in subsequent years. Clearly, a good surface location is also pretty
|
||
essential.
|
||
|
||
<p>As of 1996, there is a single set of tags with a four digit number on
|
||
each. The first two digits are the year, the second two are just a serial
|
||
number. This stops duplicate numbering, but is not ideal. In future, the
|
||
intended format is <year> <discoverer's initials> <serial
|
||
number> eg. "CUCC1999AD04". This has it's own problems (eg. needing to
|
||
make many more tags than will actually be used, or to carry the means to make
|
||
tags on the plateau), and has not really been taken up. Anything longer
|
||
than 10m needs a number, a survey of appropriate accuracy, and location
|
||
information (<a href="findit.htm">bearings from entrance to known points</a>
|
||
and description of route to entrance as a minimum -
|
||
<a href="survey/ontop.htm">surface surveys</a> are really required for
|
||
caves within a reasonable distance of existing known points, a GPS fix is
|
||
probably a convenient compromise in the short term). If a cave is not readily
|
||
apparent from the immediate area, bearings or a GPS fix will be found to be
|
||
inadequate to refind it, and a good sketch or photographs of the entrance and
|
||
its surroundings will be necessary as well.
|
||
|
||
<p><center><img src="i/9602tg.jpg" width=340 height=286><br>
|
||
<b>An example tag - CUCC 96/02</b></center>
|
||
|
||
<p>Caves which require further exploration should be marked "-". Caves which
|
||
have been fully explored and surveyed marked "|+|". This includes minor
|
||
holes less than 10m in length. (Note that prior to 1996, completely explored
|
||
caves were marked "+". Any un-numbered caves found so marked need to be
|
||
explored again and documented (in the "Noted" list, as a start). A number as
|
||
above should be allocated if they exceed 10m in length).
|
||
|
||
<p>There are <b>many</b> other caves marked just with a "+" symbol and a few
|
||
which just have bolts and no numbers. In the past, any cave which could not
|
||
be seen not to go just from a surface look has been marked with a "+" to show
|
||
that it has been looked at but didn't go anywhere significant. We are
|
||
supposed to record these for the Austrians, so if you find one, please mark
|
||
it with a unique identifier and record where it is, <b>even if you don't have
|
||
time to re-explore it at the time</b>. This will help us to assess how many
|
||
of these caves there are, and to target areas where there are lots first.
|
||
Overall, this should reduce the amount of work needed to "catch up".
|
||
|
||
<h4>Previously explored caves</h4>
|
||
|
||
<p>Having come upon a known cave, and decided on the action needed from the
|
||
tables, you can find out more about the cave by looking at the database of
|
||
cave descriptions (links from the tables or from the
|
||
<a href="../indxal.htm">Index</a> to all caves). This exists mainly to ensure
|
||
that <b>anyone</b> (not just CUCC) finding a cave marked or previously
|
||
explored by CUCC can find out all we know about it.
|
||
|
||
<p>For CUCC's caves, we must supply at least a certain minimum of information
|
||
to the Austrians, which includes an accurate location, state of exploration,
|
||
name/marking, description and some sort of survey. Obviously for significant
|
||
caves, we will want a proper drawn up survey, and the aim should be to do a
|
||
survey right from the first exploration - if the cave ends, this saves having
|
||
to go back again later ! If you find a cave for which adequate information
|
||
is not in the database, then at worst document the lack, and at best, go
|
||
out and create the missing documentation !
|
||
|
||
<p>As other groups also work in adjacent areas to ours, it is clearly
|
||
important that the information is widely available, to avoid clashes of
|
||
interest or duplication of effort. All CUCC's finds are documented here,
|
||
together with any other caves which we have information on, which we are
|
||
permitted to publish. We will be very pleased to receive any information on
|
||
other caves in the area, to make this more complete. It is in no-one's
|
||
interest to reexplore known cave, or to intrude on someone else's ongoing
|
||
project ! There is a limited amount of information in the database on caves
|
||
not explored by CUCC, for which we are not permitted to make the data
|
||
publicly available - none of this information has been checked in the field
|
||
and is likely to be out of date, if not just plain wrong. The data are
|
||
included for completeness and should help CUCC during expeditions. We may be
|
||
able to make the data available (through password-protected access to those
|
||
net pages) to other groups with a bona fide need.
|
||
|
||
<hr>
|
||
|
||
<!-- LINKS -->
|
||
<img alt=">" src="../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
||
<a href="index.htm">Expedition Handbook</a> - Intro<br>
|
||
<img alt="--->" src="../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
||
<a href="survey/index.htm">Surveying guide</a> - Overview<br>
|
||
<img alt="------>" src="../../icons/lists/2.png">
|
||
Surveying Guide - <a href="survey/ontop.htm">surface surveys</a><br>
|
||
<img alt="------>" src="../../icons/lists/2.png">
|
||
<a href="findit.htm">Taking bearings</a> to locate caves<br>
|
||
<img alt="--->" src="../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
||
<a href="rescue.htm">Rescue guide</a><br>
|
||
<img alt="--->" src="../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
||
<a href="rigit.htm">Rigging guide</a><br>
|
||
<img alt="--->" src="../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
||
<a href="photo.htm">Photography guide</a><br>
|
||
<img alt=">" src="../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
||
<a href="../infodx.htm">Index to info/topics pages</a><br>
|
||
<img alt=">" src="../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
||
<a href="../indxal.htm">Full Index to area 1623</a><br>
|
||
<img alt="--->" src="../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
||
<a href="../areas.htm">Area/subarea descriptions</a><br>
|
||
<img alt="--->" src="../../icons/lists/1.png">
|
||
<a href="../index.htm">Back to Expedition Intro page</a><br>
|
||
<img alt=">" src="../../icons/lists/0.png">
|
||
<a href="../../index.htm">Back to CUCC Home page</a><br>
|
||
|
||
<hr>
|
||
|
||
THIS PAGE IS INTENDED TO BE USED TO LOG REVISIONS TO THIS DOCUMENT.<br>
|
||
(but only revisions to content, not typos and link bugs...)
|
||
|
||
<dl>
|
||
<dt>23 April 1996<dd>
|
||
First attempt, missing most of the +/- and surface survey info. Also, haven't
|
||
marked any caves with asterisks yet AJD
|
||
|
||
<dt>1996.06.11<dd>
|
||
Integrated existing prospecting page with Anthony's "what to do if you
|
||
find..." tables from his RTF file. Formatting is currently crap. Links
|
||
need putting in to save using the index.
|
||
|
||
<dt>1996.07.25<dd>
|
||
Added section on taking bearings - more views identifying peaks still
|
||
needed.
|
||
|
||
<dt>1996.11.28<dd>
|
||
AERW: split file up, so tables are in separate pages. Added more info
|
||
(and picture) on numbering/tagging scheme. Some rewrite of politically
|
||
sensitive points.
|
||
|
||
<dt>1997.01.01<dd>
|
||
AERW: finished tidying and linking tables, split off section on taking
|
||
bearings, with its pictures of peaks - linked with surveying document.
|
||
|
||
</dl>
|
||
</body>
|
||
</html>
|