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<title>CUCC Austria Expeditions: Festering</title>
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<h1>Expo Festering Guide</h1>
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<p>What to do for R&R when burnt out from too much caving, or when
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the weather is simply too hot or too awful to go up to the plateau?</p>
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<p>Expo members often bring alternative sports equipment, or there are a wide
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range of games which don't need any. Try:
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<a href="#abseil">Abseiling</a> off the stupidly huge cliff at Grundlsee,
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<a href="#bier">Bier drinking</a>,
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<a href="#brewery">Brewery tours</a>,
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<a href="#cake">Cake</a>,
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<a href="#canoe">Canoeing</a>, <a href="#cars">Car Fixing</a>,
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<a href="#cycle">Cycling</a>, <a href="#dachstein">Dachstein-climbing</a>,
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<a href="#dinghy">Dinghy floating</a>,
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<a href="#dive">Diving</a>, <a href="#kite">Hang-gliding</a>,
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<a href="#fryup">High-frying</a>, <a href="#hydro">Hydro-speeding</a>,
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<a href="#ices">Ice creams</a>, <a href="#mihs">Mohr-im-Hemd eating</a>,
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<a href="#pedalo">Pedalo Pedalling</a>, <a href="#spudhut">Potato Hut</a>
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festering, <a href="#radio">Radio-fettling</a>,
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<a href="#rope">Ropewashing</a>, <a href="#salt">Salt-mining</a>,
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<a href="#swim">Swimming</a>, <a href="#fester">Sunbathing</a>,
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<a href="#sled">Tobogganing</a>, <a href="#tberg">Trisselberg ascent</a>,
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<a href="#tyrol">Tyrolean building</a>, <a href="#surf">Windsurfing</a>...</p>
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<dl>
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<dt><b><a id="abseil">Huge Abseil</a></b></dt>
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<dd>Recommended by the local cavers, this 200m almost-a-free-hang cliff
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provides mind-bending sport, probably not to be repeated by any of those
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that had a go first time.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="bier">Bier drinking</a></b></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="piclinks/phut1.htm"><img class="onright" src="tinypix/brewery.jpg" alt="Brewery" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.goesser.at/">Gösser</a> kindly sponsored us in
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2004 and gave us an excellent tour of their brewery at Göss, just outside
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Leoben (two hours' drive from Base Camp; accessible on the train too).
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<a href="festering/brewery.html">See the pictures</a>.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="brewery">Brewery tour</a></b></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="piclinks/phut1.htm"><img class="onleft" src="tinypix/phut1.jpg" width="170"
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height="143" alt="" /></a>
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In the "early days" Expo used to drink Reininghaus Bier in the Bar
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Fischer in Altaussee, as we didn't have a good socialising tent (or potato
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hut) to drink the more economic bottled variety. Nowadays, bier comes dead
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cheap, in crates, from the supermarket (and the preferred brand is <a
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href="http://www.goesser.at/" lang="de-at">Gösser</a>). Expo always
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maintains a tally of bottled beers drunk, so that the right people get charged
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for it - and so we can report how many metric tons we got through each year.
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There is a corresponding Limonade tally.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="cake">Cake</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Austrians do pretty good cakes for pigging out on calorie-restoration
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days when veggie-slop just isn't enough. It's best to point and say "Ein
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stuck bitte" rather than try to ask for exactly what you want. One person's
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mega-sticky-chocolate-cake arrived as a cup of cocoa through trying to be
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too clever.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="canoe">Canoeing</a></b>
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</dt><dd>
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<a href="piclinks/ohshit.htm"><img class="onright" src="tinypix/ohshit.jpg" width="170"
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height="143" alt="" /></a>
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on the lake is a pleasant way to cool off for all and sundry. There are also
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white water rivers, from the easy (ie. they need a bit of rain) to the
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"sporting" delights of the Traun from Bad Aussee to Hallstatt - in a deep
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valley nowhere near an escape route. This was first done by Vic Brown (6th in
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women's K1 slalom at the 1972 Olympics) with an assortment of exCS "Victims".
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More relaxing is to paddle from Grundlsee back to <a
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href="bcamps.htm">base camp</a>, but watch out for Hilde's weir (see picture).
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</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="cars">Car-fixing</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Owing to being mainly impoverished students, expo has an annual crop of
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shit cars which limp across Europe with unfeasably large loads and equally
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crap trailers, which provides for
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<a href="years/1995/log.htm#trailerepic">epic</a> travel. This usually
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results in at least one car being fettled at any time during expo, which
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provides relaxing spectator sport for everyone else in
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<a href="bcamps.htm">base camp</a> at the time. One chariot which was more
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reliable than most, until its eventual demise through old age and several
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visits to Austria was Rover Richardson (middle pic, below),
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who had the distinction of being older than his owner. For an account
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of amazing persistence in the face of crap transport read
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"<a href="years/1991/driver.htm">How (not) to drive round Europe</a>"
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from CU 1992. This tale involves a Citroen van and a Volvo, also depicted below.
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<table class="imgtable">
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<tr>
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<td><a href="piclinks/trailr.htm">
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<img width="170" height="143" src="tinypix/trailr.jpg" alt="" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="piclinks/rover.htm">
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<img src="tinypix/rover.jpg" width="140" height="116" alt="" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="piclinks/wkmob.htm">
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<img src="tinypix/wkmob.jpg" width="140" height="111" alt="" /></a></td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="caption">
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<td>The trailer responsible for the 1995 epic</td>
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<td>Rover Richardson</td>
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<td>Wookmobile II looking a bit the worse for wear</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="cycle">Cycling</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Far more people seem to travel by bike in Austria than in the UK despite
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the obvious disadvantages of (a) ridiculous heat or (b) it pissing buckets
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and (c) it's <b>very</b> hilly. However, cycling <b>down</b> the
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<a href="tollrd.htm">toll road</a> is very pleasant, or can be very exciting,
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depending on whether or not you are trying to break the club record of under
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ten minutes or it is (again) pissing buckets. Most people foolish enough to
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do it at all, only cycle <b>up</b> the toll road <b>once</b> (but there are
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exceptions, even to this rule).</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="dachstein">Dachstein climbing</a></b>
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</dt><dd><img class="onleft" src="tinypix/dbahn.jpg" width="128" height="152" alt="Dachstein Seilbahn" />
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<div class="onright">
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<img src="tinypix/dachx.jpg" width="145" height="285" alt="" />
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<p class="caption">Dave Brindle tops out in cloud</p>
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</div>
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<p>This is the fine peak with glacier visible from the
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<a href="tollrd.htm">toll road</a> on a clear day. Although the postcards
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would have you believe it is a 3k peak, this is really only 2994m, not that
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this detracts from a fine day out. One look at the "via ferrata" up the
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south-facing cliff is enough to convince everyone of the wisdom of investing
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in a seilbahn ticket up to the glacier, where summer skiing is possible if
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you are early enough. The climb itself is fun, and well-equipped with great
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reinforcing bar handholds everywhere, which probably explains the drongo
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density - a helmet or a suitable turn of speed are advised to avoid
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stone-fall.</p>
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<p>It can be done in a day <a href="years/1990/log.htm#dachstein">on
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foot from Hallstatt</a>, but only if you are <b>very</b> fit.</p></dd>
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<dt><b><a id="dinghy">Dinghy floating</a></b>
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</dt><dd><img class="onleft" src="tinypix/dinghy.jpg" width="225" height="201" alt="Inflatable dinghy" />
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One of a plethora of festering activities centred around the conveniently
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nearby, but out of earshot of the campsite, lake (Grundlsee). Parking has
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become a problem if you have too much gear, but an inflatable dinghy is one of
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the most easily carried bits of kit, thus avoiding the parking meters. </dd>
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<dt><b><a id="dive">Diving</a></b>
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</dt><dd>There is not much scope for cave diving in CUCC's caves, though some has
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been done in nearby resurgences. However, for relaxing by the lake, a set of
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scuba gear and wetsuit or Michelin-man drysuit are ideal. The water is clear,
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and in Grundlsee lies an underwater habitat which is fun to visit, and an old
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lorry which is "verboten".
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<a href="years/1989/log.htm#id1989-dive-1">Diving in Altausseer See</a>
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revealed not the hoped for resurgence, but a few bits of 50's vintage human
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remains. Still it got us a go in the Feuerwehr's big red rescue boat :-)</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="kite">Hang-gliding</a></b>
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</dt><dd><img class="onright" src="tinypix/julian.jpg" width="170" height="143" alt="" />
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Not for the complete beginner is the mind-bending takeoff from a ramp at the
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top of the <a href="tollrd.htm">Toll-road</a>. On early expos, everyone
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thought that this was only for loonies, but now a small contingent of
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C.U.Hang-gliding Club have shown that it is even possible to land in a tree
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and survive.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="fryup">High-frying</a></b>
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</dt><dd>
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<a href="images/chips.jpg">
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<img class="onleft" width="160" height="128"
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src="tinypix/chips.jpg" alt="High-frying chips" />
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</a>
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This is a sort of Russian-roulette with the base
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camp barbecue. A large Dutch Oven is filled far too full with oil, perched on
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the swinging barbecue above a large open fire and used to fry chips (at which
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point it almost overflows onto said fire). A swinging barbecue is ideal for
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getting lumps of meat off without getting burnt, but less than perfect when
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the victim is set the task of getting a large hot pan of chips off. Needless
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to say, we survived....</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="hydro">Hydro-speeding</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Ideally, this means body-surfing down a river with a flat thing to
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ride on to protect chest and arms from rocks, and with fins (flippers
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to you) to give some degree of control. Needless to say, CUCC's version
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involved a body board or an inner tube on the river from Grundlsee down
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to base camp. "Reasonable" water levels are required, and getting out
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to walk round the weir is strongly recommended. <i>"Interesting to find out
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how wet it can get before you hurt yourself or drown"</i> (Wookey).</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="ices">Ice creams</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Austrians do ice creams every bit as good as their sticky cakes - and
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with the advantage of Schlagobers to appeal to the calorifically-challenged.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="mihs">Mohr-im-Hemd</a></b>
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</dt><dd>No, not the <a href="smkridge/161/offffr.htm#mihemd">passage</a> in
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Kaninchenhöhle, but the death-by-chocolate pudding which it was named
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after. The first challenge is to persuade the other attendees at the expo
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dinner to pay for the game if you win. The second challenge is to eat ten of
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these delicacies and not throw up for at least five minutes.
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It has been done :-)</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="pedalo">Pedalo pedalling</a></b>
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</dt><dd><img class="onleft" src="tinypix/pedalo.jpg" width="221" height="161" alt="Pedalo pic" />
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Used to occur from Fritz's jetty when <a href="bcamps.htm">base camp</a> was
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at Altaussee, but is now more likely to be an excuse for a trip to Hallstatt,
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where there is also a handy gear shop and a <a href="#dive">diving</a> school
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to get bottles filled.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="spudhut">Potato Hut</a> festering</b>
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</dt><dd>
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<img class="onright" src="tinypix/phut94.jpg" width="205" height="147" alt="A merry evening in the Potato Hut" />
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<img class="onleft" src="tinypix/bc94.jpg" width="137" height="109" alt="Base Camp mess tent in the rain, 1994" />
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(See also <a href="#bier">Bier Drinking</a>.) Festering in the evenings, or
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daytime in the rain, generally takes place in Hilde's "Potato Hut", so called
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because it is the meeting place of the "Potato Club". This august local
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organisation exists mainly to drink potato-derived alcohol, and engage in
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curling on Hilde's ice - more usually a lake at the time of year of our
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visit.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="radio">Radio-fettling</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Ever since we had a set of really excellent communications equipment
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on evaluation from Philips in 1990, until the advent of mobile phones on expo
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1999, expo hankered after a working set of CB-type radios. Top Camp to Base
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Camp is not line of sight, and thus needed a repeater, which (a) didn't work or
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(b) worked all the time and flattened its battery or (c) cut in and out
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continuously during use or, very rarely, (d) worked perfectly. The temptation
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to 'improve' it during time (d) resulted in hours being spent fettling it in
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states (a) to (c). For better (probably) or worse, this activity is now pretty
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much a thing of the past, owing to the advent of <a
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href="handbook/phone.htm">mobile phones</a>.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="rope">Ropewashing</a></b>
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</dt><dd><img class="onright" src="tinypix/washit.jpg" width="161" height="192"
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alt="Ropewashing" />
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OK, I admit, this is really caving, but it happens at <a
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href="bcamps.htm">base camp</a> and is refreshing if it's hot. However, it can
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be a bit epic in the river if it is in flood, in which case a <a
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href="#tyrol">Tyrolean traverse</a> over the river is a sporting game.
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</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="salt">Salt-mining</a></b>
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</dt><dd>There are Salt Mines at both Hallstatt and Altaussee which are worth a
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visit. The latter were used as a stash for huge amounts of stolen art
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treasures by the Nazis, a fact that they keep strangely quiet about, given
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that it was the brave action of one of the local workers which saved them
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from being dynamited.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="swim">Swimming</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Either in the river behind the Staud'nwirt or in one of the lakes, where
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the top metre or so gets quite warm in hot weather.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="fester">Sunbathing</a></b>
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</dt><dd><img class="onleft" src="tinypix/tcdoze.jpg" width="201" height="123"
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alt="Sunbathing" /> Can be done almost anywhere, when it doesn't piss down -
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but usually combined with other activities at the side of the lake. However,
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more rays can be picked up at Top Camp in the unusual event of good weather and
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not caving.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="sled">Tobogganing</a></b>
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</dt><dd><a href="piclinks/tobog.htm"><img class="onright" src="tinypix/tobog.jpg" width="143"
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height="170" alt="Tobogganing" /></a>
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There is a dry (metal trough) toboggan run worth a visit near Bad Ischl. Wear
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long sleeves and trousers if you value your skin - doing so enables you to
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dispense with the brakes entirely.</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="tberg">Trisselberg ascent</a></b>
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</dt><dd><a href="images/twand.jpg"><img class="onleft" src="tinypix/twand.jpg"
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alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Of four expo attempts, two have
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succeeded - in <a href="years/1984/twand.htm">1984</a> and again in <a
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href="years/1990/log.htm#trissel">1990</a>. An earlier attempt was thwarted by
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a wasps' nest, and the <a href="years/1992/log.htm#trissel">1992 attempt</a>
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made the error of retreating from high up in what turned out to be quite an
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epic in a thunderstorm. It must be about time someone else had a go...</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="tyrol">Tyrolean traverse</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Typically occurs towards the end of expo when large amounts of gear,
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particularly rope and pulleys, ends up down by the river for
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<a href="#rope">ropewashing</a>. If the river really is too epic to stand in,
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a tyrolean traverse from Hilde's to some trees opposite can provide an
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awesome sense of exposure and not a little danger !</dd>
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<dt><b><a id="surf">Windsurfing</a></b>
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</dt><dd>Yet another lakeside activity - this one really is easiest if there is
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some wind, but as long as this is not too strong, it's a good game for total
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beginners (unlike <a href="#kite">Hang-gliding</a>, for example).</dd>
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</dl>
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<hr />
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<ul id="links">
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<li>Back to <a href="../index.htm">CUCC Home page</a></li>
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<li>Back to <a href="index.htm">Expedition Intro page</a></li>
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<li><b>Main Indices:</b>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="infodx.htm"><b>Index</b> to Expo</a> information pages</li>
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<li><a href="areas.htm">Description of CUCC's area</a> and split to subareas</li>
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<li>Full <a href="indxal.htm">Index to cave descriptions</a> in area 1623</li>
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<li>List of (links to) <a href="pubs.htm">published reports and logbooks</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><b>Pictures:</b>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="gall0.htm">Text only Index</a></li>
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<li><a href="gallery/0.htm">Index pages (with thumbnails)</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Table of <a href="folk/index.htm"><b>members</b> of CUCC expeditions</a> 1976-present</li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</html>
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