mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-12-23 17:02:22 +00:00
274 lines
15 KiB
HTML
274 lines
15 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
<html>
|
|
<!-- from Cambridge Underground 1983 pp 11-14 -->
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf8" />
|
|
<title>
|
|
1982: Cambridge Underground report
|
|
</title>
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
|
</head>
|
|
<body>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<h2>STELLERWEGHOHLENSYSTEM</h2>
|
|
<h3>Guide Book Description</h3>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<p align=right>Pete Lancaster
|
|
|
|
<p>(for a current description, see <a href="../../1623/41/41.htm">here</a>)
|
|
|
|
<p>Stoger Weg Area, Schwarzmoos Kogel, Totes Gebirge, Austria.<br>
|
|
Total depth: 898m<br>
|
|
Surveyed Length: 3.5km<br>
|
|
Explored: CUCC 1980 - 82
|
|
|
|
<p>The system has two distinct entrances which both drop rapidly in a series
|
|
of fairly dry passages, to intersect large abandoned phreatic passages,
|
|
providing the connection. The waters unite to flow down a large streamway in
|
|
small wet pitches until a sudden 150m drop to the final sump.
|
|
|
|
<p>Stellerweghohle Entrance 1623/41a and 41b<br>
|
|
41b : Alt 1625m 47°40'10"N 13°48'42"E<br>
|
|
41a : Alt 1611m 47°40'10"N 13°48'41"E
|
|
|
|
<p>The two entrances are located 50m vertically above the Stoger Weg (path
|
|
no. 201) at the point where it drops steeply (just beyond the draughting hole
|
|
of 1623/32).
|
|
|
|
<p>The upper entrance (41b) is in a large rift about 30m to the east of the
|
|
lower (41a) which is in a shattered gully, a strongly outward draughting
|
|
tube. Following this down leads to a chamber with a large snow bank, which is
|
|
th4 bottom of the upper entrance. Crossing this leads to the unproductive
|
|
German Route (see below), but the passage to the left is the main way on. An
|
|
ice traverse to a fine arched passage is followed up a dip until a right turn
|
|
reveals a large 45° ramp. This is traversed over, as are 3 other similar
|
|
features in a short distance. The whole of the cave in this entrance series
|
|
is of phreatic origin, developed along the inclined bedding plane. Crossing
|
|
the final ramp leads via a climb and traverse to a 21m pitch, but this may be
|
|
bypassed by following the ramp down; along the strike leads to the chamber at
|
|
the foot of the pitch. From here four ways head on: a bedding plane down dip
|
|
is obstructed by boulders; and a climb down leads via a squeeze into a very
|
|
small vadose canyon; the main route is a climb up a ramp. This brings one to
|
|
a steeply descending phreatic passage and climbs which are followed by lined
|
|
traverses across two ramps. The next ramp has no way on the other side and is
|
|
descended using a ladder. To the right via a small pitch is the 1980 route
|
|
down the Big Pitch, but left, two small pitches lead to the best hang. This
|
|
is 100m in a large circular shaft and wonderfully free and airy until a
|
|
rebelay 25m from the bottom.
|
|
|
|
<p>The pitch lands in a rift with a small stream which can be followed in a
|
|
sharp passage until it sumps, but following above the canyon, the water is
|
|
regained after a 9m pitch. This is quickly succeeded by pitches (of 20, 9, 5,
|
|
6, and 6m) linked by narrow rift passages. A short climb up over boulders
|
|
breaks out into a large dry rift (100m high and 5m wide). A 7m gully and 24m
|
|
pitch are followed by a pendulum to the head of a 9m pitch which reaches the
|
|
floor. A boulder strewn climb down to a 16m pitch is followed in quick
|
|
succession by pitches of 5, 10, 17 and 17m. The final of these are wet in
|
|
clean washed holes, with the roof lowering to 10m in places. After 2 short
|
|
free climbs, a 17m pitch drops into Junction Chamber to join the route from
|
|
Schnellzughohle.
|
|
|
|
<h4>The German Route</h4>
|
|
|
|
From the snowbank near the entrance, a large passage crosses a couple of
|
|
ramps (presumably those seen on the main route) to a roped traverse over a
|
|
choked pot (28m deep) to the head of a series of pitches. The first two are
|
|
6m and 18m to the floor of a rift. At one end of this is a 20m pitch with a
|
|
small outlet at its base (not explored), but in the other direction pitches
|
|
of 2, 12 and 14m lead to an awkward traverse above a canyon. The route turns
|
|
left (straight on has not been pushed) and soon drops down a 10m free climb
|
|
to a low crawl which looks like a dried out sump. Beyond this, a climb down
|
|
and traverse lead to a 14m pitch (sloping at the top) which lands in a
|
|
chamber. Pitches of 8, 12 and 6m follow in a rift until the route narrows at
|
|
the head of a pitch (estimated 6m) which has not been descended.
|
|
|
|
<h4>Schnellzughohle Entrance 1623/115</h4>
|
|
(AKA Gemsescheissenhohle)
|
|
|
|
<p>Alt 1467m 47°0'3"N 13°48'41"E
|
|
Depth to sump 740m
|
|
|
|
<p>The entrance is reached by steeply descending to 90m vertically below the
|
|
Stoger Weg just beyond the point where it drops rapidly (just beyond
|
|
1623/32). A large tube runs horizontally into the hillside (past the light
|
|
from a slightly higher entrance), until it suddenly closes down to a steeply
|
|
descending crawl full of loose stones (originally excavated) and strongly
|
|
draughting out in summer. This drops into a small chamber with a drip inlet;
|
|
down the slope an 8m pitch is followed by a scramble down loose stones to a
|
|
conclusive choke. The main route lies in following the draught up an obscure
|
|
8m climb above the pitch (bolt aid required), to a sharp crawl through a
|
|
small tube. A climb down and a traverse to the left over blocks finds the
|
|
head of the free hanging Bell Pitch (20m). This lands on a boulder floor with
|
|
two dry trenches leading off: the right leads to a 7m ladder with unstable
|
|
boulders at the head. This lands in a sharp thrutchy tube, (Hedgehog Crawl),
|
|
to emerge in a dry meandering trench which breaks out into a large abandoned
|
|
phreatic passage. Right appeared to get low. Left is developed along the
|
|
strike and traverses and a short up lead to a junction. Left here leads to an
|
|
inlet passage with eight small dry cascades to a choke 30m up. Right, the
|
|
large passage meets a hole in the floor (Baker's Bungle) which is crossed to
|
|
a small rift leading to the head of the Ramp and the start of 200m continuous
|
|
pitches to the Big Chamber.
|
|
|
|
<p>The Ramp is phreatic passage sloping at 45° with an abandoned vadose
|
|
trench in the floor. Down the ramp, avoiding the trench, leads a muddy slope
|
|
to the Col; left here leads to a vast black space, but loose boulders
|
|
prevented exploration of this route. The main way on follows right down a
|
|
series of sloping pitches, largely against the wall and developed in a hading
|
|
rift. After passing some loose boulders, a 26m pitch reaches the bottom of
|
|
the rift where a small stream joins the route. This can be followed up until
|
|
a pitch is met. Two clean washed and fluted pitches (18, 19m) may be rigged
|
|
dry by traversing out. The Inlet streamway rises rapidly in wet weather and
|
|
makes the lower pitches unpleasant but not impassable. A 6m pitch lands on a
|
|
boulder floor where the water flows down to the left, but right, avoiding the
|
|
water (except in wet conditions), a 24m pitch drops onto the floor of the Big
|
|
Chamber (115 final chamber). From here several ways lead on. Following the
|
|
stream up beyond where the 115 waterfall comes in leads 50m in a big passage
|
|
to 50m of small vadose streamway closing at an inlet sump. Up the boulder
|
|
slope leads to the site of a food dump where an inlet is seen in wet weather;
|
|
through a hole in the wall, a short crawl is thought to emerge at an aven.
|
|
The main two ways on lie downstream. Following the large abandoned passage
|
|
above the streamway leads to the connection to Junction Chamber, with a
|
|
branch to the Futility Series. The water itself can be followed as Pete's
|
|
Purgatory.
|
|
|
|
<h4>Pete's Purgatory</h4>
|
|
|
|
Following the water down leads to 800m of unrelentingly narrow meandering
|
|
vadose canyon. The passage is of uniform size, never wider than 1m and in
|
|
places sufficiently small to require traversing above the squeeze or crawling
|
|
at water level. There are few features of interest, but a small drip inlet,
|
|
an oxbow, and a series of cascades permit some measure of progress to be
|
|
judged. Eventually, the passage meets an inlet at the Confluence, where the
|
|
dry Bypass from Junction Chamber joins the route from above.
|
|
|
|
<h4>The Futility Series</h4>
|
|
|
|
The Futility Series branches left from the large tube above the Purgatory,
|
|
soon after leaving Big Chamber. The way leads in a large passage past a ramp
|
|
on the left which can be followed up a gully to two avens and soon after a
|
|
small choked passage in the floor on the right breaks into the 12m high
|
|
Pebble Beach Chamber, with a drip inlet down a red flowstone covered area.
|
|
Beyond this, boulders become more frequent in the passage until a climb up
|
|
brings one to Big Enough Chamber (4m high) with two ways on. To the right, a
|
|
3m diameter tube soon becomes impassable as the sandy floor rises towards the
|
|
roof, with a strong draught at the end. To the left from the chamber up a mud
|
|
slope a horizontal slot leads to a larger passage with a stream which soon
|
|
sinks into the sandy floor. The passage ends abruptly at a choke just beyond
|
|
some rippled mud formations.
|
|
|
|
<h4>The Connection</h4>
|
|
|
|
The large abandoned tube may be followed above the Purgatory until the ledge
|
|
gives out, but shortly before this, a low mud filled phreatic tube leads off
|
|
to the right. The passage size increases down this, past a steeply rising
|
|
tube to the right which loops back to connect at roof level with the route
|
|
(there are a few straws here). After this junction a small vadose trench in
|
|
the floor contains only seepage water, but the route lowers to a crawl
|
|
through a sandy floored arch to a point where the route diverges. Left, a
|
|
short thrutch emerges at Connection Cairn, which lies in a complex area above
|
|
a vadose trench with water 10m below (thought to be the Purgatory). Several
|
|
passages lead off here, but one rises steeply upwards in a large tube, to
|
|
eventually reach the low wide sandy crawl which is the route uphill from the
|
|
point of divergence (and the easiest route through). The passage continues
|
|
large, with a small vadose trench in the floor and much mud infill. Following
|
|
the large tube to its conclusion emerges about 10m up the side of Junction
|
|
Chamber with no easy way down. This lies 50m back down the passage, where a
|
|
small hole in the right wall (coming from 115) leads to a horribly muddy
|
|
bedding plane crawl which pops out above a streamway which is followed up to
|
|
Junction Chamber by carefully traversing above it. The water flowing down
|
|
here is the combination of the stream flowing down the Stellerweg pitches and
|
|
a stream which flows in from the opposite side of the chamber. A 10m greasy
|
|
climb up gives access to a large passage which is the continuation of that on
|
|
the other side of the chamber. Following this above the water gives onto a
|
|
traverse which has not been pushed. However, the main way on lies up boulders
|
|
off to the left soon after the greasy climb; this is the Bypass to reach the
|
|
Confluence.
|
|
|
|
<h4>The Bypass</h4>
|
|
|
|
Down the passage off to the left (Dartford Tunnel), is steeply descending in
|
|
a huge (10m diameter) boulder strewn abandoned passage with much layered mud
|
|
and surge marks. Eventually a junction is reached where the passage section
|
|
changes to vadose canyon, still large. To the right in a big passage leads to
|
|
an aven with an inlet, but no way on. To the left carries on in a mud floored
|
|
rift to reach a 4m climb down, where a passage comes in from the right; this
|
|
may be followed to a low area of mud and boulders with no continuation. The
|
|
main way steeply descends, passing a small roof inlet which has washed the
|
|
mud floor clean. The water drops to a narrow vadose trench with the sound of
|
|
a stream perhaps 10m below. Carrying on down the dry passage leads to the
|
|
inscription cucc/UBSS 1981 and the start of a traverse on dusty loose mud
|
|
ledges (line useful). Following down, parallel to the top of the vadose
|
|
trench, with the sound of the stream below, soon leads to a sandy passage
|
|
branching left to Camp Chamber (care), this continues as a traverse above a
|
|
stream (thought to be Purgatory). Down from this turn off soon reaches a
|
|
corner where an easy 4m climb down drops into the Confluence. Instead of
|
|
dropping down here, following the upper passage round to the right leads to a
|
|
dry vadose trench in the floor and then a traverse above the main streamway
|
|
below. Rampant Passage starts near this corner and rises in a large dry tube
|
|
to a huge chamber (Cologne Cathedral) with a climb up to an aven. Many of the
|
|
passages in these levels contain dead bats, perhaps suggesting a lower
|
|
entrance.
|
|
|
|
<h4>The Confluence To The Sump</h4>
|
|
|
|
The climb down from the Bypass lands at the junction of the Purgatory water
|
|
and an inlet which can be followed upstream in a passage similar to the
|
|
Purgatory, until soon after a 7m climb up, the streamway divides twice and
|
|
becomes too small to follow. This is thought to be the Stellerweg water.
|
|
Downstream in a passage only slightly bigger than the Purgatory, a wet 4m
|
|
climb and 7m pitch soon reach a frothy round sump pool. This is bypassed up a
|
|
steep slope to the left, a 3m high muddy passage leads off to a 7m pitch back
|
|
down to the streamway, but the continuing way up is unexplored. The streamway
|
|
may be followed back up to the downstream side of the sump, showing it to be
|
|
less than 10m long. Downstream, a dry inlet enters on the right and a small
|
|
stream on the left (both unexplored). Pitches 5, 5 (the twelve foot climb), 9
|
|
and 7m (Marlow Climb) carry on down in a streamway 2 to 3m wide and 15m high,
|
|
liberally supplied with cascades. The passage lowers to a sharp crawl and a
|
|
couple of smooth steep climbs in a hading rift. The water can be largely
|
|
avoided on the following pitches 9m (Lake), 22m (Ledge with rebelay halfway
|
|
and followed by Commando Climb 4m), 17m (Grope), 13m (Subtle), 22m (The
|
|
Slit), 7m (Coming Soon) which are all vertical with short sections of
|
|
horizontal passage between them. The last of the pitches lands in a canal in
|
|
a high rift which leads to a low swimming duck in a sandy floored passage.
|
|
This turns to break out at an awe-inspiring abyss with the water thundering
|
|
into the depths. The 90m shaft of Orgasm Chasm is passed by traversing out to
|
|
the left in a series of pitches which avoid the water (11m to a ledge, 10m to
|
|
a small alcove, 6m), then a 42m free hang past well displayed beddings to a
|
|
bridge across the shaft where the route divides, with the 22m pitch following
|
|
the dry way down. This lands in a boulder strewn chamber where the main water
|
|
is again met. A run under this leads to a small phreatic tube and a short
|
|
climb down to the start of the final pitch (12, 13, 14m) which corkscrews
|
|
past ledges to a more vertical section with a damp rebelay to land in a spray
|
|
lashed chamber. A short wet climb down leads to the final sump in a rift at
|
|
an altitude of 727m at 47°40'01"N 13°48'15"E. There is a small tube
|
|
above with no draught and blocked with boulders. The water is thought to
|
|
resurge in the nearby Altausseer See, (alt. 712m).
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
<ul id="links">
|
|
<li><ul>
|
|
<li><ul>
|
|
<li><a href="../../1623/41/41.htm">Current Guidebook Description</a></li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
<li>1982 Expedition info:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
|
|
<li>Main Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1983:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="report.htm">CUCC in Austria</a> - Phil Townsend</li>
|
|
<li><a href="41svy.htm">Stellerweg Survey</a> article by Andy Waddington</li>
|
|
<li><a href="41camp.htm">The Underground Camp</a> by Chas Butcher</li>
|
|
<li><a href="newbit.htm">New Discoveries</a> 1982 by Mike Thomas</li>
|
|
<li><a href="bats.htm">The Bats of 115</a> by Dave Brindle</li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a></li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1982">Index</a> to all publications</li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html>
|