mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-25 00:32:01 +00:00
389 lines
21 KiB
HTML
389 lines
21 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
<html>
|
|
<!-- NB the report was all one CTS ref. but has had to be split to
|
|
accommodate the graphics... -->
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf8" />
|
|
<title>Cambridge Underground 1982: 1981 Expo report</title>
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
|
</head>
|
|
<body>
|
|
<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1982 pp 4-14</font>
|
|
|
|
<h1>Austria 1981</h1></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>For newcomers to Cambridge Underground, a few words may be in order about
|
|
our involvement with Austria. The first CUCC expedition in 1976 stayed at
|
|
the small village of Altaussee, 55km southeast of Salzburg and on the
|
|
southwestern fringe of the Totes Gebirge - and we have had no reason to
|
|
move. The 77-79 expeditions worked on the Loser Plateau and found 82
|
|
(-215m), 97 (-265m) and 76 (-506m) (<a href="loser.htm">see map</a>). The
|
|
numbers are those of the Austrian Catalogue and should be prefixed by the
|
|
area code 1623/. The 1980 expedition concentrated on an area further south
|
|
(and nearer the car park at the top of the toll road); this was the region
|
|
near Stoger Weg (path no. 201).
|
|
|
|
<p>113 (Sonnenstrahlhöhle) went to -329m; 41 (Stellerweghöhle) was
|
|
still going at -350m; and 115 (Schnellzughöhle, but referred to as
|
|
Gemsescheisenhöhle in <a href="../1980/report.htm">last year's
|
|
journal</a>) was discovered. The 41 entrance is just above the path near the
|
|
point where it drops sharply and 115 is nearby, below the path. It was with
|
|
the intention of looking at these two pots that the 1981 expedition went out
|
|
for the first three weeks of August.
|
|
|
|
<p>This year's expedition included a large number of new faces. The usual
|
|
exCS contingent had decided to give Austria a rest for a year and live it up
|
|
in the Pyrenees; so that there were mostly resident CUCC members on this
|
|
year's trip. They were joined by a large party from UBSS, some of whom had
|
|
been to Austria before. Although the expedition as a whole lacked experience
|
|
outside Britain, the larger than usual number of very enthusiastic and able
|
|
speleos gave hopes of a successful expedition.
|
|
|
|
<p>Those partaking of regular refreshment in the Bar Fischer were:
|
|
|
|
<p>Rich Barker (UBSS)
|
|
<br>Dave Brindle
|
|
<br>Chas Butcher
|
|
<br>John Cownie
|
|
<br>Judith Greaves
|
|
<br>Simon Kellet
|
|
<br>Pete Lancaster
|
|
<br>Jane Lolly
|
|
<br>Tim Lyons (UBSS)
|
|
<br>Fraser MacDonald
|
|
<br>Mick McHale (UBSS)
|
|
<br>Mike Martin
|
|
<br>Pat Martin (UBSS)
|
|
<br>Janet Morgan
|
|
<br>Clive Owen (UBSS)
|
|
<br>Rob Parker (SWCC)
|
|
<br>Tim Parker
|
|
<br>Steve Perry
|
|
<br>Phil Townsend
|
|
<br>Julian Walker (UBSS)
|
|
<br>Martin Warren (UBSS)
|
|
|
|
<p>four of whom had caved on the CUCC expedition in previous years.
|
|
|
|
<p>The expedition intended to continue the exploration of 41 and 115 from
|
|
1980 and so Altaussee was the obvious place to stay. The steady influx of
|
|
nineteen cavers, their cars, ropes and heaps of smelly tackle came as rather
|
|
a shock to Fritz the campsite owner and even more so to the other campers.
|
|
The half-sized campsite rapidly became overcrowded - some of us nearly had to
|
|
sleep in t'bottom o't'lake with only a handful of cold ravioli for breakfast.
|
|
This overcrowding was certainly a factor, along with the hedgehog, in the
|
|
spreading of the dreaded lurgi in the second week, when everybody on the site
|
|
was struck down at some time by the legendary Spanish tummy, Delhi belly, or
|
|
whatever you care to call it. This illness nearly had serious consequences
|
|
when several people were taken ill underground, one particularly badly,
|
|
leading to a certain lack of enthusiasm to enter 115 amongst other cavers for
|
|
fear of what they might put their hands in ! Many thanks are due to our
|
|
eminent expedition surgeon for ministering to the sick with undying
|
|
affection.
|
|
|
|
<p>CUCC will not forsake Fritz another opportunity of forcing them to drink a
|
|
crate of beer on arrival; Seecamping Madlmeier will see them again next year.
|
|
As in previous years, a special rate was negotiated for the toll road -
|
|
bottles of Scotch should go at the top of any quartermaster's list of
|
|
essentials. An accident-free three weeks on the driving front was an
|
|
unexpected achievement considering the many early hours trips back from the
|
|
plateau and our previous record of crashes.
|
|
|
|
<p>The arrival of the UBSS in force on the Loser this year was particularly
|
|
useful from an expedition point of view. They had received and spent a
|
|
sizeable grant on expedition tackle so that there was enough rope to explore
|
|
two large caves at once and furthermore no necessity to chop up personal
|
|
rope. The UBSS also provided much of the transport during the first week.
|
|
|
|
<p>It was decided that the ubss/SWCC Höhlenforschers would concentrate
|
|
on 41 whilst CUCC renewed the attack on 115. This decision was based purely
|
|
on the fact that Steve Perry knew where 41 was and Simon Kellet purported to
|
|
know the whereabouts of 115. In fact everyone who wished got a trip in both
|
|
caves; which produced some constructive criticism of the rigging in 115! The
|
|
exploration of 41 was perhaps carried out by too few and as a result very
|
|
long tackling trips were undertaken, worth many hero points but leaving
|
|
several days when no-one entered the cave. The rigging was a superb piece of
|
|
engineering and the cave was a real pleasure to descend. In contrast 115 was
|
|
overmanned, largely because the prospect of breaking new ground was present
|
|
from the first trip, and some pretty unimaginative rigging was done. It is
|
|
fair to say that the entrance series of 115 to the streamway, does not lend
|
|
itself to long free-hanging pitches, much of the depth being gained in hading
|
|
rifts; any exploration next year ought to start by rigging a more enticing
|
|
route in.
|
|
|
|
<p>Once the streamway and high-level dry phreatic maze had been reached in
|
|
115, and a similar situation revealed in 41, the chance of a connection
|
|
became more than a dream. A 115 trip to find a bypass to the first arduous
|
|
500m of streamway discovered a considerable amount of phreatic passage, some
|
|
with seemingly anomalous draughts. Finding no obvious right way on, a cairn
|
|
was built at the furthest point of exploration and a decision to push on down
|
|
the streamway made. Three days later a pushing trip in 41 found the cairn and
|
|
the connection was made. Unfortunately it now became easier to get into the
|
|
system so that the more spectacular and better-rigged entrance was used only
|
|
for tourist through-trips and may not be rigged next year.
|
|
|
|
<p>The exploration of the streamway was dogged by illness, badly coordinated
|
|
trips in which teams reached the bottom to find that there was insufficient
|
|
rope or the bolt kit had been taken out, and by the arduous nature of the
|
|
first tight 500m of streamway. It will be necessary to find a high level
|
|
route if the exploration is not to involve twenty hour trips and a lot of
|
|
enthusiasm.
|
|
|
|
<p>Very little prospecting was done this year, and most of it concentrated on
|
|
finding a third entrance to the 41/115 system. 32 is a promising hole but
|
|
requires either a lot of hammer wielding or an application of Dr. Nobel's
|
|
Linctus. The region to the north of 113 has yet to be investigated, largely
|
|
because it is a long walk to lug tackle!
|
|
|
|
<p>CUCC is not in the habit of mounting serious scientific expeditions and
|
|
this was no exception. Surveying was the usual pain in the posterior and the
|
|
club lacks a committed cartographer to sit around in the cold distasteful
|
|
bits of 115. The club does have a surfeit of geologists, but they showed very
|
|
little interest in applying their brains to the hydrology and geology of the
|
|
system, though they did find some "pretty fossils - **** knows what they
|
|
are".
|
|
|
|
<p>CUCC may be criticised for not moving to pastures new, but the fact
|
|
remains that the Loser Plateau continues to provide good caving, considerable
|
|
depth potential - the current bottom of 41/115 is around 800m below the
|
|
entrance to Eislufthöhle - and is a very accessible area. This latter
|
|
part has to be the greatest advantage, after all, for most participants, the
|
|
expedition is a holiday and so there should be a minimum amount of donkey
|
|
work, trekking and roughing it involved, and easy access to beer,
|
|
Apfelstrudel and Pfeffersteaks.
|
|
|
|
<p>Finally thanks to campsite owner Fritz Madlmeier and to our local contacts
|
|
Gunther Graf and Karl Gaisberger.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>Phil Townsend
|
|
|
|
<p><ul>
|
|
<li><a href="loser.htm">Link to area map</a> accompanying this article.
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<h2><a id="id115">115</a> - Schnellzughöhle</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>Schnellzughöhle was discovered in 1980, a draughting, horizontal
|
|
passage which ended in a choke (with some survey cotton found). This was dug
|
|
and a complex abandoned system reached via a bolted climb. The limit of
|
|
exploration was a ramp which led both up and down to undescended avens at
|
|
-80m. The size of the passage and strength of breeze made a return very
|
|
attractive.
|
|
|
|
<p>The initial rigging in and pushing trips did not follow the
|
|
marathon-from-the-word-go pattern of the Stellerweg heroes; usually two
|
|
2-man teams would descend in relay each day. This avoided the withdrawal
|
|
symptoms and 'driver of the year' risks associated with all night trips.
|
|
|
|
<p>Rigging in to the 1980 limit took one trip, the old bolts were reused. An
|
|
inlet above the ramp was also explored; a series of 8 cascades led up 30m to
|
|
a choke. At the aven a decision was made not to descend via the main shaft
|
|
but to a rift to one side. This was primarily because a pile of loose
|
|
boulders threatened to mangle anyone dangling below. Also, a peer into the
|
|
depths showed that rebelaying would be necessary, giving no advantage over
|
|
the rift. The rope dropped via a series of muddy ledges (although there were
|
|
no severe cam-slipping problems) into a small active streamway, just a tiny
|
|
dribble when it wasn't raining. Two fine, clean-washed pitches of 19m and
|
|
14m followed, which were the scene of an exciting trip when it did rain
|
|
once. A tremendous whooshing noise announced the arrival of quite a small
|
|
flood pulse, which would have made the pitches miserable rather than
|
|
impassable; the intrepid explorers were exiting too rapidly to actually
|
|
prove this. The second wet pitch was followed by a damp 9m ladder climb to a
|
|
15m by 5m ledge. Here the water disappeared into boulders, and then a 34m
|
|
freehang dropped into a chamber.
|
|
|
|
<p>This was big, 30m by 30m with the roof beyond stinky range. A food dump
|
|
was established here, complete with stove in case the pitches ever did become
|
|
impassable. A stream vanished into an uninviting slot in the floor. Upstream,
|
|
60m of big phreatic tube connected with another aven. Downstream, a similar
|
|
5m diameter tube was reached by traversing up through boulders from the
|
|
stream bed. It proved too difficult to follow the stream at high level (this
|
|
had also been found out by a rather forlorn, green bat here found entombed).
|
|
However, 50m from the chamber the tube branched off into a phreatic maze. The
|
|
draught was pursued to a second stream, and a small cairn built. This was
|
|
later to be found by the Stellerweg team.
|
|
|
|
<p>Meanwhile the streamway was pushed. It meandered on and on for 800m, and
|
|
required much shuffling and a couple of awkward traverses. An hour of this
|
|
led to a more comfortable sized streamway (probably the Stellerweg water).
|
|
This proceeded with a 7m lined climb to a sump.
|
|
|
|
<p>This was easily bypassed via a 3m diameter phreatic tube which emerged
|
|
above the stream again. The discovery was celebrated by a severe attack of
|
|
the Lurgi and an epic 11 hour exit, after which the narrow streamway was
|
|
christened Pete's Purgatory. A ladder was rigged back to the stream, and the
|
|
descent continued with increasing enthusiasm. The canyon was 1.5-2m wide, too
|
|
high to see the roof and getting bigger all the time. Fifty metres and a 5m
|
|
ladder climb led to 500m of fine stream, which descended quite rapidly by
|
|
numerous sporting cascades.
|
|
|
|
<p>A 5m pitch (the 'twelve foot climb') was reached and bolted when play was
|
|
stopped again by Lurgi. The victim escaped this time, but his partner got
|
|
lost near the entrance and had to be rescued the following morning. 500m
|
|
after the short pitch came a 10m wet pitch and then 300m more passage. In two
|
|
places here, classic vadose canyon gave way to low, wet ramps with some
|
|
grotting in boulders. A fine, free-hanging pitch of 10m then dropped into a
|
|
dark pool. 150m more stream, and a 15m pitch, broken by a ledge, was followed
|
|
by a 4m roped climb. 70m of horizontal passage followed, with dismal pools
|
|
leading to hopes of a sump; these were dashed by another pitch, a dry 15m
|
|
free-hang. The streamway continued inexorably to yet another 10m pitch, but a
|
|
realistic decision / miserable witter was made and the derig commenced to the
|
|
sump bypass. This was completed in a mammoth 3-wave session, remarkable for
|
|
feats of gluttony and nicotine consumption, and an attempt to wall in the
|
|
consultant geologist and catering manager.
|
|
|
|
<p>Trips into the lower streamway were becoming quite serious, with
|
|
hitch-free trips taking from 12-14 hours, typically adding just a couple of
|
|
bolts. Flooding could be an extremely dangerous proposition: there is nowhere
|
|
warm and dry to hide. However, it needs a good survey and the combined system
|
|
is getting close enough to the 700m mark to put a return next year very much
|
|
on the cards.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>Simon Kellet.
|
|
|
|
<p><li><a href="115.htm">Link to 115 survey</a> and accompanying notes to go with
|
|
this article.
|
|
|
|
<p><li><a href="41germ.htm">Link to 41 German route survey</a> and accompanying
|
|
notes.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<h2><a name="ubss">UBSS in Austria</a> - Stellerweghöhle and the
|
|
connection</h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>Stories of pitches, classic continental rigging and depth, honour and
|
|
glory attracted the UBSS to join CUCC in Austria. With them came the state of
|
|
art tackle they had bought to the keen specifications of their more
|
|
experienced members. The latter came too, though not all of their experience
|
|
had been of caving over the previous few years. One, a Doctor noted for his
|
|
energy, sent out to buy an escort for transport, misinterpreted his brief and
|
|
provided a racy little sportster. The others showed good humour by providing
|
|
the real transport; an Escort advertising longevity and the redundancy of
|
|
prissy bodywork, and an Imp with a trailer its own size. The trailer was in
|
|
quite reasonable repair. Your correspondent provided a tent suitable for the
|
|
bridge parties and a cook to double as decoration and baggage for the
|
|
sportster.
|
|
|
|
<p>The walk to Stellerweghöhle (41a) takes a contoured path from the
|
|
restaurant overlooking the campsite. In the sun it is an enjoyable stroll
|
|
made serious only by the thoughts of caving ahead. Memories of the long slog
|
|
across the plateau on previous trips are recounted with expansive gestures
|
|
over the skyline, and just a hint of 'hard days remembered' in the eyes. The
|
|
easy efficiency of our path soon leads to an orange paint blob marking the
|
|
start of the winding climb up through thick bush and stone gullies to the 41a
|
|
entrance. Below, a more serious slither leads down to 115. The entrance
|
|
belches cold air, welcome relief to sweat for just a moment before the
|
|
various chills of present, past and future cool the mind.
|
|
|
|
<p>The route to the big pitch follows phreatic passages developed along
|
|
inclined bedding planes. It is crossed by 45 degree ramps which are
|
|
traversed, several with the aid of fixed lines. The first pitch bypass takes
|
|
one of these ramps down, then along the strike to join the bottom of the
|
|
pitch chamber. The final ramp is descended, dropping down the base of its
|
|
'T' section, then over large boulders to the division of the rift. To the
|
|
right last year's route gains an airy take-off made horrid by mud and spoilt
|
|
further by rebelays at several contact points. To the left, a couple of 10m
|
|
abseils lead to a fine free hang for the big pitch: a splendid 100m drop,
|
|
hanging at times at least 10m from the nearest wall, broken only by a free
|
|
rebelay in slings.
|
|
|
|
<p>At the foot of the pitch a stream runs down the rift, then below an
|
|
awkward traverse section which is followed by a series of progressivly wetter
|
|
and tighter pitches. We remember the sound of flood pulses, a feature not to
|
|
be taken lightly in a place with the promise of this cave. A hammered squeeze
|
|
on a 6m pitch adds interest as a marker of better to come - not the least
|
|
interest is the thought of others negotiating it. Strange Comfort. An awkward
|
|
7m pitch then a thrutchy climb (up over large boulders and losing the water)
|
|
folows the rift into a magnificent cleft some 3m wide and over 100m high.
|
|
Oddly it was at this spot last year that we directed attention to an
|
|
alternative route (the 'German Route') for 3 days, pushing to -140m in
|
|
increasingly nasty sharp, tight passage. Odd how that narrow rift quietened
|
|
enthusiasm with such a superb way lying ahead.
|
|
|
|
<p>The route on follows the now dry rift and includes numerous small pitches
|
|
and traverse rebelays. The water is rejoined and the passage roof closes to
|
|
within 10m in places. The final pitches are in clean washed round pots with
|
|
a stream lip and more spray from above. The walls are decorated with the
|
|
fossils of large bivalve molluscs about 30cm across. The rift must surely
|
|
plunge on down, grey and businesslike, and deep.
|
|
|
|
<p>Here, on our third major rigging-in day, we placed a final bolt ahead of
|
|
last year's progress. We had consolidated the route with fine rigging in
|
|
preparation for the pushing trips beyond. Each trip had been tiring to the
|
|
experienced members, now we were damp as well and still the return to make.
|
|
During the ascent one wondered what one was doing here; building character
|
|
or the foundation of more good stories ? Certainly we had provided the basis
|
|
for a memorable through trip as the next visit revealed. We even lured the
|
|
115 contingent down to this spectacle of fine cave and tasteful rigging and
|
|
the through trip gave us the opportunity to curl a lip over the 115 entrance
|
|
series.
|
|
|
|
<p>The last pitch drops into Junction Chamber. Turning right one follows a
|
|
gently descending stream. Soon the way traverses the rift above the stream.
|
|
Above (after 40m) a hole in the roof leads to a series of small and dusty
|
|
tubes. We are in a phreatic zone. After a few bends the passage on closes
|
|
down to a short flat out crawl regaining the stream. More traversing on
|
|
dusty loose mud ledges in the passage roof gains a hole in the roof and a
|
|
series of phreatic tubes of railway tunnel proportions. These tubes can be
|
|
followed back to Junction Chamber entering about 10m above the floor. Ahead
|
|
they take a series of swooping inclines punctuated by dramatic bends. This
|
|
area was much appreciated by the surveying party. A final incline to a sharp
|
|
left bend regains the stream in its rift and reveals the sight, surprising
|
|
to the first explorers, of a cairn.
|
|
|
|
<p>From this lowest point of the connection there are two routes on - one a
|
|
traverse over the stream then a climb over large boulders into a passage
|
|
entering from the left; the other a 0.75m hole at floor level to the left of
|
|
the start of the final incline. The two ways join in an uphill sandy passage
|
|
(1.5m high by 3m wide).
|
|
|
|
<p>At some stage one should appreciate the significance of the cairn -
|
|
marking the limit of exploration of a side line in 115. The eagerness to get
|
|
out through 115 may have reduced interest in 41a, a shame as it was only
|
|
later that we looked at another exit from Junction Chamber. Anyway, following
|
|
the uphill passage one can reflect on the peace of this area, the comfort and
|
|
ease of progess. A nice site for a bivvy if necessary.
|
|
|
|
<p>Next a flat out crawl hardly slows progress into the teeth of a healthy
|
|
draught. Enthusiasm is rewarded by a motorway (almost) sized passage (all
|
|
things, the educated mind realises, are relative. John Parker once described
|
|
a passage: "It's huge in places, one can stand up even." This
|
|
passage really is big). Now turning right - who knows what lay to the left -
|
|
a further 90m of phreatic tube led to the 115 main passage.
|
|
|
|
<p>Our next interest in 41a lay in derigging it. This came after a suitable
|
|
period for through trips of both a caving and an enteric nature - which some
|
|
of our party combined.
|
|
|
|
<p>At Junction Chamber we noticed the obvious and hitherto ignored 15m climb
|
|
leading left into a choice of phreatic passages with further avens gaping
|
|
above - a really large junctional complex. To the right after 50m the
|
|
passage led to a rift above a stream. The other choice was a large phreatic
|
|
tube (10m by 10m) in which easy progress down a 30 degree slope gained 50m
|
|
of depth. This scramble down boulders leads to a cross-rift after about
|
|
150m. To the right a stream, to the left a traverse after a short distance.
|
|
It is galling to find such a passage on your derigging trip, but that's why
|
|
the description stops here.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>Steve Perry
|
|
|
|
<p><center><img alt="Connection survey - 8k gif" width=520 height=490
|
|
src="115con.png"></center>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
<li>Cambridge Underground 1982
|
|
<a href="http://cucc.survex.com/jnl/1982/index.htm">Table of Contents</a></li>
|
|
<li>1981 Expedition info:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="cavdev.htm">Cave Development in the Totes Gebirge</a>
|
|
(from CU Report)</li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1981">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>
|