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<title>1982: BCRA Caves & Caving report</title>
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<font size=-1>CTS 82.1124: BCRA Caves & Caving 18 (Nov 1982) pp 21,24 [ISSN 0142-1832]</font>
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<h1>CUCC in Austria</h1>
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<font size=+1><i>For the seventh year running, Cambridge University Caving
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Club visited the Totes Gebirge in Austria. The Totes Gebirge are a small
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group of mountains fifty km east of Salzburg, and although the depth
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potential is a modest 1100 metres, the limestone is very cavernous. Our
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explorations have all been on the Loser Plateau on the south-east corner of
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the Totes Gebirge, mainly because a toll road climbs a thousand metres from a
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lake in the valley below up to plateau level. High altitude camping is
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therefore unnecessary and caving is based on day trips from a comfortable
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campsite by the lake.
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<p>Last year we were joined by members of the University of Bristol
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Speleological Society and Schnellzughöhle was connected to an upper
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entrance Stellerweghöhle, giving a sporting through trip to 400m and an
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overall depth of 650m. With the way on still open, our main objective this
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year was to continue exploration via the lower entrance. Unfortunately no
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U.B.S.S. were able to come, though they generously entrusted us with most of
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their rope. A small team of nine cavers spent four weeks camping at Altaussee
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by the lake, and although numbers were low, enthusiasm for caving ran
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high</i></font>
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<p>Rigging in Schnellzughöhle proceeded rapidly at first, profiting from
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experience gained last ear in bolting techniques. The entrance is an old
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tunnel intersected by the valley, and this level is followed until a sloping
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ramp leads to a series of pitches in a massive rift. Last year we followed
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this down into the Big Chamber. From here horizontal passages radiate, both
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vadose and dry phreatic. Initially our lack of continental experience had led
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us follow the active stream down the notorious Pete's Purgatory. This is a
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narrow twisting rift passage similar to the entrance series of Disappointment
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POt, but over 800m long. Eventually this tortuous route enlarged at an inlet
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at the Confluence, and the streamway continued in classic Yorkshire style
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with short wet pitches separated by clean-washed passage and sporting
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cascades. Exploration ground to a halt when the streamway alone was over
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1500m long and 300m deep, with nowhere to camp. Meanwhile the dry phreatic
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passage had been connected to Stellerweghöhle final chamber.
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<p>This year the unpleasant memories of Pete's Purgatory had faded somewhat,
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and we started pushing down the streamway again. Pitch after pitch was
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rerigged in a series of fifteen hour trips, and last year's terminus passed.
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The cave continued inexorably, now a sizeable winding streamway. The pitches
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became longer and wetter, leading to a fine canal. Round a corner this ended
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at a deep and murky pool, but a chilly swim reached a sporting duck beyond
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which airspace increased and a place to stand again was found. The stream
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then plunged abruptly down a spectacular shaft over 70m deep. Meanwhile a
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trip through the connection to the passage beyond the Stellerweg final
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chamber had found the long hoped for dry bypass to the Purgatory. This
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dropped into the streamway at the Confluence, and the inlet here turned out
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to be the water from Stellerweg.
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<p>It was now feasible to camp underground, and a small tent, well stocked
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with tins of corned beef and beans, was set up in a side passage just above
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the Confluence. This was to be used by pushing trips as a bivouac on their
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way out. The 70m shaft was descended in a series of leaps clear of the water,
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and led to a further three pitches into a large shattered chamber. The water
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could be followed forward, and almost immediately cascaded into a frothy sump
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in a deep rift. At a depth of 903m below the Stellerweg entrance, this sump
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is only 20m above the presumed saturation level at the altitude of Altaussee
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lake.
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<p>By now only six cavers remained, and with a week left, the derig began on
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the day following the discovery of the sump. Parts of the survey were rapidly
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completed just ahead of the growing mound of tackle making its way up the
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streamway. The camp was especially valued at this stage, and all the rope
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brought out and down without a day to spare.
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<p>The entire cave was surveyed to B.C.R.A. grades V and III and other
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entrances triangulated on the surface. WIth over a thousand survey legs in
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4km of cave, the amount of data to be processed was considerable. The survey
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shown is based on the preliminary sketch made in Austria. This was drawn
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using a small programmable calculator to convert tape, compass and clino
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readings into 3d coordinates. We felt that taking a microcomputer and printer
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would have been well worth while, to reduce tedious calculation. The data has
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now been fed into a computer in England and a program is running which will
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plot a centreline survey of the plan or any projected or extended elevations.
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<p>There is no impervious cap or surface drainage on the plateau, and all the
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currently active passages are fed by percolation water. This only forms
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discrete streams below a depth of about 300m. However, the size of the Lower
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Streamway shows that the integration of underground drainage is already
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taking place. The passage finally drops rapidly to saturation level, and a
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few well defined resurgences other than seepage flows, owing to the lack of
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impervious basement rocks. No dry passage has been found below the
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Confluence, and it seems likely that all other streams in the area will drain
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to the Lower Streamway.
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<p>Most of the known entrances have a cold outward draught, caused by the
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temperature differences. However, Sonnenstrahlhöhle, a 300m deep find of
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a few years ago, is slightly above Stellerweg and has a slight inward
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draught. It was rerigged with renewed hopes of connecting it to the
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Stellerweg system, but this attempt failed. Nevertheless, the area behind it
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deserves further attention as it slopes up to the summit of the
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Schwarzmooskogel 1100m above the lake. At 903m, the Stellerweg system is now
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the second deepest in the Totes Gebirge by only 9m, and with the potential
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for more depth we will return next year.
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<p>Finally our thanks are expressed to local cavers Karl Gaisberger and Dr.
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Gunther Graf, to campsite owner Fritz Madlmaier, and to the Sports Council
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for a grant towards equipment.
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<p align=right><i>Dave Brindle</i>
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<hr />
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<ul id="links">
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<li>1982 Expedition info:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
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<li>Main Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1983:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="report.htm">CUCC in Austria</a> - Phil Townsend</li>
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<li><a href="41gd.htm">Stellerweg Guidebook Description</a> by Pete Lancaster</li>
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<li><a href="41svy.htm">Stellerweg Survey</a> article by Andy Waddington</li>
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<li><a href="41camp.htm">The Underground Camp</a> by Chas Butcher</li>
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<li><a href="newbit.htm">New Discoveries</a> 1982 by Mike Thomas</li>
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<li><a href="bats.htm">The Bats of 115</a> by Dave Brindle</li>
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</ul></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1982">Index</a> to all publications</li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
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</ul>
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