expoweb/noinfo/40new

Information regarding Eishoehle is sensitive, not least since there were
suggestions of trying to develop it into a show cave.  Be sure this description
of access does not fall into the wrong hands.

From the Bergrestaurant, follow the normal route towards the plateau.  After
passing through the wooden "gate" on the crest of the hill, the path descends
to a first set of signposts.  Continue on the normal route, to the right, to
arrive at the second set of signposts in marshy ground, at Egglgrube.  Here,
the normal route branches off left and traverses around to the shepherds' huts.
Do not take this left branch, but instead at Egglgrube continue straight ahead
on path 201, signed to Appelhaus.  The path rises and falls, passing a less
distinct way off to the left (to the Kratzer valley).  It is marked with the
red/white Austrian path markers.  After some distance (approximately 10
minutes), and some rocky sections, there is a bolt to watch out for in the
middle of the path.  Close to this bolt is painted on the ground a red capital
omega, which is fading these days.  (An old description notes this as likely
being "Kat. 28", whatever that is.)  If you get to the point where there is a
steep descent directly down the hill, which I think is equipped with a wire,
then you've gone too far.

At the red omega it is necessary to take a branch path off to the left, which
leads through a rocky vegetated gully with bunde sides and arrives after only
one or two minutes at an unmistakable wire traverse.  To the right a
lightning-struck tree will be seen, which is a good landmark.  Cross the
traverse and continue up the valley straight ahead.  There is an indistinct
path to the left at one point which should be ignored (it goes to
Schwabenschacht).  You eventually reach the head of the valley where it swings
right, and continuing uphill in that direction across blocks, you will reach a
point where a pair of red arrows with heads pointing in opposite directions are
painted on the wall on the left-hand side of the gully.  Follow the left-hand
arrow which points up the continuation of the path, climbing up the face.

The path climbs up some rocky sections and then enters bunde.  After some time
and some more open sections affording good views of Altaussee (take note of the
route along this section as it's easy to miss where to duck back into the bunde
on the return journey) a large hole in the path is encountered, traversed on
the right-hand side.  Continuing in the same general direction along the path
leads to a more open, grassy, higher area with a prominent elongated outcrop of
rock visible to the right-hand side.  This is Weisse Warze, otherwise known as
Bunter's Bulge or the Nipple.  There's something on top to mark this but I
can't remember offhand what it is.

Austrian coordinates of Bunter's Bulge:
	E 486041.35 / 36041.35	N (52)81523.06	alt 1733m

WGS84/UTM coordinates of Bunter's Bulge:
	E 410859.16	N 5280460.30

It is not necessary to climb onto the bulge.  Instead, you should have it on
your right-hand side, and continue (in a small shallow valley) until you are
just about level with the northern end of it.  At this point cross to the right
of the gully and work around that northern end of the bulge via a few gaps
between the bunde.  A small hole in the ground is passed and then you can head
to the left, and downwards, to reach open limestone again in a sort of "quarry"
area.

Strike diagonally out across the limestone following red paint flecks, which
are either straight lines indicating the direction of travel, or V-shaped
markers showing when to change direction.  The route descends across the
benches and continues via a climb down to a lower level.  After this there is a
vegetated section before it opens out again.  Some twenty minutes or so from
Bunter's Bulge the route crosses a large hump-backed outcrop and then climbs
and descends over another sharp ridge (with a small hole connecting to 40a
visible in the main face) to reach a point where a short climb down and around
to the left (north-ish) drops you into the 40a shakehole with the gaping
entrance of Eishoehle before you.  A plaque on the wall gives the name of the
cave and another one notes its Nature Reserve status.  In the bottom of the
shakehole a small entrance gives access to the gear cave where kit remains from
CUCC's earlier Eishoehle explorations.

Austrian coordinates of Eishoehle main entrance (1623/40a):
	E 486458.17 / 36458.17	N 81700.42	alt 1689m

WGS84/UTM coordinates of Eishoehle main entrance:
	E 411279.54	N 5280628.61

To reach the "portal row" containing Elephantengang -- the entrance giving onto
the huge chamber of Schneevulkanhalle -- proceed as follows.  Standing with the
40a portal behind you, take the small path to the left at the back left corner
(up the slope) of the shakehole.  It continues over roots and contours around
the hillside.  Staying at roughly the same level, continue passing a point
where there is a dodgy climb down and up again (with a gully to the right
leading to another Eishoehle entrance -- 40b I think) for somewhere in the
order of ten minutes until it is possible to drop down the hillside in a
straightforward gully, contour to the left a little, and then climb down an
incised inclined face for a couple of metres.  Continuing to the left at the
bottom of the face drops down into an area with various entrances to the left
in the cliff face.  Gruener Eingang (40s), actually not in the main face but
below, is reached pretty much where you arrive at the bench level here.
Continuing northwards along the bench leads to the large entrance of Nichts 50
(not connected to Eishoehle) and then to Elephantengang, which is another large
entrance containing a snow plug and having a howling draught.  This entrance
sometimes funnels down to a narrow gap between ice and rock, but in 2007 was
seen to be dramatically more open than usual.

Reaching Elephantengang from the car park takes somewhere between 90 minutes
and two hours.

Austrian coordinates of Elephantengang (1623/40h):
	E 486625.89 / 36625.89	N (52)81993.40	alt 1642m

WGS84/UTM coordinates of Elephantengang:
	E 411453.46	N 5280917.83

Continuing past Elephantengang leads to a small blocked entrance and finally
the path terminates at 40e, Brennerbeserlschluf, which draughts strongly.
This entrance leads to the top of the snow slope in Schneevulkanhalle, which
requires rigging, as do earlier sections of the entrance.