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<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1977 pp 43-53</font></center>
<h1>Expedition to Austria - August 1976</h1>

<p>The following were present :<br>

Vic Brown, Dave Fox, Hilary Bryden-Brown, Dave Harrison, Jack &amp; Muff
Upsall, Jont, Carole &amp; Rod Leach.

<p>The area visited was in the area of Bad Aussee, with camps at Altaussee
and Go&szlig;l.

<p>Why Austria ? - basically for a change after several successive years in
the Pyrenees, but we had been told that Austrian Limestone is relatively
unexplored - something of an understatement as it turned out. We contacted
Walter Klappacher (area organiser for caving in the Salzburg region) and he
put us in touch with Karl Gaisberger who lives in Altaussee. Karl was
invaluable; he knew the area, told us what was worth doing, got us up toll
roads free, fixed up a trip in Mammuth&ouml;hle, caved with us and drank with
us. Jont was essential as Karl had no English and the rest of us no German
unless it was Vic talking canoeing. The area is excellent - beer, caving,
climbing, walking, canoeing, sailing, hang-gliding if you have a lunatic
urge, so a caving expedition can have plenty of sidelines.

<p>The area with which we were chiefly concerned was the Totes Gebirge,
though we did some tourist caving on the Dachstein massif. The Totes Gebirge
has less depth potential than the Dachstein by about 300m, but is less well
explored. The massif area at our disposal is the preserve of THREE Austrian
cavers, which perhaps helps in explaining Karl's enthusiasm for additional
manpower. No big finds this year, but some small ones and more than enough
to ensure that we go back next year. Below is some general information,
followed by a description of what we did and accompanying surveys.

<p><img alt="area map - 14k gif" width=640 height=500 src="tgmap.png">

<h3>The Loser Plateau</h3>

<p>The Loser Plateau is at about 1650m, relatively unvegetated - just scrub
spruce and an assortment of alpine flowers. For much of the year the plateau
is iced over, and the chief problem is snow plugging of the numerous
unexplored shafts. Access to the plateau is easy - cars up a toll road to
1500m and then a gentle walk up a dry valley for about an hour. This leads
on to several square miles of unexplored lapiaz of which we looked at some
hundred square yards. It is possible to camp up here, but halfway up the
valley would be more pleasant.

<h3>The P&uuml;hringer Hut area</h3>

<p>This is above Go&szlig;l, as opposed to Altaussee. Access is harder - cars
up a forestry track and then a long climb of 900m to the P&uuml;hringer hut.
Here one can stay at Alpine Club rates or camp. We were concerned with
tourist trips here, but feel a few days exploration will be of great value
next year.

<h3>The Dachstein</h3>

<p>This is excellent for tourist caving, but access is either very laborious
or very expensive if one is going to camp on the plateau. Many of the big
phreatic caves are entered halfway up cliffs by loonies only.

<p>All the caves that we visited are cold by English standards, though
usually dry. Austrian cavers avoid water it seems, so there is scope for the
wetsuit enthusiast to push back the frontiers of knowledge, but in other
caves, furry wonder suits are advisable. Austrian rescue facilities are
supposed to be good, but the remoteness of the caves and the temperature put
safety at an even greater premium than normal. If anyone else should be
interested in the area, some of this might be useful:

<p>1. Maps
<ul>
<li>Dachsteingruppe Sonderausgabe 1:50 000 Freytag-Berndt Wanderkarten
<li>Totes Gebirge Alpenvereinskarte 1:25 000 (there are three maps for
this area of which the western sheet is the most useful). Both sets of
maps are good, especially the ones for the Totes Gebirge.
</ul>

<p>2. A german speaker is almost essential, as from our experience people
who can be helpful are only too willing to help, but don't speak English.

<p>3. Official looking Club membership cards are useful since they allow you
to stay at half price at Alpine Club Huts, and also get you up cable cars at
half price in many cases. The more official looking letters you can have,
the better - along the lines of the major research project you are carrying
out ! They get you past Austrian Bureaucracy on toll roads and forestry
roads.

<p>4. Addresses and further information is readily available by contacting
Jack Upsall, Sphagnum Nook, Winshaw Cottage, Chapel-le-Dale, Yorks.

<h3><a name="hirlatz">Hirlatzh&ouml;hle</a></h3>

<p>This is at the foot of the massive Hirlatzwand, south of the
Hallstattersee. 'At the foot' does not mean 'by the road' - the walk is less
than a mile but ascends well over 300m. The entrance used to be blocked by
ice, but some Austrian genius had the idea of putting the odd hundredweight
of salt on the ice in the autumn. Over the next few months, the inward
draught drew the salt-laden water in and soon the ice melted. Draught doors
now prevent it icing up again. The whole system is over 8km long and is
largely made up of big phreatic passage, but active streamway still exists. A
top entrance to the system is yet to be found.

<p>A 7m ladder (more or less fixed) gains the entrance in the cliff side and
a short crawl brings one into a series of galleries where route finding is
easy - follow the fixed ladders unless they have no passage at the top.
Eventually a choice of routes is reached - a 10m fixed ladder or a crawl
below. Take the crawl to emerge in the Labyrinth. This complex section is
negotiated relatively easily by keeping right until large passage is
reached. Easy going down several fixed ladders, one of which no longer
exists since it fell to pieces as soon as Jont stepped on to the top of it
(an easy free climb anyway) leads to a double fixed ladder pitch into a
large canyon. Here one turns left and tramps through passages of increasing
size until a waterfall can be seen cascading down into a passage 6m down a
boulder slope. The way on is not down the slope but along an obvious
traverse line to emerge on top of a massive boulder collapse. Just beyond
here a Yorkshire type streamway can be followed for several hundred metres
but the way on is up to the left where Camp One is quickly reached. The trip
nearly ended here as Dave Fox refused to come out of the rather battered
tent he had found. The reason - pornography - an excellent supply of dirty
magazines kept for the weary caver to ogle, had to be confiscated before he
could be persuaded to proceed.

<p>From here big passages, all looking alike, make route finding awkward
until a long climb up a boulder slope is reached. At the top of this is a
very wet fixed ladder pitch going we know not where, and, on the left, a big
dry sandy route - presumably the way on. We stopped here as it was the first
trip of the expedition and we were only about two thirds of the way in.
After a smooth return, we exited in about six hours.

<p>The existing survey of the system is of limited value as it seems to
assume that the the whole cave is on the same level - just not true. Some 70m
below the entrance to the Hirlatzh&ouml;hle is the Brandgrabenh&ouml;hle,
which, according to the Austrians, is desperately wet. However, we saw lots
of slides of the place and the Austrian dinghy seemed larger than a lot of
the pools. Given wetsuits, and what Karl sees as the lunatic English passion
for getting wet, a trip in here could answer the riddles about the stream
passages in Hirlatzh&ouml;hle, over whose exploration the Austrians seem
unenthusiastic.

<h3>Fledermaush&ouml;hle</h3>

<p>Discovered by Karl Gaisberger the previous October, there had been time
for only one trip before the winter snows came. The entrance is in a
fair-sized shakehole in the spruce-covered lapiaz before the col, and
involves a 45 minute walk from the car park at the top of the Loser Road. The
prospect was virgin cave from a 10m pitch onwards, where Karl had been
stopped by a lack of tackle. To avoid overcrowding, Dave Fox, Muff, Karl and
Jont explored while Vic, Rod and Jont surveyed in.

<p>The initial hands and knees crawl of 20m or so is just what is needed in
this area to avoid the entrance choking with ice and/or boulders, and it
soon enlarges. Past a couple of oxbows, one leading to within sight of
daylight up an aven, the main route reaches twin climbs of 8m, the easier
route being through a hole on the right. Soon afterwards is the first pitch,
a sloping 8m. From here the pleasant passage with occasional bat-droppings
(hence the rather unimaginative name) leads to short, muddy crawl, an earth
bank and sizeable chamber. The new pitch is reached after more easy passage,
and although Jont climbed/jumped down via a side rift, the pitch is best
laddered for the return.

<p>The easy going continues past a right turn to a complex junction at
several levels. The water can be followed down a rift to a drop into an
impenetrable fissure. Back at the junction, a traverse and a thrutch through
lead to a small tube, which crosses a cross-rift and ends at a filthy sump.
Left at the cross-rift, however, a low crawl gives onto a greasy chimney
climb of 4m with very little in the way of holds. At the foot of this the
water reenters, presumably just below the point at which it can no longer be
followed down. To our surprise, Karl was bored and disappointed by the
stream passage which follows. Quite reasonably, given the area, he had been
hoping for huge phreatic tunnels, and it seems that the active passages
never lead very far.

<p>Still, we were enjoying it and the clean streamway soon developed acute
verticality. Dave was attached to a piece of string and fed over the edge,
followed, shortly, by Jont. The first 15 ft are technical, and best lined,
but after that, the spiralling descent is quite easy in, for the most part,
solid rock. About 30m down, things start to get more shattered and muddy,
and the climb drops into water, leading, after only a few feet, to a sump.

<p>On the way out we tried to clean up odds and ends. Only two points worth
mentioning. The right turn mentioned earlier is an inlet leading past a slot
through to the Main Passage, over a traverse and a false floor, to,
eventually, an aven, climbed to about 25m and still continuing, but it is
unlikely to go anywhere worthwhile. Second, from the chamber, a traverse can
be entered at the top of the rock slope. The level closes off after about
15m, but below a climb down, a pitch was excavated dropping into a larger
passage which choked comprehensively.

<p><img alt="survey: 15k gif" width=560 height=650
  src="/1623/71/71.png">

<h3>Holes on Plateau - Loser area.</h3>

<p>The following notes are rough owing to:-<br>
a) the fact that all sketches were to grade 1<br>
b) the fact that only two of the holes are really significant and only one
of these offers promise.

<dl>
<dt><a href="../../1623/a1.htm">A1</a>:-
<dd>Situated some 50m vertically below the col, up valley from the
Loser Hut. An obvious open entrance leads to an 11m pitch into a rift
chamber choked in both directions.
<dt><a href="../../1623/b1.htm">B1</a>:-
<dd>situated some 40m from A1, up valley and slightly higher up
the east slope, the hole lies in an obvious E-W fault. A 14m pitch drops
into rift passage quickly choking to the east. To the west a short walk
reaches a 3m climb to a higher level choking rapidly.
<dt><a href="../../1623/b2.htm">B2</a>:-
<dd>Up the bottom of the valley from B1, B2 is met just at the
foot of the last steep pull up onto the col. A 4m climb leads to two 5m
drops and a snow plug. Across the snow, a direct pitch can be reached.
<dt><a href="../../1623/b3.htm">B3</a>:-
<dd>Just a few metres up valley from B2, a series of holes. The
lowest drops steadily over boulders to a choke. Up rift from the pitch,
daylight is reached from one of the other holes (Loser 238&deg;,
Br&auml;uning Nase, 292&deg;)
<dt><a href="../../1623/b4.htm">B4</a>:-
<dd>Again just a short distance up valley from B3, a significant
shakehole with snow at the foot. Descent of 45 degree snow slope reaches
a choked rift. Above and ahead, water enters via a small aven, but no sign
of a way on. (Loser 234&deg;, B.Nase 292&deg;)
<dt><a href="../../1623/b5.htm">B5</a>:-
<dd>Right on the col - the scar to the west has large holes
immediately below it. Descent over snow of 10m or so ended in a snow choke.
<dt><a href="../../1623/b6.htm">B6</a>:-
<dd>Small shaft on the plateau just over the col - descent of 8m
to a choke.
<dt>B7:-
<dd>Does not exist - numbering error !
  <dt><a href="/1623/197/197.htm">B8</a>:-
<dd>This is situated on the plateau just on a major fault where
one climbs down over bare rock for 4m. A large open hole with snow in the
bottom. 20m of ladder were fed down between snow and rock before snow plug
totally blocked the way on. (B.Nase 208&deg;, Sch&ouml;nberg 350&deg;, Spot
point 1828, 240&deg;)
<dt><a href="/1623/190/190.html">B9</a>:-
<dd>An open hole west of B8. 5m climb gains snow and passage leading
off. This leads to a 10m pitch leading to a big rift. Ahead over boulders
and ice an 8m pitch descends through (sic) spectacular ice stalactites. Way
on is effectively blocked by ice but could well connect with a major shaft
nearby, not descended on account of the condition of the ice. The small
alternative hole back in the rift is blocked by ice at -6m. (B.Nase
204&deg;, Sch&ouml;nberg 14&deg;)
<dt><a href="/1623/b10.htm">B10</a>:-
<dd>Lies in the maze of lapiaz N of B9 and is simply a 5m climb to
two short pitches choked at foot of second.
<dt><a href="/1623/198/198.html">B11</a>:-
<dd>To give some idea of what we may have missed, this 55m shaft is
utterly invisible from 5m away. A fine climb is broken by a ledge halfway
down. The shaft narrows towards the bottom, and from the foot of the ladder,
boulders lead to a choke a few metres further down.
</dl>

<p>B9 is worth a return visit (later in the summer, after maximum melting
time) but in fact, we think we stopped looking where we should have started.
B9 and B11 are close to the northern limit of exploration so far. Beyond are
several square kilometres of totally unlooked at lapiaz.

<h3><a name="elmh">Elmgrubenschacht</a></h3>

<p>A long way to walk for a pleasant but unimpressive pot - an even longer
way to carry tackle which we thought we didn't need for Elmh&ouml;hlensystem.
Still, we were expecting a horrifically wet system, which, after miles of
huge phreatic stuff would have been quite refreshing. However, despite a
fortnight of almost uninterrupted rain, there was barely enough water to keep
our six stinkies going !

<p>A 20m entrance pitch, loose at the top but otherwise OK, leads on to a
series of 6m and 10m pitches, interrupted with easy rifty passage and some
pools. In due course the final 25m pitch was reached, dropping a few feet
above a crystal-clear sump - a very promising dive if you feel like lugging
a bottle up the 1000m to the entrance. Vic discovered a network of tubes and
chimney climbs which brought her out to the astonishment of all, about 15m
above the top of the pitch, whence a hairy-looking traverse led her to the
floor of the main passage, some way upstream. We exited swiftly to continue
along the track to the P&uuml;hringer H&uuml;tte. Hot soup, Goulasch, beer
and a very hot dormitory awaited us, plus the company of the Hut Warden,
whose son-in-law is English and who, therefore, is very impressed by us
English, especially if one is a h&ouml;hlenforscher as well.

<h3>Elmh&ouml;hlensystem</h3>

<p>Another very long system, situated by the side of the track about twenty
minutes before the P&uuml;hringer H&uuml;tte, where we had spent the night
after doing the Elmgrubenschacht. The two entrances, das Kleine and das
Gro&szlig;e Windloch, have entered into local folklore. It seems that one of
the favourite regional pastimes consists of dropping Tyrolean Hats down the
hole, and then catching them as they are lashed back into your face by the
howling gale. This phenomenon appeares to be dependent on weather conditions,
and the day we were there, it would have been struggling with a helium
balloon.

<p>Still, to begin at what should logically have been the end but was, in
fact, the beginning... We enter the Kleines Windloch via an interesting and
unbalanced climb of 3m into a large, boulder strewn passage, at which point
we abandon the crampons, under the erroneous impression that the ice section
is in the other direction. So, we rush down the passage to... a choke. An
arrow is located pointing down a short crawl to the head of an 8m pitch, for
which, of course, we have no tackle. The rift beyond looks promising however,
and we find a bypass to the pitch via a descending traverse back under the
crawl. Still intending to return, we leave a sling on the traverse and
continue along the rift, past a couple of holes to a sharp left-hand bend.
The passage continues fairly easily apart from a few climbs of dubious
reversibility, and we soon emerge in what is traditionally described as an
earthquake in suspended animation, and which, from time to time actually
looked like the large chamber it was meant to be. At this point the company
becomes confused and starts to scurry about here and there below what we had
taken for the floor. At one place Muff and Jont reach a point at about -30m
only to be halted at the lip of nothingness, and by acute neurosis. The
cottage sized boulders there haven't a clue about the elementary principles
of stability. Meanwhile Vic has found a rope hanging down another very loose
hole, and down she goes, possessed by her customary lack of imagination. More
specifically she ignores what to us seem to be two crucial facts:-<br>
a) The rope comes to an end<br>
b) The climb becomes distinctly more difficult than it was where there was a
rope.

<p>Followed by Jont, she lands on a steep boulder slope in a largish
passage. Descending with vast amounts of debris, Vic reaches a draughting
hole at the bottom, whereas Jont finds a stable boulder and, limpet-like,
stays there, so they return to the climb. Using the tried and tested
potrtable hold technique, developed in Betzula a few years ago, they reach
the foot of the rope where Dave, would you believe, has found a large tunnel
leading off.

<p>So off we go in a very easy passage, up and over various collapses, and
it is getting noticeably colder, and soon bits of ice are detected in the
roof. From here onwards, the formations get more and more impressive until
the floor, roof and walls are covered. Curtains, complete columns, cascades
and other alliterative phenomena which I won't list for fear of getting
poetic and lyrical. Even a wall covered in at least 3m of ice laid down in
clearly defined strata. Apart from the splendour of the scene, the lack of
crampons caused mild hilarity, while Lord and Lady Snowden flip their lids
and run a very real risk of melting it all with their flashbulbs.

<p>The rest of us suddenly slide into a pile of snow !? &quot;Evidently a
surface/cave interphase situation in the vicinity&quot; says Jack. &quot;Or
an entrance ?&quot; says Jont. But no entrance is visible, so, ascribing its
presence to a bizarre subterranean micro-climate, we continue leaving the ice
and entering a rift, the floor of which soon disappears into more and more
ludicrous depths. Our nerve runs out before what is presumably the
Dianaklamm, and we return to find that Vic and Dave have, in the afterglow
from several hundred PF5's, discovered a shaft leading up above the snow.

<p>The first obstacle is the gap between the snow and the ledge leading
round to the foot of the shaft, where we could now see a few bits of wire,
pegs, etc. Rod and Dave are called upon to do their impersonation of the
Clifton Suspension Bridge and we scramble across to leave Dave to prusik up.
Muff and Jont continue up to a ledge at about 35m and in sight of daylight,
but in better sight of a 4m overhang. Now the difficult part of this climb
happens to be about the height of Jont on tiptoes under Muff on tiptoes on
Jont, and with admirable insouciance, she scrambles up, finds a belay and
allows the rest of us to prusik up on our two cloggers and one leg-loop.
Next a climb, a thrutch, a squeeze through and the surface visible the far
side of a tantalising 5m climb. Not impressed, Jont traverses across towards
the far end of the shaft only to freeze again, thwarted by looseness and
sheer unmitigated terror. Fortunately, in situations like these, we have a
secret weapon, and, with an ear-splitting cry of &quot;LOONY!&quot; we summon
Vic who executes a fine bridging climb to the belay point for the 50m ladder
pitch - I knew we had forgotten something. Muff exits followed by Rod, Jont
and Dave, still quivering from a narrow victory over several hundredweight of
boulder which had been aimed at them in the shaft. Jont still refuses to
move, so a rope is lowered to him and he exits via a convenient rock-window.

<p>For the benefit of the uninitiated, there follows a brief, sensible
version of the trip. Put 160ft of ladder down the Gro&szlig;es Windloch
(where we came out), having previously rigged a 6m ladder in the Kleines
Windloch (where we went in), and a further ladder on the pitch just inside
the entrance to this hole. Then do what we did, but backwards. This trip is
far less interesting, but is less likely to involve the Austrian CRO, or, in
view of the location, the Austrian Quicklime and Polybag Company.

<h3>Nagelstegh&ouml;hle</h3>

<p>A Sleets Gill type entrance leads at the head of a large stream bed NW of
Altaussee. The 60 degree slope leads to a short walk round a pool to a short
greasy climb. One soon emerges in the huge main passage, floored at the
lower end by vast amounts of very unpleasant mud. The sump is reached by a
right turn over some fine stratified sand, but our main aim was to
investigate some holes in the roof at the top end, hopefully leading to a
high-level continuation and, if you are really optimistic, the further
reaches of the long and nearby Raucherkarh&ouml;hle.

<p>The mud eventually runs out to be replaced by more and more inclined
slabs, which were very easy on the way up. The gradient steadily increases
until the floor merges into the end wall, and the trickle of water enters
from high up. We had already passed a couple of holes in the roof, so we
slithered back down to a point below and across from these. Here some
entertaining acrobatics were performed, principally by Vic, and, rather less
voluntarily, by Jont. Vic reached the limit without bolts, which we had
conveniently forgotten, and pendulumed back across the slabs on a dubious
nut and not a little faith. Jont, left on the wrong side of the traverse,
derigged, set off back, ran out of holds and friction in that order and was
grateful for Vic's outstretched arm. We exited, intending (but not very
convincingly) to return suitably equipped. The holes may go, but only after
a fairly serious and time-consuming bolting operation, and time can be more
productively spent elsewhere.

<h3>Mammuth&ouml;hle</h3>

<p>Karl fixed us a trip beyond the show cave so that we would be able to name
drop. A very simple trip in the care of two Austrians called Bengesser and
&quot;Hardy&quot;. We had a quick look at the west entrance, now closed to
tourists and then trogged round the upper levels - ie. the Old Series. Most
of the passage is huge, with one aven getting to within 30m of the plateau,
but still no top entrance. Eventually we reached a huge chamber where the
done thing is to blacken pieces of clay with carbide and then scratch your
name on them - the only authorised graffitti in speleology - the only other
British name was someone from SWCC. Other pastimes here are burning
magnesium, flashing PF5's in people's faces, eating sardine sandwiches etc.
More large boring passage and then a quick exit, pausing only to let the
tourists gaze upon &quot;die echten H&ouml;hlenforscher!&quot;

<p>Apart from the size of the passages, there is little to recommend the
place, though we gather that in the new stuff, the Krippensteingang is stuck
at an inconclusive climb, if you fancy bolting up more than a day away from
the entrance.

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