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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
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<title>CUCC's Austria Expeditions: High camps</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href=/css/main2.css />
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<h1>CUCC's high camps on <span lang="de-at">Loser</span></h1>
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<p>Over the almost four decades during which CUCC have been visiting the <span
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lang="de-at">Loser-AugstEck</span> plateau, they have found it essential to
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camp nearer the caves than the base camps in <span
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lang="de-at">Altaussee</span> (1976-82) and <span lang="de-at">Grundlsee</span>
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(1983 to present). The <a href="../years/1978/log.htm#driveroty">1978 accident</a>
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demonstrated the foolishness of trying to conduct long explorations without a
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high camp. Several people have been benighted on the plateau over the years
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and rescues in 1989, 2007 and 2016 as well as numerous other incidents show
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the value of rapid assistance from Top Camp in
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the event of a mishap underground.</p>
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<p>From 2002 to date our only top camp has been in "204 Steinbrückenhöhle" (see below).
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In 2017 we (mostly UBSS guests)
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established a bivvy camp very close to Organhöhle (see below)
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which will be established more soundly in 2018.</p>
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<p>The terminology of these camps has become very confused over
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time, as the campsites have changed. At some time, virtually every
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early camp has been called "Camp 1" by someone or other, and several
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sites have been called "Top Camp"! Note that it has been
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<b>illegal</b> to camp within the Nature Reserve <span lang="de">(Naturschutzgebiet)</span>
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area since 1993, and we obtain special permission every year for
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exploratory purposes.</p>
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<h3><a id="id1977camp">1977</a> Advance Camp</h3>
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<p>CUCC's first high camp was set up in 1977, on a site identified on the first
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visit in 1976. This was on an area of pasture above a small limestone scar from
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<a href="/1623/l/tc1977.htm"><span lang="de-at">Bräuning Alm</span></a>. At
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the time, the springs in the valley here were the only reliable water supply we
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had discovered. There were caves nearby, as well as ones on the plateau to
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explore, so the site proved very pleasant, until washed out in one (of many)
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mega-thunderstorm.</p>
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<div class="centre">
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<a href="../guidebook/l/tc1977.htm"><img src="../guidebook/t/tc1977.jpg"
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width="158" height="108" alt="Camp 1977" /></a>
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<a href="../guidebook/l/tc77a.htm">
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<img src="../guidebook/t/tc77a.jpg" width="138" height="103"
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alt="Camp 1977" /></a>
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<a href="../guidebook/l/tc77b.htm">
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<img src="../guidebook/t/tc77b.jpg" width="151" height="88"
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alt="Camp 1977" /></a>
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<p class="caption">
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Views of 1977 Advance camp.
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</p></div>
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<h3><a id="id1979camp"><span lang="de-at">Schwarzmoossattel</span></a>
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bivouac</h3>
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<p>Once most exploration was centred on the plateau, the camp at
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<span lang="de-at">Bräuning Alm</span> proved of little real value, and
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all exploration was conducted by driving up from the valley. The difficulties
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and dangers of returning across the plateau in the dark led to some cavers
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doing "overnight" trips, in which the cave was descended in daylight, and
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exitted in daylight the next day. The risk associated with this approach was
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that of <a href="../years/1978/log.htm#driveroty">falling asleep</a> on the
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drive down, as Julian Griffiths demonstrated. Having stayed awake down all
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the seriously fatal hairpin bends, the car drove itself through a fence and
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down a 10m drop in the valley below. The mangled steering wheel, bent by a
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tree-sized piece of fence coming through the windscreen, became CUCC's
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"Driver of the Year" award at subsequent dinners.</p>
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<p>It was realised that for overnight trips to work, there had to be at least
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a bivouac of some sort near the plateau. A tiny trickle of water was found,
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which could be used to fill a water container buried in the ground, and a
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single tent established just to the south of <span
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lang="de-at">Schwarzmoossattel</span> ("The Col") in 1979. This never really
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deserved the title "camp". It was never used again, as exploration in 1980
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switched to the <span lang="de-at">Stellerweghöhle</span> area, and
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neither of the previous high camps were really of any use.</p>
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<h3><a id="topcamp">Schwarzmoossattel Top Camp</a></h3>
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<table class="imgtable">
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<tr><td><a href="../piclinks/tpcamp.htm">
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<img src="../tinypix/tpcamp.jpg" width="166" height="114"
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alt="Top Camp" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="../piclinks/tc1996.htm"><img width="200" height="134"
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src="../tinypix/tc1996.jpg" alt="Top Camp" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="../piclinks/tc-161.htm">
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<img src="../tinypix/tc-161.jpg" width="181" height="123"
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alt="Top Camp from 161" /></a></td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="caption">
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<td>Top Camp on upper site, 1993
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</td><td>Lower site, 1996</td>
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<td>Seen from <span lang="de">Schwarzmooskogel</span> ridge
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</td>
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</tr></table>
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<p>A really good permanent spring was found in a small
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climbable shaft a short way beyond
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<span lang="de-at">Schwarzmoossattel</span> ("The Col").
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As this was adjacent to one of the very few flat areas of grass, and right
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next to the path as well, this has made an ideal camp site, and was the normal
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Top Camp from 1988 to 2001. <a href="logbooks.html">Logbooks</a> and Journal accounts at the time
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referred to this as "Camp I", despite its not being the first high
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camp. A few references are to "Camp 3", which tried to reflect the
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chronology. Later it was known just as "Top Camp". In
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fact, to minimise the impact on grassy areas, the camp alternated between
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the small site immediately adjacent to the spring and a larger (but boggier)
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area a little lower (used in 1994, 1996, 1998 etc.).</p>
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<h3><a id="vd1camp">VD1 Camp</a></h3>
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<p>In 1988, and again in 1989, there was a small advance camp much nearer to
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the <span lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> entrance, again to overcome the
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trials of crossing the very rough plateau in the dark. This was on a relatively
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flat area of low bunde (dwarf pine) just on the east side of the flat area of
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limestone on which the permanent survey station "VD1" is located, on the normal
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walk up to the 161 entrances on the col between the <span
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lang="de-at">Vorderer</span> and <span lang="de-at">Hinterer
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Schwarzmooskogels.</span> This was variously known as 'far campsite' or 'Camp
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2', in the <a href="logbooks.html">logbooks</a>.
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A lack of water, sanitation, space and comfort led to this
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camp being abandoned.</p>
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<h3>Scarface Camp</h3>
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<p>It was hoped that in 1996, a new Top Camp would be established somewhere
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where access to the 161d, 'Scarface' entrance to <span
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lang="de">Kaninchenhöhle</span> would be easier, as all trips used this
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new entrance, giving rapid access to the majority of current question marks in
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the cave. Unfortunately, access via the <span lang="de-at">Stogerweg</span>
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proved to be more strenuous than from the old plateau top camp, and no usable
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water supply was found, so this campsite never came into existence.</p>
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<h3>40 Eishöhle bivvy</h3>
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<p>In 2001 people decided to bivvy nearer to the the cave entrances. This
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involved putting up tarpaulins in natural shelters, and sleeping on inflatable
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lilos. The 40 bivvy is in the main 40a <span lang="de-at">Eishöhle</span>
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entrance. It is surprisingly comfortable as this entrance does not have a cold
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gale coming out of it, and the floor is very flat. It is luxurious for 2, comfy
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for 3 and can sleep 4. Water is collected by putting a tarp. in a steep gulley
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opposite with a hose to a butt in the bivi - very effective.</p>
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<div class="centre"><a href="../images/40bivy.jpg"><img src="../tinypix/40bivy.jpg"
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width="200" height="128" alt="40 bivvy" /></a></div>
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<h3 id="204">204 Steinbrückenhöhle ("The Stone Bridge") bivvy</h3>
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<p>Cavers working in 204 (<span
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lang="de-at">Steinbrückenhöhle</span>) used the eponymous stone
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bridge as a bivouac. The sloping floor was terraced and flat sleeping
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and cooking areas were made. Tarpaulins were put up to reduce the
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drips and wind. Water was obtained from snow at 231, collecting drips
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in 231 and a funnel inserted in a grike on the roof of the stone
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bridge. Initially two, and later 3 butts were used for
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water storage. </p>
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<p>This has been the main high camp used every year since 2002; it has
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been extensively reterraced to increase its capacity (as of 2003 it
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could sleep 12 and by 2017 22 could be jammed in), the water
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collection methods refined, and a cooking area created, to give an
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exceedingly comfortable bivvy site. A much larger single tarp covering
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the whole length, used since 2015, has made it much drier at the back,
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and the place is now very civilised indeed.
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See the <a href="bivirig.html">bivvy rigging guide</a> for tarp erection details.</p>
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<div class="centre">
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<a href="/1623/204/bivvy.html">
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<img src="../tinypix/204bivy.jpg" width="233" height="168"
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alt="204 bivvy" /></a>
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<a href="/1623/others/l/nasev2.htm"><img src="/1623/others/t/nasev2.jpg"
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height="168" alt="Clearer View from Bräning Nase" /></a>
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<a href="i/shovelling-snow.jpg"><img src="t/shovelling-snow.jpg"
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height="168" alt="Full of snow in 2019" /></a>
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</div>
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<p>In July 2019 we discovered it full of snow, which required a lot of shovelling before it was habitable.
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<h3>76 Eislufthöhle bivvy</h3>
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<p>In 2004-2007, the 76 <a href="/1623/76/76.html">Eislufthöhle</a>
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re-exploration project necessitated a camp close to the 76 entrance. A bivouac
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was established in a convenient rock shelter nearby. This was also
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used in 2012,13,15,16. Camping on the nearby grassy bit, which has
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room for 2 small tents is a lot warmer than staying in the bivi cave.</p>
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<div class="centre"><a href="/1623/others/l/76bivvyvw.html">
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<img src="../tinypix/76bivvy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3><a id="id2017camp">2017</a> Organhöhle Camp</h3>
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<p>Sleeping 3 or 4, a bivvy with rainwater collection was established in a small
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overhang very close to <a href="/1623/283.html">Organhöhle</a> and Guten Morgen höhle. This is a further hour or two walk from
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the main top camp at Steinbruckhöhle; and would be very hard to establish without
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the resources available at Steinbruckhöhle. The usual route goes very close to Tunnocksschaft entrance and within view of the
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entrance to <a href="/1623/264/264.html">Balkonhöhle</a> - and then rather a lot further and over the ridge with a
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view down to the Appelhaus area. This route was cairned thoroughly in 2018.
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<div class="centre"><a href="i/organh-bivvy.jpg">
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<img src="t/organh-bivvy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<p>When UBSS first explored Organhöhle they approached from the other direction. See their write-up
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in Descent (see page 18
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of <a href="/others/ubss/UBSS_NL_web_series2_v6_sv3.pdf">UBSS newsletter</a>)
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for the horrendous walk that this involves.
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<hr />
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</body>
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</html>
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