expoweb/1626/la12.htm

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1626:LA12
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<center><table border=0 width=100%>
<tr><th align=left><font size=+2>LA12</font></th>
<th align=center><font size=+2>Sternloch</font></th>
<th align=right><font size=+2>3/S -</font></th></tr>
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<p><b>Altitude</b>: 1850m<br>
<b>Location</b>: 13&deg; 50' 20&quot; E, 47&deg; 42' 27&quot; N<br>
On flat col to the south of Ro&szlig; Kogel, slightly above and to the west
of a small but prominent rock shelter.
<p>A narrow slot (1m x 5m) with a small capping roof, soon bells out to a
landing after 17m on a boulder-strewn ledge. The second pitch, <b>Virgo</b>,
follows immediately, bolt belays giving a fine hang of 21m. Ways down
through the boulder floor soon choke, but a step up into a small alcove
reveals a small hole dropping into a rift. This is the take-off for
<b>Aquarius</b>, an 85m shaft in six sections. Halfway down, the water
cascades in from the roof, usually in large quantities.
<p>From the base of Aquarius, traversing forwards gains a drier hang for the
next pitch of 16m. A pendulum 10m down avoids the worst of the water, which
continues down a clean circular shaft (see below).
<p>The pendulum reaches <b>W.C.S. series</b> where two short drops in a rift
lead to a bolt rebelay in a massive jammed boulder. Just below this, a
window opens into a narrow shaft which is undescended. At the foot of the
rift, a short section of hading rift gets wetter at the head of the next
pitch, whose 11m are always lashed by spray from somewhere above.
<p>A short traverse into a large alcove escapes the spray and facilitates a
dry hang for <b>FUDE</b>, a 14m pitch with natural belays set well back and
soft squidgy choss at the pitch head. Two climbs lead to a rift/ramp area
where the way on is tight and thrutchy. <b>Nil Desperandum</b> soon drops to
the head of a short pitch and more climbs down into a chamber.
<p>The rift outlet is too tight, but a 5m climb up gains a bypass where a
short traverse leads to <b>Ardua</b>, a pitch of 11m. Down the slope, the
water sinks in boulders, but the way on is a slot in the wall behind a large
boulder. This immediately bells out onto <b>Astra</b>, a 38m pitch where a
pendulum onto and over a huge chocked boulder reaches bolts for the second
part of the pitch, a superb 25m drop down one end of a large rift.
<p>Climbing down at the far end of the rift, an area of breakdown is
reached. Up the boulders, a rift enters from the right (presumed to be an
inlet, but not explored), while water can be heard away to the left.
However, the loose nature of this area, combined with the pitch below,
precluded anything more than a cursory examination.
<p>Under the boulders, a short pitch lands in a chamber where the water is
rejoined shortly before it cascades over the lip of another large shaft, the
limit of exploration in 1987.
<p>The pitch is 57m and quite wet, dropping into a sizeable chamber (50m x
10m and 40m high), <b>The Planetarium</b>. This chamber is formed along a
fault, with breakdown littering the floor. At one end, under a large
waterfall, is a pitch between the wall and the boulders. This drops 15m into
an extremely loose boulder choke <b>Religious Places</b>, with no way on. No
other route out could be found from the Planetarium, giving an overall depth
of 331m.
<p>The wet way on from the bottom of Aquarius descends pitches of 7m and
27m. The latter is arguably the best pitch of the cave, hanging free for 23m
beside a column of water. Unfortunately, the way on is a tiny impassable
rift.
<p><b>Exploration</b>: <a href="../others/luss/index.htm">LUSS</a> 1987-8
<p><b>References :</b>
<dl>
<dt>87.1514<dd><cite>Austria Reconnaissance Expedition 1987, Lancaster University Speleological Society</cite>
<dt>89.1866<dd><cite>Dead Mountains Expedition 1988, L.U.S.S.</cite> 24pp illus.
</dl>
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