mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-25 08:41:54 +00:00
155 lines
8.7 KiB
HTML
155 lines
8.7 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
<html>
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf8" />
|
|
<title>1977-79: Andy's Eislufthöhle write up for Speleo Krakow</title>
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
|
</head>
|
|
<body>
|
|
<center><font size=-1>CTS 81.1412: Speleo Krakow 1/2 Dec 1980 (English original)</font>
|
|
<h2><span lang="pl">Odkrycie i eksploracja</span> <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span></h2></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>This article was commissioned by <span lang="pl">Krzysztof
|
|
Kleszynski</span> as part of a series of articles about Austrian caving as
|
|
context for Polish write-ups about their own explorations. It has previously
|
|
only appeared in Polish translation, in <b><span lang="pl">Speleo
|
|
Krakow</span> 1/2 Dec 1980</b> (CTS 81.1412) so the original English version
|
|
is published here for the first time. <hr />
|
|
|
|
<h2>Discovery and Exploration of <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span></h2>
|
|
|
|
<p>In 1976, members of the Cambridge University Caving Club, seeking a change
|
|
after five years at the <span lang="fr">Pierre St. Martin,</span> obtained
|
|
permission to visit Austria. After considering various alternative areas, we
|
|
decided upon the <span lang="de">Loser Augst-Eck</span> plateau in the
|
|
western Totes Gebirge, which seemed suited to the size and scope of CUCC
|
|
expeditions. The plateau lies south of the
|
|
<span lang="de">Schönberg</span> (2094m) at an altitude of 1600-1800m,
|
|
and easy access is provided by a toll road (completed 1972) from Altaussee,
|
|
our base, about 80km east of <span lang="de">Salzburg.</span>
|
|
|
|
<p>The first expedition did no serious exploration, but gained a feel for the
|
|
area as a whole and did some preliminary prospecting on the plateau, quickly
|
|
reaching the conclusion that the potential was good.
|
|
|
|
<p>A large group went out in 1977, and explored several systems 20-100m deep,
|
|
as well as three significant discoveries:
|
|
|
|
<p><span lang="de">Bräuninghöhle</span> was found first, an obvious
|
|
horizontal cave on a fault led to several pitches and a small stream. This led
|
|
to a large rift descending in pitches of 25, 50, 25 and 30m to a sump at
|
|
-220m.
|
|
|
|
<p><span lang="de">Schneewindschacht</span> was a tight draughting hole in
|
|
the bottom of a doline which had to be hammered out to allow access to a
|
|
climb and a very tight passage to the head of a deep rift. This dropped down
|
|
pitches of 15,20,20,15,30,15 & 15m in quick succession to some horizontal
|
|
passage and three more short pitches. More horizontal passage led to a large
|
|
shaft. A continuation could be seen beyond but could not be reached. The
|
|
shaft was 25m and there was no longer a draught at the bottom. Three short
|
|
pitches led to a final 20m drop and the way on became too narrow at -265m.
|
|
|
|
<p><span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> was a group of three powerfully
|
|
draughting entrances with snow, which quickly linked underground and led to a
|
|
very snow-choked 70m shaft Plugged Shaft. A further snow-free pitch of 13m
|
|
led to Boulder Chamber where some digging led to a narrow drop which opened
|
|
into a 30m pitch which continued beyond a large ledge at -144m. However,
|
|
tackle had run out and we had lost the draught so we retreated. In a small
|
|
rift above the pitch we found the draught and this led to 19m and 14m pitches
|
|
to a dry streamway which led to a chamber with a heavy drip - The Taproom,
|
|
where we ended exploration for 1977 at -150m.
|
|
|
|
<p>in 1978 another large group went out to continue with
|
|
<span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> and to look for other new pots.
|
|
|
|
<p>Digging in a draughting boulder-pile in a fault-valley near
|
|
<span lang="de">Bräuninghöhle</span> led to another fault-dominated
|
|
system, <span lang="de">Gemsehöhle.</span> Pitches of 18m, 23m and 19m
|
|
led to a complex horizontal area where a 10m pitch, Boulder Shaft, led to a
|
|
large black space, and the explorers decided to look elsewhere first, as they
|
|
were working on ladders. Instead, they descended pitches of 5m, 30m and 37m
|
|
in a narrow rift and then pitches of 5m, 9m and 8m in a high canyon. A team
|
|
using ropes now descended Boulder Shaft, exploring a 95m pitch to rejoin the
|
|
other route. Continuing down the canyon, a 5m climb and pitches of 5 and 14m
|
|
led to another large rift at right angles to the main line so far. A 44m
|
|
pitch reached the floor where the stream vanished in a small tube and the
|
|
main rift hit a large boulder collapse at -280m.
|
|
|
|
<p>In <span lang="de">Eislufthöhle,</span> meanwhile, we descended a
|
|
short drop in the Taproom and entered a rift leading to an enlargement where
|
|
we rigged pitches of 12,30 and 11m back to the stream. Traversing forward, we
|
|
reached the lip of a spacious 48m pitch in a notch in the side of the huge
|
|
aven chamber of Hall of the Greene King. Pitches of 3m & 7m brought us to
|
|
the floor at -262m and we next climbed over a large boulder pile to a short
|
|
7m drop into a smaller chamber. From here, two ways on were possible, and we
|
|
chose the apparently easier way to an awkward, muddy 20m pitch. A thrutchy
|
|
stream canyon now led on for a considerable distance, mainly traversing until
|
|
solid ground was reached above a sloping and extremely muddy 28m pitch, The
|
|
Fiesta Run. Below this, a short muddy climb led to the head of a muddy drop
|
|
with the stream audible below: stones dropped suggested a pitch of 30-50m
|
|
below the point reached at -330m. Unfortunately, a serious accident on the
|
|
surface curtailed exploration at this point and we were forced to derig.
|
|
|
|
<p>In 1979, only a small group was able to return, so
|
|
<span lang="de">Eislufthöhle</span> was our main objective. The 70m
|
|
Plugged Shaft had again totally changed its snow configuration and rebolting
|
|
was needed, but after this, the pot was quickly rigged to -260m. From the
|
|
second chamber here, the other outlet was explored and led to pitches of 17m
|
|
and 9m and thence back to the original route part way down the stream canyon.
|
|
The new route was marginally easier, so the original 20m pitch was not
|
|
rigged. From our lowest point at -330m, we tried to avoid the stream by
|
|
traversing forward, and soon reached a dry 15m pitch into a sizeable chamber
|
|
where a climb down 5m led to an awkward, steeply descending meander and a 25m
|
|
pitch in very sharp rock. Below this, the way on was a very narrow rift which
|
|
was becoming extremely tight when it broke out into the side of a pitch. This
|
|
seemed to be about 15m to the floor (which would therefore be at c-400m) but
|
|
was not descended.
|
|
|
|
<p>Straight down from the 1978 terminus, a 28m dropped onto an extremely
|
|
large cross rift and regained the stream as expected. A further 33m wet pitch
|
|
continued in the rift, and from the bottom, a short climb up and traverse
|
|
gained the head of a 42m pitch. Here the rope ran out, but a 6m freeclimb
|
|
reached a ledge and the head of a further pitch, still essentially in the
|
|
same rift with the water audible nearby. This was 25m, meeting the water
|
|
again a short way down and hence was very wet and cold. Immediately following
|
|
was a pitch of c20m which could not be descended on the first attempt as the
|
|
rope was too short, but a large passage could be seen leading on and the
|
|
potential seemd very good. It was extremely frustrating therefore, that there
|
|
was rain for four days, and our only attempt to descend the cave was beaten
|
|
back by high water conditions. This meant that our next trip into the cave
|
|
would be our last chance to push.
|
|
|
|
<p>Five of us descended, three to push and two taking photographs and
|
|
surveying. The undescended pitch was rerigged with a longer rope and the
|
|
floor attained. The water sank in rubble and the 'large passage' led to a
|
|
boulder climb and a short pitch where dark soft mud had an obvious message. A
|
|
further climb down boulders led to the large cold sump at -506m.
|
|
|
|
<p>Photgraphs were taken and then the task of derigging began. It was vital
|
|
to derig at least above the wet pitches in case we had more rain, and in the
|
|
event, we got all the gear back to -210m, finally exitting after 16 hours.
|
|
The remaining derigging was accomplished fairly easily and we left Austria.
|
|
There are still several unfinished leads in the cave, but the potential
|
|
remaining is not enormous, so we are unlikely to return to
|
|
<span lang="de">Eislufthöhle.</span>
|
|
|
|
<p align=center>A.E.R.Waddington, C.U.C.C., September 1979
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
<ul id="links">
|
|
<li>1979 Expedition info:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1980</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a></li>
|
|
<li>Eislufthöhle - <a href="descnt.htm">from Descent 44</a></li>
|
|
<li>Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href="792026.htm">Belfry Bulletin 378</a></li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1979">Index</a> to all publications</li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html>
|