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<title>1977: Mike Perryman's report in Descent 38</title>
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<p style="font-size: 80%">
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CTS 78.2027: Descent 38 (March/April 1978) p 34</p>
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<p>This article first appeared in <i>Descent</i>(38) for Mar/Apr
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1978, p34 and is reproduced here with the permission of the author
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and Wild Places Publishing.</p>
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<h1>Cambridge push the hard pots of Altaussee</h1>
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<p style="text-align: right"><b>Mike Perryman, CUCC</b></p>
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<p>FOR THE SECOND YEAR running, Cambridge Cavers, somewhat
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disillusioned after several summers prospecting in the Pyrenees,
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made a visit to the karst regions of western Austria in 1977. The
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1976 expedition (full details in the current <a href=
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"../../../years/1976/report.htm"><i>Cambridge Underground</i></a>)
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did important foundation work in the area, and even though little
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of note was found, sufficient knowledge was gained to make our
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prospecting last summer easier and more rewarding. It also found
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the Dachstein/Totesgebirge area excellent for tourist trips into
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the huge phreatic systems that abound, but attention was focussed
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on the extensive lapiaz plateau above Altaussee, where the caves
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have turned out to be of a very different nature.</p>
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<p>Until recently access to it had been difficult and the area
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consequently remained unexplored, but a toll road now serves this
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limestone mass nearly 3300ft above the nearest valley floor.
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Although prospecting now involves a mere one and a half hours walk,
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one arrives much poorer!</p>
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<p>The depth potential of this region is of the order of 3300ft,
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but serious dye-testing has yet to be carried out. Rumours this
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summer of a 2300ft+ pot discovered further east on the Tauplitz
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plateau by a French team lifted morale even further. If confirmed
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this find would displace Gruberhornh<6E>hle as the deepest in Austria.
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Then bear in mind that serious prospecting in the mountains has
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only just begun!</p>
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<p>Our finds have been more modest - amongst numerous small pots
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they include those now catalogued as holes 82, 97 and 106. The
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first of these would not be out of place in Yorkshire, with a
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stream cascading in at -130ft. After an awkward 65ft crawl, a
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series of wet pitches in progressively larger rifts reaches a sump
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at -754ft.</p>
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<p>97 is equally sporting with a tight entrance series leading to a
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succession of smallish pitches again in large rift passage. At
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886ft it suddenly closes down and becomes too constricted.</p>
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<p>106 was not pushed to definite conclusion due to lack of time,
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but a team reached 460ft in a series of enormous shafts.</p>
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<p>Exploration of these and other smaller shafts went rather slowly
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- partly because of their location in relation to our camp, and
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partly due to their nature. We were rather surprised to find the
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systems wet and responding rapidly to rain, and cold even by
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English standards. And almost without exception the pitches had to
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be bolted due to the scarcity of good natural belays.</p>
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<p>But we have returned with valuable knowledge of the region, and
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more than enough enthusiasm to organise another visit.</p>
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<hr />
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<ul id="links">
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<li>
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1977 Expedition info:
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<ul>
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<li><a href= "../../../years/1977/log.htm">Logbook</a> (currently missing)</li>
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<li>Andy Waddington's <a href= "../../../years/1977/andylg.htm">Logbook</a></li>
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<li><a href= "../../../years/1977/report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1978</a></li>
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<!-- <img src="../../../../icons/lists/1.png"> <a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report (NOT ON SITE)<br>-->
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<li>Nick Thorne's write-up in <a href= "../../../years/1977/771649.htm">Belfry Bulletin 354</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href= "../../../pubs.htm#pubs1977">Index</a> to all publications</li>
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<li><a href= "../../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
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<li><a href= "../../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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