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<title>1981: BCRA Caves & Caving report</title>
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<font size=-1>CTS 82.1194: BCRA Caves & Caving 15 (Feb 1982) pp 14-15,41 [ISSN 0142-1832]</font>
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<h1>CUCC/UBSS in Austria</h1>
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<p><font size=+1><i>A joint Cambridge University / University of Bristol
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expedition continued exploration of the Stellerweghöhle system to -680m,
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with a through trip at -400m. The system is still wide open for
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pushing.</i></font>
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<p><i>For the sixth year running, Cambridge University Caving Club visited
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the Totes Gebirge, Austria. This year there were an equal number of cavers
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from the University of Bristol Spelæological Society, making up a
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strong team of 20. We spent the first three weeks of August 1981 camping at
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Altaussee, a small village below the Loser Plateau, and 55km SE of Salzburg.
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As in 1980, we were looking at the Stoger Weg area, which is reached by a
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drive up a toll road and an hour's walk-in.</i>
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<p><i>The 1980 expedition (1,2) left two pots unfinished.
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Schnellzughöhle (AKA Gemsescheissenhöhle) - 1623/115 in the
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Austrian Catalogue - had a railway tunnel-like entrance leading via the 20m
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Bell Pitch to a narrow rift which broke out into a large phreatic tube; the
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descent which followed led to an undescended pitch down the 'Ramp'.
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Stellerweghöhle (1423/41) had originally been entered by some Germans,
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but their way petered out at -160m. The 1980 route led via phreatic passages
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developed along inclined bedding planes to a superb 100m pitch, followed by a
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series of smaller wet pitches (at first tight) then breaking out into a large
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rift. Exploration had ceased at -350m due to lack of time.</i>
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<p>The 1981 expedition soon rigged Schnellzughöhle and carried on down
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The Ramp, a series of pitches following the bedding down at 45°, making
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for awkward prussiking. From here, there follows a sequence of more vertical
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pitches in a large rift - these normally only carry a small stream, but this
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rises rapidly in flood. The last pitch drops into a spacious chamber and a
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stream heads down a narrow vadose canyon - Pete's Purgatory. This resembles a
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slim version of the Crabwalk in Giants and is hard work with much tackle.
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After about 850m, the passage widens at an inlet and a short pitch brings one
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to a sump. Our hopes of the cave coming to an end were dashed by a short
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climb to the left which led to an easy bypass - this shows that the sump
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cannot be more than 10m long. Downstream, the passage enlarges and drops in a
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series of cascades and short, wet pitches. The final limit of exploration is
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an undescended 10m pitch.
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<p>Meanwhile, Stellerweghöhle took about a week to rig to the previous
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year's limit because of the arduous nature of the cave. It was on the next
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pushing trip that the connection to 115 was made. This came as a complete
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surprise - not least to the party down 115 at the time. The final pitch drops
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15m into Junction Chamber. Following the stream becomes too narrow and
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traversing above leads to a series of large phreatic tubes. One of these may
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be followed until traversing over a narrow vadose canyon below becomes a mite
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tricky. The route to 115 lies through a phreatic maze where route finding
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consists of following the draught (and now the footprints). From Connection
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Cairn, the way lies uphill until the passage pops out at roof level in Pete's
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Purgatory, about 50m downstream from the last pitch in 115.
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<p>The linking up of the two caves has produced a magificent through trip of
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400m depth and a system with a total depth of 680m (±40m) which is
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still wide open. The quoted depth is not very accurate because the lack of
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time (and volunteers) to survey through Purgatory, and it is here that much
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easy depth is gained.
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<p>It is generally assumed that the water resurges in the Altausseer See,
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giving a potential depth of 900m from the 41 entrance. Some draughting
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entrances were noted above, giving the possibility of adding another 50m to
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the depth. As shown on the survey, 32 is a hole on the Stoger Weg with a
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powerful draught which presumably connects, but which is too tight and is
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probably not worth pushing.
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<p>Other caves in this area are basically vertical shaft systems which close
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down before they reach active streamway of any size; the Stellerweghöhle
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System is quite unlike this. Exploration of the streamway beyond the sump
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demands rather more thought as it is difficult to predict when the next
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thunderstorm will unleash itself. The phreatic levels at -400m are seen at
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similar altitudes in the other caves of the area, and may be connected with a
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late Tertiary S-N drainage system - a close look at these will be high on our
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list of priorities for next year. It is hoped to find a bypass to Purgatory,
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giving easier caving and a more accurate survey. The 1982 expedition should
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see Stellerweg take its place as one of the most important systems in the
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area.
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<p><b>Thanks</b>
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<p>. . . . to local cavers Karl Gaisberger and Gunter Graf, campsite
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owner Fritz Madlmaier and also to the University of Bristol and the Tratman
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Fund.
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<p><i>Pete Lancaster</i>
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<p><b>References</b>
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<p><a href="../1980/descnt.htm">1.</a> Thorne, N. Descent No. 49 p 46
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<br><a href="../1980/report.htm">2.</a> Cambridge Underground 1981
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<p>The volumes of Cambridge Underground from 1977 onward provide details of
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all our explorations on the Loser.
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<hr />
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<ul>
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<li>1981 Expedition info:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
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<li><a href="report.htm">Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1982</a></li>
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<li><a href="cavdev.htm">Cave Development in the Totes Gebirge</a>
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(from CU Report)</li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1981">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>
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</ul>
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</body>
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