CUCC Expedition Handbook

Flood Risk

The aim of this summary document is to pass on current knowledge, including between one year and the next year's expedition, about pitches that have significant flood hazards. The same info should also appear in each cave description, but sometimes they are out of date.

Last updated July 2016

The information is arranged by cave and area

Balcony (Balkonhöhle, 265)

Entrance Pitch: The lower two pitches of the entrance series become very wet or fully impassable. This includes the longest (~30m) hang - especially its lower part and ledge, and the final 10m pitch. A short period of rain can cause these pitches to become very drippy and unpleasant, but passable. However, heavy and/or sustained rainfall produces water spouts both on the main hang, and on the bottom pitch; thereby making the entrance series impassable. The response of these pitches to surface rain is quick. It can also take several (or more) hours for the water levels on the pitches to drop. Suitable kit for sitting out a flood (bothy bag, stove, food etc) should therefore be installed from start of expedition at the base of the entrance pitch.
Darks Arts: final Lleft-hand pitch: The left-hand and deeper (wet) pitch develops a water spout after only moderate rainfall, and responds quickly to surface rainfall.

Tunnocks (Tunnockschacht, 264)

Procrastination

The lower part of Procrastination pitch can become impassable and dangerous after heavy rainfall. In flood, water comes in immediately next to final rebelay bolt, which is drippy in normal conditions. Once above that final rebelay, you are out of the water hazard.

From Procrastination to Kraken Camp

This is not very strongly affected during heavy rain, and is passable. But there is some spray across the ropes in a few places.

Ususal Suspects

The original rigging down Usual Suspects (no longer used) can also get very wet. The traverse rig across the top (2016 onwards) gets damp when wet but remains passable. Usual Suspects pitch is now bypassed by String Theory pitch.

Champagne on Ice series

The pitch series can become impassable after particularly heavy rainfall, and is usually drippy in a few places.

Clayton's Cockup series

The bottom part of the big (70m) Flash Hard pitch gets very drippy, and may become impassable in heavier rain. Best avoided during moderate to heavy rainfall.

Puffball (Bovist und Puderzuckerhoehle, 182)

The whole cave after the 2nd pitch takes a (fairly small) streamway which reacts quickly to thunderstorms. all of the pitches get dangerously wet. People have come out twice under these conditions, but waiting would be safer.

Stellerweg

The main streamway below Pete's Purgatory gets very wet and dangerous. You will be washed down the passage. ARGE suffered a floodpulse here in 2011(?) and only lucky timing (they had not quite set off) avoided an extremely serious situation. Only go below this point is very settled weather.