CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

After Julian H & Chris D wimped at Stairway to Hell, that left it for me & Andy.

Boogied down in optimistic mood, decided that it probably wouldn't fall down, and Julian & Chris were wimps. Surveyed (carefully) through the choke & then out along the 'rift' above. It soon turned out that this was not a rift at all, but a huge chamber & we were wandering about below the boulders making up the floor.

The chamber (Hall of the Mounting Choss) was huge, almost 90m x 30m with a couple of pitches at the top of the slope. A bit more wandering about found a big passage taking a gale & leading to another big passage we were unable to climb down into.

Surveyed it all (300m) anf then found a way down into big cross passage. Wind here was going towards 050 ie back towards KH. Passage this way reaches a choss slope where we stopped, having done enough dodgy stuff to get this far. The other way (210deg) is a long rift. We followed it for about 50m - it was still going. There are also a couple of pitches & avens.

Extra verse as sung in Hilda's or approx:

The pitches in Austria, they're deep and they're big
To get to the bottom, you frig up the rig.
The bolts are in calcite, you know they won't hold
In Hilda's bar, many stories are told (most total bullshit!)