CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

Walked up from base camp as it was not raining for a change. Mike & Becka (who set off first) were nowhere to be seen - they'd got sidetracked onto the Schwabenschacht track & turned up about an hour after us, very pissed off :-) Both even more dismayed to find soggy undersuits!

Went off down Mission Impossible to survey it. Left Mike rerigging up-pitch to remove rubs. Moved deviation of p25 (Good afternoon Mr. Phelps) & start of next sloping pitch (off floor). Wet pool not quite as bad as we had been led to believe, but still not great. Put in a couple of rocks to allow a reasonably dry passage. Laughed at the extraordinary spider-web of rigging on big pitch ( [blank where name ought to have been inserted, Ed.] ) and re-rigged (as we had drill) with a traverse & new rebelay. Rope didn't reach so we used old rope for bottom part. Wook & Becka did tape/plumb parts of survey down pitch.

Very impressive pitch. Traverse across top may lead to somewhere different - needs checking. 20m down it narrows & then chokes - continues through narrow connecty bit to enter side of another big shaft - possible ways on on other side.

At bottom wind comes out of low passage & into low one, blocked by rocks after a few feet (could be dug). Surveyed this horiz. passage after running around quite extensive horizontal development, and pulling 100m rope out of streamway, where it was rigging a 6m pitch. Mike went out as he was very cold. Becka stuck it out & was pleased to prussik out with 100m rope to warm up. Wook & Andy finished off survey up pitches, derigging old rope en-route. Left with 100m rigged on a traverse ready to go down pitch. Good trip. Nice bit of cave - but where the hell is the connection hidden ?