76 - Attempting to Reinvent the "Superdirect" route
Olly B
The earlier explorers of 76 speak of a "super direct" route from the col to 76. The route we used last year went via top camp (handy for stopping for a drink!) and then swung out onto the plateau, then back to 76 with a few awkward climbs, so there seemed scope for improvement. So I started from the tent pitched near the 76 bivi cave (2004/01), and headed along the break of slope towards the col. The route seems pretty promising, and partly already cairned. At one point I walked across a snowfield which might be harder once the snow melts. Eventually I popped out on the open limestone pavement to the far right of lower top camp as you look out onto the plateau from there. Just by a squat cairn I noticed faded orange-ish paint. Hard to be sure, but it seemed to say "80". Took a few pics. Looking later, this is in the right area to be 80, but 80 has a tag and the paint is/was on the shaft wall, not on pavement by the cairn. Need to go back to look for tags... Backtracked and aimed up and left to catch the start of the 161/204 path, which I succeded in doing. With a bit of fettling and some more cairns this is a very promising route!
Jenny would be a while longer so I ambled down, diverting onto the terraces before Bräuning Alm. Investigated a few holes, and then the foundations for what will presumably be another hut. There's currently a cement mixer (orange) and a large tarp-covered object (green/blue) next to the foundations. Just below this I discovered a gaping entrance unbered "96" in orange paint - this is an "exact location unknown" cave, so needs a GPS fix - mine was at 76 so will try to fix it later, although the new hut will make it hard to miss (it'll be the only hut on the other side of the path to all the others!). Wandered a little more, then rejoined the path just before the Stogerweg turnoff. Crossed the temporary electric fence and waited a few minutes for Jenny while fending off inquisitive cows.
[Annotation in Jenny's handwriting]PS: The Renault garage down the road is very good + cheap + quick.