CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

Finally, after a five year wait it was time to go beyond the Asteroid Belt in Deep Space (148). Got down to the pushing front fairly quickly, and Olly proceeded to rig our 200m of rope down. First pitch was long (as we knew from dropping rocks) ~60m, most rocks had also gone down the next short pitch too. The pitch after that one was also short, and just round the corner. Basically cave is a very high rift with a little trickle of water down the back. Next pitch was longer + spray lashed at base. Next very short pitch wetter still. Then there was a little bit of horizontal to the following (dry) short pitch, and the same again to the next. Olly got to the bottom of that with 4m rope left, 4 hangers and 4 hiltis, and the cave changed to being horizontal. How is that for careful planning and frugal rigging!

Walked/bridged along the rift passage until we hit a boulder choke. I hypothesised that this was the altitude that 107, 97, 82 end at, but actually we were ~40m higher. Olly spotted that the water went under the choke in a little trench. I took off my SRT kit and Olly moved some rocks out. With some effort I managed to wriggle through with the water, under the boulders. Inside the choke I could stand up and cautiously climb up and out the other side! Short passage off to right into another choke (upstream). Downstream to left continued some way, so I went back to get Olly. Olly managed to get through too, and we headed off to explore. Followed downstream, down a climb and to a pitch. Surveyed out from here. Looked at a climb up on the right (going out) which goes up into an aven with black space above - so might be possible to go over the boulder choke. Surveyed back to above the final pitch, then began the long route out. Got out safely and before dawn, what more can you ask for?