CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

Ben drove us up the Toll Road before going off to collect Simon + Simon. From there we strode manfully up to the col camp before dumping some gear at the large cave entrance visible on the return from 106 about halfway back to the col. Collected some bits of Tony's gear from 106 and on the return stumbled across a deep sounding shaft just off the marked route about 100 yds from 106. We returned to the large entrance and Tony set to at a rock blocking the previously located passage beyond. After a couple of minutes we broke through and Tony thrutched through in his shorts, T-shirt and carrying his emergency electric light - found chamois skeleton in stooping height phreatic tube which ended in a small cosy chamber after 50 feet. Andy W then attacked another entrance further along the cliff face, which was draughting intermittently; dug through some loose rubble to enter a phreatic passage similar to the previous one - but about 3m wide, flat floored and minus the chamois remains. After about 40 feet a boulder fall split the passage. The left hand dropped 3 feet to a boulder-choked depression then led up through a boulder pile in the [looks like 'rough']. which Andy W ascended as far as he dared - about 15 feet - some ice in the roof. The R H lead at the boulder fall led to the same boulder pile into the roof, which choked similarly. Emerged with chilly hands after around ten minutes poking around. Tony wisely decided not to enter, either because the entrance was awkward or more probably because it was bloody cold and he wasn't wearing a wetsuit.

We then packed up the gear and trundled off to the promising looking shaft found earlier on near 106. Sun by now blazing down. Andy W spent the first 10 minutes bolting the entrance while Tony fiddled around with his chest harness and other bits of ironmongery. Rigged the pitch with a 50m length of Interalp - Tony descended in T-shite and shorts, kicked away some snow about 20 feet down, decided it was a wetsuit job and prusiked out, lacerating knees en route !

Andy W then descended to a ledge about 45-50' down, then returned to the surface. Tony, having donned the necessary protective gear abseiled down beyond the ledge through a narrower slit down to the bottom, which had no exit. Prussicked back to above the ledge where a short traverse to the right led to a 25 ft pitch with a possible continuation along the rift. Returned to surface for reappraisal. Andy W then descended to the bottom (of what was about a 75 ft shaft) came back up to look at the side passage and returned, considering it not worth pursuing. We thrutched around amongst surface holes for a while before encountering Nick and Julian on their return from 410m of 106.

What an entertaining and pleasant day.

Tony.