CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

This was really two separate trips which interacted. We set off together. Mark S. and Julian H. surveyed S'not pitch. They surveyed from the lower Y-hang bolt on the 2nd pitch via S'not to a red spot below the squeeze, past the campsite.

Meanwhile Julian T., Andy and myself pushed on down S'not and on to the start of Burble. Here Andy wanted to try a short climb to see if there was any useful way on that possibly by-passed the Burble crawl or else led to new cave. We placed a bolt for protection and eventually managed to gain a shelf. From here a climb up boulders led to tight, sharp passages that seemed to go nowhere. About 20' above the shelf a passage led off seemingly parallel to the Burble Crawl. However climbing at at least HS standard would be required to reach it, so we certainly weren't going for it without sticky boots and dynamic ropes. We fixed a rope up the climb. Anyhow we then went on through the crawl and down the Burble pitch, rigged by Wookey. [Where the last rebelay fell off just as I (Andy) passed it.] At the foot of this is another pitch as yet unrigged, probably about 15m and then choked. Also are at least two horizontal ways on. We went on opposite the pitch into a maze [the lead mine] of walking passages. There are still possible ways on here. We eventually reached a large chamber on the scale of Big Sainsbury's. We checked out quite a lot of ways on from here but have not yet got any definite way on. A return is certain !

Time was getting on and lights were failing so we turned back. At the foot of the Burble we met Mark S. and Julian H. who gave us their surveying gear. They then went on to the chamber while we surveyed between the top of a pointy boulder at the foot of the Burble pitch (about 8' right of the end of the rope)(carbide mark) and a ceiling pendant at the entrance to the chamber. We surveyed our route through the lead mine (so-called because the entire survey was done on 1 cm of pencil lead) and some of the dead-ends off from it. While we had been doing this, Julian and Mark S. were pushing a pitch in the big chamber. We met them in the chamber and swapped Andy for Mark S.

Mark S. Julian T. and myself then headed out doing a spot of surveying en route. Meanwhile Andy and Julian H. descended the pitch and found it to be choked at about -15m [now known to be Endless]. They then also headed out.