CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

Dinner day so a slack trip in order.

Sorted out 188, 99OB03 & 99OB04 (right by lower TC) & marked them. Tags needed.

Then went to Eishöhle with Mike (taking his gear). En-route we fettled a few things:

Put a spit in 145b (not at previous stations)
Put a spit in at WK5
Put a spit in at 163. Unfortunately fixed point was under snow so used a new location.
Put a spit in at 'H88...' the 80's cave downslope from 163 in the gulley (may be Schwarzblatthöhle?)

Did all these as we were carrying the drill.

Finally, got to Eishöhle & showed Becka & Brian which ents were which & how to label them:

40e Brennerbeselschluf: 1623/40e
(Small ent. ignored)
Next ent (low, wide) 'CUCC 2000-05' - need to see if it connects (now: 215)
40h Eistunnel: '1623/40h'
'Nichts 50': 'CUCC 2000-06' (now 216)
Cave at bottom of snow cwm with spit 'CUCC 2000-07' (now 217)

Whilst we got changed, Mike realised we weren't going back via TC - no-one had told him so he had no pit! He resolved to have a short look-see trip & then go back & meet us at the car-park, despite having come via a circuitous route bolting above caves. We wished him luck and gave him a GPS !

Surveyed Eistunnel entrance to new bolt, went to Grüner eingang & rigged up-pitch with proper rope & bolts, tried to dig G.E. out (it is still under 2-3m of snow, but a chink of light could be seen) & left a 7m rope at pitch into 'old cave' before coming out.

For the 2nd time in 2 days it started raining as we left the cave & soon was a full thunderstorm. Got soaked to the skin _again_ in the 57 mins walk back.

All the paths were brown rivers flowing into shakeholes - I have never seen it like that before ! Parts of path were ankle-deep - remarkable. Back for dinner with perfect timing.