CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

Went to investigate a scrothole that Holly had squidged into and pronounced an "A" lead. So, having already been passed by Rob and Olaf we thought we'd have a look...

Sadly some of the rather spectacular popcorn protrubences died a death as we wriggled through the hole, having just scrotted down the previous bit of passage, after christening the perched boulder "Boris". Don't ask why...

Well, a short section of small, popcorn encrusted phreatic pocketing led to a larger phreatic passage ~1.5x2m, with a hole in the floor (QMA), a window and climb down to the right which ended in a mud choke (QMD) and a ceiling inlet with a small stream which dropped down the pitch. A higher cavity could be seen ~3m up this ... QMB.

We carried on along the phreatic passage, which developed a floor trench and ceiling pockets, before dropping down a 2m climb. Howling draft and V.cold.

Mud choked chamber at foot of climb, pitch on R (QMA). Climbed up 3m opposite original passage, above the pitch, into a BIG phreatic chamber (Pussy Riot) with boulders, pitches (QMA,QMB,QMB,QMB,QMB) some further phreas entering ~8m up the wall (QMA).

At this point we decided we needed the wisdom of greater experience to choose our next move, so I ran back to the bottom of Fat Cat, clambering over Boris, and hollered for those well known cave sniffers, Dour and Wookey.

20 mins later, after a pause durig which they finished bolting a traverse and me and Emma sang and cackled and chatted, we headed back to the chamber.

Wookey immediately walked over the boulders (ignoring the black spaces beneath which we'd found so offputting) straight into a horizontal continuation on the left of the chamber. A 2m climb down, requiring one bolt and a natural was reached. Me and Emma surveyed while this was bolted, and Wookey had a quick scoop ahead (tut tut!).

Small, mud floored, mostly hands and knees or stooping phreatic passage was reached, which after a couple of minutes opened out into a large chamber - Cirque du Soleil.

Me and Emma leapfrogged Dour and Wookey (who were now surveying) and started surveying the chamber. Its V.V. big... amd a big draft... Large pillar in centre, a big drippy pitch to the south (QMA), some holes upslope between the pitch and entrance which we thought we could see the others' lights through (QMA,QMA), and four more pitches, 2 on each side of the chamber (4xQMB). Carried on to far side of chamber past pillar to a steep chossy slope with perched death down into big stomping trunk passage which, as Dour put in, was "Blowing a hooley". This went ~10m to another massive drippy pitch.

Having reached a natural break, we decided to head out, nattering and chattering. Out at 1 am.

Cat Gut: QMB - Inlet in ceiling. ~3m climb to cavity
         QMA - Pitch in floor under 2 boulders, takes a stream
         QMD - Mud choked downclimb - small stream sinks
Pussy Riot: QMA - Down pitch on R of climb up into chamber ~15m? ~20m? hard to tell...
            QMB - Hole on left under boulders at top of climb into chamber ~2m to a floor
            QMB - Pitch on R of chamber, ~20m ?
            QMB - Pitch on R of exit of chamber
            QMX - Possible phreatic passage ~8m up wall opposite climb up into chamber
Cirque du Soleil: QMB - Pitch on L as enter chamber
                  QMA - Hole in wall up slope on R as enter chamber
                  QMA: hole in wall up slope on R as enter chamber
                  QMA: Big drippy pitch in south side of chamber, drafts strongly in (down pitch)
                  QMB: Pitch on R by wall just before slope down into trunk passage
                  QMB: Pitch on L by slope down into trunk passage
                  QMA: Big drippy pitch at end of trunk passage POSSIBLY FINAL PITCH OF KIWI SUIT