This was the last exploration expedition here. Every corner we checked ended somehow. Every cave have an end and this expedition marked the end of Kreuzhohle's 10 years of explorations... . We need to make another trip down there to remove the ropes, carabiners, bivouac materials etc. . What we will not remove is the hard work and the passion we invested in this "dark palace". The endless hours on ropes, the cold, the stone flying near you in the middle of the shafts, the happiness when we saw a new hall around the corner, the winter that suddenly came outside while we worked for six days in cave. The evenings and mornings in bivouacs when we reported each other what we went through. All these, can't be drawn on maps, can't be shown in pictures, can't relive while watching films, all these stay with us forever. This is what caving bring to cavers. Life at it's apogee.
With a depth of -782m on one side and -700 in other two shafts in totaly different areas and a development of almost 4500m, Kreuzhohle doesn't shy to it's neighbors.
And now back to the story....
Between Lofer Camp that took place at the end of August and this expedition I stayed in Germany, afraid that if I would go back home it would be impossible to return due to COVID thing. So, at the end of Lofer Camp I let at hut some stuff to "rest" for 3 weeks. I came by train from Neuwied to Worms changing 3 trains and from Worms I joined Oliver in his car to Austria. We picked Mark from the way also. Petr came alone with his car from Stuttgart.
Friday evening we met all four at Peyerl guesthouse in Lofer. We were the only clients of the guesthouse. Lofer was also empty. Covid-19 crisis is changing time as we live it. Nothing is normal anymore. There is a good thing tho: overcrowded places are quiet places now.
Saturday morning we had a great breakfast in a sunny weather and we went to park the cars in Loferer Hochtal. At 9:37 we started on the trail to von Schmidt Zabierow hut.
Four hours later we had a meal in the hut. There, Marvin was waiting for us. He came there earlier and did some things like installing CaveLink antenna. Unfortunately the SIM contact of the CaveLink was not working and it would be impossible to receive forecast updates while we will be underground because nobody will stay outside to text us the forecast, just from the comfort of the sofa back home. So, we will have connections between the two teams inside but no words from outside. But, we have waterfalls noise and airflow direction to interpret the weather outside :).
We divided the materials that needed to be carry to the cave entrance in this day and the next one. More than half of the equipment necessary to the expedition we brought already by Saturday.
Back to hut, we had a great dinner and I chose again to sleep outside. I do this every time the weather permit it. Is phantastic. I can watch the stars while falling to sleep. And beside that, nobody is snoring or farting around.
After the breakfast we took our 2nd part of equipment needed for exploration and went to cave. As usually we did the picture before the entrance.
Mark went with Petr in front, then I went with Oli. On the big shaft of 96 meters I realized is not my day. The descender got stuck several times and I had to push the rope in descender harder then ever. In the first rebelay I was unsure if I should mount the rope in "zero" or on normal way. I decided to let it on normal. Big mistake ! My stop was jammed no matter what. I started to push the rope with my right hand like crazy. Descending like this 30 meters and then 50m left me with an crazy muscle burn in right hand. When I reached the bottom Oli asked me if I am ok.
- Well...I am not going back now, let's go !
We continued on the path that we know like our home until we reached Hall I from The Ruins where is our main bivouac since 2014. Plans were simple: Petr and Mark are trying to push through in the deepest part of the cave. Me and Oli would erase the last 3 question marks on the western part of the cave. Derigg anything if possible while coming up.
Monday, after the first night in Hall I where we stayed all four as a team, we split. Mark and Petr dressed with garbage bag of 120 l over their caving suits were ready to meet the Niehamwassa shaft.
I went with Oli through Hall II, IV, III and then the muddy shaft that goes to Hall V and we turned right in Hall VI where a shaft left unexplored was waiting us. A rope stored for that was also available on site. Oli started to rigg, I came with DistoX and the tablet behind. There is some water flowing in the pitch but not much. After -27 meters we reached a crack that led us to another shaft with a big stone that looks like a rabbit. Here some serious water is coming from above. Bolt, sling, bolt and down !
Looking from above this place looks familiar, so I was thinking with loud voice:
- Hmm, I know this place, wtf !
Was the passage we explored four years ago coming from the bottom of Hall VII that goes in an dead end. Good, we have another connection !
We went back through Hall VII just for fun, to have a nice round trip. We derigged the new shaft and went back to Hall I in bivouac. Messages in CaveLink from Petr and Mark came late. Big problem: They forgot to take the stove ! We checked the Hall I bivouac and we saw it. Well, they had at least the back-up: the spirit stove. So, problem solved for now.
Next day, next question mark: a pitch with water (Duschecke) left unexplored by Petr in 2013. The waterfall in Hall 1 was louder than usually. Because we didn't had connection with outside word, we could only guess what's going on at surface....rain.
The survey lines in the area we had to go that day showed that Duschecke pitch is going to Hall VI but you never know. We found the old bolts from Petr and Oli went through planting two more bolts. The view was crazy. The whole Hall VI and it's upper part that come from Hall V was visible from a side.
Then we went to West meander to derigg West Shaft. Oli went down In West Shaft to "visit" this place. He came back with the rope from the shaft. I was sooo sad. This shaft goes to Labyrinth bivouac and to Bell Shaft, the deepest point on this part, - 700m. Exploring this side was like a puzzle. Piece by piece we deciphered the entire area that have several crawls and side passages. Now, without the rope from West Shaft the Mother Darkness is taking back it's dark kids. Nobody will come here too soon for sure.
We bring up to Hall I all the stuff from West Meander. On the way we collected some clay deposits that were so black that Oli expected to be vulcanic remains. Last pictures here and off we go.
Back in Hall I bivouac we had messages from Mark and Petr: digging site one closed, they are trying other way. Kreuzhohle is closing every crack we search. I went to sleep in my place under the monster block that separate Hall I from Hall II. Usually here, on my left was Uli then Tom. Now, is the lady dark... . Oli is sleeping in his "place" between the rocks of Hall I. This way, the place looks more populated. Only the waterfall dripping on the bottles that we use to collect the water is breaking the silence. We are just some ants that disturbed the Mother Nature, period. Who doesn't realize how insignificant we are, need to start exploring. He can understand a lot of things much better. Be humble and bless what you live. This is so rare today.
In the morning,coffee and tea, musli with milk powder. Salami and cheese and back on track. Question mark 3: the small hall from the end of Crystal Meander and the deep narrow shaft that is developed below Hall V, after descending a 27 m shaft. In the Hall V Oli went down on P 27 to see the deep crack that I was there in 2014. He decided that is impossible to enlarge it. The rock fall more than 10 seconds so probably is the deepest pitch here, but we can't get through. Younger cavers in 100 years from now should check this out ! The tight area is vertical and is at least 10 meters deep. Crazy hard work to enlarge it. So, dead and end for us and question mark on map. After that, we went in the river bed from the bottom of Hall VI to have a last look.
Then, we went to last point: the small hall above the bottom of the Piatra Unirii intersection consisting of Wunderland Meander and Crystal Meander. The rope was in place and I went down. Oli came to join to revisit something that we reached together six years ago coming from Wunderland meander. Then he went up to bolt a traverse line to the small hall from above. The hall is not larger than 4 meters diameter and isn't going anywhere. Because the drilling machine ran out of accu, he named it "No Power Hall". We took the rope, slings and carabiners from here and went back to Hall I bivouac.
In the main Hall nr.1 from The Ruins there was a connection between two floors left unexplored. Because was near the bivouac area, we went there after we had just a tea. The entrance in the shaft begins on the way to Steingarten. It's an opening to the left that goes vertical. I planted 3 bolts and went down where I reach a very nice horizontal passage. There we found survey points.
Now the problem is to see which one. We surveyed the segment and turned back. In bivouac Petr and Mark arrived from their site. Happy reunion !
While having dinner we reported each other what happened for the last 3 days. The cave is done. We were not very sure if this is a happy moment or not. I was actually shocked. Well, I spent to much time here I guess, and became a second home. So, I need to start to be happy. Meanwhile the waterfall in Hall I became louder. Nothing fancy outside the cave, either heavy rain, or snow.
We opened a bottle of wine to mark the last night here before the exit. Mark came to sleep on Tom's place. Petr took it's place on a huge block. Each one have it's own "bedroom".
Friday morning we packed and cleaned the bivouac site. Petr went first on rope then Mark followed. I went third. I asked the guys to stop in the Big Hall because I want to make a picture. The view is so cool:
Then we went further pushing two kitbags each. In the old bivouac, at -175m, we noticed the airflow was different so definitely outside was some kind of rain. We took a short break for a hot water drink and then we continued. In 2 hours we reached the bottom of the entrance shaft. I went up the last. After the second rebelay Oli came to pitch head to tell me he have a surprise for me. "Hmmm, maybe a lift would be good, I thought".
Well, the surprise was the half of meter snow all around ! Christmas time on 25 of September ! What a madness. No more dancing on the big stone in front of the cave. What stone ? Was covered.
We didn't took all the materials with us on the way to hut. I got most of stuff in the backpack, but some metal things like descender and carabiners. The way to hut was a complete whiteout. Instead of 2 hours we arrived in 4. The bigest problem was to keep the trail because on the top side is pretty steep and you don't want to descend with "G". Oli did a good job finding the path.
Back to the hut we scared some guys that were hanging around with lots of beers. Well, was Friday, and the last week-end the hut was open. Especially after such a big snow fall.
Saturday the snow was reaching the windows ! All clients went down in the valley but us. The sky kept snowing like crazy. Oli, Petr and Mark went to Kreuzhohle cave entrance to try to rescue the materials left in cave entrance while I had to use the shovel to make paths in snow around the hut. An Ice Bar was a nice ideea, but for who ? Well, there were 2 more tourists in the hut. They waited us to go down together the next day. The attempt to reach the cave was a failure.
Sunday we had to say good bye to our guests and went down swimming through fresh powder. Sunny dream winter day.
Descending to Lofer in a total opposite landscape then one week before was an enchantment. The sun, the blue sky and the fresh powder... .
Equipment that I used underground:
Helmet: Edelrid Ultralight Junior
Main light: PETZL Duo S
Secondary light: Petzl Tikka (2017)
Undersuit: Steinberg Alladino
Oversuit: Aventure Verticale Titan red
Socks: 1 x Lorpen TETA, 1 x Lorpen T2 Hunting Extreme Overcalf
"second skin": Fjord Nansen Are
Balaclava: Black Diamond
Jacket: Down jacket Simond Makalu light
Gloves(caving): 2 x Ansell Marigold Multiplus 40
Skin gloves: Quechua
Gloves: Quechua Forclaz 20
Boots: EtcheSecurite Clark
Knee pads: Warmbac
Harness: Aventure Verticale Muruck
Chest harness: Petzl torse
Footloop ascender: Petzl Ascension
Chest ascender: Edelrid Wind Up (2016 model)
Descender: PETZL stop (pre 2018 model)
Cowtails: from dynamic rope Singing Rock Icon 9,3mm
Cowtails carabiners: Edelrid Pure
Descender carabiner: Edelrid Oval Power Triple
Backup ascender: Petzl Tibloc 1 + Petzl OK Triact
Braking carabiner: Kong oval steel straight gate
Harness maillon: Peguet 10mm zicral
Footloop: Petzl footcord x 2 pcs. + 2 pcs. Edelrid nineteen carabiners
Tackle bags: Steinberg Ovoidale, Yana Ovoidale
Tablet bag: Petzl Boltbag
Auxiliary carabiners: Simond Rocky screw, Edelrid Bulletproof, Petzl Djin
Sleeping bag: Simond Makalu II Light (-9 comfort)
Bivouac bag: Vaude Biwak I
Bivouac lamp: Petzl Noctilite + Petzl Tikka 2017
Survival blanket: 3 pieces Aptonia.
Equipment that I used on surface:
Jacket: Simond Alpinist Light Windproof
Pants: Simond Alpinist Light stretch
Technical T-shirts Short sleeves: Vaude
Technical T-shirts Long sleeves: Simond 1/2 zip sweatshirt
fleece vest: Retezat Skyrace Intersport 2018
Socks: Simond Alpinism
Fleece: Simond hoody
Gloves: Simond Sprint, Simond Cascade
Bandana: Simond edge turquoise
Beanie: Edelrid Rope Beanie Light
Boots: Simond Alpinism light
Backpack Fjord Nansen Nanga Parbat
Backpack raincover: Fjord Nansen
Sunglass: Orao SG 500
T-shirts cotton: Kreuzhohle logo
Electronics:
Tablet: Lenovo TAB3A7 essential
Video: GoPro Hero 5
Photo: Sony Alpha 5000
Power Bank: Hama Pipe power pack 10400mah + Promate 13200mah
Distance metering: DistoX 2 (leica X310 modified)
Accesories: 6 x Petzl Duo-S accu, 3 x GoPro Hero rechargeable battery, 1xUSB C cable
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Bine ai venit. Ia o gura de OXiGEN !