Steinbrückenhöhle

Infobox Cave
photo=Stonebridge_bivi.jpg
caption=Scene from the stone bridge bivouac shelter by the entrance
name = Steinbrückenhöhle
location = Loser Plateau
depth = 622 metres
length = 15.4 kilometres
coordinates = coord|47|41.456|N|13|49.288|E|type:cave
survey = [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/surveys/plan2006.pngplan]
survey_electronic_format = TunnelX
discovery = Cambridge University Caving Club 1999
geology = Limestone
number of entrances = 6
translation = Stone bridge cave
language = German

Steinbrückenhöhle (stone bridge cave, 1623/204 in the Austrian "Höhlenkataster") was discovered by Cambridge University Caving Club on the Loser Plateau in 1999. It is named after a nearby natural arch. The arch is in fact a former entrance to Traungoldhöhle (1623/231e) which has been developed into a convenient bivouac shelter for cave explorers.

As of 2006, the cave has six entrances, has passages of 11.7km in length and a depth of 542m. There are over 380 question marks (unexplored leads) of varying quality in the cave. [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/qm.html#qmextant]

The position of the first entrance is: Alt: 1812.40 coord|47|41.456|N|13|49.288|E|type:cave. [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/204.html] [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/handbook/survey/gps.htm]

The originally discovered entrance A is primarily used as a route to the deepest part of the cave, [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/ariston.html Razor Dance] , a narrow rift of over 500m extent. 32 pitches and climbs are required to reach the terminal sump.

Most other explorations begin at entrance E, which leads through an awkward crawl to a 30 metre pitch that has a deposit of snow at the bottom most years. [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/treeumphant.html#germknodel] From here extensive horizontal levels of [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/swings.html Swings and Roundabouts] , [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/treeumphant.html Treeumphant] and [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/rhino.html Rhino rift] can be reached. Descending 150m of the [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/rhino.html Gaffered series] of pitches leads to another horizontal development called [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/rhino.html#uworld The Underworld] . A further 50m of pitches leads to an extensive horizontal development called [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/subsoil.html Subsoil] . [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/subway.html Subway level] , the lowest stratigraphical layer of the cave, can then be reached by descending 100m down the Four Pitches of the Apocalypse.

There are numerous small caves in the vicinity, including Tunnockschacht and Hauchhöhle. The closest cave of over 10km extent is Kaninchenhöhle.

External links

* [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/smkridge/204/204.html CUCC webpage of cave 204]
* [http://cucc.survex.com/expo/years/2004/logbook.html Sample logbook from year 2004]

See also the German page on the left pane.