Hidden Earth 2023

The Dachstein Caving Expeditions 2022 and 2023

30 minute Lecture|Dachstein Caving Expeditions

Abstract

There have been British caving expeditions to the Dachstein plateau in Austria for over 40 years. In this talk, we briefly review the history of the expedition and discuss the results of the 2022 and August 2023 expedition.

Covid stopped play in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022 a small contingent headed out to the Wiesberghaus to restart the annual expedition. Bad weather, and the small numbers, limited what could be done but progress was made re-rigging our main large cave and (as always happens) we found an exciting new area of cave entrances right at the end of the expedition.

Did we find new connections in our deep cave? Did we push our shallower leads such as Thundergasm and Sprechen sie Welsh? Did our area of new entrances lead to caverns measureless? Hopefully, as otherwise our speaker won't have much to talk about!