Sheffield University Speleological Society (SUSS)

Crawling, snoring  and eating sausage in Schwabenland / Hirlatz

by Lazy old Flo

(Cavingtour with Joel,Hannah,Ian,Martin,Pyro,Chris,Laura, Dave and for a very short time some Hungary specialists,  15.-19.02.10)

First of all, thanks to Joel and his very friendly and humorous caving friends to let me be part of there caving exploration to  Schwabenland. This was for me a very good possibility to visit the Hirlatz again in a good team in a new part of the cave since the last trip 6 years ago.

The first challenge lay behind me, when I reached the caving hut without having problems with my old car. It was 15 month ago that I saw Joel and he welcomed me like we meet every day, also the other cavers welcome me friendly – a good start for the trip.

After packing some material for the tour, we decided to go eating some pizza in the village and on the way suddenly we met them, the Hungary caving specialists. What I understood was that they want to go with Joel and the team into the Hirlatz for 5 days without knowing exactly what they want to do in the cave.

Full of Pizza, garlic bread and some other things we moved back to the hut. The huge Hungary rucksacks filled up a third of the living room and I thought it will come nearly to a death penalty to carry one of these monsters through the Hirlatz cave. Even my friend Johann would not move such back killers.

In the first night Joel, Hannah and Pyro became a little taste what it means to sleep near me and to bear my snoring. Sorry guys but better me than Johann, he is louder.

Next morning Dave, Chris,Laura,Pyro started brave with the Hungary cavers with the aim to reach the west of the cave „Grünkogel / Sahara“ and build up a new bivouac in preparation for a diving exploration next year with Joel and Martin, this is what I had understood.

Not causing a „mass mountaineering“ we Joel,Hannah,Ian,Martin and me started 1,5 h later but on the parking place we could see the big rucksacks of the Hungary’s fighting with the snow, maybe only at the half of the way to the cave entrance. With good mood but a little bit fear for the Hungary intentions, I started the trip with Joel’s team.

One and a half hour later we met the first group after 2/3 of the way and the Hungary guys didn’t not look very happy. Martin helped them with spending gloves and I decided to go with Chris, Hannah, Laura and Pyro at the top of the group preparing the way.

Reaching the entrance 3 h after leaving the car, for the Hungary’s 5 h, we prepared in the entrance room for the walk to Schwabenland bivouac. The first group, strengthen with the Hungary’s, started a little bit later into the west.

Schwabenland Hilton

Walking through the tunnels of Hirlatz seemed to me like a trip into the past and I felt good in a friendly caving group. We took us time because we had heavy caving sacks and Joel had to be careful, because he had an accident with his knee some time before.

After a long day, at least with some climbing and crawling parts we reached the Schwaben-land bivouac about 9 h later in the night.

And what happened? Johann was here and had prepared a perfect sleeping place witch I borrowed me for the next 4 nights. Joel built up a tent and Martin and Ian had also a good sleeping place nearby.

I didn’t need a long time to fall in sleep after eating and for the other guys began another hard night with the snoring German sausage eater. But this was only the begining; my new caving friends didn’t know that I am much more active while sleeping in the night (dreaming, speaking, snoring, laughing and screaming; but not walking aroundJ) than active by exploration at the day.

At the next day Joel lead us to the end of the explored caving place and I was astonished about the nearly endless crawling passages, really not typical for Hirlatz.

The first crawling tunnels seemed to be funny but after a while I realized that my sausage body is not really perfect for this art of caves. Hannah and Ian some meters in front of me nearly fly through this passages and I felt like having a Hungary Rucksack on my back. At the end, Martin and Ian began to build in some new ropes to prepare the exploration for the next day. Meanwhile they worked Joel, Hannah and I sat under a light outdoor tent, which hold a lot of the body heat – a really good idea.

In the evening back in the bivouac, after fighting with the crawling for me, we sat together and I felt the good relaxed mood between the English cavers. They had a lot of fun made many jokes, but I understood just a part of the spoken because they spoke fast and I knew only few English words and have little praxis.

The best mistake I produced was that I understood Martin had worked for 4 month as an beafeater. But Martin said he worked as a “bee keeper”, I am sure this was not the only mistake! Sorry guy’s, but I am a beginner.

In the night I surprised the caver’s with a scream, while dreaming of an car accident. But they bear my bad habits, nobody wants to kill me. Really hard cavers!

After the fucking daily crawling tour, I bumped with my head against the rock because I had to put up my helmet because I am to fat for those funny crawling; we started the exploration at the end position of the day before. Martin and Joel looked for the best way and build in the ropes meanwhile Ian draw the cave and used his disto x, helped by Hannah.

I followed Joel and Martin through the pits leading deeper and deeper in the cave, at the beginning muddy and sometimes between some big unsteady rocks, but at the end in a wonderful, clean canyon. It was interesting for me seeing Joel and Martin working in the cave. They did a really good and save job, ever locking for the best place for setting the Anker and the rope was always sure and far away from the rocks. You really can go alpine caving with them, I am sure.

But finally the canyon finds the end and we decided to go back to the bivouac. I took the drill and Ian, Hannah and I went forward, meanwhile Joel and Martin “dererig?” the rope.

After the daily crawling we reached the bivouac and what a surprise Dave, Chris, Laura und Pyro were there but not the Hungary’s. I understood that the Hungary’s came with their rucksacks only a short way into the cave and stayed in the cave for one night before they returned to the entrance and went home. Chris, Dave, Laura and Pyro reached there aim in the west and met us now in Schwabenland.

At the next day Joel and Martin would only make a short day, look shortly for another possibility way and the main task was to bring back the ropes to the bivouac. I decided to make a lazy tourist holiday, not crawling a third time through the tunnels and stayed at the bivouac. At the end of the day Dave, Chris, Laura and Pyro took a lot of the material and went to “Sprengstellenbiwak”, so we went back the way out of the cave into two groups.

Friday morning we left Schwabenland at 7.00 a clock. Johann, your sleeping place is clean and ok!

3 hours later we met the others at the Sprengstelle, had a short rest and came to the entrance at 13.00 a clock.

The weather was perfect and we slide on the snow down the valley and met Ian and Martin whose were waiting for us at the Cars.

For me a perfect timing, because I would like to be at home in the evening because Pia has  her 17^th birthday today and I want to congratulate her.

I had a real good caving trip, with friendly English cavers. Treating each other respectfully and having a lot of humor.

Thanks to Joel, Hannah, Ian, Martin, Chris, Laura , Dave and Pyro taking me along with you and bearing my snoring, J

Lazy old Flo