Application for Grant Aid

Submitted on: 31 Jan 2012


Expedition details (GPF2012a-012)

Expedition Name (& Club): CUCC Austrian Cave Expedition 2012 (CUCC)
Destination country: Austria
Region: Loser Augsteck Plateau
Lat: 47.7175 Long: 14.0642 Elevation: m
MEF funding: none

Leader: Serena Povia
Total cavers: 22
Cavers ≤25 yrs old: 0
Cavers 25-35 yrs old: 0
UK/nonUK cavers: 20/2
Eligible for grant aid: 0
Alex Pitcher nominations: 0
Expedition dates: 27th Jul 2012 - 19th Aug 2012
Duration (days): 24
Man-days in field: 600 Man-days travelling: 0
Brief Expedition objectives:

List a short summary of the main Expedition objectives.

Continuing exploration and survey of the Schwarzmooskogel ridge caves in the Loser Augsteck Plateau in the Styrian Alps, Austria. The main push for this year will be to connect Kaninchenhöhle with the Steinbrückenhöhle-Tunnockschacht system.
How can the GPF support your Expedition?:

Please explain the aspects of the trip which make it eligible for Ghar Parau funding.

Detailed description of objectives:

Give a more detailed account of the purpose of the trip, including any particular known caves you intend to visit, specific areas where you will explore for new cave, and scientific experiments you will attempt.

system exceeding 90Km. During the 2009/2011 expeditions, CUCC returned to the furthest reaches of the northern part of Kaninchenhöhle, replaced permanent rigging and continued surveying where the original exploration had left off in the 1990s. This area is now within 45m of the 258/204 system. The description of the cave from both sides, leads us to assume that a connection should possible during this coming expedition. There will be three further proposed objectives of the expedition. We will return to the north reaches of 258 to extend the system in uncharted territory which is likely to yield high returns, as it currently lies empty on the map. The area to south of the current exploration hotspot is another promising land, currently devoid of a large system: we will return to Marylin Munroe Höhle (148) and Eislufthöhle (76), which lie some distance away from the current southernmost explored front of the 204/258/161 area. Furthermore we will return to Hauchhöhle (234), which lies between the likely connection area of 204/258 and 161. All our data, including surveys, descriptions, photos and logbooks, are available on the Expo website, http://expo.survex.com/ which was recently revamped and may now be edited as a wiki. In 2009 we began trialling a new piece of software known as Troggle, written by expedition members, which aims to keep an accurate record of the various cave surveys, descriptions, measurements, logbook entries and databases of open leads that are produced during each expedition. In the past three years the system has greatly aided us in being able to efficiently retrieve information from the past thirty years of exploration. CUCC strives to encourage new cavers and cavers who haven't been on expeditions before to go to Austria. In recent years we have welcomed students from Cambridge University, Leeds, Durham and Bristol, and non students from various UK clubs. The more experienced members provide suitable training in surveying, prospecting, exploration rigging and more. We have a strong record in training cavers who have gone on to make major contributions to other cave expeditions, for example, recently in China and Antarctica.
Previous work in this area:

Give details of any previous work in this area by your own and other teams. Include references to reports and articles published on the area, and the names of any local cavers or academics with whom you have discussed the Expedition.

CUCC has been exploring in the area since 1976; an expedition has been held every year since then, except in 1986. We have explored large parts of the Schwarzmooskogel system, including its highest and lowest points The ARGE Grabenstetten from Germany, with whom we have a good relationship, holds regular expeditions in the adjoining kataster area on the Loser Plateau.

Expedition Finances

Travel

Travel plans:
CUCC organises travel to expedition on a communal basis, with exceptions for those travelling from or to unusual destinations. The communal transport is largely by car and ferry, which is the most economical method of transporting people and equipment. A few individuals may use plane and train if car space is not available. Transport of gear to the bivouac is by foot.


# from UK: 22 Travel costs breakdown (for personnel leaving from the UK):
Total costs from UK: £2,900 International travel £ 2500
Local travel £ 400

# from outside UK: 0 Travel costs breakdown (for personnel leaving from the UK):
Total costs from outside UK: £0

Travel total: £2,900 Travel p.p. from UK: £132
Travel p.p. from outside UK: £0

Subsistence

Total: £3,900 Comments:
Subsistence p.p.: £177 Accomodation £ 2500
Food £ 1200
Camping consumables £200

Gear

Total: £1,800 Comments:
Gear p.p.: £82 Communal caving gear
Medical/health & safety £300

Special 1

Total: £100 Comments:
Special 1 p.p.: £5 Permission and fees

Special 2

Total: £1,020 Comments:
Special 2 p.p.: £46 Training weekend £100
Contingency 10% £920
Exped Total: £10,120 Exped cost p.p. travelling from UK: £460
Exped cost p.p. travelling from outside UK: £0
Mean Exped cost per person: £460

Other Funding

Total: £0 Comments:
External funding: We regularly receive sponsorship, mainly from food manufacturers, which will reduce food costs.
Total shortfall: £0 Mean shortfall per person: £0

Referees and Report

Please give the names, addresses and phone numbers of two suitably qualified people whom the Committee can contact. You should ensure that they are aware of the objectives of your trip, and that you have their permission for the Committee to contact them.

Referee 1: Dr James Hickson
Affiliation:

Reason:

Permission obtained?: No
Referee 2: Wookey
Affiliation:

Reason:

Permission obtained?: No

Expedition report author:

Attachments

No files have been attached to this application.