Brno 2013

[Title]
Loferer Schacht vs Loferer Steinberge?

[Abstract]

[Historical context - bersicht]

Loferer Schacht was discovered and its western branch charted between 1983 and 1984, by a team
of Polish speleologists from Krakow. The DAV Hhlengruppe Frankfurt/Main undertook a re-
charting of the western branch down to a maximum depth of -665m between 1990 and 1991.
During de-rigging in 1992 a connection to the eastern branch was discovered at -106m: the
Frankfurter System. Exploration in this branch continued, leading to the discovery of a fossil,
horizontal segment of the cave between 1999 and 2000. [descoberta do ponto mais fundo (-
796,67m) e do limite de exploraao em??].

Loferer Schacht's three known entrances are found roughly 200m to northwest of the saddle of the
Kleine Wehrgrube, between the Reifhorn and the Hochsenhorn, at a height of 2200m. The entrances
are usually blocked with ice until August. An entrance in [that piece in Tirol] is presumed. Surface
explorations [in that part in the back] in 2005 and 2008 provided an approximation up to +-70m
from charted sections of the cave. Nevertheless, an entrance in this region is yet to be found.

[Geological setting]
The Loferer Steinberge, in which the eponymous Schacht is located, are composed of solluble
Dachstein limestone, under which layers of dolomite stone are found. Due to the latter's low
dissolution [??], speleogenesis is sparse. The interface between these layers is reached at the lowest
point of the known extension of the cave (ca. 1400m NN). The slope assumed by the layers,
directed to North, implies the possibility of achieving greater depths, should speleogenesis have
continued within the Dachstein limestone.

An ice-age cave level, found throughout the northern Kalkalpen, is found at a height of about
1600m.
 1400 m

Loferer Schacht
2200 m

1863 m
1958 m 2027 m
Hafenloch 1997 m
1954 m 1924 m
1903 m
6 Auenvermessungen
(Geringster Abstand: 70 m)

Gamskpfl Weittal

Abbildung 1: Karte Kleine Wehrgrube

Aufriss

Reifhorn

Loferer Schacht

Abbildung 2: Schnitt Reifhorn (SW - NE)

 Reifhorn

Loferer Schacht

Abbildung 3: Foto Reifhorn (S - N)

 Abbildung 4: Geologie Loferer Steinberge

[Related/Possibly related objects]

[Development of the cavity]

[Current state of exploration]

[Prognosis]

[References and thanks]