Cascades to Fifth Bottom (ca. -1000) ph. J. Nowak

White Bridge above Foutrh Bottom , ph. J. Nowak

2003

We started our activities in Feichterschacht with moving the bivouac from the Hall with the Bear to the Prophet's Hall at -700 m. Our objective was to explore the Fifth Bed and to verify if the section between Bivouac and -900 m level bore any potential. Unfortunately we reached a shallow Krakowski sump at the depth of 1032 m. We spent our next shifts checking on the windows in pitches and taking the equipment back to -550 m level. There in Nagasaki, we began to climb in Naciekowe Kominy. Further bivouacs are conducted, as usual, at -450m. At that time, we descended another cascades in a series starting at the bivouac (cascades: Izabeli, Jacusia and z Usmiechem). Past them we reached a tight meander and we stopped over yet another pitch. We all have the feeling though, that the potential of the cave is starting to diminish...
At the same time our guests from France and Germany discover Matternhorngang.

2004

That spring we decided to head for a new objective - Zeferthohle. This cave was explored by Pinzgau cavers and Tauernkraftwerke workers to 350 m of depth. In 1982-83, KKTJ expeditions discovered series to -560 m. The expedition of 2004 was to deepen the cave and to find horizontal series leading to Feich-terschacht. After a tiresome cleaning of litter and rigging the cave all over again, we do not come to the results we expected. We manage only to deepen the cave to mere' -565 m, and the exploration of extensions always ends back in the main series, which follows one fracture. At the same time we succeed in climbing to a large opening in the Rettenwand wall. We got to know the new cave - Rettenschacht only to a depth of 85 m, where a boulder choke stops us in further efforts.

2005

We are back in Feichterschacht once more. We set a bivouac in Sala z Miśkiem and head to the Fourth Bottom (-780 m) - our main objective. Past a tight meander without any draught, we rappel down larger and larger pitches. A movement of the air becomes noticeable, some chimneys and a larger stream of water. The cave allows exploration, but it is hard due to a large distance from the bivouac, brittle rock and the increasing amount of water. In spite of this, in short time we manage to acknowledge we are back in the main series and once more in this cave we pass the barrier of a thousand metres. "Behind the water" we reach the depth of aproximately 1015 m, and taking a drayer route, we stop at -1088m over another pit. Both routes are linked in a few places and on the next expedition they will almost surely lead us to another bed of the cave.

Summary

Years 2002-2005 in Feichterschacht saw a discovery of ca. 2000 m of corridors and pitches. By exploring the successive series, we reached the following depths: 1049, 1032, 1088 m. In 2004, we continued exploration from the eighties in Zeferthohle. The cave was deepened to -565 m.The same year witnessed the discovery of Rettenschacht.

See also:
Ciszcwski A., 1998. Jak nie Lampo to.... Jasksnie, 10:13-15.
Recielski K., 1998. Rekonesans w Kitzsteinhorn. Jaskinie, 12:20.
Czart. M., 1999.Bez Lampo ani rusz. Jaskinie, 15:9-11.
Recielski K., 1999. Jesienią na Feichterschacht, 1999. Jaskinie, 17:5.
Gajewska A., 2000. Trzy lata z jaskinia. Feichterschacht i jej odkrywcą, czyli nagroda po latach. Jaskinie, 19:6-11.
Recielski K., 2000. Geodeci na Kitzu.Jaskinie, 20:6.
Audra P., 2000. Kilka uwag na temat krasu w Feichterschacht i Feichterschachthohle (Salzburg, Austria) Jaskinie, 21:27-29
NowakJ., 2001. Kitzstcinhom 2001, długa historia krótkiej wyprawy. Jaskinie, 23:1: 1-14.
Ciszcwski A., Recielski K., 2001. Caves of the Kitzsteinhorn. In: Polish Caving 1997-2001. KTJ PZA, Krakow, pp. 22-24.
Ciszcwski A., 2001. W Leoganger Steinberge i nie tylko. Jaskinie, 24:11-13.
Nowak J., 2002. Kitzsteinhorn 2002.Jaskinie, 26:4.
NowakJ., 2002. Feichterschacht 2002 - alpejski Bańdzioch.Jaskinie, 27:10-13.
NowakJ., 2003. Feichterschacht 2003 Każdemu jego dno.Jaskinie, 31:20-22.
Ciszewski A., 2004. Zeferethohle - powrot powrót po latach, Jaskinie 36:13-14.
Nowak J., 2005. Trzeci tysiąc w Feitchnerschacht. Jaskinie 39:21-23.