Schönberg Cave System

The Schönberg cave system in the Dead Mountains is with a currently known length of over 155.018 m the longest cave in Austria. It got its name after the connection of the approximately 33 km long Feuertal-Höhlensystem with the approximately 86 km long Raucherkarhöhle was discovered. The overlying Schönberg-Höhlensystem (2093 m) gave the system its name.

The widely branched cave with 35 entrances is located at Bad Ischl in the border area between Upper Austria and Styria. The area around the Schönberg cave system is researched, measured and mapped by the Landesverein für Höhlenkunde Oberösterreich. The Schönberg cave system is located at place 14 on the list of the longest caves in the world. Within Europe there are longer systems on the territory of Ukraine (Optymistychna Cave), Switzerland (Hölloch, Siebenhengste-Hohgant-Höhle) and Spain's (Sistema del Alto). It is the 14th longest cave system in the world.

Site


The Schönberg cave system is located in the area of the Schönberg (2093 m) in the western Toten Gebirge. The summits of the Vorderen (1786 m) and Hinteren Raucher (1734 m) are the main peaks above the southern part (Raucherkarhöhle). Most entrances are located on the smoking plateau west of the smoking summit or in the smoking car north of it, which also gives its name to the cave. The central parts are located below the summit of the Schönberg. The northernmost foothills underlay the Feuertal and extend to the Hanging Kogel (1895 m), under which the end hall ("Another Day In Paradise") is also located.

One of the best-known entrances to the Schönberg cave system is the Feuertal ice cave, which is easily accessible from the Ebenseer Hochkogelhaus. This ice cave is a popular destination. Via a steep Firn cone you reach the first large hall, still illuminated from the day, with two daylights. At the southern end of this hall is the continuation into another hall, at the end of which the actual cave system begins with a deep shaft. Usually this continuation is completely closed, so that you often have to wait for days for a melt that only occurs in summer. However, if the "closing" thaws, you get to the so-called "Gustave-Abel-Halle" and then to the main system, which is difficult to navigate from the ice cave.

Another, completely newly discovered entrance is the so-called "separatist shaft". This means that previously remote parts of the cave can now also be used relatively easily.

Geology
The Schönberg cave system is located in a large block of the Dachstein Formation of the Northern Limestone Alps. These were shifted north in the rocks of the European continental edge shifting in several tectonic partial ceilings in several tectonic partial ceilings. The rocks were heavily stressed, partly folded and srugged. Along this ventilation, rainwater penetrated into the rock and led to the formation of caves as typical karst phenomena. The preferred orientation of the ventilation in the rock runs from southwest to northeast, so that the resulting cave systems also have this orientation.