Chronicle of the cave exploration in the Schwarzmooskogelhöhlensystem

• 1929: Aussee explorers discover the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle
• 1938: The group around O. Schauberger and W. Czoemig measure and document 1.6 kms of the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle
• 1940: discovery of the Stellerweghöhle
• 1953: A group around Johann Gaisberger junior measures 535 meters of the Stellerweghöhle – at an altitude difference of 86 meters
• 1971: The newly built toll road Altaussee – Loser is released for traffic
• 1974: The Stellerweghöhle is explored by K. Gaisberer at a depth of – 200 meters
• 1976: Members of the Cambridge University Caving Club (CUCC) start their explorations
• 1980: Discovery of the Schnellzughöhle by members of the CUCC. Discovery of the Schwabenschacht by Fred Vischer. In the following years the cave is measured by him, Klaus Gebhard and Manfred Schwaiger at a lenth of 2.5 kms. The last two are members of the working group Höhle und Karst Grabenstetten (Arge).
• 1981: Discovery of a connection between Stellerweghöhle and Schnellzughöhle by members of the CUCC.
  Exploration of the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle by the speleology groups FHKF (Nuremberg) and VHM (Munich).
• 1982: Members of the CUCC manage the inspection of the Schnellzughöhle until a siphon at 762 meters height above sea level, the current deepest point of the system nearly 1000 meters below the top entrance.
• 1983: Discovery of the Schwa-Schacht 144 (Tony’s Second Höhle) by members of the CUCC.  Here, it was managed as well to explore a connection to the Stellerweghöhle. Members of the FHKF and the VHM discover the Schneevulkanhalle (Eishöhle). In the same year access to the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle succeeds. The Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle is measured at a length of 2.5 kms. Discovery of the Lärhenschacht by members of the FHKF and the VHM.
• 1985: Reinhard Kieselbach explores more corridors in the Lärchenschacht together with members of the FHKF and the VHM. According to the latest plan the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle has a total length of 2560 meters and an altitude difference of 197 meters.
• 1987: Reinhard Kieselbach discovers the connection between the Lärchenschacht and the Stellerweghöhle together with members of the HFG-KA (Karlsruhe) and the VHM. In the same year a friendly French group succeeds in the discovery of finding the connection between the Lärchenschacht and the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle.
• 1992: Members of the ArGe Grabensteten resume the work of Fred Vischer, Klaus Gebhard and Manfred Schwaiger in the Schwabenschacht.
• 1995: According to the latest map of Bernd Muhr the Lärchenschacht has a total length of 1995 meters at a height difference of -208 meters.
• 1996: Starting from the Schwabenschacht which is by now measured at a length of 6 kms members of the ArGe manage to discover the connection to the Stellerweghöhle. Subsequently the data are gathered by the other groups which are no longer actively exploring the system.
  The corridors of the cave are measured completely and additional corridors are explored. Only the data of the Lärchenschacht and the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle are taken over.
• 1998:  The additional measuring of the Stellerweghöhle is almost completed. According to the latest map the Stellerweghöhle is 4979 meters long, the Schwabenschacht 7011 meters. The additional measuring no starts in the Schnellzughöhle and in Tony’s Second Höhle as well.
• 2000: The already known connection between Tony’s Second Höhle and the Stellerweghöhle is measured as well as the connection between the Schneevulkanhöhle and the Schwarzmooskogeleishöhle and the connection between the Lärchenschacht and the Stellerweghöhle.
• 2001:  As the last missing connecting element it is tried to measure the connection between the Stellerweghöhle and the Schnellzughöhle. Apart from the deeper parts of the Schnellzughöhle the system is now completely documented according to the latest status of research, it has a length of more than 26 kms.
• 2002: The findings in Tony’s Second Höhle lead the explorers further north. On 21 August the sensation is perfect: a team of explorers reaches the most southern parts of the corridor of the Kaninchenhöhle! All at once the length of the complete system goes up to over 54 kms.
• 2003:  At a tour to the plateau a new shaft is discovered near the Grießkogel.
  The p87, already known by the English, is now addressed. A new big shaft is discovered at once. More descents follow and lead to the Not-so-big-chamber of the Schnellzughöhle. Now this cave is part of the SMK system as well. The exploration of the Sonnenstrahlhöhle is started. The total length of the system amounts to over 56 kms.
• 2004:  In the Grießkogelschacht the exploration ends due to a shortage of ropes at Pillepalle, a 150 m direct shaft. The newly discovered Bunnyschacht unfortunately does not lead to the near Stellerweghöhle. A possible connection between the Sonnenstrahlhöhle and the system can also not be realized. This is the reason why despite a good week of exploration the total length of the system only goes up to 250 meters.
• 2005: It is possible to get over the Pillepalle (-162 m) and some subsequent shafts in the Grießkogel. However, the cave ends in narrow crevasses. Still, there remain open questions regarding the upper area.
  Together with the CUCC the work on the upper area of the Wolfhöhle is resumed. Smaller stretches in the Sonnenstrahlhöhle and the Weiße-Warzen-Schacht add, which, however, do not yet belong to the SMK system. The Diätencanyon in the Stellerweghöhle is explored. In the Schnellzughöhle the Dartford Tunnel is re-measured as well as various side corridors. The total  length reaches 57 081 kms.
• 2006: Near the Bräuningalm the search for the Dr. Kerschner Höhle and the Suppentellerschacht continues, however without success. Unexplored area in the SMK system is mainly around the Heisenbergschacht near Alice in Wonderland. Highlight of the year are the findings in the Weiße-Warzen-Schacht crowned by the discovery of a connection to the Stellerweghöhle.  In the following winter the data are completely revised and some stretches shortened (double measurement or similar). The revised new length comes up to 58 210 m.
• 2007:  In the Hinterland some new caves are discovered which are without exception relatively short.  To the SMK-System mainly some corridors within the Weiße-Warze-Schacht are added, among these the connection to the Lärchenschacht. Near the Elf-Uhr-Loch a meander with draft is followed. The total length reaches 59 252 m. Due to the data of the Kaninchenhöhle being revised the length jumps up to 59 700 m.