DÖF sun-wire system of caves

The DÖF-Sonnenleiter cave system lies deep in the south-eastern massif of the Totes Gebirge, close to the Tauplitzalm in Styria. It is a vast network of vertical shafts and horizontal tunnels explored since 1985 by members of the Upper Styrian Speleological Association. The cave’s main shaft, called the DÖF or Friendship Shaft, was found in 1986 at 1,874 metres above sea level. The system’s extreme vertical drops and tight squeezes slowed progress, including a 154-metre free-hanging shaft known as Big Brother. By winter 1998–99 cavers had reached 962 metres below the surface. In July 1999 they broke through to the Sonnenleiter Shaft, raising the total depth to 1,042 metres and the length to 12,772 metres. Further pushes in 2002 and 2008 added more passages and connected to the Ozonloch branch, bringing the total length to over 21 kilometres. Visitors cannot enter the deeper sections, but guided tours reach parts of the upper horizontal tunnels. The cave’s multiple entrances lie amid rugged alpine scenery near Tauplitzalm. Inside, wide galleries alternate with narrow rifts and vertical shafts, showing the work of water over centuries. The air remains cold and still, with calcite formations marking the walls. Above ground, the surrounding mountains offer walking paths and sweeping views of the Styrian landscape.