Cavers from the ARGE Blaukarst have made a connection from the base of the Hessenhauer cave (-127m) into a large 10x15m passage leading to a large streamway. The stream is thought to connect to the Blau system with the water resurging at the famous "Blautopf" in Blaubeuren. This opens up huge possibilities for connections and further exploration of one of the most exciting cave systems in Germany.

Article can be read here http://www.swp.de/ulm/lokales/alb_donau/Durchbruch-zur-Blauhoehle;art4299,903979

Google translate will let you get the gist of it!

There is a book:

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Faszination Blautopf Vorstoss in unbekantne H?hlenwelten [Fascination Blautopf Venture into unknown Cave-worlds ]by Arbeitsgemindschaft Blautopf (HG)  2009  136 pp, 75 colour plates, mainly whole page.  Jan Thorbecke Verlag, D-73760 Ostfildern.  ISBN  978-3-7995-0831-5

The Blautopf or Blue Pot is a Vaclusian spring in the town of Blaubeuren in the Swabian Alb in Southern Germany, it is the second largest karst spring in Germany.  It is a cavers? dream come true.  Since 1957 cave divers have been pushing the sump and finally they broke into an air space.  This turned out be a cave system nearly 7 km long.  Soon a new entrance was made and the explorers had a dry way in. 

The book is clearly written from the perspective of cave diving research and has set itself the goal to give the reader the fascination of this cave system and the extreme difficulties of exploration.  The book describes in detail the numerous cave dives, and underground bivouacs.  Illustrated with stunning photographs, mainly from the talented hands of Andreas  K?cha is a vivid document of the caving under extreme conditions. The book was published by the Association Blautopf and co-written by 11 authors who participate actively in the ongoing exploration of the cave. The excellent print quality and binding are coupled with a pleasing price.  Also included is a general plan and a plan of the previously explored cave system, which facilitates orientation when reading the book. There are also descriptions of the archaeological finds from the spring including late-medieval pottery and Celtic swords.  A foreword by Hubert Trimmel rounds off the book.

PM me if you want a copy.

Yes, but that was a couple of years ago. This is a new breakthrough. Basically the new cave drops into large active stream passage way beyond the limits reached by divers from the Blautopf end and via the Vetterhoehle dry entrance. There is now the possibility to  work the Blau streamway from both ends to make a very major system. At present it is still not clear whether the new streamway is in fact the main collector or simply a side feeder. Exciting times indeed. Perhaps I should move back over there.

Picture of the new discovery. Wish I was there now!

http://www.swp.de/ulm/lokales/alb_donau/Wunderbarer-Tropfsteingang-an-der-Nordblau;art4299,910252,C:ic4338,514259

Seeing as no-one else has said it, "congratulations!"

If that's only a "side feeder," the master cave should be worth seeing!   

Some pics of the dig that eventually led to the breakthrough at about minus 130 metres! Something even a mendip digger could be proud of 

http://www.blauhoehle.de/blaukarst/foto.html