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Agnieszka Gajewska

Speleoklub Warszawski
 
Caving organizations in Poland

Poland is primarily a flat and lowland country. Most caves are situated in either national parks or protected landscape areas, so cave exploration and visiting are possible only with permits from respective authorities. The same regulations apply to cavers and speleologists under the agreement between Polish Mountaineering Assotiation (PMA) - Polski Związek Alpinizmu (PZA) and national park authorities. Scientists conducting research under the auspices of scientific institutions can apply for relevant permits. Permits concerning research are seasonal and are limited to particular caves or cave areas. Permits for tourism, recreation or sport activities are issued individually after submitting an application by a caving club associated in PMA. Foreign speleologists can conduct caving activities only after having received a special permit for each group. They are also allowed to cooperate with a Polish caving club, which in this case bears full responsibility for all the members of an expedition.
These regulations do not apply to caves situated outside the protected areas.
Most of the Polish cavers are oranised in caving clubs. One can become a member of a club with or without a special caving license. Such caving licence is granted after a special course and entitles it holder to apply to local authorities and national park management structures for caving permissions.
In Poland, anyone who so wishes can become a caver. Such person must be over 18, in good health and is obliged to complete a special caving course during which they are taught caving techniques, safe mountaineering rules, climbing and also get acquainted with general knowledge concerning geology, cartography, topography and first aid. Most Polish cavers are interested in exploration of Polish and foreign regions, some just for recreation, while others prefer vertical caving, cave climbing, cave diving or cave photography.
Polish cavers are members of clubs which along with climbers and skialpinists are subordinate to Polish Mountaineering Association, the member of UIAA and U IS. The PMA is represented by a management board, elected every three years by the representatives of all the clubs. The role of PMA is mostly one of representation . It decides on general rules of any sport activities in Polish mountains, supervises training courses and takes care of safety rules. PMA does not influence the activities of the clubs. PMA has some financial means and sometimes does support projects, such as expeditions, trainings and editorial activities.
PMA comprises of: climbing, ski mountaineering, expedition and caving commissions.
The Caving Commission (Komisja Taternictwa Jaskiniowego - KTJ) is also appointed by representatives of all the 25 associated caving clubs for a period of three years. The Caving Commission represents cavers and protects their interests in PMA, holds courses for caving instructors, coordinates joint-club activities and maintains contacts with Polish and international caving and mountaineering organisations.
In the recent years, Polish clubs have been organising over a dozen exploration expeditions abroad yearly, including those into exotic karst (Papua New Guinea, China, Easter Island, and Chilean Patagonia). We are also participants of explorations conducted by national expeditions of other countries and of international expeditions (Mexico, Russia). These are conducted under the auspices of PMA and are partially subsidised from PMA funds. Also a number of cyclical training events are organised by Caving Commission: auto-rescuing, rescuing, rescue cave manoeuvres, cave surveying courses. Also a whole-country competition in caving techniques is held annually along with speleoconfrontations, i.e. post-expedition meeting of the majority of active Polish cavers which is dedicated to presenting the exploration achievements of the year.
A number of local bulletins is published by regional clubs, and the quarterly JASKINIE (Caves) is the Polish nation-wide caving publication. It focuses on the latest pieces of information on Polish domestic and foreign caving activities, hence relevant contributions from foreign cavers are welcome. The magazine is published in Polish with short English summaries.

Adresses of the Polish caving organisations

Polski Zwiqzek Alpinizmu (Polish Mountaineering Association). Komisja Taternictwa Jaskiniowego (Caving Commission) ul. Noakowskiego 10 m 12, 00-666 Warszawa (WARSZAWA) www.pza.org.pl/jaskinie, e-mail: jaskinie@pza.org.pl

"Jaskinie" - quartely Polish caving journal, c/o Mariusz Szelerewicz. ul. Ehrenberga 36a. 31-309 Krakow (KRAKÓW), e-mail: szelerewicz@ceti.pl

Epimenides cave page
- official Polish caving web page http://panda.bg.univ.gda.pl/~dbart/

Akademicki Klub Grotolazów w Krakowie (KRAKÓW), www.akg.krakow.pl; basterto@poczta.onet.pl; kramar@geolog.geol.agh.edu.pl ¦ Katowicki Klub Speleologiczny (KATOWICE), www.kks.dly.pl; kks@dy.plKlub Speleologiczny 'Aven' Sosnowiec (SOSN0WIEC), www.aven.prv.pl; KS Aven ul. Bratków 1 41-200 Sosnowiec ¦ Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego Speleoklub Bielsko-Biała (BIELSKO-BIAŁA), www.speleo.bielsko.pl; klub@speleo.bielsko.pl, ktj@speleo.bielsko.pl ¦ Krakowski Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego (KRAKÓW), www.kktj.pl; kktj@kktj.plRudzki Klub Grotolazow 'Nocek' (RUDA ŚLĄSKA), www.nocek.pl; rkgnocek@poczta.onet.pl ¦ Sądecki Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego (NOWY SĄCZ), www.sktj.zakopanet.pl; sktj@poczla.onet.pl ¦ Sekcja Grotołazów Wrocław (WROCŁAW), www.sgw.wroc.pl; sgw@sgw.wroc.plSekcja Taternictwa Jaskiniowego KW-Kraków (KRAKÓW), www.cave.stj.krakow.pl; stj@slj.krakow.pl ¦ Sekcja Taternictwa Jaskiniowego KW Warszawa (WARSZAWA) ¦ Sopocki Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego (SOPOT), panda.bg.univ.gda.pl/~dbart/sktj; dbart@panda.bg.univ.gda.pl ¦ Speleoclub Wrocław (WROCŁAW), www.scw.wroc.pl; speleo@scw.wroc.pl ¦ Speleoklub Bobry 'Żagań' (ŻAGAŃ), www.speleo.bobry.com.pl: bobry@o2.pl ¦ Speleoklub Częstochowa (CZĘSTOCHOWA), www.scc.numeron.pl: scc@numeron.pl ¦ Speleoklub Dąbrowa Gornicza (DĄBROWA GÓRNICZA). www.speleo.inform.pl; speleo@inform.pl ¦ Speleoklub 'Gawra' Gorzów Wielkopolski (GORZÓW WIELKOPOLSKI), www.gawra.org; biuro@gawra.org ¦ Speleoklub Łódzki (LÓDŹ), www.speleolodz.prv.pl; speleojodz@poczta.onel.pl ¦ Speleoklub Olkusz (OLKUSZ), Rynek 20, 32-200 Olkusz www.speleo.ilkus.pl, banaszyn@poczla.onet.pl ¦ Speleoklub Świętokrzyski (KIELCE), www.speleokielce.prv.pl; andrzejka@poczta.onet.pl ¦ Speleoklub Tatrzański (ZAKOPANE), speleotatry.of.pl; st.zak@poczta.fm ¦ Speleoklub Warszawski (WARSZAWA), www.speleo.waw.pl ¦ Stowarzyszenie Sportów Ekstremalnych 'Karakorum' (J0RDANÓW), www.ssek.prv.pl; sse.karakorum@op.pl ¦ Tarnogórski Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego (TARNOWSKIE GÓRY), www.tktj.friko.pl; tktj@interia.pl ¦ Wałbrzyski Klub Górski i Jaskiniowy (WAŁBRZYCH), www.nietoperek.boo.pl; andrzejwoj@wp.pl ¦ Wielkopolski Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego (POZNAŃ). www.wklj.poznan.pl; kicinska@amu.edu.pl; hern@go2.pl



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