Jaskinie - The Caves, issue 12

Jaskinie - The Caves, issue 55 (2/2009)


Polish activity abroad

A loop, after all - Jakub Nowak

Cavers from KKTJ in Cracow, led by Andrzej Ciszewski, continued exploration in Feichtnerschacht cave in the Kitzsteinhorn massif in Austria. The explored series, though seemed to be independent routes into the massif, all led to the earlier known parts of the cave at various depths. Feichtnerschacht is now 6.25 km long.


Expedition to J2 - Kasia Biernacka

The author was one of six Polish cavers who took part in the 2009 expedition of "Proyecto Cheve", an international effort initiated and animated by Bill Stone for exploration of the deepest cave system in the western hemisphere. The main goal was to push through sumps at the bottom of J2 in hope of connecting it with Cheve into a cave that would surpass 2 km in depth, dry series bypassing sump. New galleries explored by the expedition seem to turn towards Cheve. Another cave named Last Bash was also explored. It could provide a bypass for the narrow entrance series in J2, but no connection was found. J2 is now 1222 m deep and 11017 m long.


Rapa Nui - Andrzej Ciszewski

The author explored volcanic caves on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in 2001 and 2004. To pursue his plans of making an inventory of the island's caves he obtained a grant from National Geographic. A team of 18 Polish cavers worked in Rapa Nui since November 2 to December 13th, 2008. They explored and surveyed nearly 300 caves on land, and explored, with local divers, a dozen of submarine caves. They explored also tunnels exposed in the vertical marine cliffs. The caves in Rapa Nui have played an extraordinary role in the life of the islanders. They served as gardens, stores, houses, places of defense, cult and burial. All surveys were immediately calculated and drawn so the team came back with all surveys completed "on the site". Many artifacts found in the caves were meticulously documented by a Chilean-Polish archeological team. National Geographic Channel recorded footage on the the caves and the expedition for a one-hour documentary.


3 - or the third expedition of KKS and TKTJ to the Durmitor massif - Tomasz Chojnacki

Cavers from Katowice and Tarnowskie Góry went to the Durmitor mountains in Montenegro in 2006 and 2007. These expeditions, though resulted in new discoveries were below the cavers' expectations. The author headed a team of ten who went there again in August 2008, contrating on the Ledeni Do area. Cave X1108, explored by Serbian cavers to -90 m, was deepened to 232.5 m and the cave is now ca. 800 m long.


World

Karst research in the Bolkar Mountains - M. Fatih Büyüktopçu

The Bolkar Mountains are a central part of the Taurus Mountains in the southern part of Turkey. They are built largely of limestones of various age. Karst is best developed in Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones, which are exposed at altitudes 2000-2600 m. Two hundred caves, up to 245 m deep, have been explored there. Caves with sections of active drainage system are known in the lower parts of the massif. Dying tests did not result in locating resurgences, suggesting that an extensive underground drainage system is present.


Speleological expedition Tepuy 2009 (Venezuela) - Lukáą Vlček, Branislav ©mída

A team of cavers from Slovakia, Venezuela and Croatia in the beginning of 2009 continued exploration of quartzite table mountains in Venezuela, called tepuys, On tepuy Chimanta they discovered and explored Cueva Colibri 4 km long, with unique microbial speleothems. Cueva Juliana was extended to 3 km. Cueva Charles Brewer and Cueva del Diablo were connected into a system 7.5 km long. Material for geological and biological studies was collected in this massiv and on tepuy Roraima.


Poland

Milusi Pitch - Filip Filar

New series, 135 m long, were discovered in ¦nieżna Studnia in the Tatra by cavers from Zakopane and Cracow. The cave is now 12 200 m long.


The greatest cave in Roztocze - Tomasz Mleczek

A new cave was explored and surveyed in Miocene limestones of Roztocze region in the east of Poland. Jaskinia Diabelska is 21 m long and the longest cave known in this part of Poland.


Caves of Roztocze - Artur Ponikiewski

The author presents the general description of the region and, descriptions and surveys of its caves and shelters.


Dobosza Cave - Tomasz Mleczek

A cave in flysch sandstones of the Bieszczady mountains is described in the high part of the Połonima Wetlińska mountain. The cave is 13 m long. Its name is related to Dobosz, a legendary mountain robber.


Cave Szachownica II - Andrzej Górny, Mariusz Szelerewicz

As a compliment to a text In JASKINIE 53, the authors present a plan and description of Cave Szachownica II, another part of an extensive cave system dismembered by mining of limestone. The cave is 297 m long and is similar to Szachownica I, but less damaged by miners.


Editors:
Michał Gradziński, Grzegorz Haczewski, Jakub Nowak i Mariusz Szelerewicz.
Editioral address (main):
ul. Ehrenberga 36a 31-309 Krakow, Poland e-mail: szelerewicz@ceti.pl
Internet edition:
e-mail: dbart@sktj.pl WWW: sktj.pl


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