Polish activity abroad

From Russia with Love - expedition to J-2 cave - Kasia Biernacka, Marcin Gala

International team of 14 cavers, including 4 from Poland, continued exploration of J-2 system in Mexico in 2009. Exploration could begin only after two weeks of negotiation with local authorities. The main goal was to communicate Last Bash cave, discovered in 2005, with the main cave and thus secure a shorter and safer access to the final sump. The communication was attained in the expected place. Another goal was to explore an ascending branch before the final sump, found by Russian members of the former expedition. The series, dubbed From Russia with Love, does not seem to provide the desired bypass of the final sump. Diving equipment left at the final sump a year earlier was found suspended between projecting rocks up to 12 m above the sump, providing evidence of the water level rise during the wet season.

Spring in the Zagros Mountains - Marcin Kubarek

Three cavers from Poland, one from Sweden and one from Iran made a reconnaissance trip to several limestone massifs in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. Based in Kermanshah and then in Khoramabad, they visited Kuh-e Szach, Bel resurgence in the Sirvan valley, Kuh-e Zilu, Sefid Kuh, Kuh-e Garin, Kuh-e Pariz, accompanied by local cavers. Several caves were discovered, the deepest of them was 70 m deep. The visited areas are difficult for exploration and more reconnaissance trips are planned.

Prokletije Belic 2009 - Andrzej Kasza, Ditta Kicińska, Krzysztof Najdek, Zbigniew Tabaczyński

Polish cavers, mostly from Poznań, continued their explorations on the Montenegro side of the Prokletije mountains twice in 2009. They worked in the Belic massif. In spring, a team of six people went to look for new entrances and check some of those found in 2008. In summer, a team of 19 cavers from Poland and 3 from Serbia continued exploration. The deepest explored cave - Jaskinia Lodowa (Ice Cave) - surveyed in spring to -165 m ľ was explored to the depth of more than 400 m and is still going. Kolektor cave lies at altitude of 2052 m and it is spacious, over 600 m long and 93m deep. Exploration stopped at the top of a next pitch with draft. Unclimbed chimneys may go towards the caves found on the north side of the Maja Kalata at altitudes ca. 2400 m. Exploration of several leads will be continued in 2010.

Resurgences of Albania and Greece - speleodiving trip in May 2010 - Dominik Graczyk

Six cave divers from Warsaw and three accompanying persons went in two cars to Albania and Greece for nine days at the start of May. First, they dived in resurgences near Petranic cave. They descended to the depth of 61 m and found evidence of someone's earlier presence. Search for other resurgences resulted in finding one with a current too strong for diver's penetration. They dived in the famous "Blue Eye". Later on they dived in submarine cave Limanaki in Greece.

Exploratory caving expedition of GOPR - Grigna 2010 - Grzegorz Michałek

Six cave divers from Warsaw and three accompanying persons went in two cars to Albania and Greece for nine days at the start of May. First, they dived in resurgences near Petranic cave. They descended to the depth of 61 m and found evidence of someone's earlier presence. Search for other resurgences resulted in finding one with a current too strong for diver's penetration. They dived in the famous "Blue Eye". Later on they dived in submarine cave Limanaki in Greece.

Poland

Magurska... from oblivion - jakub Nowak

The author with a group of colleagues tried to find a bypass around a collapsed chimney in the northern end of the cave. They found and surveyed 85 m of new series, but not the bypass.

New caves in Pasmo Polic - Paweł Franczak

Pasmo Police (Police Range) is a long ridge in the western part of the Polish Beskidy mountains, built of flysch (sandstones and shales). Seven caves and shelters were known there before 2004. The author started exploration of the range in 2009 and now 22 shelters and caves are surveyed. The documentation is accessible through the internet page of Speleoklub Bielsko-Biała.

Caves are not for sale

Interview with Andrzej Ciszewski on commercial activity in caves by Renata Wcisło Renata Wcisło asked about the increasing pressure on commercial caving in Polish caves, especially in the Tatra National Park. Andrzej Ciszewski personally refrains from this kind of activity, in Poland and abroad. He believes in further good cooperation with the authorities of the Tatra National Park in regulating access to the Tatra caves. Polish Alpinist Union (PZA), by caversĺ training and by its internal regulations, practically protects Tatra cave interiors from pollution and maintains safe rigging. In this way PZA is the reliable partner for the park authorities in protection of the Tatra caves.

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Last change 2010.09.08