RGS weekend presentation

A short history of exploration from 1974 to 2017 carried out by the JSPDT and ICCC, presented at the Royal Geographical Society in the context of A Golden Age of Cave Exploration.

Transcript

1. UNDER THE HOLLOW MOUNTAIN EXPLORING SLOVENIA’S LONGEST CAVE SYSTEM A Golden Age of Cave Exploration RGS event 2017 Imperial College Caving Club ic.caving@gmail.com https://www.union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/slovenia/ Tanguy Racine
2. Under the Hollow Mountain 1. Setting the scene 2. Recent endeavours 3. Looking to the future
3. LOCATION Keywords: Tolminski Migovec, Tolmin municipality, Triglav National Park, NW Slovenia, Soča valley
4. Tolmin, Slovenia 2m population (2016) Triglav National Park Triglavski Narodni Park
5. Tolmin Small town in large glacial valley Touristic in the summer (music festivals) Bus+train access from Lujbljana (capital) Bus access from Trieste (Italy) airport.
6. TolminskeRavne Base camp at 924m als Storage of crates Couple of days of ‘carries’. Equipment brought up on foot for the remaining ~1km ascent Good physical training before actual exploration
7. Tolminski Migovec 1862m als ‘Plateau’ at 1850m asl on average Ridge of 2000m peaks to the north (Kuk, Vhr na Skrbino) About 1.1 – 1.4km thick massive limestones Drainage divide
8. Tolminksi Migovec 1862m als ‘Plateau’ at 1850m asl on average Ridge of 2000m peaks to the north (Kuk, Vhr na Skrbino) About 1.1 – 1.4km thick massive limestones Drainage divide
9. The Julian Alps Scenery – criss-crossed with hiking trails in the Triglav National Park Hut to hut hikes Historical heritage Geology Fauna-flora
10. Geology Slovenian National Grid (EPSG 3794) Red-pink are Triassic limestones --- time equivalent of the Dachstein platform Blue and Green not so good for cave formation – too much impervious mudstone layers Massive thrust complex – faults provide pathways for water flow
11. The cave development potential Tolminka valley – 500m asl at resurgence Zadlazcica valley – 800m asl at resurgence
12. Additional evidence Winter reconnaissance 1995, 2009
13. Good recent photo coverage Geopedia.si
14. A ‘Plateau’ Riddled with shakeholes Some deep (30m) others not so much Snowplug height varies from year to year Camping on grassy spots
15. Caves we know of so far QGIS generated Colour coded by section of cave 39km connected in one system 41km total under the mountain Slovenian National Grid (EPSG 3794)
16. Potential for lower entrance 2013 – dormouse sighting at -800m 2014 – remains of dormouse found about 1km away along horizontal passage 2015 – extension of 600m southwards now within 250m of surface – more remains and sightings Cave entrance found just above
17. CURRENT ENDEAVOURS Keywords: the ‘bivi’, cooking, pushing, bolting, the ‘Plateau’, water collection
18. The bivi A shakehole in the ground Cooking – washing area Storage of food – equipment over winter Water collection –storage Communal space where caving plans are made Evenings of revelry
19. Mountain life is a good life
20. Mountain life is a good life
21. Prepare for pushing Find a partner Decide where to go Choose pushing gear Pack food – photo kit Get changed Say when you’ll be back Go find the entrance
22. Push Drop pitches Find and survey new passage.
23. A BIT OF HISTORY M16, M18, M2 ---The Old System 1974-2000 Gardener’s World, Vrtnarija --- 2000-2015 Primadona, Monatip, U-bend --- 2000’s, 2016-2017
24. NCB Monatip Smer0 - Galerija What a Coincidence Friendship Gallery Atlantis Exhibition road The MigovecSystem
26. MIGOVEC SYSTEM Smer0 Smash To Infinity and Beyond Invictus Sanje za Duš Po XXX Sajeta Always the M2: K Ja Exhibition Pawoden Northern Line Trunk Passage Waterloo Cold Feet Teotihuacán Paradox Passage Rameses Warriers for Mig Kaboom Glory Boys Rock of Sages e e Primadona Alkatraz U-Bend Bear Pitch Monatip TTT Galerija Povezava Stara Jama Spiral climb Risanke Mandare Cloaca Maxima The Rock Terminus Karstaway Déjà Vu Hotel Tolminka Wonderstuff e Upside Down Chamber What a Coincidence! Hall of the Mountain King Hallowine Vzporedni svet Singing Rock Salome Vialos Drek Pivnica Donji Milanovac (-722m) Gambler's Ruin Fenestrator Pravoko Telovadci Slab Primer Netopir Loozer Smer1 Electric Dreams Hallelujah Sweet Baby Jesus Jack of Hearts Double Time Brez Volje The Atrium Hammerhead High and Dry Alabaster Knot Very Good What a Disappointment! 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
27. Our current objectives Exploration of Primadona Accessed via a cliff abseil Complex high level horizontal galleries Revisiting the deep lead with an underground camp
28. Primadona–the abseil 120m elevation lost. Half is a steep scree slope Other half is sub-vertical, dropping to the cave entrance Many other potential entrances on the cliff side
29. Primadona–the abseil 120m elevation lost. Half is a steep scree slope Other half is sub-vertical, dropping to the cave entrance Many other potential entrances on the cliff side
30. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Occasional streamways Some big chambers still to be discovered Boulders best left alone First pitch of Primadona
31. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Occasional streamways Some big chambers and pitches still to be discovered Boulders best left alone Entrance series
32. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Occasional streamways Some big chambers and pitches still to be discovered Boulders best left alone Hallelujah streamway
33. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Streamways Some big chambers and pitches still to be discovered Boulders best left alone Jack of Hearts sump
34. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Occasional streamways Some big chambers and pitches still to be discovered Boulders best left alone Hall of the Mountain King
35. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Streamways Some big chambers still to be discovered Boulders best left alone Hammerhead Chamber
36. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Occasional streamways Some big chambers and pitches still to be discovered Boulders best left alone Galaktika pitch Galaktika chamber
37. What’s the cave like? Rigging completely renewed over 2 years – easy entrance series access Some drips, and many, many loose rocks Occasional streamways Some big chambers still to be discovered Boulders best left alone M17 chamber – ice plug diminished From 1994 to 2017 (last visit)
38. RECAP Visit https://www.union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/wiki/ExpeditionInfor mationForNovices
39. Looking to the future 2018 objectives ~20 member strong expedition ~4 weeks long, can come for fewer (2 min recommended) ~early July to early August -underground camp at - 400m
40. THANKS ! Photographs by Jarvist Frost, Rhys Tyers, Jack Hare, Cecilia Kan, Tanguy Racine
41. THE END