46553. Claudio attached the rope to a reasonably thick trunk of a young tree. 28 years ago, when he started to dig in this cave with Stojan there were onyl rocks and to attach the rope to it was rather tricky.
Most images are approximately 683 x 1024 pixels in size, numbers in front of the picture descriptions are serial numbers of the original photo files. Event participant who contributed to the making of these pictures and related persons: Claudio Bratos and Stojan Sancin.
Pictures photo and copyright (c) Primož Jakopin - Klok.
46553. Claudio attached the rope to a reasonably thick trunk of a young tree. 28 years ago, when he started to dig in this cave with Stojan there were onyl rocks and to attach the rope to it was rather tricky.
46554. At the edge of the precipice - the abyss is much larger than one could judge from this picture.
46555. Entrance from below ...
46556. ... and the abyss bottom from above
46557. Top of the slope with which the cave continues, from below
46568. Claudio on the shelf above the cave bottom, he will now descend ...
46558. ... to the actual bottom, 80 m below the surface.
46559. The excavation at the bottom, in a rather confined meander entrance, did not allow the presence of both so the photographer was on its own, 7 meters higher in the main tunnel. As the food remained in the car other business was on the agenda. In the picture - bottom of a large chimney ...
46560. ... with nicely carved remains of a less soluble rock.
46561. Carbide lamp inscriptions on the wall attest that previous excavations took place from 1992 to 1998. Above the date there is an inscription JKB. It is the abbreviation of Jamarski Klub Boljunec / Boljunec Caving Club, an underground exploration venture, founded in the summer of 1970 by Claudio Bratos, Marino Karli and Rado Tul. Claudio acquired the necessary cave climbing equipment in Zuerich, the trio embarked on training and in a few months they visited all the classical caves of the Tržaški kras / Trieste Karst. They soon mastered the single-rope technique, Claudio devised an own descender, a tool for setting up the pitons, and a washing machine for the muddy caving gear. Soon a sizeable collection of literature was also in place, as well as the relevant topographic maps. At the end of 1970 four more friends joined in: Claudio Ota, Robi Ota, Fredi Žerjal and Giuseppe Mauro. Also in 1970 JKB discovered the first new cave. The club was active till 1982, they never had a serious caving accident, they discovered 96 new caves and 8 continuations in known caves. JOSPD Trst was founded 9 years later, in 1979.
46562. Bottom of another chimney, in the eastern wall, the top of which is nicely filled with white calcite decor.
46563. This curtain is guarded by a stalactite.
46564. Top of a stalagmite some 10 m upwards in the tunnel
46566. Patterns in a curtain, illuminated from behind.
46569. At the end Claudio returned and we both descended to the excavation site again. Here Claudio is seen descending, from below, flash illuminated ...
46570. ... and in available light.
46572. From the bottom a very narrow meander follows, now passable, which opens into a 4 m pit. Its bottom is now lifted because of excavated rocks, here seen from the continuation meander.
46571. Claudio on top of the new pit
46574. The last meander has a chimney at its end, here seen from below.
46573. At the bottom the meander rolls into the unknown, with good draft. Width of the bend is about 30 cm.
46573. Lightening of the picture (gamma 3.0 instead of 1.0) reveals a hole, which produces a well audible echo and is also the draft source.
46576. On return we took some time to document the richly ornamented walls in the cave's main tunnel.
46575. The tunnel is 2 - 4 m wide ...
46577. ... and 5 - 7 meters high.
46579. It is all to choose - from small calcite flows on the western wall ...
46578. ... to larger and taller draperies ...
46580. ... which resemble the more known ones from Zelške jame caves.
46581. The upper part of the cave is a steep ascent of loose rocks which roll below the feet like on the trails over the scree slopes in the mountains.
46582. Claudio is resting at the bottom of the entrance shaft ...
46584. ... rappelling during the ascent (two anchors for the 15 m shaft) ...
46585. ... and almost out - the last sunrays added spark to the bramble.
46586. Descending and ascending gear, occasionally also torture tool for the private parts of the body
46587. Sunset in the pine forest
4-minute sequence, Škrklovca by Claudio Bratos
Abyss Below the Fault Line, Troštarice, February 12
Caves-to-be Around Razbinjak Collapse Doline, March 4
This page, text and photos by Primož Jakopin, member of the Ljubljana Cave Exploration Society (DZRJL), except where stated otherwise.
Send inquiries and comments to
primoz jakopin guest arnes si (insert dots and at sign as appropriate).
Page initiated on February 20, 2020; date of the last change: November 7, 2020.
URL: https://www.jakopin.net/primoz/slike/20120PJ20200219_en.php
1178