46651. Two senior members of the team on the way to the cave, as seen from the rear car compartment.
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 Ludvik Husu.
Pictures photo and copyright (c) Primož Jakopin - Klok.
46651. Two senior members of the team on the way to the cave, as seen from the rear car compartment.
46652. The first to check was a branched hole ...
46657. ... on the western edge of this doline.
46653. About two and a half meters deep, it stretches in two directions.
46654. Claudio made a short film sequence of the site before the work started.
46659. After half an hour of digging ...
46661. ... and the removal of this last rock it was possible to conclude that chances for further penetration into the depths would be connected to a lot of laborious work.
46664. Razbinjak is the only large collapse doline in the area. Its southern part is topped by a wall of a few meters, followed by a moderate slope, as seen from the northern side, where the wall si considerably higher ...
46665. ... and more fragmented.
46666. At first sight the hole looked big enough to allow a direct descent ...
46667. ... but closer inspection revealed the opposite.
46668. Claudio reasoned that he could slip into it, but that getting out again would be a mission impossible, and started to widen it, first with a hammer ...
46669. ... and with "životo" (a little pick of his own making).
46670. Ludvik helped clear this view of the northern Razbinjak wall (broke the dry trunk in front of him) ...
46671. ... and joined the effort to widen the hole entrance.
46673. Now Claudio dared to descend ... but quickly found out that the little chamber is all there is, blind on all sides.
46674. Left shoulder was reluctant to follow the right one on the way out ...
46675. ... but all's well that ends well.
46676. A piece of rock at the joint with calcite layer. Slightly larger than the Novo mesto meteorite, which recently landed after this explosion, but nevertheless pretty to look at.
46677. A smaller collapse ...
46678. ... but actually not so small ...
46679. ... had the most lucrative fissure in its eastern wall.
46680. After some digging ...
46682. ... it was possible ...
46681. ... to peek deeper inside. Yet it was another No go.
46683. It was once all common pasture land. Farmers cleared the land of bush and trees and stashed the scattered stones into fences such as the one on the left ...
46684. ... or into tall heaps at the meadow side.
46685. The initial fissure is now wide open ...
46686. ... but it ends with an ever more narrow crack. Hopeless.
46699. In the southwestern corner of a small collapse doline a very strong blowing hole was discovered years ago, from the start it was obvious that is must be connected to the underground Reka river as its rhythm matched the rising of the water level. Yet the excavation proved to be difficult, the narrow passage ever longer and without any extension which could be used as a depot for the excavated material. As it had to be transported out the team of at least 5 cavers was required, which, over the years, proved ever more difficult to assemble. So the works stalled, especially as 500 m away another blowing hole, easier to dig, Jama Notranjske reke / The cave of the Inner Carniolian River, produced a connection to the stream 300 m below.
46688. Closer view of the entrance
46687. View down the 6 m entrance pit
46689. The excavation site is simple, little drops, one after the other, just waiting to be widened.
46691. A small side niche, filled with excavations
46692. Claudio on top of the final 4 m pit: The bigger rocks we lifted one by one, ...
46694. ... with smaller ones we filled these bags at the side of the horizontal stretch, as we were only two and there was no one to haul them up.
46693. Tree roots on the ceiling of the bend, where horizontal part of the passage descends into the final pit.
46695. Ceiling of small calcite concretions
46696. View up the entrance pit ...
46698. ... and an evening view out of the entrance opening.
46701. A stone shepherd hut, near the clearing where the car could be parked.
46700. Sun sets above the now more and more overgrown karst pastures.
6-minute sequence, Orleška gmajna by Claudio Bratos
Škrklovica Cave, February 19
Jakorlinov dimnik, March 24
This page, text and photos by Primož Jakopin, member of the Ljubljana Cave Exploration Society (DZRJL), except where stated otherwise.
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Page initiated on March 7, 2020; date of the last change: March 28, 2020.
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