The images are mostly about 768 by 1024 pixels in size. At the beginning of the descriptions are the serial numbers of the original photo files. In places, the names of cave parts are the author's. During the excursion on March 30, besides Vladimir Levašov Rok Brajkovič - Brajko also participated. Where not indicated otherwise, Vladimir is depicted in the photos.
Page, texts and photos copyright (c) Primož Jakopin - Klok 2023.
52226. Brajko would come from Idrija, first he would go by bus to Logatec, and then all three would proceed to Logarček by car. But as the bus left a little too quickly, Vladimir and the author first visited Idrija. As we were already there, we also visited Divje jezero. So many memories and thoughts of future ventures are hidden in its submerged spring cave ...
52228. The entrance to the cave is quite close to a trail, if you know where to look for it. Klok remembered (wrongly) that it was close to the northwest side of the clearing below the power line. It took close to half an hour of futile searching, during which Vladimir managed to find Brezno v Pšeničnem dolu (cave registry number 2933) - its entrance was suspiciously covered with branches - it all looked like a new cave. In the end, it just dawned on Klok that things must be much simpler. He went back where we started and the search was quickly over.
52227. Before long, all three of us were at the abyss.
52229. We also had wire ladders with us, for some "retro" shot, and Vladimir hung them on a hornbeam so that he wouldn't have to push them off the ground during the beginning of the descent.
52230. One more "vintage" photo, quick ascent back to the top and ...
52225. ... a descent down to the bottom using single rope technique. Klok brought a 10 mm thick rope, which was supposed to be 40 meters long, but actually it was only 28. Some was spent outside for a double anchor, some for a loop at the rebelay on the shelf at the top of the shaft, and in the end, as it later turned out, the rope was too short. Vladimir had a 30 meter long and 12 mm thick rope, which fortunately was even longer and reached the bottom. It was just a little difficult to push it into the descender, and even more difficult to get through it because the rope was dry. Klok, who would have descended from the rebelay first, therefore decided to use his own rope and stopped a little before its end, three meters above the bottom. He swung to Vladimir's rope, which was also lowered into the shaft, and had trouble rebelaying onto it. But Vladimir is not only a caver, he is also a caving instructor, and following his advice, Klok looked around, found a nice ledge a little to the right with two stalagmites, where it was possible to stand properly, swung onto it and switched the ropes easily. As can be seen from the photo, the ladders, 20 meters long, were too short as well.
52234. Triangular rock a little further down the tunnel, view back, towards the entrance
52233. The entrance tunnel ends with this beautifully detailed, bright wall.
52232. Klok knew that this was Lisičina (fox den), and that somewhere there was a passage leading onward. Just where is it? Vladimir first went all the way to the end of the upper tunnel (on the photo), but then realized that the cave continued in a very narrow passage, about two meters below his feet. The passage was too narrow for descent with climbing gear. Time was running out, Brajko was waiting on the surface, rain was forecast, and there was no point in continuing the search. Klok was also convinced that the passage should not be very narrow, that it was somewhere else, on the lower side.
52235. View up the entrance shaft. Vladimir has just switched onto the shorter rope so that Klok can go straight up the longer one and would not have to wait for Vladimir to climb all the way up.
52236. Clouds over Planinska gora. The view from the place where the forest track branches off from the road Laze - railway station. Here the timber logs are gathered for further transportation and there is room to park a car or two.
52243. We easily found the passage through Lisičina a little lower than the upper squeeze, which was too narrow. The info provided to Klok by Jurij Kunaver over the phone, that he remembers how they passed through Lisičina in the 1950s, helped. Jurij was crawling through it, France Velkavrh, who was behind him, but reckoned that Jurij was too slow, and kicked him a little here and there with a boot (Jurij was obviously on all fours) to hurry up. So the passage could not be too narrow. It is true, however, that right in the middle of the passage there is an indentation in the floor, as if someone had torn off a piece of 3 cm thick flowstone cover, tray sized, full of water. And when passing through the passage, if you are not very careful, the rear side quite naturally slides into the puddle. In the photo - a little further from Lisičina, the tunnel splits - to the right is a way forward, and to the left is a passage to a shallow water tunnel, above which this threshold with a nicely carved ceiling is situated.
52241. View along the low water tunnel. It leads back to the tunnel junction.
52244. Top view of Dietz window, where a permanent rope is installed. An almost vertical slope follows, and the rope is muddy, runs quickly through the descender, and at the end it is lengthened, a knot crossing is required. It is not a big deal, however, as there are quite a few good footholds in the slope.
52245. Under Dietz window, the South and the North tunnel begin. North was chosen, to the left below the window. The path is similar to the one in Piparski rov of Najdena jama, further from the Second passage. In places the trail runs on top a mud ridge where a good sense of balance is needed to avoid sliding into a sinkhole left or right. Soon, on the left, under the chimney, a flowstone-covered large side niche opens.
52246. View further along the tunnel, where we had to turn around due to lack of time.
52248. Looking back down the tunnel. There is a narrow ridge ahead, and a diagonal traverse across the muddy slope.
52251. View of the beginning of the climb to Dietz window...
52254. ... and another view some time later when Vladimir was already just below the window.
52258. View back down the tunnel above the window, with the calcite-covered right wall ...
52257. ... and dry pans on the floor.
52260. View to the surface from the ledge below the rebelay point at the top of the shaft ...
52261. ... and from the surface back to the ledge. Vladimir went last, winding the rope into the transport bag on the way.
Related pages:
From the Beauty and the Beast cave to the Lanski vrh, March 15, 16 and 23
Zelške jame, April 5
This page, text and photos by
Primož Jakopin,
member of the Ljubljana Cave Exploration Society (DZRJL).
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The page was initiated on May 10, 2023 and last modified on May 16.
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