Primož Jakopin, photo diary

Mt. Kanin
Caves Srnica and Skalarjevo brezno

August 1 and 2, 2023, 41 pictures

Most images are approximately 768 times 1024 pixels in size, numbers in front of the picture descriptions are the serial numbers of the original photo files. Vladimir Levašov contributed a lot to the excursion, while Robert Grilc - Čevap, Roberto Antonini, Roald Bruil - Roli, Jerica Koren, Grega Maffi, Irena Čok, Rok Stopar, Pierre Meynaert, David Piščanec, Maja Lokar, Robi Maren and Tina Bizjak also participated.

Special thanks to Jurij and Eta Kunaver from Plužna for their help and hospitality, offered to the author and Vladimir. They welcomed the two in their home, when they were in need for a place to stay overnight as the Kanin cable car did not run on August 1 because of the wind and Bovec was overcrowded. Their help was especially valuable when the two cavers returned from Srnica cave in heavy rain, soaking wet. By the next morning, everything was shipshape, even the mountain boots were completely dry.

The page, texts and photos copyright (c) Primož Jakopin - Klok 2023, except for the photos VL21, VL22, VL23 and VL24 which are the work of Vladimir Levašov, who is also the copyright holder (published with his permission).

Bavšica Valley, August 1

52694. Roberto at his house, Veliki Puhavec, 2,098 m is in the background.

Srnica cave

52705. Mists rise from the Gljun river, in full splendor, after the rain.

52706. View from the trail to the cave towards Bovška kotlina and Svinjak, 1,653 m

52707. Entrance from the outside, the rope is most welcome.

VL21. View from the entrance to the valley with Mt. Svinjak on the horizon

52721. Behind the entrance squeeze, the cave runs through more or less beautifully passable meanders with shorter, climbable jumps, mostly upwards. In the photo: the view further down the tunnel to the meander, under the traverse that runs above it, about two meters high.

52722. Large cobbles at the bottom of the meander, the largest one, middle left is a little less than one meter long.

52719. About a third of the way to the upper entrance there is this small step above which ...

52718. ... a rather inauspicious narrow passage. The opening through which Vladimir, who is already on the other side, is looking, is too narrow to pass through, and serves for passing transport bags. The crossing is on the left side, just above the water. One has to stretch the legs and arms wide and hope that there will be enough space between your stomach and the water, which is otherwise not that deep, and that your legs will hold up. It is possible to keep the stomach above the water, while the knees and trouser legs can all too easily reach the water.

VL22. The author makes his way through the passage ...

VL23. ... where, despite all the efforts, his feet got wet.

52713. Above this easily climbable step ...

52711. ... here's another look back to the top of it middle left ...

52712. ... the path continues through a tunnel with round kettles in the right wall.

52708. It leads to this lake, above which the continuation is a steep ascent along the installed rope on the left side of the picture. The author was quite soaked and time was running out, so he preferred to stop here. Vladimir continued up the cave to the upper entrance, while the author stayed to take a few more photos. It was already past five in the afternoon, and at six o'clock a storm with heavy rain was forecast.

52709. View back down the tunnel from the pond ...

52710. ... and back towards the step which leads downwards.

52715. Roli, a guide, alpinist and caver from Bovec

52723. Fossils in a nicely smoothed wall

52724. About two meters deep kettle with pebbles at the bottom

52726. Gljun river on the way back, still majestic

Plužna, the Kunaver home

52730. The felt slippers warmed the legs of the author, already in dry clothes, very pleasantly

August 2

52727. Pleasant homeliness with a nice view from the kitchen window - Vladimir had already had his breakfast, and the author still had tea with rusk after the main dish - polenta with fruit.

Kanin, on the trail near Peter Skalar Hut, cavers, all of whom have already seen Skalarjevo brezno

52695. Maja

52696. Robi

52697. Jerica

52698. Tina

52699. Grega

A small plateau south of the entrance to Skalarjevo brezno

52700. David

52701. Irena

52702. Rok and Pierre

52703. Pierre

VL24. The author, changing clothes, and Robert in front of the cave entrance (on the left).

Skalarjevo brezno, from the spacious ledge in the entrance pit at about -40 meters upwards

52704. Robert

52731. Time flew by mercilessly, the author passed the eight rebelays as fast as he could, but still quite slowly, and the closing hour of the cable car to the valley demanded a return. Pictured: shell fossils in a rock wedged in the edge of the step above the ledge.

52732. A few more shells in the left wall above the rock, protruding from the surrounding sediment.

52733. Robert climbing a beautifully ribbed pit

52735. A view from above to the top of the pit, Vladimir has already pushed the transport bag above him and a little later ...

52736. ... passed it on to Robert.

52737. Vladimir in the cave entrance, view out

52738. Peter Skalar Hut from the path above it, with Konjc, 2,286 m, in the clouds