Vlček L. (2013): Guidebook Karst of Slovakia

Guidebook

for the field trip held 16th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF SPELEOLOGY Czech Republic, Brno, Moravian Karst

July 21 – 28, 2013

EXCURSION A2SK: Excursion Guide for Postcongress Excursions Lukáš Vlček

Slovak Speleological Society, Hodžova 11, SK-031 01 Liptovský Mikuláš; lukasvlcek@yahoo.com

A2SK: Excursion Guide for Postcongress Excursions

Introduction The Slovak Republic (Slovakia) is a state in Central Europe (17°–22°E, 47°–49°N) with an area of 49,035 km2. It is a landlocked country bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The Slovak landscape is noted primarily for its mountainous nature, with the Carpathian Mts. extending across most of the northern half of the country. Amongst these mountain ranges are the high peaks of the Tatra Mts. To the north, close to the Polish border, are the High Tatras which are a popular skiing destination and home to tens of mountain lakes and valleys as well as the highest point in Slovakia – the Gerlachovský štít Peak (2,655 m), and the country’s highly symbolic peak Kriváň (2,495 m). The lowest point is the Bodrog river (95 m a.s.l.) at the state border between Slovakia a Hungary. Major Slovak rivers are the Danube, the Váh and the Hron; the Tisa River marks the Slovak-Hungarian border for only 5 km. The Slovak climate lies between the temperate and continental climate zones with relatively warm summers and cold, cloudy and humid winters. The population is more than 5.3 mil. habitants and the population density makes 109/km2. Administrative divisions: 8 self-governing regions (Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín, Nitra, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Prešov, Košice region), 79 districts, 138 towns and 2891 municipalities. The largest city is the capital Bratislava with population more than 450,000 habitants. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family. The Slavs arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries during the migration period. In the course of history, parts of today‘s Slovakia belonged to Samo‘s Empire – the first known political unit of Slavs, than Principality of Nitra, Empire of Great Moravia, Kingdom of Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Habsburg Empire, and Czechoslovakia. A separate Slovak state briefly existed during World War II, during which Slovakia was a satelite dependency of Germany between 1939 – 1944. From 1945 Slovakia once again became a part of Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1st January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1st January 2009, it is a part of the Schengen Area and NATO simultaneously.

It belongs to United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The state currency is Euro.

Slovakia features natural landscapes, mountains, caves, medieval castles and towns, folk architecture, spas and ski resorts. The most attractive destinations are the capital of Bratislava, the High Tatras Mts. and the Liptov region. Five localities from Slovakia were inscribed to the UNESCO List of cultural monuments: Castle of Spiš and its environs, historic mining town Banská Štiavnica, wooden village Vlkolínec, historic town Bardejov and Levoča, wooden churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area. Slovakian unique natural phenomena are represented in the UNESCO List by caves of the Slovak Karst and Dobšinská Ice Cave, and Carpathian primeval beech forests of the Bukovské and Vihorlatské Hills, eastern Slovakia.

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Slovakian karst areas cover more than 2,700 km2 and represent very important landscape units of the Western Carpathians Mts. Within the temperate climatic zone of Central Europe several types of karst areas are distinguished in mountain and basin positions of Slovakia. Plateau karst (Slovak Karst, Muránska Plateau, Slovak Paradise), karst of massive ridges, horsts and combined fold-fault structures (Strážovské Hills, Lesser Carpathians Mts., Starohorské Hills), dissected karst of monoclinal crests and ridges (Low Tatras Mts., Greater Fatra Mts.), and to a less extent karst of Klippen structure (Vršatec Klippen in the White Carpathians Mts., Maníny in the Strážovské Hills, Pieniny Mts.) are related to mountain position. Karst of travertine domes and cascades occurs in mountainous as well as basin positions. Karst of isolated blocks and monadnocks, and karst of foothill plains and terraces (Šumiacky Karst in the Horehronské podolie Valley, Važecký Karst in the Liptovská Basin) is developed in intermountain basins. Highmountain karst on fold-fault structures (Červené Hills in the Western Tatras Mts.) and monoclinal crests or mountain ridges (the highest elevations of the Belianske and High Tatras Mts.) is located in the highest mountain positions above the natural forest boundary.

Cryptokarst formed by lens-shaped bodies of crystalline limestones within impervious rocks is specific karst type featured mainly by the well-known Ochtinská Aragonite Cave in the Revúcka Highland.

More than 6,600 caves are known in Slovakia, out of which more than 150 are formed in nonkarst rocks (for example andesites, basalts and their volcanoclastics, sandstones, granites). Most of the limestone caves are situated in the Slovak Karst, Low Tatras Mts., Spiš-Gemer Karst (Slovak Paradise, Muránska Plateau), Greater Fatra Mts., Strážovské Hills, Western, High and Belianske Tatras Mts..

Tab. 1: The longest caves in Slovakia (January 2013) 1. Demänovský Cave System, Low Tatras Mts. .............................................. 35,418 m 2. Mesačný tieň Cave, High Tatras Mts............................................................ 30,500 m 3. Domica – Baradla Cave System, Slovak Karst (SK) – Aggtelek Karst (H).... 26,000 m 4. Stratenská Cave – Psie diery, Slovak Paradise .......................................... 22,172 m 5. Cave of Dead Bats, Low Tatras Mts............................................................. 20,195 m 6. Štefanová Cave, Low Tatras Mts.................................................................. 14,102 m 7. Jaskyňa zlomísk Cave, Low Tatras Mts........................................................ 11,057 m 8. Javorinka Cave, High Tatras Mts.................................................................. 10,501 m 9. Skalistý potok Cave, Slovak Karst ................................................................ 7,843 m 10. Hipman’s Caves, Low Tatras Mts................................................................... 7,554 m Tab. 2: The deepest caves in Slovakia (January 2013) 1. Hipman’s Caves, Low Tatras Mts...................................................................... 495 m 2. Javorinka Cave, High Tatras Mts....................................................................... 477 m 3. Mesačný tieň Cave, High Tatras Mts................................................................. 451 m 4. Skalistý potok Cave, Slovak Karst.................................................................... 373 m 3

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5. Cave of Dead Bats, Low Tatras Mts.................................................................. 324 m 6. Javorová Abyss, Low Tatras Mts....................................................................... 313 m 7. Jaskyňa v Záskočí Cave, Low Tatras Mts......................................................... 284 m 8. Čiernohorský Cave System, High Tatras Mts.................................................... 232 m 9. Kunia Abyss, Slovak Karst................................................................................ 203 m 10. Tristarská Abyss, Belianske Tatras Mts............................................................. 201 m The largest underground space of Slovakia is the Rozprávkový (Fairy Tale) Dome in the Stratenská Cave with volume of 79,017 cubic metres. The highest sinter column, having the height of 32.6 m, is in the Krásnohorská Cave on the foothill of the Silická Plateau, Slovak Karst. More than 40 caves are permanently ice-filled. These caves can be found mostly in territories with mountain cool, cold and very cold climate (almost 85 %). Ice-filled cave with the lowest elevation above the sea is the Silická ľadnica Cave at 503 m a.s.l in the Silická Plateau. The greatest volume of ice is in the Dobšinská Ice Cave (more than 110,100 cubic metres). The Demänovská Ice Cave, Veľká ľadová priepasť Chasm in the Low Tatras Mts. and Ľadová priepasť Chasm in the Červené Hills are placed among significant ice caves. The most famous cave with aragonite fill is the Ochtinská Aragonite Cave. The largest cave in non-karst rocks is the Jaskyňa pod Spišskou Cave in sandstone rocks of the Levočské Hills, 740 m long. Rare findings of vertebrate bones are characteristic for the Medvedia and Psie diery Caves in the Slovak Paradise, the Medvedia Cave in the Jánska Valley, Low Tatras Mts., the Medvedia Cave in the Suchá Valley, Western Tatras Mts. or the Važecká Cave. The Ardovská Cave, Domica Cave and Majda-Hraškova Cave (Slovak Karst), the Kostrová Cave (Slovak Paradise), Prepoštská Cave (Hornonitrianska Basin), Čertova pec Cave (Považský Inovec Mts.), Deravá skala Cave (Lesser Carpathians Mts.) and many others are known as important archaeological sites. Remarkable inscriptions have been preserved on the walls of Jasovská Cave and several other caves. During the World War II many caves served as shelters.

According to the Act of the National Council of Slovak Republic on Nature and Landscape Protection from 2002, all the caves are considered nature monuments. Caves are designated state property according to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic. Forty four caves and abysses have been designated national nature monuments based on their geomorphic values, occurrence of unique speleothems or ice, palaeontological and archaeological findings as well as historical memorabilia. On the basis of bilateral Slovak-Hungarian project, the caves of the Slovak and Aggtelek Karst were inscribed on the World Natural Heritage List in 1995. This project was extended by the Dobšinská Ice Cave with the whole genetic system of Stratená Cave in 2000. The Domica Cave was included on the List of Internationally Important Wetlands within the Ramsar Convention in 2001, the Caves of the Demänovská Valley in 2006. The headquarters of the Slovak Speleological Society – the roof organisation of cavers in Slovakia – is in the town of Liptovský Mikuláš, where also the specialised Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and 4

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Speleology and the branch of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic – Slovak Caves Administration is located.

Twelve show caves – Belianska Cave, Bystrianska Cave, Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Demänovská Ice Cave, Dobšinská Ice Cave, Domica Cave, Driny Cave, Gombasecká Cave, Harmanecká Cave, Jasovská Cave, Ochtinská Aragonite Cave and Važecká Cave are managed by the Slovak Caves Administration. Other show caves include the Bojnická Castle Cave – within the castle tour, and caves opened for tourists in more natural way – Dead Bats Cave, Krásnohorská Cave, Zlá diera Cave and Malá Stanišovská Cave.

Prepoštská Cave is opened for visitors as an archaeological exposition in nature and Morské Oko Cave is an artesian well abyss opened to approach from the floating pier – the cave itself is accessible for cave divers only.

Excursion itinerary

1st day The Caves and Thermal Springs in the Valley of St. John The Jánska Valley with the length of 17 km is one of the longest valleys in the northern part of Low Tatras Mts. The highest peaks of 82 km long central ridge of mountains are higher than 2000 m a.s.l. The valley was deepened by the Štiavnica Brook, incoming to the 6 km wide stripe area of karstic rocks from the non-carstic crystalline core of the mountains.

It begins on the central mountain ridge of Low Tatras Mts., close to the highest point of the mountains – Ďumbier (2,043 m a.s.l.) and continues to the Liptov Basin, which join close to the Village of Liptovský Ján (630 m a.s.l.). The valley was created along the S–N oriented fault system, which in the most northern parts join the border faults of basin and together they lead the mineral thermal water upwards. One of their manifestations is a calcium-tufa formation south from the village. The higher thermal flow indicates also the hydrothermal crystals of calcite inside many of caves in the valley. Nowadays, more than 250 caves are known in the slopes of valley and the others are situated on the plateaus of Ohnište (1,538 m a.s.l.) and Krak’s Mt. (1,752 m a.s.l.). The length of caves herein reaches more than 35 km. The longest are Jaskyňa zlomísk Cave, Veľká & Nová Stanišovská Caves, Medvedia Cave, Sokolová Cave, Priepasťová jaskyňa v Šindliarke.

The deepest one is the Veľká ľadová priepasť Chasm (–128 m) on the top of the Ohnište plateau. The caves were created predominantly in the massive dark-grey limestones of Gutenstein Formation. Hundred years ago there were pastures for sheep and heifers here, while at present time, the 90% of the karst area is covered by the dense spruce forest.

The area belongs to the Nature Reserve within the National Park Nízke Tatry. In 1327 in the mouth of valley was founded a village Liptovský Ján, on the place of the former chapel from 1200. During the age Austro-Hungarian Monarchy it was know as the site of medical springs and in the period between WWI and WWII as the favorite spa resort.

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Today, whole the region is oriented to the tourism, it offers many of sommer and winter sports & relax possibilities, including show caves visiting or caving.

Field guide: Michal Danko, mechanical engineer, IT specialist, born in 1982 Specialist for karst and caves in the Jánska Valley and adjacent areas in the Low Tatras Mts. Discoverer of many of caves within this area and important continuances of the Jaskyňa zlomísk Cave (11.1 km).

Participant of cave expeditions to the Romania. Expert in cave survey and mapping software. Webmaster of the web-page of the Slovak Speleological Society (www.sss.sk). Member of the speleological club Speleoklub Nicolaus.

Sokolová Cave 1,460 m long cave, one of the first known caves in the area of Jánska Valley., was discovered in 17th century by shepards. After some time, count Szentyványi rebuild the entrance and used the cave entrance parties as the store. From this period come the findings of artefacts here. For long time the cavers had know only one corridor under the schaft, which falls to the deep of 10 m directly from the entrance – here was installed an wooden leder. Already in 1998 were discovered the passages in the lowest part of cave, in the length of more than 1 km. They are characterized by active stream, sinking on the surface only few decades of metres from the cave and disapearing in the siphon. Close to the underground space of the Sokolová Cave, there is located another one active inflow cave – Poschodový potok (347 m). Together they represent the first inflow caves at the border zone between karst and non-karstic area here. They are filled by the granite pebbles and sand, as well as the moonmilk and poor flowstone and dripstone decoration (Vaněk and Hurtaj 1998).

Medvedia Cave 1,420 m long cave represents a part of the fossil drainage system in the middle part of the Jánska Valley. The big entrance was well-known from immemories. Already in 1990 it was discovered the most significant continuation of cave in length of more than 1 km, characterized by the wide corridors with allochtonous fill. The cave is an important palaeontological site with findings of cave bear bones. Just few metres from the underground space of cave, another caves occur – the most significant is considering Jaskyňa zlomísk Cave – the longest one in the valley. Their interconnection was proofed by the odour tracing tests in the past (Vajs 1991).

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Jaskyňa zlomísk Cave 11,036 m long cave with vertical span of 147 m lies directly under the Medvedia Cave, which together represent one cave system by genesis. Topographically, it is a maze cave created in few horizontal etages with several vertical schafts or chimneys, tectonically conditioned. The morphology of corridors is affected by frost-weathering and processes relevant to the permafrost and ice monolith presence inside the cave. Thanks to them, the cave represents an important site of remarkable cryogene cave carbonates origined here during the last glacial period. Besides them, very rich dripstone decoration and moonmilk accumulations, including the great moonmilk lakes occur here. From geological point of view, the cave was formed inside the spacious fold of carbonates, while the presence of cave corridors is binding to the Gutenstein limestones, bordered by hardly permeable dolomites. The dolomites create a barrier between cave and supposed underground passages inside the Krak’s Mt. There are many of small active flows inside the cave – they connect to the Hlbokô Resurgence. The course of cave is S-N, parallel with the valley, but from both sides was cutted by tectonic faults (tectonically conditioned side valleys at present time). However, there is still a great potential of new discoveries in the future (Hochmuth and Holúbek 1995a, b, 1998).

The caves in Stanišovská Valley Stanišovská Cave is one of the longest time konown caves to the public. Since it was known as spacious, comfortable and beautiful cave, it was prepared for opening for the public in the past. It has three levels of passages parallel with the valley (S-N). The dripstone decoration has grown into richness of any forms. Only few meters from the passages of cave, there occur the Malá (Small) Stanišovská Cave, which is open for the public from the year 2010. It represents only one small branch of the genetical cave system in the Stanišovo Valley (a side valley of the central Jánska Valley), but important, for example, by cryogene calcites, as well as the caves Jaskyňa zlomísk and Stanišovská. The Malá Stanišovská Cave was created by the watter from the side valley, what is also supposed in case of another one cave here – the Nová (New) Stanišovská Cave. It’s entrance is situated in the opposite slope of valley and it’s passages lead to the Ohnište massif. It was discovered in 1972 and nowadays is important by the hydrothermal calcite crystals findings as well as the findings of snails shells deep inside the cave. While the first two caves were created in the lithologically monotonous Gutenstein limestones, the geology of Nová Stanišovská is more complicated (dolomite lenses, graphite layers, hydrothermal geodes). The perspectives of discoveries in both massives are still huge (Droppa 1961a; Hochmuth and Holúbek 1996; Hochmuth 2003).

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Hydrothermal tufa pools ¨Kaďa¨ in Liptovský Ján Village The village was founded on the top of the tufa hill. In the vicinity they are many of mineral water springs around. Many of the springs used in the present time were drilled artificially and they supply by water the public pools. Few of the springs were used from the medical reasons hundrets years ago. At the beginning of 20th century there were build the spa in the village. The thermal spring Teplica with mineralisation of 2,000 mg/l and temperature about 26 °C belongs among the 14 springs with the temperature 14.8 – 29.4 °C in the vicinity of village. One of them forms a vertical cavity – crater cave Kaďa, which has been artifically adapted to the public use. Small pool for swimming is situated closeby. It was proved that water really has positive healing effects, especially on skin illnesses, illnesses of kinetic system, metabolism, gynaecologic, neurological, heart and vessels illnesses.

The area of tufa fotmation here around is about 1 km2.

2nd day Demänová Velley – a Pearl of Slovak Caves Areas Demänovská Valley, the most famous and the most visited valley in the northern part of the Ďumbier Zone – Low Tatras Mts., leads from the main mountain ridge between Ďumbier (2,043 m), Krupova hoľa (1,927 m), Chopok (2,024 m), Dereše (2,003 m) and Poľana (1,889 m) in the south, to the Liptovská Basin in the north. The Chopok is the most dominant peak in the middle of the southern side of the valley. The mouth of the valley is located at 700 m a.s.l. From the geological and geomorphological viewpoint the Demänovská Valley, which is more than 15 km long, consists of two different parts. The upper wider part, situated closer to the main mountain ridge, is formed by crystalline rocks and consists of branched valleys remodelled by glaciers. The mountain lake called Vrbické pleso is dammed by moraine of glacier sediments. The lower limestone part of valley is narrower and featured by karst canyon deepened by allochthonous stream of Demänovka and its tributary of Zadná voda stream. The valley became famous after the discovery of Demänovská Cave of Liberty (Temple of Liberty) in 1921. Number of tourists visiting the valley expanded rapidly especially after an elevated wire-way from Jasná to Chopok was built. The village Demänovská Valley was founded in 1964 by uniting the settlements of Tri Studničky, Jaskyne, Repiská, Lúčky and Jasná. There is a lot of hiking facilities and walking trails in the village, lots of boarding and lodging facilities, elevated wire-ways and ski-lifts in this mountain touristic region. The lower part of the valley is a Nature Reserve, where besides remarkable sceneric and estetic values the most valuable is the alogenic karst with famous caves. The karst of the Demänovská Valley presents a so-called contact dissected karst of monoclinal crests and ridges in the middle-mountain positions. Prevailing karst features in this dissected mountain area relate to subsurface phenomena. The dominant multi-leveled cave system on right side of the valley, which is more than 35 km 9

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long (the longest cave in Slovakia), was formed mainly by sinking allochthonous streams at several levels. The highest found cave level is located 140 m above the recent stream flowing through the bottom of valley. The development of cave levels is correlated with the development of river terraces on the surface in the north part of the valley and the adjacent areas of Liptov Basin. However, the whole cave system is not morphologically homogenous. For example, at the contact non-karstic and karstic area, several drawdown vadose passages lead from sinkholes to a lower levelled river bed of main underground stream and there occur also the phreatic and semi-phreatic zones inside the cave tract.

Two parts of cave system, Demänovská Cave of Liberty and Demänovská Ice Cave, are opened to the public. Besides them, more than 250 caves of several genetic types are known in the Demänovská Valley, where the active and inactive allochtonous river caves are the longest and most significant. For example, Suchá Cave has been explored to 1,414 m or Štefanová Cave is explored to more than 16 km of passages for this moment and still waiting for the exploration of several new-discovered branches.

Field guide: Lukáš Benický, mountain & speleo rescuer, born in 1986 Not only excelent caver, but also phenomenal climber on the surface and enthusiastic digger and explorer in the caves. One of the discoverers of significant continuations of caves Pustá and Štefanová in the Demänovská Valley. Member of the Speleological Rescue Team within the Slovak Mountain Rescue. Currently, leader of the speleological club Oblastná skupina Demänovská dolina.

Demänová Cave System The longest and most extensive cave system in Slovakia achieves the lenght of 35,358 m and depth of 196 m in vertical span of 771 to 966 m n. m. The system was created by the influence of Demänovka and Zadná voda brooks in the eastern part of valley and has generally S-N course. The geological setting is similar to the neighbouring Jánska Valley and the caves were created mainly in the Middle Triassic Gutenstein limestones along the faults NW-SE and SW-NE oriented. This way arranged tectonic network underlined the origin of great meanders within the central part of cave system. Bedding planes or smaller-scalled discontinuities caused the origin of W-E oriented corridors. Someplaces, limestones here are crinoidal, rich on fossils, nodular or cherty, what is also vissible on the walls of passages. Origin of cave system began from the contact zone of karst and non karstic area on the southernmost edge of Demänovský Karst. Here occurred hunderets of ponors. Nowadays, many of them are still active and the water flow mostly into the glacial moraine sediments covered the limestones area borders or riverbeds. Several horizontal etages of cave system are visible on the cave plan. They are interconnected 10

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mostly by steep declining passages or stoop schafts created along the significant faults – the deepest one is the schaft Priepasť in the Pustá cave part (almost –100 m deep).

Cave sediments have mostly alochtonous provenience – granite clay, sand, pebbles and boulders are found in whole the system. Ice fill occur in the northernmost part of them, in the Demänovská Ice Cave only. Moreover, the calcite dripstone, flowstone, anthodites, moonmilk, aragonites, gypsum crystals or phosphate minerals are significantly rich here.

Because of morphological and therfore also the climatological diversity of cave system, their spaces are rich also in underground water- and terestrial fauna.

The cave system consists by several former independent caves, which were connected together by speleologists’ activities: Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Demänovská Cave of Peace, Demänovská Ice Cave, Pustá Cave, Vyvieranie Cave, Jaskyňa 27 Cave, Medvedia Cave, Údolná Cave, Jaskyňa pod útesom Cave and other smaller caves. Demänovská Ice Cave belongs among the oldest-known sites here. Its entrance lies in the cliff Bašta, at the elevation of 840 m above the sea and about 90 m above the valley bottom. The cave was formed by the previous ponor flow of the Demänovka Brook, which was an inflow from the Demänovská Cave of Peace. The cave represents the northernmost, previous resurgence part of the cave system. The length of measured parts is more than 2 km with the elevation span of 57 m. The cave spaces spread in three development levels and consist of oval, river-modelled passages (Čierna galéria) and dome spaces reshaped by collapses and frost weathering (Štrkový dóm, Veľký dóm, Kmeťov dóm, Belov dóm). Ice fill shaped to floor ice, ice columns, stalactites, stalagmites or ice crystals occurs in the lower parts, mostly in the Kmeťov dóm Hall. The conditions for glaciation started after burying several openings to the surface in consequence of slope modelling processes, by which the air circulation was restricted. Heavier cold air is kept in the lower parts of the cave. Seeping precipitation water freezes in overcooled underground spaces. Air temperature in glaciated parts fluctuates around 0 °C and in direction to the back nonglaciated parts rises from 1.3 up to 5.7 °C with relative air humidity between 92 and 98 %.

Original flowstone fill was preserved in several places of the cave, which is, however, considerably destroyed by frost weathering in the glaciated part of the cave. The cave belongs among long known finding places of bones of various vertebrates including the cave bear, which were in the first half of the 18th century considered dragons’ bones.

That’s why the cave was called Dračia jaskyňa (Dragon Cave) in the past. By now, eight bat species were found in its underground spaces. It is passed on that the Demänovská Ice Cave is known from time immemorial. The first mention about its entrance is recorded in the document from 1299. The first written mentions about the cave are related to the cave’s description and dragons’ bones. G. Buchholtz jr., who surveyed its spaces in 1719, sent the description together with a sketch of the cave to M. Bel, who published the data in 1723.

The wealth of wall inscriptions and preserved rich literature evidence the great interest of then scientific groups as well as general public in this cave. Signatures of important personalities of the Slovak history remained on its walls. The initial tourist opening the cave for public happened around the half of the 19th century and it is open with short 11

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interruptions until now. From the Lake Passage in the deepest parts of Demänová Ice Cave were in 1952 discovered the passages of Demänovská Cave of Peace, which was in 1986/87 connected to the Demänovská Cave of Liberty. Both parts of system belong to the most beautiful dripstone-decorated underground spaces in Slovakia. Someplaces the cave is enormous rich in speleothems, from among which the water lilies and other lacustrine forms (sponge, coral and grapes forms) and also excentric stalactites are unique. Mighty flowstone waterfalls and columns, sphaerolitic stalactites and many other forms of stalactites and stalagmites are captivating. The underground watercourse of Demänovka flows through the Cave of Liberty and few adjacent cave sectors. The brook flow from the Štefanová Cave and springs to surface through the Vyvieranie Cave to the north of the Demänovská Cave of Liberty. The bones of cave bears were found here. Four bat species have been already observed in the cave. Finding of invertebrate Eukoenenia spelaea represents one of the most northern occurrences of this group of palpigrades, by which the system ranks among biospeleological localities of European significance.

The cave “Teple of Liberty“ was discovered by A. Král with the help of A. Mišura and other surveyors through the dry lowest ponor of Demänovka in 1921. From the new entrance a part of the cave was opened to the public in 1924. A. Droppa surveyed and complexly measured the caves of the Demänovská Valley through years 1948–1955. Under his supervision, the cavers connected the Demänovská Cave of Liberty with the Pustá Cave in 1951, and the speleodivers connected it with the Vyvieranie Cave in 1983. The natural interconnection with the Demänovská Cave of Peace was reached on the turn of 1986 and 1987 (Bella et al. 2011; Droppa 1957a, 1961b, 1972; Herich 2012).

3rd day The Krak’s Mt. Caves or Where Does the Watter Come From?

The Krak’s Mt. (1,752 m a.s.l.) represents the highest point of the massif between the Jánska and Demänovská valleys on the northern slopes of the the Ďumbier Zone – Low Tatras Mts. The karst massif with very complicated geological settings host the deepest cave system in Slovakia and the deepest known and by hydrological test proofed hydrological system between sinks and resurgences in Slovakia: the denivelation between the entrance to the Jaskyňa slnečného lúča Cave (Sun Beam Cave) and resurgences in the Jánska Valley is 987 m. Part of the water volume from the massif flow vertically trough the significant faults and supply the deeper hydrological circulation – despite of few tracing tests the resurgences from the Javorová Chasm (-313 m) stands still unknown. The deepest cave system in Slovakia – Hipman’s Cave System (former Starý hrad Cave and Večná robota Cave) with the deep of -495 m passes trough the massif. Jaskyňa v Záskočí Cave (–284 m) discovered in 1970 was the deepest cave of Czechoslovakia for many years. Another small caves are still waiting to be explored to the deeper dimension. Hundred years ago the area of mountain was covered by meadows and used for pasturage. Now, it is the deep mixed 12

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spruce forest with mountain pine jungle in the top parts, crossed by few tourist paths only.

The area belongs to the Nature Reserve within the National Park Nízke Tatry.

Field guide: Marián Jagerčík, forestry engineer, safety technician, born in 1961 Experienced caver who spent in the caves of Krak’s Mt. more than 20 years. One of the discoverers and/or discoverer of the important continuances of Hipman’s cave system, Javorová Chasm, Jaskyňa slnečného lúča Cave. Coordinator of the technical works in these caves. Leader of excavations on the bottom of Jaskyňa slnečného lúča Cave and Javorová Chasm, as well as the Veľká Stožka Chasm and several other sites on the Muráň Plateau. Initiator of the course of speleological practices within the Speleological school of the Slovak Speleological Society. Member of the SSS’s board and speleological club Speleo Detva.

Hipman’s Cave System: Starý hrad Cave (Old Castle) The former independent cave, now a part of Hipman’s Cave System, with the reached deep of -495 m represented the deepest cave in Slovakia for long time. From 2005, after its interconnection with Večná robota Chasm, is this record by the depth of whole system replaced. The entrance forms a curious rocky formations similar to the ruins of old castle; that is also the reason of cave’s name. The cave passages begin in the southern slope of Krak’s Mt., with an unforgettable view to the Ďumbier massif. The cave represents a typical mountain cave with ancient and complicated genesis. Its plan looks like a treebranches system of passages joined to one main corridor in the deep. After meandring narrow passages there is a serie of four large schafts inside to the deep of -180 m. In the level of -220 m is situated 70 m deep schaft Studňa radosti (Well of Joy). Behind the siphon on its bottom lies the well-decorated aragonite passage and a Chamber of Pavol Révaj (Révajov dóm). Following corridor, named Veľký kaňon (Great Canyon), achieves the high up to 80 m and is flowed by a significant underground stream, that falls due to few schafts into the area, where is the massif build by dolomites. Here the stream sinks into the narrowings. Water from here come trough the karst massif to the resurgence from the Jaskyňa v Hlbokom Cave on the bottom of Jánska Valley. The geology of cave is complicated: it was created in the Gutenstein limestones and dolomites, but also in the carbonate rocks of other provenience in few overlaying geological slices of superposed nappe structure. It seems to be real, the movement along the fault of Čierna Valley and sinking of ancient rivers comming here from the crystalline core of mountains in the past, had the substantial role in the cave genesis. Typical features for cave are the massive old flowstones and someplaces also the aragonites, hydrothermal calcites, guano mineral paragenesis and moonmilk deposits. Sediments are muddy to sandy, mixed with the blocks 13

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of rocks. Someplaces the cave system reaches the non-karstic rocks and the passages are cutted by faults. Despite these facts there does exist a huge potential for discoveries trough the massif in direction to the valley (Hipman 1981; Hipmanová and Hipman 2000; Hipmanová 2005; Vlček 2012).

Jaskyňa v Hlbokom Cave In the 308 m long cave representing the hugest resurgence of the Krak’s Mt. – Jánska Valley underground hydrological system, flow the water not only from this massif, but also from ponors of the Štiavnica river. The river seasonally sinks to the underground trough the ponor close to the Zlomiská Cave in whole its volume. Karst spring achieves yeald of 548 l/s to 1180 l/s . Underground space was known to local people years ago, but the cave-diving challenges were still not completed here (Gresch and Hochmuth 1993).

Krak’s Mt. The ridge of Krak’s Mt. Turns to the north from the central ridge of mountains between two highest peaks of Low Tatras – Ďumbier (2,043 m a.s.l.) and Chopok (2,024 m a.s.l.).

From the peak of mountain is possible to see one of the nicest view to the Liptov Basin and the Western Tatras Mts. Only few metres below the peak is situated the entrance to the Jaskyňa slnečného lúča Cave (Sun Beam Cave; -138 m deep), which is the highest situated cave of the hydrological system between Krak’s Mt. and Jánska Valley with the denivelation almost 1 km proofed by water tracing tests. The area represents an important site of rare fauna and flora representatives.

4th day Labyrinth of the Death Bats Cave under the Slovak National Mountain Location: southern part of the Ďumbier Zone – Low Tatras Mts. ield guide: Martin Budaj and Stacho Mudrák, IT and finance specialists, born in 1977 and 1978 Cavers in the Death Bats Cave and karst areas around the city of Banská Bystrica for 20 years, discovered and surveyed several kilometres of new caves and cave passages there. Co-authors of worldwide used cave surveying software Therion (http://therion.speleo. sk). Members of the speleological club Speleoklub Banská Bystrica.

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The Cave of Death Bats The 20,195 m long and -324 m deep cave belongs to the most important caves of Slovakia.

Currently, it is the 4th longest and 5th deepest cave here. It represents not only the highmountain karst, but also the contact stripe karst representative. In a 2 km long and 300 m slight detail-folded limestone massif can be find a three-dimensional maze of underground passages in 14 etages and 2 parallel branches. The biggest underground chamber called Bystrický Dome is situated within the 7th etage in a depth of 180 m and reaches the volume of 2,500 cubic metres. Among the unique features belongs the occurence of volcanic veins of Cretaceous basalts with agates inside the cave. The accumulations of bats’ skeletons are rich mainly in the entrance parts of the oldest-known passages; the cave was named in the past thanks to them. Many of entrances were known hundrets years ago, but the speleological activities in this massif have been beginning in 1925–26 and 1948–49 only. The most important discoveries came already after 1977. The age of paleontological findings is between 6,000 and 4,000 years BP (bats, small rodents, martes, goats, even brown bears). Temperature inside the cave reaches at most +3,5 °C, but several passages are seasonally filled by ice, so the year average temperature is only +1 °C. The cave is characterized by notable air-draught in speed of 5 m/s, similar as in the Jaskyňa studeného vetra (Cold Wind) Cave, represented the genetical continuation of Dead Bats cave on the northern side of the mountain ridge, in the end of Jánska Valley.

This 1,818 m long, partially ice-filled cave is important from climatological and mineralogical point of view as the most significant locality of cryogene calcites occurence in Slovakia (Bella 2004; Štéc 2000, 2012).

Ďumbier Mt. The highest, rocky shaped, mountain in the Low Tatras Mts. (2,043 m a.s.l.). Despite the remains of medieval mines (gold, iron, antimony), the massif is now protected as a Nature Reserve within the National Park Nízke Tatry. It is composed by granite rocks (the Ďumbier-type of granodiorites). The lenses of carbonates and volcanic veins occur on the NE slopes. The mountain shape is similar to the cursed lying knight, so it was often mentioned in the local myths An easily accessible summit offers a scenic view of the High Tatras Mts., the Liptov Basin and the valley of Hron River. A chalet Chata M. R. Štefánika is situated in the pass under the summit (1,740 m a.s.l.). The Ďumbier, as well as the nearby Chopok Mt. is being used by hikers, trekkers and mountainers in sommer and by mountain skiers during the winter season.

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5th day Plateau Karst of Muráň Karst – Following the River Underground Muráň Plateau represents the almost 200 km 2 large karstic plateau rich on caves and abysses, as well as the surface karst landforms. One of the most discovered and investigated karstic phenomenon here is the Suché doly – Teplica hydrological system in the Tisovec Karst area, NW from the city of Tisovec. Character of structural-tectonic scheme of Tisovec Karst area was subjected by the position at the crossing of two distinct regional faults with NE-SW and NW-SE direction. The origin of caves here was limited by this tectonic framework in the area of mainly Middle Triassic limestones. The area of Suché doly represents an asymmetric graben karst basin conditioned by the tectonic network of subsidence faults. A trigger role of creating karst features here has also the contact with non-karstic shale rocks as the water-insulating layer. On the surface here flow five short streams, which sink into the ponor-caves on non-karst/karst rocks contacts. Colorimetric tests proved their connection with Teplica Resurgence in the Furmanec Valley; 1.8 km is the average distance from each others. However, water tracing tests from some ponorlocalities were negative and we suppose it’s connection with Bôrová Resurgence in valley of the Klenovská Rimava as possible. Suché doly area host nine well-explored caves of the depth of 3 to 97.5 m and the length of 9 to 1227 m. The most complete explored cave, long 1227 m and 97.5 meters deep Nová Michňová Cave is the most representative one.

It interconnects the karst basin surface with underground hydrological base as only one site here. It’s water springs from the resurgence of the Teplica Cave. The morphological characteristic of tunnels, shafts and domes of Nová Michňová Cave bring the explanation of genesis of whole the hydrological system Suché doly – Teplica. All of the caves in Suché doly and Teplica Valley area are in their tract closed by sediments filling or/and water siphons. Still, there exists an undiscovered underground space between ponor sites and resurgence. The course of the underground corridors, shafts and domes indicate here the sinkholes lines on the surface. The existence of more than 50 km of underground passages between Suché doly area and Teplica Resurgence with denivelation of 163.5 m at least is supposed. The Kostolík Cave, morphologically separated from Suché doly basin today, seems to be a genetic part of a cave system in the past. The descripted area belongs to the Natural Reserve within the National Park Muránska planina.

Field guide: Dušan Hutka, agricultural engineer, artistic carver, born in 1954 Specialist for karst, caves and excavation working within the area of southern part of the Muráň Plateau. Historicist and archeologist realising the archeological excavations mostly of the Tisovec Castle.

One of the discoverers of the Nová Michňová and Dvoch kamarátov Caves. Member of the speleological club Speleoklub Tisovec.

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Teplica Cave The 1,238 m long cave with vertical span of 51.5 m is situated in the Furmanec Valley. It represents the resurgence from the cave system, reached 163.5 m under the entrance of the uppermost situated cave of the catchment area. On the Suché doly area they exist caves with very steep sloped meanders and shafts, which reach the level of approximately 510 – 530 m a. s. l., it means aproximately 100 m under the surface – at this altitude is situated the level of local hydrological basis. Underground streams flow to the resurgence Teplica, which cave was discovered in 1970’s by speleodivers. It is known that it drains ponor/infiltration waters from sites up to equal 2.2 km distant. The passages are characterized by 14 siphons; 10 of them can be overpassed by dry corridors. Significant cave of speleodiving history in Slovakia, as well as palaeontological site, where cave bears remains were found (Vlček 2010).

Michňová & Nová Michňová Caves The Michňová Cave, 336.5 m long and 72.5 deep, with the Nová Michňová Cave (New Michňová Cave), 1227 m long and 97.5 m deep, represent the fossil (1) and active (2) caves in the ponor zone of the Suché doly area. The speleological exploration have started in 1950’s`Tisovec cavers explored the vertical spaces of Michňová Cave, and reached there the depth of almost 70 m. Today’s measured length achieved up to 336.5 m. Close to Michňová Cave was dugged out an entrance to the extensive fluviokarst-corrosional Nová Michňová Cave in 2006. It represents the most complete explored and the most representative cave of Suché doly area, which connects the mountain karst basin surface with underground hydrological basis as only one site in the area. While the Michňová Cave is equiped by ledders, its “new” younger sister has approximately 1 km ropes inside.

Nowadays, the cave ends by water siphon, which was not explored by speleodivers yet.

Both of caves are predominantly vertical shaped (Kámen 1955, 1963; Vlček 2010; Vlček et al. 2011).

Kostolík Cave As a genetical part of the cave system we suppose also the 404 m long and 32 m deep Kostolík (Small Church) Cave, which nowadays lies in a different geologicalgeomorphological position as in the time of its origin, and therefore, it hydrologically doesn’t relate with the Suché doly – Teplica cave system currently. It represents a labyrinthal cave with one central branch and a maze system of tributaries. It is inactive, with seasonal flowstone and muddy pools inside. The cave was the first mentioned site in the surroundings of the Tisovec Town, already in 1872. Important locality of settlement during the World War II, when was created the predominantly part of inscriptions on cave walls. Potential for further discoveries in the area around seems to be great (Vlček 2010).

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6th day Beauty of Aragonite Caves and Plateaus of the Slovak Karst Few of Slovak karst areas are located within the Slovenské rudohorie Mts. Besides the surface karst areas there are also cryptokarst lenses with plenty of smaller caves. However, their beauty is georgeous. The Ochtinská Aragonite Cave represents a unique natural phenomenon of underground karst attracting attention by both the richness and variability of its aragonite fill and the original genesis and development of its underground spaces.

Another important karst area is the Slovak Karst.

The Slovak Karst is located in the south-eastern part of the Slovenské rudohorie Mts. close to the town of Rožňava. It is an exceptional limestone landscape unit formed by large karst plains with fully developed karst phenomena. Karst relief appearing on the surface and underground is represented by a wide range of forms typical only for karst – karren, dolines, uvalas, poljes, blind valleys, karst cones, caves and abysses of various sizes and types. The caves, formed not only under the plateaux but also under their foothills, are an inseparable part of the karst phenomenon. More than 1,000 caves and abysses are registered in the Slovak Karst.

Field guide: Jaroslav Stankovič, manager of the Krásnohorská Cave, born in 1956 Explorer of Slovak Karst caves and member of expeditions to the Croatia, Kosovo and Venezuela. Active in protection of caves listed in Nature World Heritage List of UNESCO, editor of four monographs about these caves. Leader of the speleological club Speleoklub Minotaurus, which points the speleological activities to the Silická ľadnica Cave in the last time.

Ochtinská Aragonite Cave 300 m long cave is located in the Ochtinský cryptokarst on the north-western slope of the Hrádok Hill (809 m) in the Revúcka Highland between Jelšava and Štítnik. The csve is formed in a lens of Lower Devonian crystalline limestones and ankerites situated amidst non-karst phyllite rocks. The entrance adit enters the cave at an elevation of 642 m. The wedge shaped, upwards narrowing passages and halls were formed by the corrosive activities of rainwater, which percolates along the distinct tectonic faults.

Horizontal passages and halls, which are located between tectonic faults, have different shapes. These originated mostly by the corrosive activity of slowly flowing water as a result of the mixing of waters of various temperatures and chemical compositions, as is made obvious by the plentiful irregular niches and ceiling cupolas. Later, when the previous water table level declined and stagnated for a long time, the corrosive flat ceilings cut out, the lower parts of ceiling cupolas and side corrosion notches on rocky walls were formed 18

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along the level. Aragonite is formed in closed underground cavities from water solutions with high contents of Mg-, Fe- and Mn- ions under conditions of stable microclimate.

It occurs in places of capillary rising or very slowly percolating water as well as above the wet sediments, which slowly release moisture. Three generations of aragonite were determined in the cave. The oldest are milky translucent kidney-shaped formations and their corroded remains (dated age of 121-138 ka BP) with partially recrystalized aragonite, in places metamorphosed to calcite. The second generation of aragonite prevails and occurs mostly in the form of several cm long needles and spiral helictites (dated age of 14 ka BP), forming cluster or dentritic formations (including so-called iron flower or anthodite), which are most attractive for visitors. Aragonite of the second generation is still growing, which enables it to maintain its white colour and clean appearance. The youngest generation of aragonite, which is being formed at present on sediments and iron ochres makes tiny fans (2 – 4 mm in size and sometimes even bigger), sporadically creating miniature helictites. The air temperature in the cave is between 7.2 and 7.8 °C, while relative humidity is between 92 and 97 %. Stabilization of the cave microclimate is caused by iron ochres (containing 47-56 volume percent of water) since they are able to absorb and release water vapour. The cave was discovered by drilling the geological survey Kapusta Adit in 1954. The cave protection was secured after finishing the geological survey in the Horný Hrádok locality. Cave development works started in 1966 by drilling the access adit 145 m long, which enabled opening of the cave to the public in 1972.

The length of the accessible part is 230 m (Bosák et al. 2002; Droppa 1957b; Cílek and Schmelzová 2004).

Krásnohorská Cave The almost 2 km long cave discovered in 1964 through cave spring (Buzgó Resurgence).

By decreasing of water level penetrated the cavers into first small hall and 120 m long narrow passage. After one year they reached open space in the Grand Canyon. It is considered to be a geo-tectonical curiosity of this cave, because the passage is not developed in the limestone, as majority of caves of the Slovak Karst, but in dolomites.

Karstic water dissolves dolomites very difficult, therefore the caves around are mostly narrow, impassable. The Grand Canyon has average profile of 12 x 2 m and it is also decorated by dripstone, due to the fact that there is a limestone layer over dolomite about 150 m high in the slope of the plateau. The first huge space in Krásnohorská Cave is the 40 m high Abonyi’s Dome witgh richness of sinter decoration, including cauliflower shaped corallites consisted of manganese mineral todorokite. Very rich sinter decoration with helictites, although marked by collapses that took place here before about 11,000 years ago, is situated also in the Sála Gigantov (Hall of Giants). There is growing the Column of Rožňava Cavers, named in honour of the discoverers of the cave, which is with the hight of 34 m the tallest one in Slovakia and was entered the Guiness Book of Records in the past. Climatic conditions suitable for its rapid growth, however, restored at the beginning 19

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of the present interglacial period, roughly from 10,000 years ago. The most important site of helictite decoration is located in the Helictite Dome. The cave ends by siphon, where spring the water from a significant part of the Silická Plateau. The shape of cave on the map is simple, it is represented by one central corridor with few smaller branches, except one huge branch, where is still potential for new discoveries with no need of speleodiving practices (Stankovič and Cílek 2005).

7th day The Land of Hundrets of Chasms and Caves of Primaeval Human The Slovak Karst consists of the Silická, Plešivská, Koniarska, Dolný vrch, Horný vrch, Borčianska, Zádielska and Jasovská Plateau as well as the Jelšavský Karst. The plateaux lying at elevations of 400 – 925 m are bordered by steep slopes inclining to the bottoms of adjacent basins, canyons and gorges. The originally flat surface from the Late Tertiary is divided by deep canyons of the Slaná and Štítnik River, as well as by the Zádielska and Hájska Gorge. The Turnianska Basin divides the Horný vrch and Dolný vrch plateaux.

The karst plateaux of Dolný vrch and Silická Plateau continue southward into the territory of Hungary, where they form the Aggtelek Karst: the Slovak and Aggtelek Karst is a continuous karst territory lying both in Slovakia and Hungary, which represents a typical Central European plateau karst of the temperate climatic zone, with almost all surface and underground karst phenomena (karren, dolines, uvalas, dry and semi-dry valleys, canyons, gorges, border poljes, caves, abysses, ponors, springs). Caves and abysses of the Slovak Karst together with the caves of the Hungarian Aggtelek Karst lying in its neighbourhood, became a part of the world heritage as an exceptional natural phenomenon within the wider Central European region. There are more than 1000 caves and chasms drained to the allochthonous Slaná, Štítnik and Bodva rivers, into which autochthonous karst streams flow. The Slovak Karst has important resources of usable underground waters.

This territory is located on the boundary of the oceanic and continental type of climate; concerning the elevation above the sea, it lies on the transition between the lowland and mountain types of climate. Climatic inversions, which cause vegetation inversions, occur mainly in the deep gorges of the Zádielska and Hájska Valley, but also in deep sinkholes or Light Hole-type schafts. During the Wallachian Colonization in 13th and 14th centuries, the territory was partially deforested and consequently transformed into karstified steppe.

The recognition of the great natural value of the area is expressed in the inclusion of its most precious part in the international network of biospheric reserves within the program Man and the Biosphere (MaB). Several national nature reserves, nature reserves, national nature monuments as well as protected areas of European importance represent varied natural units and phenomena both on the surface and underground within the National Park Slovenský kras.

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Field guide: Lukáš Vlček, geologist, born in 1983 Specialist for karst and caves on the Muráň Plateau and in the Low Tatras Mts. Discoverer of tens of caves and important continuances in caves of Demänová and Jánska Valleys, Muráň Plateau or in the abroad. Participant and coordinator of speleological expeditions to the Venezuela, Macedonia, Kosovo. Expert for the quartzite karst of venezuelan tepuis, member of UIS Commision on Pseudokarst, Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences, secretary general of the Slovak Speleological Society, editor of scientific magazines. Manager and participant of international and national conferences and speleological events. Author of tens of scientific papers in geology and speleology.

Slilická Ľadnica Ice Cave 1,012 m long cave situated in the attitude of 503 m a.s.l. is one of the most interesting natural monuments of Silica Plateau, as well as the whole Slovak Karst area. It represents a Chasm of Light Hole-type connected to the horizontal active fluvial cave created by an underground flow forming the Silica-Gombasek hydrological system. The ceillings of the entrance dome fall aproximately thousands years ago. Nowadays, this part of cave is filled by ice and the vegetational inversion occur in its depression. The site represents the lowermost situated ice cave in Europe. In the horizontal parts deeper in the massif penetrated the cavers in 1931 and the important continuation trough the sifon was discovered by speleodivers in 1988. Water from the cave flow deeper in the massif trough the Gombasecká Cave to the Čierna Resurgence. The cave was several times settled before the ice forming started; archeological findings are dated to the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Latenian. The first plan of cave was drown by J. Buchholtz in 1719 and first mention about the cave came from Matej Bel, 1744. A similar-sized sink-hole depression Horpata occur closeby. Another chasms with archeological importance are situated in the surroundings, as well as several dolines, uvalas and karst lake Farárova jama (Jakál and Bella 2008).

Domica Cave A Slovak part of 25.8 km long Domica – Baradla transboundary cave system, as well as internationally important transboundary aquifer located on the south-western edge of the Silická Plateau, close to the state border with Hungary. The entrance to Domica is located in the southern foot-hills of the homonymous hill at an elevation of 339 m. Apart from its significant hydrological and geomorphological values, the cave is unique for its archaeological findings, abundant occurrence of calcite shields and drums as well as by the plentiful species composition of bats and other rare cave animals. The cave was formed in the Middle Triassic Wetterstein limestones like the majority of other caves in the area. The 21

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underground passages are the result of corrosive and erosive activities of the underground streams of Styx, Domický Brook and their smaller tributaries, which drain mainly the water flowing from the non-karstic part of the cave catchment area. Three developmental levels, representing main cave passages, are relatively lowered by 8 to 12 meters; the lowest one is filled up with gravels and clay. The Domica Cave iwas interconnected with the Čertova diera Cave and together they reach the length of 5,358 m till the state border. It is quite 1/4 of the total lenght of cave system Domica – Baradla. Horizontal oval passages dominate the cave; they are enlarged into domes and halls in some places. Near the state border the passage of Styx gains the character of underground canyon with meanders. The cave is rich in speleothems, from which the most typical are shields and drums, cascade pools, onion-like stalactites and pagoda-like stalagmites. Cave bear bones were dug out in the Suchá Passage. Domica offered short-term shelter to the oldest Neolithic inhabitants of eastern Slovakia – the creators of the Eastern Linear Pottery Culture – its local branch the so-called Gemer Linear Pottery. However it was settled mainly by the Neolithic people of the Bükk Mountain (Beech Mountains) Culture. Later the original entrance to the cave was choked by debris and the cave became inaccessible. The Old Domica Cave was known for a long time. J. Majko penetrated in 1926 from its bottom through an abyss into the large underground cave spaces, where many diverse archaeological discoveries were found. Nowadays, Domica represents one of the most important finding places of the Bükk Mountain Culture in Slovakia. It was open to the public trough the digged lower entrance in 1930, including electric lighting and damming up the Styx in 1932 for the underground boat trip. At present, public has access to almost 1.5 km, including the 140 m long underground boat ride. Despite of only occasional underground water courses flow through the cave, it was several times catastrophically flooded during intensive storms in the past. Hence it is necessary to guide the agricultural activities to prevent accelerated runoff and soil erosion. The westernmost part of the cave system, close to the edge ponor dolines, is formed by the Čertova diera (Devil’s Hole) Cave rich of stick stalagmites, which was known from 1801. The presumed connection of the Domica Cave with the Čertova diera Cave was proved by J. Majko in 1929 (Benický and Čaplovič 1953; Droppa 1961; Kettner 1933; Jakál and Bella 2008).

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References ·· Bella P, 2004. Ďumbiersky kras – kontaktný pruhovitý kras v centrálnej časti Nízkych Tatier. Geomorphologia Slovaca, 4(2), 18–29 (in Slovak) ·· Bella P, Hercman H, Gradziński M, Pruner P, Kadlec J, Bosák P, Głazek J, Gaşiorowski M, Nowicki T, 2011. Geochronológia vývoja jaskynných úrovní v Demeänovskej doline, Nízke Tatry. Aragonit, 16(1–2), 64–68 (in Slovak) ·· Benický V, Čaplovič V, 1953. Domica – jaskyňa pravekých tajov. Šport, Bratislava (in Slovak) ·· Bosák P, Bella P, Cílek V, Ford DC, Hercman H, Kadlec J, Osborne A, Pruner P, 2002.

Ochtiná Aragonite Cave (Western Carpathians, Slovakia): Morphology, Mineralogy of the Fill and Genesis. Geologica Carpatica, 53(6), 399–410. ·· Cílek V, Schmelzová R, 2004. Ochtinská aragonitová jeskyně v slovenském, evropském a světovém kontextu. Slovenský kras, 42, 89–98 (in Czech) ·· Droppa A, 1957a. Demänovské jaskyne. Šport, Bratislava (in Slovak) ·· Droppa A, 1957b. Ochtinská aragonitová jaskyňa. Geografický časopis, 9(3), 169–184 (in Slovak) ·· Droppa A, 1961. Domica – Baradla jaskyne predhistorického človeka. Šport, Bratislava (in Slovak) ·· Droppa A, 1961a. Stanišovská jaskyňa na severnej strane Nízkych Tatier. Geografický časopis, 13, 296–307 (in Slovak) ·· Droppa A, 1961b. The Correlation of River Terraces and Horizontal Cave Corridors.

Die Hoehle, 12(2–3), 111. ·· Droppa A, 1972. Geomorfologické pomery Demänovskej doliny. Slovenský kras, 1, 9–46. ·· Gresch A, Hochmuth Z, 1993. Kras a jaskyne Jánskej doliny. Exkurzný sprievodca 34. jaskyniarsky týždeň, Jánska dolina (in Slovak) ·· Herich P, 2012. Poznámky k mapám jaskýň Demänovskej doliny. Spravodaj Slovenskej speleologickej spoločnosti, 43(1), 46–52 (in Slovak) ·· Hipman P, 1981. Podzemný hydrologický systém Krakova hoľa – Jánska dolina.

Spravodaj Slovenskej speleologickej spoločnosti, 12(4), 16–19 (in Slovak) ·· Hipmanová E, 2005. Večná robota + Starý hrad = The System Hipman’s Caves.

Bulletin of the Slovak Speleological Society for the UIS Congress in Greece, 27–30. ·· Hipmanová E, Hipman P. 2000. Podzemné Everesty. Knižné centrum, Žilina (in Slovak) ·· Hochmuth Z, 2003. Stanišovská jaskyňa, výsledky podrobného mapovania a revízneho geomorfologického výskumu. Slovenský kras, 41, 69–81 (in Slovak) 23

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Copies of this guidebook are available from: Department of Geology University of Western Oklahoma Milton OK 73999-9999 Š 2000 by Department of Geology University of Western Oklahoma Price $20.00 Guidebook is available online at www.guidebook@uwo.edu ISBN 0-6666-66660-1