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The following is based on my experiences during a two week caving holiday in Slovenia in the Summer of 1999.
Background
Slovenia was the first of the former Yugoslavian states to declare its independence from the Federal Republic. It was formally recognised as a sovereign country by the EC in January 1992 and by the UN in May of the same year. It is a country the size of Wales but with a population of just 2 million. Almost exactly half the population lives in the countryside. The capital, Ljubljana, is home to a little over a quarter of a million people.
Approximately 90% of Slovenia lies at an altitude of 300 m or more, and over half of this land area is forested. But for cavers the most significant fact is that most of the countryside is karst plateau; indeed the word karst is derived from the Slovenian kras! Despite the small size of this country, almost 7000 caves are registered with the Slovenian Karst Institute.
First time visitors to Slovenia will probably need to change their preconceptions. Forget the images of the Balkan states or of other former Eastern-Bloc countries that you have seen in recent years; they do not apply to Slovenia. The principle reasons for this are both geographical and historical. Slovenia borders Italy, Austria, Hungary and the also newly independent Croatia. Western-European influence was, and is, strong. Also, until WW1, Slovenia was part of the rich and powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire under the Hapsburg monarchy.
Slovenes are an industrious and educated people. Most speak a second language, usually German (or Italian near the border) and often English (more so amongst the young). Since independence the country has gone Internet-mad and anyone seeking further information about Slovenia could do a lot worse than pointing their web-browser at one of the many excellent Slovenian information servers (see, for example, http://www.matkurja.com/slo/, http://www.adacta.si/karta/map.exe?, or http://www.zrc-sazu.si/www/gi/atlas-a.htm). There is also a Lonely Planet guide to Slovenia (ISBN 0-86442-538-4), last revised in September 1998.
The Motorways (which have tolls) and A-class roads are of an excellent standard. B-class roads are generally good but may not be metalled, particularly on less frequented routes. Geography and little dual-carriageway can combine to make overtaking difficult (the locals can be quite reckless – be warned!). Thus, except on the motorways, Slovenia is not a country you can hurry around in. The journey from Calais to Ljubljana is around 850 miles by car and takes 20 – 22 hours; that’s excluding all stops except those to answer the call of nature!
The Slovenian currency is the Tolar (abbreviated SIT). It has two drawbacks. First off it is not traded outside of the country, so you need to change money when you arrive and, more importantly, need to remember to change your remaining SIT back into GBP before you leave! If you arrive "out of hours", motorway tollbooths will accept DEM, as will most of the larger eating establishments if you push them (but they are not obliged to). This is because for the time being the Tolar is tied to the Deutschmark. The other drawback with SIT is that you need a large wallet ! At the time of writing (August 1999), GBP 1 = SIT 300. A beer (pivo, pronounced "pee-vo") costs about SIT 180, a large pizza about SIT 900, and a litre of unleaded petrol about SIT 110.
The Notranjska Karst
Arguably the best known caving area in Slovenia is the Notranjska Karst, a land-locked region in the south-west of the country. It accounts for about 12% of the surface area of Slovenia. Dolines (when you can see them!) abound. This is, quite simply, a land that is being dissolved out from under the feet of its people and turned into a great Swiss cheese!
The principal town in the area is Postojna – famous for its show cave – situated on the motorway between Ljubljana (45 km) and Trieste in Italy (45 km). To the south of Notranjska lies the Croatian border, whilst to the north is the province of Gorenjska and the Julian Alps.
The most up-to-date English guide to this area is "Caves of Slovenia" by Ian Bishop, published in 1997. Unfortunately, the map detailing cave locations seems to have been drawn by Long John Silver – don’t take it too seriously. The tackle lists for some of the caves are also a little suspect. Slovenian guidebooks are very elusive. Large-scale (1:50000 or better) maps are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain outside of Slovenia, but are common enough inside the country and may be purchased without restriction. Those published by the Geodetski Zavod Slovenjie (Geodesic Institute of Slovenia) are of excellent quality and depict cave locations and hydrological information.
Local caver Franc Facija (franc.facija@siol.net) runs a camp site for visiting cavers, Speleocamp, at the small village of Laze about 12 km north-east of Postojna. Several of the caves featured in the Bishop guide are within walking distance of the Speleocamp.
The most fascinating feature of the Notranjska Karst is its hydrology. Despite its proximity to the Adriatic, almost all of the area ultimately drains to the Black Sea via the River Danube! Much of the drainage is underground with rivers disappearing and reappearing. The River Ljubljanica actually has seven names depending on where you are along its course! In winter, when water levels are high, the excess water percolates to the surface to create temporary lakes, the most famous example of which is Lake Cerknica, which can occupy 40 km2. In summer, these poljes are fertile oases for farmers.
The cave that lies at the centre of the underground drainage system is Planinska Jama. Here two rivers meet, the Pivka (pronounced "puke-ah"!) draining the south and west, and the Rak draining the east. The combined waters emerge as the River Unica but then sink and resurge several times (and change names!) before feeding the River Ljubljanica. The Pivka water actually sinks into Postojanska Jama some 5 km distant. The Rak water has an even more tortuous journey; the Rivers Stržen (which itself is fed by water from Krizna Jama) and Cerknišcica sink in Karlovica cave, re-emerge in Zelške Jama, then sink again in Tkalca Jama before reappearing in the Rak branch of Planinska Jama. Only water from Predjamski Jama drains to the Adriatic, a consequence of a fault line.
Further south-west in the region of Primorska are the Škocjan caves (Škocjanske Jame). These are the sink for the River Reka. The water re-emerges at Duino in Italy 40 km to the north-west where, as the River Timavo, it then empties into the Gulf of Trieste.
The Caves
The following is a personal appreciation of some of the caves in the area. Hopefully it will give readers a flavour of what Notranjska has to offer. The information in brackets is the nearest town and the typical trip length.
Stota Jama (Laze, 30 mins) – A near vertical entrance climb (needs a handline) enters a cross passage with some reasonable formations. Worth a look en-route to the next four caves…
Jama za Teglovko (Laze, 1 hr) – A 20 m surface shaft rigged from a tree lands on a boulder slope in a large descending gallery. This soon reaches a couple of awkward slippery climbs (handline or slings useful) before terminating.
Jama na Meji (Laze, 1 hr) – Also known as Owl Cave. A large open pothole that starts a bit like Rowten Pot but actually provides a magnificent 40 m abseil through the roof of a large (25 m wide) chamber choked with boulders. Photograph by Tim Ball, SMCC.
Varanja Jama (Laze, 1 hr) – A massive entrance portal at the base of a VERY LOOSE boulder slope leads into a much smaller and much muddier series which connects with a second (smaller) entrance. In wet weather a lake forms in the entrance chamber and this frequently freezes in winter.
Skednena Jama (Laze, 30 mins) – An uncomplicated 100 m through trip that even non-cavers will love!
Brezno v Zavoju (Laze) – A tricky cave to find… From Laze church follow the road towards Logatech. Then take the gravel forest track on the left 2 km (1.2 miles) later (by a field with a hut and electricity pylon). Ignore the first right fork after 650 m (0.4 miles) but take the next after another 650 m. Then take the left fork that follows almost immediately. Proceed up this track for about 600 m and look for red triangles on the trees on the outside of a left-hand bend. If you pass red triangles on trees on the left you have gone too far. The entrance is right beneath a tree with a BIG red arrow about 20 m from the track. Unfortunately, this is a nasty cave! Bishop’s guide says that it can be rigged from natural belays. It can… if you’re prepared to throw out good rigging practice and your brains. A tight (the "larger caver" can wait in the car!) 5 m entrance pitch enters a small chamber which slopes down to the head of a 30 m pitch. The floor is littered with loose rocks that anyone on the main pitch would be unable to dodge. The aforementioned natural belays mostly comprise fossil stal that is not altogether sound and quite rough (rope rub is a problem). Photograph by Hayley Clark, SMCC.
Gradišnica (Logatech, 4 hrs) – Imagine Alum Pot on steroids! The cave is signposted on the left immediately as you enter Logatech from Laze. This is an awesome trip, but not one for the inexperienced. An 80 m pitch (of which about 40 m is free-hanging) in a massive (20 m wide) daylight shaft reaches the top of a steep, loose, boulder slope that descends for over 100 m in a 15 m high tunnel to the top of the second pitch. This tunnel really does look like the entrance to the Hades! Descend (with great care) the boulder slope along the left wall into a large chamber where some artefacts can be viewed up on the left. The second 25 m pitch drops onto a talus slope in a chamber so vast that it makes Gaping Ghyll look small. Unfortunately the lower part of the chamber contains much evil-smelling mud… and other dangers. The local information is that this cave was used as a dump for unwanted ammunition – certainly we found a suspicious object that we now believe was a fragmentation grenade – and during the war the Partisans are said to have used the cave as a means of disposing of collaborators!
Planinska Jama (Planina, 4 hrs) – GUIDED TRIP (SIT 3000 each). A 4 km return journey by inflatable boat along the Pivka branch (the Rak branch is considered too dangerous to visit due to the sheer volume and force of the water) to see the formations in Paradiž. Look out for the separated stal column, the result of an ancient earthquake. The guide’s two boats seat 10 people but it is possible to take a larger party if you supply another boat.
Postojnska Jama (Postojna, 4 hrs) – SHOW CAVE (SIT 1000 each with your club membership card), GUIDED TRIP (SIT 3000 each). This is quite likely to be the most stal-endowed cave you’re ever likely to visit! It is also, along with Planinska Jama, one of the places where the famous proteus anguinus salamander (the largest cave-dwelling vertebrate known, and which can only be found in Slovenia) can be viewed in its natural environment. The show cave tourist trip covers some 5.7 km (of which 4 km is by train) but it’s much more fun doing it on foot. The guide also takes you into parts of the cave that the public no longer gets to visit. An excellent trip, but more of an underground stroll than caving.
Tkalca Jama (Rakek) – A set of stone steps and a zig-zag path down a scree slope lead from the Rakov Škocjan road (about 1.5 km from its junction with the Unec – Postojna road) into an impressively large entrance chamber. The River Rak flows in from the right through a large arched entrance and disappears into a narrow 400 m long canyon on the left before disappearing in a sump. Take great care in this cave, DO NOT under-estimate the power of the water (people have been swept into the sump!).
Zelške Jama (Rakek, 2 hrs) – This cave, further up the Rakov Škocjan road from Tkalca Jama, comes in two parts; the daylight cave and the river cave. The daylight cave is a sequence of 8 collapsed dolines, connected by a small surface stream at the bottom and impressive rock bridges at the top. It is possible to rig very satisfying (and very photogenic!) 40 m abseils from the rock bridges (this will also save you having to lug your equipment down the slippery path!) to get to the river cave. The river cave is about 800 m of spacious water-filled tunnel split into about 4 lakes by natural rock beaches. The water is generally very deep and so boats or buoyancy aids are a must, as are wetsuits. Unlike Tkalca Jama, a visit to the sump here is against the flow. This is a fun day out.
Krizna Jama (Bloška Polica, 4 hrs) – GUIDED TRIP (SIT 3000 each). This cave is most famous for the cave bear bones that were unearthed here in 1876. Today a small selection (including a skull) are on display underground. The remainder of the cave is similar to Planinska Jama, an underwater boat ride across 13 of the 22 known lakes to the junction of the Pisani and Blata branches. There are some impressive formations too. The guides for this cave are VERY protective of it. You need only supply your fleece and a pair of warm socks. Everything else, boats, lights (based around shop window spotlights!), waders, and the cleanest used oversuits you’ll ever see, are supplied by the guide! You also get a lesson in minimal impact caving as you go…
Predjamski Jama (Predjama, 1 hr or 5 hrs) – SHOW CAVE (SIT 500 each), GUIDED TRIP (SIT 3000 each), CASTLE (SIT 500 each). Predjama Castle (or Grad in Slovene) is a must for any tourist in Notranjska, a 16th century castle perched in front of a large cave entrance 60 m up a cliff. Behind it, in the cave mouth, are the remains of a 13th century stronghold. The cave actually has three levels, with the castle on the third. It is possible to visit the other levels either as a tourist or, by arrangement, on a guided caving trip. The show cave part of the system has little to commend it except for the fact that it is home to Slovenia’s largest bat colony (in the UK you probably wouldn’t be allowed in such an important roost). The caving trip is reported to be quite sporting.
Idrija Mercury Mine (Idrija, Primorska, 1 hr) – SHOW MINE (SIT 700 each). Over 700 km of mine shafts criss-cross beneath the town of Idrija at depths of up to 400 m (32 m beneath sea level). This is the legacy of 500 years of cinnabar mining. The mine, the second oldest mercury mine in the world, once produced 13% of the global output. The Anthony Shaft (Antonijev Rov) is now a living museum. Visitors are taken 100 m down into galleries with staged exhibits. Note: tours depart at 10:00 and 16:00 only and include a 20 minute AV presentation. Highly recommended excursion.
Škojanske Jame (Divaca, Primorska, 1.5 hrs) – SHOW CAVE (SIT 1000 each with your club membership card). This is not a pretty show cave. You don’t visit Škojanske Jame for its formations, for there are precious few. What you do visit it for is its 500 m long underground river canyon which is up to 145 m deep! A sight that is truly awesome – especially when you cross it on a narrow bridge 45 m up! Apparently caving trips in the system are possible by prior arrangement but it is self-evident that these would be a severe undertaking; the river is swift and powerful so to avoid it cable traverses are in place. These should only be attempted if you have a penchant for via ferrata underground!
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Franc Facija; Bogadan, Martin, Helena and the other guides; the staff at the pizzerias in Logatech and Unec; and last, but not least, to Dave Barrett and the SMCC for letting me come along! Thanks also to Martin Ellis for a couple of corrections.
Last updated: 06-October-1999 by Steve King, s.m.king@rl.ac.uk
