Our first cave in Slovenia, so off we went into the blazing midday sun for a short ride to the lower forest. After a short wander, in the woods, following some of the handily placed red arrows, we found the cave entrance, shrouded by trees and things. Over the edge we went for a short 15m pitch, past some logs piled up to the entrance, apparently used by the local cavers in times gone by for getting in and out of the cave! While waiting for the others to get down some of us played tunes on some hollow formations. After a while searching for the way on we eventually found it under a BIG black arrow!!
Two more pitches and it was into the cave proper and time to take off our harnesses. We were about to encounter something that was going to be characteristic of Slovenian caves....MUD!!
After a muddy walk by a big puddle and along some more muddy walks and crawls, we came to a BIG chamber, watching as everyone climbed down into it and up the other side showed the size of it! Then along some more muddy bits we came to this crystal clear lake, in which we saw some translucent shrimps and Proteus (AKA white salamander or the Human fish), a species that is only found in Slovenian caves and can reputadly live for upto 100yrs. and go without food for 6yrs.!! Over the next two weeks we would encounter many more Proteus.
Proteus AnguinusAt this point the majority of our party headed back as we were by now fed up of falling over in the sticky, gloopy mud stuff (well I was anyway!).
Martin Allen
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