Tatra Mountains, Poland - Summer 1999

In recent years it has become the norm for Southampton University Caving Club (SUCC) to spend two weeks caving in various parts of Europe over the summer vacation.

So it was that on 19th June, seven members of the club set off for southern Poland. The original aim was to spend the two weeks in the Western Tatra Mountains, but due to the strict management of this National Park and the need for local cavers to lead us, we were invited to spend the first week in Bielsko-Biala. Here we would explore some of the tectonic caves in the area before travelling on to the larger caves of the Tatras.

Getting There

We made contact with a Polish club several months before departing, Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego Spelioklub Bielsko-Biala (KTJS), and in particular, one of it's members Blajz Nikiel, who was incredibly helpful in organising the trip. We were to travel out by coach from London Victoria to Krakw and meet up with Blajz, pick up the two cars we had hired before setting out and spend the night in Krakw, before travelling to Bielsko-Biala the following day. For the first week we stayed in the clubs headquarters, sleeping on the floor in a back room, free of charge. In the second week we rented a hostel for 70 Zl (~11) each for six nights, before returning to Krakw and catching the coach at 9.30am the following morning.

The Caves

The caves in general were very dry and colder than British caves. In the first week the caves were small, formed by tectonic plate movement, the main cave being Jaskinia w Trzech Kopcach, a labyrinth of small passages. Up in the Tatra Mountains the caves were very vertical, and on the whole, quite small, although it was not possible for us to do the larger caves on this occasion. Of note was the final cave, Jaskinia Czarna, which is ranked at about sixth deepest and longest in Poland. All the caves in the second week involved a lengthy walk (generally about 2-3 hours) from just outside the National Park. Cave entry is reliant on having a qualified leader of a recognised Polish club. The caves are well equipped with P-hangers, and the Polish used Krabs for all rigging.

Itinerary

20th June. Arrive in Krakw.

21st June. Ojcowski Park Narodowy (Ojcow National Park)
Poland's smallest National Park just outside Krakw. Has a show-cave but we did not enter it. Ventured into our first Polish cave, large entrance and about 5m long. Travelled from Krakw to Bielsko-Biala where we received a very warm welcome.

22nd June. Jaskinia w Trzech Kopcach (Three Hills cave)
The largest cave in the Beskidy Mountains, consisting of an intricate labyrinth of small passages with plenty of climbing and crawling. A one and a half hour walk in pouring rain took us up the mountain to this tectonic cave.

23rd June.
Four small caves were explored in one area, involving varying amounts of effort from an easy crawl to a tricky climb and squeezes.

24th June. Zespol Elektrowni Wodnych ar-Porbka (Hydropower station) and Oboz Koncentracyjny w Owi"cimiu (LK Auschwitz)
A days rest before the long drive to the Tatra Mountains. We were given a guided tour of a local hydropower station, followed in the afternoon with a sobering trip to Auschwitz.

25th June. Jaskinia Dziura (Hole cave)
Travelled down to our hostel just outside Zacopane. Visited a low-level cave in the evening. This cave is not dissimilar to Avelines hole on the Mendips having a main steep passage ending in a few small crawly passages.

26th June. Jaskinia pod Wanta
Our main aim was finally achieved with our first cave in the Tatra National Park. A three hour hike ascending 1200 vertical metres brought us to the cave entrance. The cave consisted of four pitches.

27th June. Morskie Oko (Sea Eye Lake) and Czarny Staw (Black Pond)
Another rest day away from caving. Took a scenic 9km walk up to two lakes high up in the Tatras. These included the Black Pond, the highest and, at about 80m, deepest lake in Poland. These were surrounded by picturesque mountains including Poland's highest at 2499m.

28th June. Jaskinia Kasprowa Wynia i rednia (High and Middle Kasprowa Caves)
A one and a half hour trek up to the top cave with thunder and lightening crashing all around, but fortunately no rain. The first cave was small with an abseil down into a large chamber, and then a handlined climb out. The second cave was also a large pitch in to a big chamber, having first traversed around the outside of the cliff face. Exited the cave into very dramatic lightening and pouring rain.

29th June. Zakopane and surrounding Mountains
A gentle day pretending to be tourists for most of us while Mike and Pete trekked up Mount Giewont overlooking Zacopane.

30th June. Jaskinia Czarna (Black Cave)
We had kept the best 'till last. A superb trip half way through this extensive cave, the 6th deepest and longest in Poland. Involved everything you could wish for in a cave with horizontal and vertical passage, turning back on a traverse over a small pool called Emerald Lake.

1st July. Returned to Krakow before boarding the coach at 9.30am the following day for our 31-hour return journey.

Acknowledgements

The expedition would like to thank Blajz Nikiel and everyone at Klub Taternictwa Jaskiniowego Spelioklub Bielsko-Biala for all their help, without whom the expedition would not have been such a success; and Matt Wiltshire and Matt Trenchard for all the driving they did. Within the University, much thanks goes to Graham Poole and Paul Slater for all their support, and the Appeal Fund for financial help. Finally the author would like to thank all the members of the expedition:

Mike Alderton
Pete Jurd
Tom Moss
Helen Stalker
Matt Trenchard
Matt Wiltshire
for such a great trip.

Tim Comer