Serbia, Adrijan Cave (part 3/3)
Participants: Andreas „Andi" Voigt, Marc Große, Oliver „Oli" Kurtz, Danny Beiert, Darko Petkovic, Steffen Kiesecker, Sven Bender
As a conclusion of our stay in Serbia in 2012, we intended to go once again to a position where we were not optimally prepared for our first visit in 2010. This year it should be different...
Danny and Darko had prepared intensively for "best conditions" and were to perform a dive attempt.
"We cross a small river and fortunately the water level is quite low. Arriving on the other side, we see after a few meters into the entrance area of the cave.
Through a narrow opening in the rock it goes about 10m into a dry vestibule. We can stand upright here and there is enough space to the left and right. Clay deposits on the floor and the walls indicate that this area temporarily also carries water. Further back we recognize the continuation.
We maneuver the equipment through a narrow chasm into another hall. Here, the entire floor, walls, and well up to the ceiling, are all heavily covered with clay deposits. From here it is still about 10 meters to the about 4x6m large pool with its crystal clear water! Everywhere it is slippery and no matter where you touch it, wet clay immediately sticks to it everywhere. Bats, which we spotted on the cave ceiling, obviously do not disturb our activities. In order not to disturb the animals unnecessarily, we speak quietly...
Andreas, Oliver and Marc and our companions help Darko and me on the slippery ground with maximum support into the equipment. It is totally slippery. I am the first to reach the pool and carefully I let myself slide backwards into the still crystal clear water. In doing so, I avoid any further movement. I carefully turn onto my stomach and with the mask on, I can still see how the funnel-shaped pool aligns and can see where the cave might continue, where "the water comes from." At the bottom of the funnel, I can make out clean pebbles in one spot! Exactly there a current had to be present - this area seems to be sediment-free...
5 seconds later the view is completely clouded! A dark brown cloud rolls through the just now still crystal clear pool. Even the slightest water movement swirls up the fine clay sediment. Nothing is to be recognized any more, we swim quasi in milk coffee...
Short briefing with Darko, who has meanwhile arrived in the water next to me. "Darko - I've seen where it has to go, are you ready?" His clear statement- "Let's go!" After all, we had been preparing for such unfavorable conditions for a long year! After checking our equipment, I attach the reel to the rope of our entry aid and we dive off. Since I have seen where it has to go along, I go ahead. Darko is behind me in the Touch Contact and we dive down in the coffee.
There is really nothing to see- a minute later we reach the bottom at 3m depth, it is a solid sub-bottom of pebbles. Laterally I can feel a breakthrough. The ceiling and side walls are rocky, no clay bank, here we continue. At an angle of about 45° the floor continues to descend. With extreme caution we dive further forward. The passage continues to descend in an easterly direction, I can no longer feel the passage dimensions, they are increasing. I find a possibility for the second attachment point. By now we can balance neutrally, I see Darko's steady lamp guide next to me and visibility on the rocky floor of the cave seems to increase.
A quick O.K. tells me to dive further forward- and as if by magic we are a few meters further out of the clay cloud and are in crystal clear water! Finally we can see the passage more clearly! Incredible! Our lamps slowly move in all directions. The passage is about 2x2 meters in dimensions and aligns to the northeast. We have reached 12 meters of depth.
Current-related deposits on the pebble-rich floor indicate that there is water movement here. The karst rock is discolored over black to snow-white, the walls are partly sharply corroded - and we see the further continuation of the passage. We follow a small shaft. Behind a narrow passage it seems to go on. We dive through this and follow the further passage to 23m depth- and constant changes of direction. It goes deeper and deeper into this cave. Darko's lamp light is always next to me. After about 120m of penetration the profile of the passage rises slightly to 18m in eastern direction and we can shine deeper into the passage behind a knoll - it just goes on, on, on...
Unfortunately the view on the finimeter reminds us exactly here. At a suitable place I fasten the reel, Darko separates the line and we set a mark on the line. We have reached the agreed reversal pressure - unfortunately we have to turn back here. Water runs into my mask- this always happens to me when I have a big grin on my face underwater. It was an honor, Darko!
On the way back we enjoy once again what no one before us has seen before! It is a feeling that cannot be described. The amazingly low percolation lets us enjoy the cave once again until just before the cave exit. The water quality seems to be good, quality samples will give information about it...
My partner glides calmly ahead, we dive in peace towards the exit and only here I notice how my pulse drops a little. Before we can stick our heads out of the water again after 45 minutes in the cave pool, we follow our line through the coffee and are greeted with a quiet applause from our team. Everyone rejoices with us. Team Cavebase has successfully dived another cave for the first time!"
Obviously our activities in Serbia were also observed at a higher level. Still half in dry clothes Danny, Darko and the team are welcomed at the parking lot of our vehicles by the Serbian Minister for Nature and Environment, Mr. Srdjan Belij! Arrived with a small delegation, the further cooperation with CAVEBASE is discussed on the spot. Since we were the first people to dive this cave, we as Team CAVEBASE are allowed to give the cave a name. We leave the naming to Darko. In the future, this cave will bear the name of his son "Adrijan".
In this sense,
Your Cavebase
Gallery
