Detailed description of objectives: Give a more detailed account of the purpose of the trip, including any particular known caves you intend to visit, specific areas where you will explore for new cave, and scientific experiments you will attempt.
The five-week long 2012 expedition was ideal in terms of distributing the manpower and encompassing the logistics of exploring from a deep cave camp. As the objectives and team strength in 2013 are very similar we intend to run a five week expedition
Following the connection of Sistem Vrtnarija to Sistem Migovec at the end of 2012’s expedition, we intend to explore the potential for once again pushing deep leads in areas not visited in since 1998. We’re fortunate enough to still have a few of the original explorers as members of the expedition, so will reassess the old Sistem Migovec to ensure no knowledge is lost. However, our records suggest that the depths of Migovec are far more unpleasant and difficult to cave in that the quality of lead we have grown accustomed to in Vrtnarija. For this reason, we do not intend to expend much effort in the old Sistem Migovec. As we intend to use the Vrtnarija entrance in the main, all the following cave statistics are relative to the Vrtnarija entrance.
There are several leads relatively close to Camp X-Ray. Xanadu/Euphrates (-591m) is a tight streamway rift leading to a muddy, draughting crawl less than 5 minutes from camp. The current front is a pitch waiting for descent. Yorkshire (-614m) is larger rift about 30 minutes from Camp X-Ray which was left last year as relatively tight walking passage. Hotpants (-526m) is a chamber which was bolt traversed into from The Throne Room last year. It has provided several of interesting leads, including a small bolt climb and long crawl which is as yet unexplored.
An area which became known as Hawaii (-682m) attracted a large amount of pushing trips last year. The pushing front was left as wet pitches at Brezno Slapov (-756m) and Invictus (-632m) down alternate forks of the passage. A boulder choke was dug at Minestrone to little avail.
We also intend to revisit Balamory (-720m) and expand a tight pitch head and so descend the pitch. There is some suggestion from the survey that Balamory could link in with Minestrone or another side passage from Atlantis (both explored 2012). This would allow much easier access to the pushing front at Invictus and Brezno Slapov.
Taking the opposite route out of Camp X-Ray one reaches the deepest (Watership Down, -897m) and furthest (Colarado, 2.8km of passage and 802m below the entrance) known areas of Vrtnarija.
Last year’s visits to Winter Journey (-888m) extended the cave to what is likely the water table at Watership Down (-897m). While it is unlikely we will make Sistem Migovec any deeper here, there are still many leads to visit. Owing to the distance from Camp X-Ray, only two pushing trips went down here in 2012, leaving mainly ongoing leads in this partially flooded horizontally developing phreatic. It remains an open question whether this is the same body of water as the sump at Watership Down.
We are looking at bolt climbing the rift near the terminal (mud) sump The Hoover Dam (-776m) using the modern, lightweight drills that have served us so well in the recent expeditions. Ideally this will bypass the terminal sump. The Hoover Dam is approx. 1.9km from Camp X-Ray and 1.1km from Red Cow, and has not been visited since 2004.
Approaching The Hoover Dam from Red Cow, there are two obvious avens that enter the deep phreatic level of Vrtnarija, which we intend to bolt climb. These are Strap on the Nitro aven, just beyond Red Cow (-737m, to Vrtnarija entrance); and To Infinity and Beyond, near the northern termination.
As the majority of leads are at significant depths it is imperative that we re-establish our standard four bed camp in Friendship Gallery (Camp X-Ray (dates)). Camp X-Ray is still a central site in the cave and is accessible to relatively inexperienced cavers, but to get to some pushing fronts from it requires long and committing trips. For this reason, we shall place a lightweight, two bed camp (Deep Core II) at Red Cow (-730m).
A camp was planned for Red Cow last year, but the focus of exploration stayed near Camp X-Ray and so it was not deployed. This is an excellent camping location, being spacious and dry yet with easy access to fast flowing water (approximately 1L/s). A two bed camp there would facilitate much easier pushing at Watership Down and make attempting the Hoover Dam bolt climb a realistic aim.
We are investigating possible ways to install a hydroelectric generator at Red Cow, taking advantage of the presence of significant quantities (1L/s) of water falling through an accessible and suitable height change (20m). Being able to recharge drill batteries underground would be of great benefit to teams attempting the bolt climbs from Deep Core II.
Much of our recent success in Migovec is due to our progress with similar technical projects and the development of comfortable deep camps that allow us to spend extended periods of time at the 'pushing front'. Though building a pico hydroelectric generator suitable for use in the cave is obviously a rather more risky venture, the potential rewards are huge.
Surface Prospecting
2012’s expedition left a number of prospective new caves. Area K, located north east of the plateau shows many promising opportunities for surveying new cave. Being just 30 minutes walk from our Bivi, it is a favourite of recuperating cavers. Further afield, Kuk Pot (N9) two hours hike across Kuk provides the novel experience of surface based pushing.
Previous work in this area: Give details of any previous work in this area by your own and other teams. Include references to reports and articles published on the area,
and the names of any local cavers or academics with whom you have discussed the Expedition.
We have run expeditions to this area in: 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12 and smaller recces in Easter 95, Autumn 06, Winter 09.
Vrtnarija was discovered in 2000, and extended on every expedition since then before being connected into Sistem Migovec in 2012.
M2 was originally explored to -350m during 1974-1978, but was rerigged during the 2008 joint expedition, and extended 2008-2012.
Kavkna Jama / M2 was extended and surveyed on a weekend trip on 22-10-11 by a joint UK/SLO team. Return visits to extend the closest approach have been made by small SLO teams on 24-12-11, 15-01-12 and 28-01-12.