The Srebrna Beach is a popular, rocky beach in the limestone layer of on the south side of the Vis island in Croatia. Beach caves are a very frequent occurrence on Croatia's coast, but for me - coming from a cave-poor country - they are always a wonder. There's a very nice straight, tunnel-like beach cave on the left side of the Srebrna beach.
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August 2024, Srebrna beach mini cave, Srebrna, Croatia; Srebrna beach cave, Srebrna, Croatia; Srebrna beach, Srebrna, Croatia
Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Erosion); Caving (Basic, Surveying, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Erosion); Swimming (Waterbody-Sea, Beach)
We stopped on a road for taking photos of the scenery. While taking the photo, I noticed that there was a small hole by the road. It looked tight and steep, uncertain if one could go in. At the bottom of the hole there seemed to be a couple of boulders. I returned a couple of days later equipped with better clothing for exploration. It turned out to be a 30m x 18m beautiful stalactite cave! Proof that it does indeed sometimes pay off to peek into every hole!
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August 2024, Propod, Komiza, Croatia
Caving (Basic, Surveying, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst)
Komiza is a small fishing village on the island of Vis, off the coast of Croatia. It is perhaps one of the most real feeling places that I've visited in the Croatian archipelago. The houses are old, stone-built, the streets are narrow and for walking only. The views are great. But they also have an open-air movie theater, and an information center for the UNESCO's Vis Archipelago Geopark. And I happened to hear about a movie they were premiering in the theater, about the origins of island, their caves, and geology. Including some newly published research that changes the current understanding of how the islands formed!
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August 2024, Mediteran Cinema Komiža, Komiza, Croatia
Caving (None, Media)
I have been here before, but then the tide and my clothes were not suitable for exploring. Now they were! I also did not understand the naming the beaches I was at, but I do now. The cave I'm looking at is at the Dog Beach, literally the beach that the dogs (and people) can swim at. A bit further out from the Dog Beach there's the Kamenice Beach, also called the Camp Beach due to the nearby low-cost but forbidden accommodation option :-) Both beaches can be accessed easily with chairs, have a bar, etc. However, between them there's the Secret Beach. To get there you have to go through a cave and climb, wall across a part of the sea that is only passable easily during low tide (picture above), or straight out swim.
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August 2024, Dog Beach, Komiza, Croatia; Kamenice Beach, Komiza, Croatia; Secret Beach, Komiza, Croatia
Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Unknown, Morphology-Erosion); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Sea, Beach); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Sea, Beach); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Sea)
Ape Cave. Named after the scouts helping to explore the cave, back then called the "cave apes". One of my most amazing cave experiences. This cave is easily and safely accessible by anyone -- as long as you register yourself and your vehicle for the visit at the US Forestry Service. In the cave you can do just a small peek underground or walk 1 km to the nearest end of the cave on an easy path. Someone was even pushing strollers. And then you walk back the kilometer to exit. But you can also keep walking also to the other end of the cave, and then exit from the other exit. This is what I did, and that's a whopping 5.5 km walk underground. The cave is the third longest lava tube in North America. And with such amazing sights, e.g., the one in the picture above. Much recommended!
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July 2024, Ape Cave, Cougar, Washington, USA; Small Ape Cave side cave, Cougar, Washington, USA
Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Volcanic, Morphology-Volcanic); Caving (None, Rock-Volcanic, Morphology-Volcanic)
Fail. I did find a cave, a small one, but I only later learned there would have been a much bigger cave higher up. And the other cave I was searching for ... I could not find. I guess the coordinates were wrong. Oh well, it was a nice outing by the riverside.
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July 2024, Slesse Creek Cave, Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada; Chipmunk Caves, Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Caving (Basic, Morphology-Unknown, Rock); Caving (Rock, Morphology-Karst, Rock-Limestone, None)
There's no information about this in the Internet. But, at the Jorvi hospital in Espoo there's a display about "perhaps the largest mountain crystal deposit in Finland". The story goes that while the underground shelter for the hospital was being built, a worker drilled into an empty cave with an elf and crystal covered walls. The worked grabbed a piece of the crystals before the elf closed the hole.
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June 2024, Jorvin sairaala, Espoo, Finland
Caving (None)
I visited the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun, as well as the Ravne tunnels few kilometers away. The pyramid is remarkably pyramid-looking green mountain and the tunnels are .. well, more about that later. Both are in the small town of Visoko, 35 kilometers outside Sarajevo. The claim is that the pyramid is a concrete-covered man-made structure built by an ancient civilization 29 000 years ago. And that the tunnels were also man-made network leading under the pyramids, and only later filled in. And that there are health benefits to all of this. Long story short: lots of pseudoscience, but of course a nice mountain to visit. And it is always pleasant to be wet, dark underground tunnels. Even if the the support beams are rotting...
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May 2024, Tunnel Ravne, Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun, Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Urban-Exploration (Tunnels, Ruins); Caving (Basic, Man-Made); Urban-Exploration (Ruins); Climbing (Mountain)
I was inspired to go here by Antti Huttunen's article in Retkipaikka. There's a forgotten, hard-to-access rocky hill and cliff area in Hyvinkää: Usminkalliot. With a cave!
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May 2024, Usminkallion lippaluola, Hyvinkää, Finland; Usminkallion lippakolo, Hyvinkää, Finland; Usminkallion lipparako, Hyvinkää, Finland
Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Gneiss, Morphology-Crack, Surveying); Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Gneiss, Morphology-Crack)
My first "proper" Bosnia and Herzegovina caves! The Bijambare caves. Wonderful karst caves, and in the largest one there are massive halls and massive tunnels. Well worth visiting if you're near Sarajevo!
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May 2024, Srednja Bijambarska, Krivajevići, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Gornja Bijambarska, Krivajevići, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Caving (Basic, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst)
In Finnish we have this expression, "läpi harmaan kiven". It translates literally as 'through the grey stone'. It represents sisu, another Finnish concept: going through no matter what. Even through rock. Here Harri-Pekka Pietikäinen demonstrates the concept.
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May 2024, Korkbergetin lohkareluola, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Fagerkullan bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Caving (Basic, Rock-Gneiss, Morphology-Boulders, Morphology-Crack); Caving (Basic, Man-Made); Urban-Exploration (Bunkers)
It was a good try. I think. Or maybe I should have pushed harder. But ... it was getting difficult to stay on the slope, even with some smaller trees around me. But in the end I turned around, and did not reach the Dobrun cave in the mountains of eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina... the slope was loose gravel, and getting steeper on every step. No sign of paths. I do wonder though, I could *see* the cave but not reach it! And reportedly monks have lived in the cave, is there another path?
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April 2024, Dobrun Cave, Dobrun, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Dobrun Party Cave, Dobrun, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Dobrun railway tunnel, Dobrun, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Caving (None, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst); Caving (Basic, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-River); Urban-Exploration (Tunnels)
Me: "Last time I was here was 35 years ago." Receptionist: "Not much has changed since then.". But, Korso's swimming hall still rocks. Small but functional.
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April 2024, Korson uimahalli, Korso, Vantaa, Finland; Korson siirtolohkareen luolanen, Korso, Vantaa, Finland
Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal); Caving (Basic, Rock, Morphology-Boulders, Rock-Gneiss)
Rafter's cave was a surprise find, a sudden realization of a sign on a parking spot in Perućac we pulled onto. A cave! By this incredibly beautiful river, Trina, marking the border between Serbia and Bosnia.
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April 2024, Rafter's Cave, Perućac, Serbia; Rafter's Cave Side Cave, Perućac, Serbia
Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying, Morphology-Erosion, Morphology-Karst, )
I'm visiting Brisbane this week for work. Before returning, I have a weekend to look around. Surely there are caves? I have been to Australia before, for skiing and climbing... but not visited any caves. And I'm desperate for "collecting" another country that I've caved in :-)
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March 2024, Capricorn Caves, The Caves, Queensland, Australia; Undara Lava Tubes, Queensland, Australia; Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia
Caving (None)
Mount Beerburrum is part of the Glass House Mountains National Park, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia, an hour north of Brisbane. These striking formations are old volcanic plugs that are left standing higher when other rock material around them has eroded over millions of years. But I'm here because Google Maps tells me that there's a "Bat Cave" on the side of the mountain.
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March 2024, Mount Beerburrum, Beerburrum, Queensland, Australia; Mount Beerburrum Bat Caves, Beerburrum, Queensland, Australia
Hiking; Caving (Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst, None)