For the opening of the 2006 season we decided to visit Lower Kasprowa
again and explore the various side passages
in the preliminary parts of the cave. It's always a rush to get to the farther parts,
but on the way there are many passages branching out from the main passage - and maybe worth a visit?
Before entering the cave we met a lost skier - he was walking down the path from the main trail
and was looking for some slope to ski on... He was really surprised to see us there
changing into our caving suits in the middle of the forest. And I don't think he believed us
when we told him some fairy tales about caves. Only after several strides did he notice the hole
and turned around without a word. :) (Another thing is that the path to the cave was as well trodden as the main trail...)
Not far from the entrance (after passing through the tighter parts) is the first side passage to the left -
a short tube, parallel to the main passage; supposedly used to go over the lake,
however we haven't seen a lake here, ever. :) There are even a couple of stalagmites in the side passage,
but otherwise, nothing interesting.
However, on the opposite wall from the exit of this side passage there are:
an entrance to the parts that lead back in the direction of the entrance
and a by-pass of the first pitch. We checked out the by-pass - I think that the pitch
is faster to descent than this passage, but it's worth visiting nevertheless (and it even has to variants) -
among other things, some interesting mud formations and generally nice shape of the passage.
You just need to do some crawling and sliding in mud.
Next we went into the Middle Sponge. There are two lakes visible on the survey, the second one being sometimes a sump.
And so it was this time. And it turned out that the hose is sitting quietly at the base...
But we had a 5 liter barrel! So, several tons of water (no kidding) we moved with that
(flooding, by the way, the lake in the initial parts of the Sponge).
A 30-centimeter passage opened between the water and the roof. Martha decided that she doesn't want to get wet,
but I really wanted to see what's behind the duck. So I went through - with the water reaching my chest -
and it turned out that the lake ends just after the bend. A pity that Martha didn't want to come -
this was really close to getting out of the Sponge...
When over the Great Pitch, instead of going down, you can traverse on the stalagmites to a parallel passage
that's several meters above the main passage. There are many formations there, first stalagmites,
then a really nice column, some stalactites, and other goods. This passage, of all described here,
is really worth going into (and, of course, the Sponge). It's pretty tight in places (I barely went through)
and ends with a nice, 4-meter chimney (and then you by-pass the lakes and the pitch behind the Great Pitch).
At the top of the third pitch, to the right, two side passages fork: one with a dead end that turns
in the direction of the cave's entrance, the other being, supposedly, a by-pass of the pitch.
First we checked out the first side passage - somewhat interesting, ending with a squeeze.
Well, maybe not a squeeze - rocks piled up in a very uncomfortable way and a rock sticking out in the middle of the last bend.
I got through with difficulty, but when trying to get out, the harness seemed to be catching onto every rock
(and especially the one in the middle of the bend), and my legs somehow didn't want to bend the other way. :)
Finally, after taking off the harness, I pushed the squeeze (but, of course, the suit's hood then caught some other rock -
a lesson that you should always keep your gear in tact).
We didn't try the pitch's by-pass - Martha only looked into it.
The entrance is pretty tight and just over the pitch. Next, you would have to slide down the tube head first
(it would be hard to get into the hole with your legs first).
The other way (going up from the bottom of the pitch) you can probably chimney like a white man,
but then, when exiting the tube, you would need to go head first over the pitch itself -
I guess it's not that trivial (and probably quite dangerous). Anyway, the first pitch can be easily by-passed,
but with the third one it's a problem.
And we ended this trip here; in the preliminary parts of the cave two side passages are left to visit:
the first passage to the right from the entrance, and this by-pass of the third pitch.
A pretty nice trip, but we had no time nor weren't in the mood for taking pictures (I regret this now, of course).
And one more note: once I liked to come to Zakopane, but I'm disliking this city more and more.
First of all, totally rude people in more and more places - after all, those suckers will come here and pay anyway, won't they?
The climate at the bus stop to Kuznice or in the bar in Kuznice itself reminds me Bareja's films
(cult movies in Poland from the communist times). And phrases like "good morning", "good bye", "thanks", "you're welcome"
are totally foreign to those people.
But there are other things, such as the astronomical prices for parking places near the trails starts.
I think that they had a group fall on their heads.
I wonder whether the other tourists see this city as I see it; and how much the people there are loosing on this...
