Cross Cave

Cross Cave
Cold Cave under Cross Mountain

Cross Cave at the Port of Venice (Beneški pristan)
Map showing the location of Cross Cave
Location southeastern Slovenia
Coordinates 45°44′39″N 14°27′52″E / 45.74417°N 14.46444°E / 45.74417; 14.46444Coordinates: 45°44′39″N 14°27′52″E / 45.74417°N 14.46444°E / 45.74417; 14.46444
Depth 32 m (105 ft)
Length 8,273 m (27,142 ft)
Discovery 1832
Geology dolomite, limestone
Entrances 1
Access by foot and by boat
Cave survey plan
Registry Cave E-Cadastre[1]

Cross Cave (Slovene: Križna jama), also named Cold Cave under Cross Mountain (Mrzla jama pod Križno goro), is a cave located in the Lož Valley, Slovenia. The cave is named after nearby Holy Cross Church in Podlož.[2] The cave is particularly noted for its chain of over 45 subterranean lakes of emerald green water. With 45 species of organisms discovered only until 2000, Cross Cave is the fourth-largest cave ecosystem in the world by biodiversity.[3] The cave was first documented in 1832, but the part of the cave which includes lakes and stream passages was first explored by Slovene cavers in 1926. Over two thousand bones of the cave bear have been found in the cave.[3]

Course

At Calvary (Kalvarija; the best known symbol of Cross Cave), the cave splits into two branches - the Muds (Blata) to the north and the Variegated Passage (Pisani rov) to the north-east. The passage through the Blata is harder so most explorers choose to continue through the Variegated Passage, which requires the use of small boats. Cross Cave continues into New Cross Cave (Nova Križna jama). In the direction from the entrance to the cave, the Variegated Passage is the left gallery of Cross Cave at the confluence with the Muds at Cavalry. The access requires the use of boats. Part of the way along the Variegated Passage is a side gallery named the Matjaž Passage (Matjažev rov) and contains several large columns. Continuing along the Variegated Passage the explorer enters the Crystal Mountain (Kristalna gora), the largest room in the cave. The explorer can climb the mountainous pile of collapsed rocks to a point well above the stream.

References

  1. ↑ "Križna jama" (in Slovenian). Cave E-Cadastre. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Notranjski regijski park: Križna jama (Slovene)
  3. 1 2 Prelovšek, Mitja. "Križna jama" [Cross Cave]. In Šmid Hribar, Mateja; Golež, Gregor; Podjed, Dan; Kladnik, Drago; Erhartič, Bojan; Pavlin, Primož; Ines, Jerele. Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem – DEDI [Encyclopedia of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Slovenia] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 August 2012.
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