Abkhazia is an amazing country where you can spend an unforgettable vacation with family or friends. This country is famous not only for its welcoming hospitality, but also for its fabulous scenery, unusually warm and gentle Black Sea and clean beach area. In addition, in Abkhazia there are a huge number of attractions that amaze with their diversity. There are a lot of architectural structures that have a long history and are considered the pride of the country. There are also natural attractions that are unique and of great interest to researchers and tourists. One of the attractive places to visit is the Snow Cave. How can I get to this amazing place? In which mountains is Snowy Abyss Cave? All this will be discussed in the article.
A bit about the history of the discovery of the cave
For the first time, the Snow Cave, the photo of which is in the article, was talked about back in 1971, when the cavers of Moscow State University, studying the Bzybsky ridge, discovered a huge funnel with an area of 2000 square meters. m. Despite the fact that it was covered with snow, cavers started down, and it turned out that this is the entrance to a vertical cave. After its discovery, research was conducted for 10 years. Every year the depth of the cave increased. For example, already in 1981, cavers explored the cave at a depth of about 1335 meters.
In 1983, Snezhnaya was merged with another cave, which is named after Mezhenny. At that time, a cave complex with a length of 1370 meters was already explored. In the 90s, the study of the cave complex was temporarily suspended, since at that time there was an aggravated armed conflict between Abkhazia and Georgia. A little later, work resumed.
- In 2000, the exploration of the Snow Cave was restored.
- In 2005, another cave was opened, which is called Illusion. The depth was already 1753 meters.
- In 2008, the Throne Hall was found, as well as an incredibly beautiful cave lake.
- In 2011, when exploring the lake in the depths of the cave, it was covered at 1,760 meters.
- In 2015, another entrance to the cave complex was opened. It is located in the area of the lateral tributary of the Looking Glass System. To get to it, you will need to go through the lower entrance, and the descent time will take 2-3 days. The depth of the cave complex at that time was already studied at 1800 meters.
To date, the studied depth remains unchanged. This is due to the fact that this cave is very difficult to pass and is considered one of the most complex and deepest in the world. It includes a huge number of narrow manholes, large vertical abysses and magnificent halls with stormy rivers, waterfalls, as well as streams and wells.
What is the Snow Cave
The location of the cave is located in the Hipst mountain range, not far from the village of Duripsh, in the Western Caucasus. The coordinates of the Snow Cave (Abkhazia) - 43 ° 16′20 ″ s. w. 40 ° 42′57 ″ in The cave complex includes four entrances, and its total length is more than 32 kilometers. The lowest point of the cave is Lake Morozova. The cave complex has rooms, a brief description of which is presented to your attention below.
Big hall
It contains a very huge snowfield. Its height reaches 60 meters, but the volume of snow in it is more than 90 thousand cubic meters.
Throne room
This is one of the largest halls from the entire cave complex. Its length is 310 meters, its width is more than 10 meters, and its height is 40 meters.
Hall X
Another of the largest rooms of the Snow Cave. Its length is 250 meters, its width is about 70 meters, while the ceiling height is 50 meters.
Diamond gallery
Its length is 100 meters, its side entrance is located at a depth of 750 meters. The surface of the cave is covered with gypsum crystals. But one of its branches is covered with white crystals of hydromagnesite.
Waterfalls
In addition, there are huge waterfalls. There are three of them. This is Irkutsk, whose height is approximately 45 meters, Olympic - a little more than 30 meters, and Record - its height is 25 meters.
Water formations
There is also a large number of underground rivers, streams and wells, which are connected by a cave complex. But the two rivers remain uncharted, since their connection has not yet been found.
Due to its great length, it is possible to pass the complex from many caves in 10-14 days, but it is possible to get into it only as part of the expeditionary group, and you will need to have special equipment with you. In order to overcome it, you need good physical preparation. This fact must be taken into account when planning your participation in the expedition.
There is an opportunity to go near and along the 15-kilometer route, which leads to the lower entrance. Incredibly beautiful landscapes consisting of mountain meadows and centuries-old beech forest open along this path. The trail goes to a vast plateau, on which you can see an unusual panorama of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, stretching from New Athos to Cape Pitsunda.
Interest in this cave is growing every year, since it has not been fully studied, and to date there is no information where the cave complex can end. Despite the fact that the Snow Cave is closed to the public, this in no way stops the cavers and lovers of extreme relaxation.
How to get to the Snow cave?
Abkhazia is a disputed territory, although since 1994 it gained independence from Georgia and is called the republic. Where is Snezhnaya cave located and how can I get to it? These are the most pressing issues for young cavers, as well as for tourists who like outdoor activities. You can get to the cave complex Snezhniy directly from the village of Duripsh, to which a trail of 15 kilometers is laid. You can fly to your destination by helicopter or go on foot. The approximate walking time is about 5 hours. If you want to visit such a mysterious place, you must remember that it is quite dangerous. We need to think about the appropriate equipment, which will be discussed later.
What equipment is needed?
The study of the new always implies the possibility of adventures and surprises along the way, therefore, as mentioned above, you need to acquire the most necessary. The caver is one of those professions where at every step everything is new, unknown. These people need to climb, swim, dive. They are required to have special suits that do not allow moisture to pass and retain heat. And besides this, the clothes should be very durable. Going to the Snow Cave, you must remember that inside it is very high humidity and quite cool. For example, at the Bank the air temperature is about +6 degrees at 100% air humidity.
In addition, you need to take a tent, a sleeping bag, a few good flashlights and certainly an additional set of batteries with you. And since the passage of the cave complex involves descents to the depths, then special equipment with ropes and hinges will be required.
Briefly about the work of cavers
The study of the Snow Cave (Abkhazia), the description of which is presented to your attention above, is one of the time-consuming and exciting, because when passing new places, cavers had to clear the rubble, and cross the fleeting rivers, and descend into deep wells. In addition, they had to swim under the waterfalls to find out where their continuation goes. And the danger lies in the fact that it is not known what awaits there ahead. A thirst for adrenaline and a sense of new discoveries always accompany such work.
According to experienced cavers who have already been to the cave, the best time to explore is winter, since at this time there is less chance of flooding, as there is no melting water. But starting in May, work is already becoming quite dangerous, because at this time there is a massive melting of snow. Due to all these nuances, the work of cavers sometimes continued for several months.
Changes to the Snow Cave after its discovery
Since the opening, the cave complex has changed a bit. For example, a snowfield that melted very slowly is now melting much more intensively, and it’s very difficult to say whether this is a result of a natural process or, nevertheless, it is due to human intervention.
- As for the ice floor, which was located in the Gvozdets Hall, it completely disappeared, and huge icicles form in its place in the spring, and bizarre crystals appear on the walls themselves.
- In winter, during the avalanches, the snow reserves replenish in the cave, which, in turn, covers all the upper passages. But at the same time, new ones are forming in completely unexpected places. The peculiarity of this phenomenon is that this does not happen every year.
- The entrance to the Great Hall has become unavailable today, but a new one has appeared along the wall. It was formed in the process of melting. It is through it during the convergence of avalanches that snow reserves are replenished.
- The snow cone was slightly faded, so it is no longer as magnificent as it was at the beginning of the first expedition. In addition, the walls seemed to shrink, and the ceiling was lower.
- At this time, the inaccessibility of the Snow Cave in Abkhazia, the photo of which you have the opportunity to see in the article, has slightly decreased, since there have been changes in the technological plan. For example, equipment, equipment, and work clothes have changed. And importantly, during the expeditions the cavers cleared the aisles, and also a telephone cable was laid to the bottom, and in some places there were still stair railings and the stairs themselves.
One of the unpleasant changes is that the absence of a ban on visits attracts tourists from many countries who leave behind themselves piles of garbage and carbide. As a result of such expeditions, some halls were hit hard.
Explorations of the Snow Cave are ongoing, and soon, perhaps, new discoveries will appear in this amazing natural formation in the Abkhaz mountains. As already mentioned, the independent passage of the cave complex is very unsafe. Therefore, it is best to go on such a trip as part of an expedition or to have a caver in your group who knows all the nuances of going through hard-to-reach places.
How can I go on an expedition to the Snow Cave?
If you have the opportunity and desire to go to Abkhazia and visit the Snezhnaya cave, you need to find an expeditionary group by announcements, with which you can make such a dangerous trip. Immediately it is worth noting that the amount of payment includes the cost of tickets for transport, food, equipment. Remember, before you go on a trip, you will be forced to undergo special training and training. The main requirement for participating in the expedition is the achievement of 18 years of age, as well as good physical fitness and endurance. For example, it may take three months or even six months to learn the SRT (single rope) technique. If you are ready, then have a nice trip!