The underground part of the Crimean mountains is still a mystery, despite the fact that the subsoil is constantly being investigated. The underworld of these places is of interest not only for scientists, but also for travelers and cave lovers.
Location
In the south-west of the Crimean peninsula, on the slope of the Baidar Valley, the tract Karadag Forest is located. There, not far from the village of Rodnikovoye (formerly called Skelya), there is a unique reserved place - Skelskaya Cave.
origin of name
Obviously, the name came from the old name of the village.
But there is another option. The structure of the cave resembles a staircase. This suggests that the origin of the name of the cave is from the Greek word "skeleton", which means "staircase".
Among the numerous Crimean caves (and only 80 of them are described), the Skelskaya Cave is less visited so far, since it was equipped for tourists only in 2003. But interest in her is growing. How to get to the Skelskaya cave, its history, description - all this will be presented in this article.
History
The cave was discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1904, by a local rural teacher F. A. Kirillov. Compared to other Crimean caves, she is still young. Researchers determine its age at about 2.5 million years and note the excellent preservation of calcite formations.
Skelskaya cave in Crimea is located 350 m above sea level and differs from other caves in that in order to get into it, you do not need to go down, but, on the contrary, you need to climb the stairs to the entrance.
Once, the underground waters for a long time eroded the Upper Jurassic marble layers of limestone rocks. Subsequently, a tectonic fault occurred, and part of the vault at the top collapsed. A huge underground space has formed. Over time, the streaking formations divided it into three so-called halls. This is the origin of the Skelskaya cave. The length of its galleries is 670 m. The Skelskaya cave is the closest to Sevastopol in comparison with others.
Since 1964, it has been recognized as a natural monument. In 2011, the cave was re-equipped: lighting was changed, walkways and stairs were expanded, fences were strengthened. The tour route is 270 meters.
Skelskaya cave is filled with many sap calcite formations and forms of white and reddish-pink color, which, thanks to the skillful lighting, awaken the imagination of visitors.
Excursion
Having risen to the first platform, you will get to the Fireplace room. It has such a name because of the flood formation, which took the form of a fireplace and is beautifully highlighted. Nearby, a stalagmit grew like a cave guard.
On the second platform there is a hall 80 m long, 18 m wide and 25 m high. The stalagnates created by nature by merging stalagmites rising from below and stalactites hanging from the ceiling rise in it. On the walls, as it were, curtains and ribs made of sagging. Here you can, looking at the influxes, imagine a waterfall and the head of a dragon with eyes and protruding fangs. But the most interesting formation resembles a Phoenix bird. It consists of an inclined formation and a young vertical stalagmite grown on it.
These fabulous sap forms grow extremely slowly - 1 cm in 100 years.
Another climb, and you are in the Knights' Hall. It stands a stalagmite with a height of 7 m, resembling a knight with a spear. It is believed that this is the highest stalagmite in the Crimea. Visitors distinguish on the walls the contours of the famous Swallow’s Nest castle, and to the right of it is an image similar to the Foros Church.
The inconsistencies and influxes are very beautiful; the reddish-pink color gives them the presence of iron and manganese in the limestone.
We rise even higher - and you are in the Dolphin Hall, or in the Ghost Hall. Here is a stalagmite resembling a dolphin that jumps out of the water. The mysterious atmosphere includes imagination. Spikes on the ceiling of the cave talk about how stalactites originate. Hundreds of thousands of years will pass and they will turn into hanging icicles of extraordinary beauty.
Tourists are shown two levels of the cave - middle and upper. But there is also a lower one, which is flooded by underground lakes. It is connected to the upper levels by wells with a depth of 25–45 m. In the narrow galleries, underground lakes and rivers splash into which water flows from the Besh-Tekne hollow on the Ai-Petrinsky plateau. They, in turn, replenish the Baidar reservoir.
In the spring, during high water, melt waters flood the lower level of the cave, then rise to the very top. And then you can see how a stormy mountain river breaks out of the cave. Therefore, visiting these places in the spring is not recommended.
Skelskaya cave is considered warm; the temperature in the middle and upper levels is +12 Celsius, in the lower - +9.
Animal world
The fauna of Skelskaya cave is listed in the Crimean record book. Endemic creatures live here, that is, living exclusively in this part of the Earth. These are various spiders, beetles, crustaceans (amphipods similar to shrimps), millipedes, bats, etc. Researchers have found here plankton that does not exist on the surface of the earth. In the cave, the remains of animals once inhabited here were found: saiga antelope, forest cat, red deer.
The world of the cave is fantastic - because the creatures that live in it have never seen the light of the sun. The complete lack of vision led to the improvement of their sense of touch. They are able to exist only in this cave.
Facilities for tourists
As a result of the reconstruction in 2011, all paths, bridges, steps, platforms are equipped with modern equipment that creates optical illusions, emphasizes the fantastic, mysterious beauty of the flow formations, plunges into the unreal world. The visitor sees strange animals, numerous fairy-tale heroes, outlines of strange figures, sights of the Crimea (Swallow's Nest, etc.). This causes surprise and admiration for tourists.
The photo of the Skelskaya cave, unfortunately, cannot fully convey the atmosphere that prevails in this amazing place. After the tour you will have lasting memories. Since the cave is far from crowded tourist routes, you have the opportunity to take your time to admire the beauties of the underground nature without haste.
The mysterious world of mountain caves
Mountain caves are one of the “white spots” on planet Earth. The world of caves beckons and scares at the same time. They strangely fascinate a person. In ancient times, they were considered the gateway to the underworld with an afterlife. For a modern person, they also remain attractive, and this is noticeable in the increasing number of visits to caves around the world. Now not only scientists, cavers, athletes, but simply curious people are going to these mysterious places. Today it is available to everyone in whom a burning desire for adventure burns. In the cave, video and photography are allowed. Going on an excursion, you need to take warm clothes with you, given the temperature inside the cave. Inspection of the halls lasts 45-50 minutes. How to get to the Skelskaya stalactite cave will be described below.
When leaving the cave there is a recreation area - a cafe, gazebos with barbecue facilities. In general, everything is equipped here for a comfortable stay of tourists. Every year, more and more guests are met in their walls Skelsky caves (Crimea).
How to get there
1. If you go by your own car.
You go to the Yalta-Sevastopol highway, having reached the intersection from Foros at the Baydarskie Gate, check the road signs. Next - turn to the Rear, the final point is Rodnikovoe, from it an asphalt road to the cave.
2. If you go by public transport.
Regular bus routes No. 37.37-a, 41.41-a, 182 were organized from Sevastopol. Stop - the village of Rodnikovoye, then walk to the village of Uzundzha.