Fáni-völgyi No 12 Cave

The Fáni-völgy 12th cave is a cave located in the Vértes Mountains in the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in Vértesboglár.

Description

The cave is situated in the forest on the outskirts of Vértesboglár, in the highly protected area of the Vértes Natural Park. At the southern end of the Fáni valley, about 100 m west of the road junction, the entrance is on the eastern side of the Fáni valley, about 25 m above the road. In the leafy season the entrance is also clearly visible from the road, a roughly 10 m high rock wall contains the Fáni-völgy 10th cave and the Fáni-völgy 12th cave, which lie directly above each other along a prominent tectonic fissure. The rock wall that hides the caves can be reached only with difficulty from below, on a steep slope covered with debris. The cave entrance can be reached only by difficult climbing, from the left side of the rock wall, on a ledge. Directly above the Fáni-völgy 10th cave, about 5 m higher, in the same rock wall, at an elevation of 285 m above sea level, is the Fáni-völgy 12th cave.

The cave entrance is 2.1 m wide, 2.2 m high, naturally formed, curved and inclined along the axis. The cavity lies in Triassic dolomite. Its formation (as with the Fáni-völgy 10th cave) occurred along a vertical fissure due to freeze‑thaw rock disintegration. The cave itself is a rock cleft that narrows inward and slopes outward. Its floor is scree, its walls are brecciated and algal. The cavity without formations has no particular significance. The cave, easily walkable in street clothing, does not require a permit or the use of a lamp for visitation.

In 1979 the cave was first called the Fáni-völgy 12th cave in the literature.

Research history

According to the book *The World of Caves* published in 1962, in the Fáni valley in the Vértes Mountains there are small caves 10–12 m above the stream. One group of former members of the Ferencváros Nature Lovers Sports Club Cave Exploration Group, led by János Horváth, continued the exploration of the Vértes Mountains and a three‑phase survey of the caves in the mountains in 1968. This group surveyed nine rock cavities in the Fáni valley, partially previously known (designated I–IX). According to the 1969 report of the FTSK Cave Exploration Group, János Horváth used the spring‑autumn cave surveys of 1968 to produce a map of the nine cavities of the Fáni valley (Vértes Mountains) in 1969. The maps present the caves at a scale of 1:100.

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group in 1979, the Fáni-völgyi No. 12 cavity (F12) had not previously been mentioned in any written work. The cave is located on the edge of Gánt (Fejér County, Móri district) according to the latest administrative map. This area is not in Vértesbogláros (as incorrectly listed in the cave library for the Fáni-völgyi No. 10 cavity). The Fáni-völgyi No. 12 cavity is above the Fáni-völgyi No. 10 cavity, 5 m higher, in the same rock wall, at an altitude of 280 m a.s.l. It can be reached from the left side of the rock wall via a ledge. Its entrance is not visible from below and is of a rock‑shelf type. Its formation occurred along the vertical fissure that also underlies the creation of the Fáni-völgyi No. 10 cavity, due to freezing. The Fáni-völgyi No. 12 cavity lies in brecciated main dolomite.

It consists of a single cavity that narrows inward in a funnel shape. Its greatest horizontal extent is 2.5 m. At the entrance part it is highest (2 m). Its ceiling is almost horizontal, but its floor slopes steeply toward the rock ledge. In rainy weather, seepage waters appear inside it. It is certainly a long‑known cavity, but Antal Kocsis does not mention it. Members of the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group recorded the locally significant cave in the cave register on 4 February 1979 during a field walk. It is not worthwhile to continue exploring the cavity, which was surveyed and measured by the group.

The manuscript includes the cave plan map, longitudinal section map and cross‑section map. The maps depict the cave at a scale of 1:100. The plan map indicates the east direction on the map sheet. The plan map shows the location of the cross‑section within the cave. The cave was surveyed by Szolga Ferenc, Gönczöl Imréné, Koch Zoltán and Zentai Ferenc on 4 February 1979 for the preparation of the maps. The maps were drawn by Szolga Ferenc on 22 February 1979. The manuscript shows the map of Fáni‑völgy (approximately 1:10 000 scale). The map indicates the east direction. The map shows the geographical location of the Fáni‑völgy 12th chamber (on the map: F12). The manuscript contains two photographs illustrating the cave. The two photographs show the rock wall containing the Fáni‑völgy 10th chamber and the Fáni‑völgy 12th chamber. The photographs were taken by Zentai Ferenc.

The 1980 report of the FTSK Cave Research Department mentions that the FTSK cave research group surveyed the Fáni‑völgy chambers on 31 March 1968. The part of the 1980 group report referring to the chambers in Fáni‑völgy was published in the 1980 MKBT Report.

The book written by Béni Kornél and Viszló Levente, which appeared in 1996, mentions that there are 10 caves in the Fáni Valley. Because many caves can be observed in the valley, the valley is similar to the Kőlik Valley. The building rock is the same dolomite breccia. In the case of the formation of the caves in the Fáni Valley, frost wedging played the main role. The cavities of the valley are characterized by the occurrence of pepperstone and often have walls with a reddish discoloration. The cause of this is unknown. The cavities are essentially concentrated in three places, but two of these lie opposite each other on the east (É) and west (D) sides of the valley. Every cave in the valley belongs to the smaller-sized caves.