Fáni-völgyi No 3 Cave

The Fáni-völgy 3rd chamber cavity is located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, one of the caves 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. From the barrier closing the K side of the Fáni Valley, walking about 150 m to the Ny side of the artificial work, on the D side of the Fáni Valley, in a larger rock overhang at 249 m above sea level, the cave entrance is about 20 m above the road. Its significant size, a 3 × 3 m entrance, is clearly visible from the road even during leafy periods. The entrance is natural, triangular, and oriented horizontally.

The cave consists of a single spacious, inward‑rising and slightly narrowing stone chamber that begins from a ledge reaching up to a half‑height. Its filling rock is a brecciated Triassic dolomite. The walls are largely broken, characterized by collapsed surfaces. A small, insignificant amount of chert has also formed in the cavity. The cave was created along a well‑visible crack on the main wall due to freeze‑thaw rock disintegration. The greenish discoloration of the walls indicates the presence of moss and algae. Spiders and insects live in the cavity, and mouflons also occur there. The cave, reachable on steep, difficult terrain, can be visited easily in street clothing without a permit.

In 1979 the cave was first called the Fáni-völgy 3rd chamber cavity in the literature. In the literature the cave also appears under the names Fáni-völgy–1. chamber (Kocsis 1975), Fáni-völgy 1st chamber (Kordos 1984), Fáni-völgy–1st chamber (Bertalan 1976), Fáni-völgy 3rd cave (Egri 2003) and Fáni‑völgy 3rd cavity (Bertalan 1976).

Research History

According to the 1962 book *The World of Caves*, in the Fáni Valley of the Vértes Mountains there are small caves 10–12 m higher than the stream. One group of alternating 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 voids 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 in 1969 a map of the nine cavities of the Fáni Valley (Vértes Mountains). The maps present the caves at a scale of 1:100.

In the publication written by Antal Kocsis and published in 1975 it is written that the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave (Fáni-völgyi–1st chamber) is located in the Fáni Valley, 1.1 km from the branch of the industrial service road, on the DNy side of the Fáni Valley, about 70 m from the road, at a relative height of about 20 m, in a 5 m rock wall. The platform under the triangular cave entrance is 1.2 m high. The chamber was formed along the longitudinal and transverse dolomite cracks. The cavity is 3.5 m long, its entrance width is 3.3 m, its height is 3 m, which inside decreases to 1.8 m and also to 1.3 m. In the cave a few limestone nodules and some fill can be observed. The flora of the chamber (mosses, algal mats) and the insect fauna are varied. The Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave and the Fáni-völgyi 4th cave are located on the same valley side. The Fáni-völgyi 4th cave is situated KDK from the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave, 15 m away. The map inset in the publication shows the geographical location of the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave. On the map the cave is marked with number 27.

In the manuscript titled *Hungary’s Cave Register* completed in 1976 it reads that the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave (Fáni-völgyi–1st chamber) is located in the Vértes Mountains, in Vértesbogláros. From the branch of the industrial service road running through the Fáni Valley it is about 1100 m, on the DNy side of the valley, in a 5 m rock wall 70 m from the road, where the cave has a triangular entrance. The entrance opens with a 1.2 m platform. The spacious chamber is 3.5 m long, 3.5 m wide and 1.3–3 m high. About 10 m DNy from the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave, 3 m lower, is the Fáni-völgyi 4th cave. About 25 m D from the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave, slightly higher, is the Fáni-völgyi 5th cave. The part of the manuscript describing the Fáni-völgyi 3rd cave was written based on two literary works.

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group in 1979, the Fáni-völgyi 3. sz. cavity (F3) is listed in the OKTH cave register as cave number 12 among the caves of the Vértes Mountains, under the above name. In the publication written by Antal Kocsis, Fáni-völgyi–1. fülke is the cave name and its number is 27. János Horváth presented the cavity in a speleological field report. The cave is located in Vértesbogláros (Fejér county, Bicske district). On the DNy side of the Fáni Valley, about 70 m from the road, at an altitude of 230 m a.s.l., 20 m relative height, in a small rock wall, opposite the Fáni-völgyi 2. sz. cavity, is the entrance to the Fáni-völgyi 3. sz. cavity. To the left of the Fáni-völgyi 3. sz. cavity, 10–15 m away, is the entrance to the Fáni-völgyi 4. sz. cavity. Above the Fáni-völgyi 3. sz. cavity, to the D, about 25 m away, is the entrance to the Fáni-völgyi 5. sz. cavity. At the end of the ÉNy side of the Fáni Valley, on the branching service road, one must walk 1150 m from the junction to reach the Fáni-völgyi 3. sz. cavity. Its entrance appears oval from the road, but when viewed up close the entrance has a slightly right‑leaning triangular shape with an upper apex. Ivy hangs in the entrance. Ferenc Szolga can show the easily reachable and walkable cavity.