Fáni-völgyi No 4 Cave

The Fáni-völgy 4th cavity is a cave located in the Vértes Mountains within 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. The entrance of the cavity is on the D side of the Fáni valley at an altitude of 247 m above sea level. From the road, the small (40×60 cm), flat, triangular, natural, horizontally oriented entrance of the Fáni-völgy 4th cavity is clearly visible to the left of the Fáni-völgy 3rd cavity, 10–15 m away, at the base of a small rock overhang. The cave entrance is difficult to notice, and fallen leaf litter can also heavily conceal it.

The cave consists of a single low cavity that can only be traversed by crawling. Its filling is composed of a lot of rock debris, humus, and leaf litter. The cavity was formed by frost-induced rock disintegration. Its enclosing rock is Triassic dolomite, and its walls are characterized by weathered rock surfaces. No noteworthy formations in quantity or size can be observed within it. No permission is required to visit the cave, which can be approached on the steep, difficult terrain by crawling and using a light source. The K entrance described during the 1979 cave exploration has remained largely blocked to this day.

In 1979 the cave was first called the Fáni-völgy 4th cavity in the literature. In the literature the cave also appears under the names Fáni-völgy 1st fissure cave (Kordos 1984), Fáni-völgy–1st fissure cave (Kocsis 1975), Fáni-völgy 4th cave (Egri 2003), Fáni-völgy 4th cavity (Bertalan 1976) and Vértes 28th cave (Kordos 1979).

Research history

According to the book *The World of Caves* published in 1962, there are small caves in the Fáni valley in the Vértes Mountains, 10–12 m higher than the stream. One group of members, alternating from the Ferencváros Nature Lovers Sports Club Cave Research Group and led by János Horváth, continued the exploration of the Vértes Mountains and a three‑level 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 Research 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.

In the publication written by Antal Kocsis and published in 1975 it is written that the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber (Fáni-völgyi–1. fissure cave) and the Fáni-völgyi 3rd chamber are located on the same valley side. The Fáni-völgyi–1. fissure cave is hidden in a 2 m diameter rock wall, KDK to the east of the Fáni-völgyi 3rd chamber, 15 m away. The cave walls have a layered structure, except for the K‑i cave wall, which consists of fragmented, crumbly dolomite. Its filling is thick. The filling consists of fine stone rubble. The cave is 5 m long, 1.3–2.4 m wide and 0.5–0.8 m high. Pocket‑shaped formations occur in its fissures. The Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber and the Fáni-völgyi 5th chamber are located on the same valley side. The Fáni-völgyi 5th chamber lies slightly higher, 15 m from the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber. The Fáni-völgyi 5th chamber (similarly to the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber) was formed along a longitudinal and vertical crack. The map inset in the publication shows the geographical location of the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber. On the map the cave is marked with the number 28.

In the manuscript titled *Hungary’s Cave Register* completed in 1976 it reads that the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber (Fáni-völgyi–1. fissure cave) is located in the Vértes Mountains, in Vértesbogláros. In the Fáni Valley, the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber is located DNy to the east of the Fáni-völgyi 3rd chamber, about 10 m away and 3 m lower. The narrow opening of the two‑entrance cave is under a tree trunk. The cave is 5 m long, 1.3–2.4 m wide and 0.5–0.8 m high. The low chamber with a floor of coarse rubble has its second entrance on the K‑i side of the chamber. The part of the manuscript describing the Fáni-völgyi 4th chamber was written based on two literary works.

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group in 1979, the Fáni-völgyi 4. sz. cavity (F4) is listed in the OKTH cave inventory as cave number 13 among the caves of the Vértes Mountains, under the above name. In the publication written by Antal Kocsis, Fáni-völgyi–1. fissure cave is the cave name and its number is 28. János Horváth presented the cavity in his speleological field report. The cave is located on the edge of Vértesboglár (Fejér County, Bicske district). On the DNy side of the Fáni valley, at approximately 235 m above sea level, to the left of the Fáni-völgyi 3. sz. cavity, 10–15 m away, under a small rock overhang, is the entrance to the Fáni-völgyi 4. sz. cavity. The flat triangular-shaped cave entrance is difficult to notice, above which a broken tree trunk lies in a ditch. To the left of the entrance there is also a low, impassable entrance. Ferenc Szolga can show the cavity. The horizontal and low rock arch is slightly damp in rainy weather.