Fáni-völgyi No 6 Cave

The Fáni-völgy 6th chamber is a cave located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, one of the caves in Szár.

Description

The cave is situated in the forest on the outskirts of Szár, in the highly protected area of the Vértesi Natúrpark. From the gate that closes the K side of the Fáni valley, walking about 300 m along the artificial path to Ny, on the eastern side of the valley at an elevation of 254 m above sea level, the cave entrance is about 20 m above the road. It is relatively large, with a natural, curved, horizontally oriented entrance 2.3 m wide and 2.6 m high, set in a rock wall at about 3 m height. Tourist maps mark the cave’s location with a cave symbol and its name.

The cave consists of a single horizontal, tunnel‑like chamber. Its enclosing rock is thick‑bedded Triassic main dolomite. The chamber was formed by freeze‑thaw rock disintegration and corrosion. On its walls and ceiling, beautiful exfoliation forms, spherical concretions, and corrosion holes have developed in several places. A few small-sized agate stones are also visible. The floor is covered thinly with stalactite, humus, ash, and rock debris. Fresh fire‑place remnants, soot marks on the walls, scribbles, and some trash indicate regular use. Mouflon traces are also found in the cave. Although the terrain is difficult (steep), the cave is accessible, and no permission is required to visit the easily walkable cave in ordinary street clothing.

In 1979 the cave was first called the Fáni-völgy 6th chamber in the literature. The cave also appears in the literature under the names Fáni-völgy 6th cave (Egri 2003), Fáni-völgy 6th chamber (Bertalan 1976), Fáni-völgy cave (Kordos 1984) and Fáni-völgy–cave (Kocsis 1975).

Research History

According to the 1962 book *The World of Caves*, there are small caves in the Fáni valley in the Vértes Mountains, situated 10–12 m higher than the stream. One of the groups 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 there in 1968. This group surveyed nine rock cavities in the Fáni valley, some of which were previously known (marked I–IX). According to the 1969 report of the FTSK Cave Exploration Group, János Horváth used the spring‑autumn 1968 cave surveys to produce a map of the nine chambers 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 Cave (Fáni-völgyi 6th chamber) and the Fáni-völgyi ear‑series (Fáni-völgyi 7th chamber, Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber) are located on the same valley side. The entrance of the Fáni-völgyi 6th chamber is 30 m east‑west from the ear‑series, slightly lower, in a largely continuous dolomitic rock wall, 3 m high. The regularly formed, cave‑type chamber is 5.5 m long, 2.6–4 m wide, and its height varies between 1.6–2.2 m. The cave wall is stratified and cracked, with karst water seepage and loosely corroded alterations. Algae, insects and spider‑like organisms occur in the chamber. The map sheet accompanying the publication shows the geographic location of the Fáni-völgyi 6th chamber. On the map the cave is marked with the number 26.

In the manuscript titled *Hungary’s Cave Register* completed in 1976 it reads that the Fáni-völgyi 6th chamber is located in the Vértes Mountains, in Szár. The cave entrance is 310° from the branch of the yellow‑marked tourist trail leading toward Szár, about 750 m away. The cave’s almost semicircular entrance is in the east‑north‑east rocks of the valley. The cave is 5.5 m long, 3.7 m wide and 2.3 m high. The spacious entrance, half‑cut egg‑shaped cave has hemispherical, loosened rock walls. The part of the manuscript describing the cave was written based on one literary work.

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group in 1979, the Fáni-völgy 6. sz. cavity (F6) is listed in the OKTH cave register as cave number 15 among the caves of the Vértes Mountains, under the above name. In the publication written by Antal Kocsis, Fáni-völgy–cave is the cave name and its number is 26. János Horváth presented the cavity in a speleological field report. The cave is located on the Szár side (Fejér county, Bicske district). The cave can be approached by traveling 1.1 km on the industrial road from the road junction at the eastern end of the Fáni-völgy. The cave lies on the eastern side of the valley, at an altitude of 240 m above sea level, about 20 m higher than the valley floor. In a largely continuous rock wall, a cave entrance 2.3 m wide and 2 m high is situated 3 m above the ground. Two small trees grew under the entrance.

The horizontal, dry and spacious rock‑filled cave is composed of thick‑bedded Triassic main dolomite, whose dip is 360°/22°. The rock is broken along brecciated fractures. Its filling, which consists of a few rock fragments and humus, is probably thin. Occasionally water seeps along the fractures. Basically a double fracture, freezing, dissolution and subsequent corrosion formed along the bedding planes. Small corrosion‑origin holes, beautiful arched, vaulted, smoothly rounded half‑forms can be observed in it. Some pea‑stone and pink‑redish wall sections are visible in the cave. On its floor both old and fresh fire marks occur, and on its walls illegible scribble marks can be detected. There is some algal growth in the cave. The locally significant cavity is a pleasant bivouac site for a few people. The cave’s horizontal extent is 5.6 m and its height is 2.3 m. The cave was identified on site, described, surveyed and photographed. It is worth researching because of its morphological phenomena. Members of the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group visited the cavity on 3 February 1979 during cave‑cadastral work.