Fáni-völgyi No 7 Cave

The Fáni-völgy 7th chamber is located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, one of the caves in Szár. The Fáni-völgy 7th chamber and the Fáni-völgy 8th chamber together form the Fáni-völgy ear series.

Description

In the outer area of Szár, in the specially protected area of the Vértesi Natural Park, the Fáni-völgy 7th chamber is situated in a forest. From the gate that closes the K side of the Fáni-völgy, walking about 350 m eastward along the artificial path, and about 1050 m from the road junction at the eastern end of the valley, the cave is on the north‑east side of the rock slab that runs perpendicular to the valley. In the slab, directly side by side, three chambers (the Fáni-völgy 7th chamber and the two chambers that make up the Fáni-völgy 8th chamber) open, also known as the Fáni-völgy ear series. The northernmost of these is the Fáni-völgy 7th chamber, which is an independent chamber. The entrance to the cave opens from a ledge on the side of the rock slab, at an altitude of 263 m above sea level, and about 30 m relative height above the road. Tourist maps mark the cave’s location with a cave symbol and its name.

The cave was formed in Triassic dolomite due to freeze‑thaw rock disintegration. On the left side of the irregularly shaped horizontal rock niche there is a crack‑like, narrowing side fissure. Its floor is scree, covered with thin stone fragments and ash. The walls are brecciated, with many broken, collapsed surfaces, and in places the walls are covered by a large amount of chert. The number 25 is painted on the wall in the chamber. Mouflon tracks can be seen in the cave. The cave, located on difficult (steep) terrain, can be approached, but for an easy, street‑clothing visit no permission is required.

In 1984 the cave was first called Fáni-völgyi 7. sz. üreg in the literature. The cave appears in the literature under the names Fáni-völgyi 7.sz. barlang (Egri 2003), Fáni-völgyi 7.sz. üreg (Bertalan 1976), Fáni-völgyi-fülkesor (Alba Regia Barlangkutató Csoport 1979), Fáni-völgyi–fülkesor (Kocsis 1975), Fáni völgyi fülkesor 3. tagja (Kordos 1984) and Vértes 25.sz. barlang (Kordos 1979).

Research history

According to the book published in 1962, The World of Caves, in the Vértes Mountains there are small caves in the Fáni Valley, 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 in 1968 and carried out a three‑phase survey of the caves in the mountains. This group surveyed nine rock cavities in the Fáni Valley, partially previously known (designated I–IX). Using the survey, the group prepared in that year the floor‑plan map of Fáni-völgyi 9. sz. üreg. The map depicts the cave at a scale of 1:100. On the map sheet the east direction is marked for use of the floor‑plan map. (The floor‑plan map also shows the floor‑plan map of Fáni-völgyi 7. sz. üreg.) According to the 1969 report of the FTSK Cave Exploration Group, János Horváth, using the spring‑autumn cave surveys of 1968, prepared in 1969 the map of the 9 cavities of Fáni Valley (Vértes Mountains). The caves are presented on the maps at a scale of 1:100.

In the publication written by Antal Kocsis and published in 1975 it is written that in the Fáni Valley, 950 m from the branch of the industrial access road, on the ENE side of the valley, 30 m higher than the access road, perpendicular to the access road, extending forward, about 10 m high, in a layered dolomite wall lies the Fáni‑völgyi–cave series. The cave series consisting of three chambers is 12 m wide. The third, inner chamber (Fáni‑völgyi No 7 chamber) is somewhat larger (4 m wide, 2 m high and 2.5 m deep) than the other two chambers. The walls of all three chambers consist of brecciated rock coloured by metal oxides. The fill is rock rubble in which animal bone fragments lie. On a few points of the wall there are small limestone nodules resembling karst and settlements of higher‑order plants. The cave series of the dolomite cliffs containing eight caves in the Fáni Valley is a unique formation in the Vértes Mountains, but also considered rare in other mountain ranges. The Fáni‑völgyi No 6 chamber and the cave series in the Fáni Valley are located on the same valley side. The entrance of the Fáni‑völgyi No 6 chamber is slightly lower, 30 m downstream from the cave series. The map inset in the publication shows the geographical location of the cave series. On the map the cave is marked with the number 25.

In the manuscript titled *Hungary’s Cave Register* completed in 1976 it is written that in the Vértes Mountains, at Szár, lies the Fáni‑völgyi No 7 chamber, also known as the Fáni‑völgyi–cave series (part 3). From the branch of the industrial access road it is 950 m downstream, on the east side of the valley, at a relative height of 10 m, the cave is located. To the left of the Fáni‑völgyi No 7 chamber (standing opposite the rock wall) is the Fáni‑völgyi No 8 chamber. The Fáni‑völgyi No 7 chamber is 3 m long, 4 m wide and 2 m high. On its walls small limestone nodules resembling karst have formed. There is a hemispherical, 1.5 m side‑bulb. The part of the manuscript describing the cave was written based on two literary works.

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group in 1979, the name Fáni-völgyi-fülkesor originates from Antal Kocsis, who jointly described the Fáni-völgyi 8th cavity and the Fáni-völgyi 7th cavity. According to him, the two cavities together constitute cave number 25 (Fáni-völgyi-fülkesor). The group considered that the Fáni-völgyi 7th cavity forms a close unit both developmentally and morphologically with the Fáni-völgyi 8th cavity located to its left, and therefore it is appropriate to discuss them together. The Fáni-völgyi 7th cavity (F7) is listed in the OKTH cave register, where among the caves of the Vértes Mountains it is the 16th cave, described under the above name, with the addition that this cavity is part of the Fáni-völgyi-fülkesor (its 3rd member). János Horváth presented the Fáni-völgyi 7th cavity in a speleological field report, probably together with the Fáni-völgyi 8th cavity.