Gánti-tetői No 2 Cave

The Gánti-tetői 2. chamber is a cave located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in Csákvár.

Description

The cave is situated on the outskirts of Csákvár, on the edge of Gánt. The entrance of the cave is on the steep hillside above Gánt (Gánti-tető) at an altitude of 253 m a.s.l. The easiest approach is from Gánt Béke Square, from where one must cut across one of the gardens below the hill and then head straight up the hill. The cave entrance is about 40 m above the artificial lake, at the foot of a rock wall, and a well‑marked path leads to it. The Gánti-tetői 2. chamber lies 6 m higher than the Gánti-tetői 1. chamber.

The 9 m long cave is today inhabited by a badger, a weasel or a fox, as testified by the strong animal odor inside the cave. The floor of the entrance section is covered with a thick layer of fine dolomite flour and sand, making it only passable by crawling. After the crawl space one can enter a spacious chamber. The cave, which is difficult to reach on steep terrain but can be traversed easily with basic caving equipment, does not require a permit for visitation.

In 1984 the cave was first called Gánti-tetői 2. chamber in the literature. In the literature the cave also appears under the names Gánti-tető 2. cave (Szarka, Szolga 1998), Gánti-tetői 2. chamber (Alba Regia Barlangkutató Csoport 1979) and Görényes-cave (Szarka, Szolga 1998).

Research history

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Barlangkutató Csoport in 1979, the Gánti-tetői 2. chamber (G6) had not previously been mentioned in the literature, but it has long been known to the residents of Gánt. According to the locals, the cave was once much longer, but no one dared to go through it. The cave is located on the edge of Gánt (Fejér County). On the ÉNy side of Gánti-tető above Gánt, about 150 m from the Gánt temple, at approximately 240 m a.s.l., lies the entrance of the more developed, similarly characteristic Gánti-tetői 2. chamber, 6 m higher than the Gánti-tetői 1. chamber. It is recognizable due to its fine, sand‑like filling. It can be reached by climbing the steep hillside above house number 8 on Gánt Béke Square. Imre Gönczöl can show the chamber.

After the entrance, under the low vault, a short, slightly wider corridor follows, squeezed through. Again one must pass through a low gate, after which there is a small chamber. Several narrow water passages connect to the chamber from various directions. The interest of the chamber is that its floor, ceiling and, in some places, its sides consist of rather unstable sand. The dolomite wall, the dolomite ceiling are visible only in places. This fine, sand-like filling is most likely the product of dolomite dissolution transformed by flowing acidic waters (dolomite flour). The cave is currently about 9 m long. It is possible that sand falling from the chamber’s ceiling has blocked the further passage mentioned by the Gánti, which would be worth investigating. Precise identification of the interesting filling and clarification of its formation mode are also advisable, because the possibility that the area was once affected by hydrothermal action cannot be excluded.

The manuscript includes the floor plan map, longitudinal section map and cross‑section map of the Gánti‑tetői No 2 cavity. The maps depict 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 shows the location of the cross‑section within the cave. The cave was surveyed by Imre Gönczöl and Károly Kökény on 17 February 1979 for the preparation of the maps. The maps were drawn by Ferenc Zentai. The manuscript also shows a map of the western part of Csákvár (approximately 1:25 000 scale). The east direction is marked on the map. The map shows the geographical location of the Gánti‑tetői No 2 cavity (on the map: G6). The manuscript contains four photographs illustrating the cave. The first photograph shows the view of Gánti‑tető. The photograph marks the location of the Gánti‑tetői No 2 cavity. The second photograph shows the forecourt of the cave entrance, the third photograph shows the cave entrance itself, and the fourth photograph captures the end of the cave. The photographs were taken by Imre Gönczöl.

In the national cave list of the book *Caves of Hungary* published in 1984, the cave is listed among the caves of the Vértes Mountains as the Gánti-tetői 2. chamber. Related to the list, the geographical location of the cave is shown on a 1:500 000 scale map presenting the geographical positions of the caves of the Dunazug Mountains. In the book written by Béni Kornél and Viszló Levente, which appeared in 1996, it is mentioned that near the border of Gánt, on the Gánti-tető rising above Gánt, there are two cavity‑system remnants, which were most certainly created by flowing waters. The longer cavity is 9 m. A sand‑like filling forms their floor. Some assume that the passages are somehow connected with the prehistoric cave remnants located on the side of the relatively nearby Gém Hill.

The yearbook of the Alba Regia Cave Research Group for 1998 mentions that in 1998 the group's younger researchers also discovered the cavity recorded in the 1979 cadastral register as the Gánti-tető 2. cave. In 1998 the youths widened the crawling entrance part of the cavity, then removed about 4 m³ of light, homogeneous dolomite flour from the inner cavity. The cave was named Görényes Cave because of the presence of a salamander family residing in it. The group report includes a colour photograph showing the excavation work carried out in the cave. The photograph was taken by Romhányi Balázs.