Gombás Cave

Gombás Cave is one of the caves located in Pilisszentkereszt in the Pilis Mountains of the Danube–Ipoly National Park.

Description

Gombás Cave is situated in the outskirts of Pilisszentkereszt, in a specially protected area. The 62‑metre‑long cave is located on the K side of the valley that starts from the upper branch of the Vaskapu Valley and runs toward Ny. From the trail that runs along the valley floor upward from the branch, one must climb into the rocky left‑hand side of the valley, then pass by a rock ledge about 4–6 metres high to reach the cave entrance. The entrance can also be easily recognized by the small debris pile in front of it, into which a lot of leaves and broken rock have been deposited.

In the gently sloping side passage of the steeply inclined cave many formations are found. Stalactites, straw stalactites, heliktites, pea stones and montmilch can also be observed there. Access to the cave, which is suitable for further research, easily reachable and viewable without a permit, requires the use of basic caving equipment.

In 1984 the cave was first called Gombás Cave in the literature.

Research History

In the book *Pilis Guidebook* published in 1967 it is mentioned that around the Szoplák Valley Cave area, in the Vaskapu Valley, many small cavities hide among the bushes. In the *Pilis Guidebook* published in 1974, in the list of caves of the Pilis Mountains and the Visegrád Mountains (pages 19–20), it is mentioned that there are Vaskapu Valley caves among the caves of the Pilis and Visegrád Mountains. According to the section describing the caves of the Pilis Mountains, a tourist trail marked with a blue square turns into the Vaskapu Valley next to a forest hut, and after about half a kilometre, in the rocky hillside that runs alongside the trail, a whole series of cavities and small caves can be found. These are the Vaskapu Valley caves (rock chambers, rock pits), among which the Pilis Cave stands out with its size, dripstones and interesting shapes.

In the 1984 report of the Esztergom Karst and Cave Exploration Group it is stated that the group members were on a field survey in the Vaskapu valley in December 1984. At that time they noticed the steaming of an opening. They managed to reach the cave after the lodged stone blocks were removed. The cave is a tectonic fissure, which is very similar to the descending part of the Pilis cave. In this fissure passage they progressed about 30–35 m, then a narrow section prevented further advance. Overcoming the narrow section is very difficult because it is situated at a right angle. This endpoint is 5 m lower than the cave entrance. They tried to make the constriction passable by lowering the level of the fill. The workplace is narrow and sloping, therefore the work progressed very slowly.

The endpoint opening remained encouragingly drafty and very echoing. Stones thrown into the hole bounce at least four times (bluntly on the clay fill and not between the walls). On the next occasion they tried to reduce the difficulties of material removal (e.g., by making the steep entrance section safer, by removing collapsed stones). They slightly reduced the height and enlarged the area to be cleared at the endpoint. By then, in 1984, they had reached the exploration of Gombás Cave. The work was slowed by the winter timing of the discovery and the cold weather. The cave lies on the right valley side of the Vaskapu valley, about 220 m from Ny, measured from the summit of Vaskapu Hill (646 m). Attached to the manuscript are the draft plan map of Gombás Cave and a site sketch showing the cave’s geographical location. The site sketch marks the eastward direction.

The group report was published in the 1984 MKBT Report, but without the map sketch and the site plan sketch. In the guidebook published in 1991, the part from the 1974 guidebook that describes the Vaskapu Valley caves is repeated, with the difference that the red-marked tourist trail turns into the Vaskapu Valley beside the forest hut. The 1996 cave day tour guide mentions that among the Vaskapu Valley caves, stone chambers and rock pits, the Pilis Cave stands out both in size, interesting shapes, and dripstones.

In May 1997 József Regős surveyed the cave, and then in May 1997 Sándor Kraus prepared, using the survey, the floor plan map of Gombás Cave (cave cadastral area 4840) and a 4‑cross‑section map. The floor plan map shows the location of the 4 cross‑sections in the cave. The maps present the cave at a scale of 1:50. The map sheet marks the east direction. In May 1997 Sándor Kraus drew a site plan that depicts the geographic location of the voids in the area of Pilis Cave. The drawing shows the geographic location of the cave marked with the name Gombás. In Sándor Kraus’s 1997 report it is readable that a map of the significant Gombás Cave, known before 1997, existed, but a new map of the cave was produced in 1997. The report includes the site plan made in 1997.

In September 2000 Kiss M., Krizsán T., Papp R. and Tisza L. prepared the extended length‑section map of Gombás Cave. (The map was edited by Kiss M.) The map presents the cave at a scale of 1:100. In 2001 the cave plan map and six cross‑section maps were prepared. The plan map sheet marks the east direction. On the plan map, which presents the cave at a scale of 1:100, the locations of the six cross‑sections in the cave can be observed. The 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th cross‑section maps present the cave at a scale of 1:50, while the 2nd cross‑section map presents the cave at a scale of 1:25.