Indikációs Cave

The Indikációs Cave is a part of the Ariadne cave system, a cave. It is located in the Pilis Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, on the Csévi ridges. It was one of Hungary's specially protected caves. It was the third longest cave in the Pilis Mountains after the Ajándék Cave and the Ariadne cave system.

Description

It is situated in a forest in the outskirts of Pilisszentlélek, in a protected area, on the rocky southern side of the Pilis mountain at the Csévi ridges, at an altitude of 501 m above sea level, with a small, fox‑like and closed entrance. About 100 m east‑north‑east of the Leány Cave entrance, at a higher level, it opens.

The cave is notable for its narrow passages and clay fissures. It formed along a stratigraphic break in Triassic Dachstein limestone and by dissolution below the karst water level. Air‑pressure signal testing determined that the Indikációs Cave is the shortest (currently unknown) accessible entrance to the Ajándék Cave. Its length is 1050 m and its depth is 52.7 m. Permission and cave‑guiding practice are required for entry.

In 1998 the cave was first called Indikációs Cave in the literature. It also appears in the literature as Csévi‑ridge cave indication (Kárpát 1990).

Research History

In 1990 József Kárpát prepared an overview map of the Legény Cave area (Csévi ridges). The map shows the geographical location of the entrance of the Indikációs Cave (marked as Indikáció on the map). In the manuscript written by József Kárpát in 1990 it is stated that the entrance of the Csévi‑ridge cave indication (Pilisszentlélek) is 20 m east‑north‑east of the Csévi‑ridge Huzatos Cave, about 2 m higher, at the base of a rock wall. Through a flat opening about 50 × 15 cm in size that starts horizontally, one can see into a passage about 3 m long and walkable. It seems worthwhile to explore the cave by removing the humus‑filled narrowing at the entrance. An outward‑moving air current can be detected from the cavity. The cave had not been described before. In May 1990 it was discovered by staff of the Cave Center during surveying. The description included the overview map of the Legény Cave area (Csévi ridges) made in 1990. In a manuscript written by József Kárpát in 1991 it is mentioned that the Csévi‑ridge cave indication is located at Piliscsév.

According to the 1998 report of the Ariadne Karst and Cave Exploration Association, the association opened the Indikációs Cave in 1998 with a 500 m passage. In that year the cave was partially surveyed. Thanks also to luck, in the Indikációs Cave, which opens 30 m above the level of the Leány–Legény cave system and is 6 m long, a 550 m long and 50 m deep section was discovered with little work. The cave contains 10 m fissures and stalactite walls, canyon passages formed by seeping waters, and many limestone slabs. The entrance of the Hóvirág Cave, probably connected with the Indikációs Cave, is located about 6 m lower than the entrance of the Indikációs Cave.

The manuscript reveals that the Indikációs Cave, located east‑northeast of the Leány Cave and 6 m long, has been known for a long time. The association observed that a draft flows out of the cave. For the exploration of the cave, in 1998 the Acheron Cave Exploration Department led by József Kárpát received permission. The map of the Csévi ridges and the surrounding area is shown in Figure 1. The map marks the geographical location of the Indikációs Cave. In September 1998 the Ariadne Karst and Cave Exploration Association examined the cave in detail and thought that at the still unopened passage end, moderate work in the direction of the draft could yield results. The association members discussed the tasks with József Kárpát and, with his permission, the members began work. Thanks to luck, on the first workday, 19 September 1998, they succeeded in opening the continuation passage, thus the way was cleared. First they had to squeeze through a sloping narrow, then they reached a chamber 3 m in diameter. The draft flows up from the floor of the chamber through the debris. By breaking this, they discovered a downward‑going narrow passage.

On 26 September 1998, after passing through a hole that opened in the rubble, a roughly 200 m passage was found, containing four shafts 10 m deep, which are very choked in some places. They tried to climb out a few ropes, but without success. On 4 October 1998 they examined the upper parts, at which time they found a 40 m passage, and on the 10th another 30 m. In the lower level they broke through the bottom of the 4th shaft, thereby discovering a 200 m passage containing fissures and canyon‑like passages. The known cave was extended on 11 October 1998 by 60 m of passage. Despite the windy endpoint, the further excavation was considered more difficult than the previous ones, so in 1998 they began to map the cave. The cave’s length, partly estimated and partly measured, is 600 m, its depth more than 50 m.

The Cave of the Hint (Cave of the Hint) is located in the Csévi cliffs, on the east side of the Great‑Kuloár east of the Little Cave, at the foot of a rock wall, about 30 m above the entrance of the Little Cave. Its host rock is Upper Triassic Dachstein limestone, whose beds dip eastward at about 30–40°. Most of the passages were formed along a K–Ny‑oriented fault fissure, which accounts for the many steep shaft pits. The upper part is characterized by a stalactitic dripstone formation, with extensive calcite sheet deposits in some places. Based on one calcite sheet deposit, the breaking through of the chamber above the first constriction is expected to open upper‑level passages. It is interesting that in the lower level there are cold‑water dripstone formations, and canyon‑like passages that widen downward, known from the “sump” areas, which after merging form a canyon‑type passage. The endpoint was formed at the end of such a canyon‑type passage, and a draft comes from there.