Kő Hole

The Kő-lik are a cave located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in Csákvár. Its huge, 10 m high entrance is easily noticeable from a distance, and clearly visible from many points within the settlement’s inner area. The valley that houses the cave therefore received its name from the Kő-lik (Kő-lik Valley).

Description

The cave is situated in the outskirts of Csákvár, in a specially protected area. From the centre of Csákvár to the north, the cave’s 10 m high, impressive entrance is in the vertical limestone wall on the eastern side of the Kő-lik Valley. The cave entrance is easily noticeable from a distance. The valley received its name because of the Kő-lik. It is the largest cave in the valley. The cave entrance is 1.8 m wide, 10 m high, natural, fissure-shaped and oriented along an upward axis. The 6th chamber of the Kő-lik Valley lies north of the Kő-lik, about 10 m away. The entrance of the 8th chamber of the Kő-lik Valley is at the top of a small side valley that starts opposite the Kő-lik. Opposite the Kő-lik, slightly higher in the valley, is the entrance of the 9th chamber of the Kő-lik Valley.

The simplest approach is via the educational trail that runs through the Kő-lik Valley and leads to the cave entrance. According to old descriptions, a well‑marked path once led up the steep hillside to the entrance, but it has completely disappeared today. This is due to the massive collapse that occurred in the 2002–2003 winter, which took place in the rock wall extending from the cave to the east and completely altered the area. Currently the cave can be reached only among moving debris and huge fallen stone blocks, but because of the constant danger of collapse the route is somewhat hazardous. A sign forbids leaving the trail. Despite the collapse, the chamber has not been damaged.

In the Triassic dolomite breccia a fissure cave formed by dissolution and then freeze‑thaw rock disintegration rises sharply from the entrance; thanks to this and the almost horizontal ceiling the vertical shaft of the cave gradually lowers, but its average (1.5 m) width does not change significantly. Many stalactites can be observed in the cave, and algae have settled in several places on the walls. There is no filling in the cave because of the steep slope. At the very end of the fissure a narrow opening leads into a small niche that forms the end of the cave. Because the thickness of the rock above the cave is very small, periodic drips appear in the cavity during rainfalls. It can be entered without permission and without basic cave‑tour equipment, but a lamp is required to view the niche and the rearmost part of the cave.

In 1979 the cave was first called Kő‑lik in the literature. The cave appears in the literature under the names Csákvári‑hasadék (Horváth 1966), Csákvári hasadék (Horváth 1966), Kőlik (Horváth 1966), Kőlik‑völgyi 5. sz. barlang (Kordos 1984), Kő‑lik‑völgyi 5. sz. üreg (Alba Regia Barlangkutató Csoport 1979), Kő‑lik‑völgyi 5.sz. üreg (Juhász 2007), Kő‑lik‑völgyi‑hasadékbarlang (Juhász 2007), Kő‑lik‑völgyi–hasadékbarlang (Kocsis 1975), Kőlik‑völgyi‑hasadékbarlang (Kordos 1984) and Kő‑lik völgyi hasadékbarlang (Bertalan 1976).

Research history

The Supplement No. 230 of the 1943 issue of *Természettudományi Közlöny* states that based on the 1935 Act IV on nature protection, since the establishment of the National Nature Conservation Council in 1939, the Minister of Agriculture, in agreement with the Minister of Religion and Public Education, has issued decisions that, on the proposal of the National Nature Conservation Council, placed under legal protection, for example, the Csákvári fissure (Kőlik) at the border of Csákvár (Vértes Mountains) and its surface area of 8 square roods (according to the FM decision No. 49 952/1941 dated 20 June 1941).

In a manuscript written by János Horváth (FTC caving research group) on May 17, 1966, it is mentioned that in the Vértes Mountains, at Csákvár (Fejér County, Bicske district), in the Kőlik Valley, the Csákvár fissure (Kőlik) is located. From the Csákvár church to Ny, 2.2 km, from the large cemetery to Ny, 500 m, at an altitude of 250 m above sea level (the latter data comes from Ottó Kadić) the cave lies (measured based on the map). The cavity is in a rocky wall on the eastern side of the middle of the Kőlik Valley. It can be reached by train or bus to Csákvár, then on foot along the cemetery, Kőlik Valley route. The cave was previously explored (c. 1926–1928) by Ottó Kadić, then by Miklós Kretzoi (1952). (The used literature is cave cadastral sheet No. 79 in the Hungarian Speleological Society. This manuscript does not exist in original, only copied by Károly Bertalan.) The research conducted by János Horváth in the cave was carried out for the survey of the cave and the preparation of the cave map. The research was initiated by Károly Bertalan.

The cave is a senile rock fissure whose enclosing rock is Triassic dolomite. Its infill consists of some clay. There is no stalactite. In the cave formed by tectonics, corrosion and erosion there is a fissure and a niche. The insignificant cave is 18 m long. The 11 m long cave has an average width of 1 m. The greatest vertical extent measured from the entrance is 15 m. It has an area of 13.5 m² (planimetric) and a volume of 66 m³. No work clothing is required to enter the rock fissure. János Horváth visited the cavity on 4 April 1966. He determined at what altitude the cave is located (based on the map), surveyed the cave, and then drew the cave maps. (The red entries in the manuscript are from Károly Bertalan, 11 March 1966.) It is located on the southern edge of Csákvár, descending from the steeply rising Haraszt hill, where a few gorge‑like valleys slope toward the settlement. The Kő‑lik valley, whose eastern side contains the caves, is reachable via the Gánt road and then on the footpath leading east‑north toward the cemetery.