Kő-lik-völgyi No 3 Cave

The Kő-lik-völgy 3rd cave is a cave located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in Csákvár.

Description

The cave is situated in the outskirts of Csákvár, in a specially protected area, in a forest. It is located about 30 m east of the Kő-lik-völgy 1st cave, at the foot of the eastern ridge of the Kő-lik-völgy, east of the centre of Csákvár. The entrance of the Kő-lik-völgy 3rd cave is next to the Kő-lik-völgy 1st cave, continuing along a horizontally running path, opening on the right side of the open, rocky ridge above, in a very overgrown, bushy terrain. Its wide, low entrance can be seen only from very close range during leafy periods. The cave entrance is 6.3 m wide, 1.3 m high, natural, curved and oriented along the horizontal axis.

The cave consists of a single wide, flat, low rock chamber. The filling rock, similar to that of the Kő-lik-völgy 1st and 2nd caves, is a Triassic dolomite conglomerate that lies in a thin layer above the cave ceiling. The chamber was formed by frost-induced rock disintegration. On the right-hand wall an untouched but ancient stalactite crust is visible, and there are also some flowstones in the chamber. Many greenish algae have colonised the walls. The fill consists of rock debris, dust and ash. The occasional use of the cave is indicated by two stone slabs lying inside, perhaps used as benches during rainfalls. The easily reachable and easily walkable cave can be visited without a permit or basic caving equipment.

In 1979 the cave was first named Kő-lik-völgy 3rd cave in the literature. It also appears in the literature as Kőlik-völgy 3rd cave (Kordos 1984).

Research history

According to a manuscript prepared in 1979 by the Alba Regia Cave Research Group, the Kő-lik-völgy 3rd cave (K3) had not been mentioned in the literature before. The cave is located on the edge of Csákvár (Fejér County, Bicske district). The entrance is at a bearing of 286° from the two‑towered church of Csákvár, about 1500 m away, at an altitude of 225 m above sea level. Behind the Kő-lik-völgy 1st and 2nd caves, about 25 m from them, it opens in a small, bushy valley head, difficult to notice because of its cover. Its 7.5 m wide and 1 m high entrance lies under a thin ceiling rock, extending in a fissure‑like manner. The cave is a low rock chamber with a horizontal floor. The filling rock is dolomite conglomerate. The fill consists of some conglomerate mud, dolomite powder and a little humus. Along its cracks intensive water dripping and seepage occur during snow melt, and icicles also form. The Kő-lik-völgy 3rd cave, like the Kő-lik-völgy 1st and 2nd caves, was formed by mud accumulation.

In the inner part of its middle and right side a small niche has formed, where senile stalactite poisoning is found. The stalactite poisoning is covered by a wet algae flow. There are many pea stones in it, which are cauliflower‑like. The cavity sections covered with eresszel appear thinly filled, but the front can probably be excavated. Fresh fire marks occur in the cave. Its vegetation consists of algal mats, lichens, mosses, grasses and nearby fern fronds. Finding it: the Kő-lik-völgyi 1st cavity must be approached from the right, climbing up to the area above cavity No 1, from where the bushy, tree‑like pit‑resembling cave is already visible. Ferenc Szolga can show the pleasant, protected bivouac site. The locally significant cavity has a horizontal extent of 7.5 m, and in the entrance section its highest (1.5 m) and widest part extends 3 m under the rock ledge. Members of the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group visited the cave on 11 February 1979. It is not worthwhile to continue exploring the cavity, which has been entered, surveyed and photographed.

The manuscript includes the cave plan map and two cross‑section maps. The maps depict the cave at a scale of 1:100. The plan map shows the east direction marked on the map sheet. The location of the two cross‑sections in the cave can be observed on the plan map. The cave was surveyed for the maps by Ferenc Szolga, Imréné Gönczöl, Ferenc Zentai and Tibor Widermann on 11 February 1979. The maps were drawn by Ferenc Szolga on 23 February 1979.

The manuscript shows a map of the western part of Csákvár (approx. 1:25,000 scale). The map marks the east direction. The map shows the geographical location of the Kő-lik-völgyi 3rd chamber (on the map: K3). The manuscript contains four photographs that illustrate the cave. The first photograph shows the view of Kő-lik-völgy. The photograph was taken at the southern end of the Csákvár cemetery. The photograph marks the location of the Kő-lik-völgyi 3rd chamber. The second photograph shows the left side of the cave and the icicles there, the third photograph shows the algal flow on the right side of the cave. The fourth photograph captures the middle part of the chamber. The photographs were taken by Ferenc Zentai.

In the national cave list of the book *Magyarország barlangjai* published in 1984, the cave appears among the caves of the Vértes Mountains under the name Kőlik-völgyi 3rd cave. Related to the list, the geographical location of the cave is shown on a 1:500,000 scale map presenting the geographical location of the caves of the Dunazug Mountains. In the book written by Kornél Béni and Levente Viszló, published in 1996, it is mentioned that there are 11 caves in the Kő-lik-völgy in Csákvár. Near Kő-lik, many other chambers are located relatively close to each other. These chambers formed in dolomite conglomerate and dolomite breccia. The Balogh-völgyi 1st cavity and the Balogh-völgyi 2nd cavity are in every respect similar to the caves of Kő-lik-völgy. Because many caves can be observed in Fáni-völgy, Fáni-völgy is similar to Kő-lik-völgy. The building rock is the same dolomite breccia. In the formation of the caves in Fáni-völgy, frost wedging also played the main role.