Lábasbükki Cave

Lábasbükki Passage Cave is located in the Vértes Mountains within the Danube–Ipoly National Park, one of the caves in Gánt.

Description

The cave is situated in the outskirts of Gánt, in a forest, in a specially protected area. Following the artificial passage from Vérteskozmát to the Fáni Valley, about 1600 m from the gate, about 100 m before the abandoned stone quarry, on the DNy valley side at 286 m above sea level, and about 30 m relative height from the road, is the entrance of Lábasbükki Passage Cave. Its entrance opens at the bottom of a small rock cleft, in front of which lies a large stone block. On tourist maps the cave’s location is marked with a cave symbol and its name. The cave entrance is 0.8 m wide, 2.5 m high, natural, fissure-shaped and oriented horizontally.

The cave formed in Triassic dolomite due to freeze‑thaw rock disintegration. After the narrow, high entrance one must descend on knees, but in the interior of the cave one can stand again. Here, in the interior, some chert covers the walls. The filling consists of sand, humus. The green discoloration of the walls indicates extensive algal growth, and moss is also visible near the entrance. The cave, reachable on difficult (steep) terrain, can be visited easily without a permit, even in street clothing. Opposite the cave entrance, about 10 m away, under another rock cleft, after removal of the filling, there is a likely cave‑sized, multi‑entrance rock shelter.

In 1979 the cave was first called Lábasbükki Passage Cave in the literature. The cave also appears in the literature under the names Lábasbükki Cave (Kordos 1979), Lábas‑bükki‑passage cave (Kordos 1984), Lábasbükki fissure cave (Béni, Viszló 1996) and Lábas‑bükki‑fissure cave (Kocsis 1975).

Research History

In the publication written by Antal Kocsis and released in 1975 it is mentioned that the Lábas‑bükki‑fissure cave is located on a steep, eroded DNy side of the valley, 1700 m along the (industrial) artificial passage branching off before Vérteskozmát and leading to the Fáni Valley, in a 3 m high rock wall. It is situated about 100 m from the abandoned stone quarry. In front of the cave entrance lies a large rock block that fell from the wall above the entrance. The cave is 3 m long, its width at the front part is 0.5–0.8 m, and its external height is 2.4 m. Its rock is dolomite. The direction of the cave coincides with that of the main fissure. Mosses are observed beside the entrance, and deeper inside there are lichen and algal colonies. Various arthropods occur in the interior cavity. On the map sheet accompanying the publication the geographical location of Lábasbükki Passage Cave can be seen. On the map the cave is marked with the number 21.

According to the manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Speleological Group in 1979, the cave known as Lábasbükki-hasadékbarlang (L1) is called Lába-bükki-hasadékbarlang in the publication by Antal Kocsis and has the number 21. The cave is located on the edge of Gánt (Fejér County, Móri district). From the access road to Vérteskozma, along the industrial road leading to the Fáni valley, one must walk 1700 m, then about 100 m before the abandoned stone quarry, at an altitude of 290 m above sea level, the cavity is found. Its entrance is on the valley side of the DNy, at the base of a small rock wall, about 20 m above the road. Directly in front of the entrance lies a rock block. Ferenc Szolga can show the cavity that is walkable without equipment. The entrance is 2.5 m high, 1 m wide, and has a pointed top.

The horizontal-floored, dry, fissure-like small rock cavity is filled with a brecciated Triassic dolomite rock. Its filling consists of some rock rubble and mud. The cavity was formed along a rock fissure due to rock fragmentation. After passing the entrance one can only proceed while crouching, then at the end of the cave one can straighten up again. On the wall fragments above the floor of the passage in the rear part, a few well-developed, senescent borsuk stones are visible. On the surface of the 10–15 cm thick filling the group members observed ash, charcoal, traces of burning and several small bones. A sample was taken from the bones and sent to László Kordos on 19 February 1979. The walls are covered with lichens, many algae and a dense moss carpet. The locally significant cave may be suitable for bivouac. The cavity is 3 m long, 1.9 m wide and 2.5 m high. At the entrance it is the highest. On 18 February 1979 the group completed the exploration, photography and survey of the cave.

The manuscript includes the cave plan map and 3 cross‑section maps. The maps depict the cave at a scale of 1:100. The plan map indicates the east direction on the map sheet. The location of the 3 cross‑sections in the cave can be seen on the plan map. The cave was surveyed by Szolga Ferenc, Gönczöl Imréné, Kökény Károly and Zentai Ferenc on 18 February 1979 for the preparation of the maps. Using the survey, Szolga Ferenc drew the maps on 23 February 1979. The manuscript shows the Fáni Valley map (approximately 1:10 000 scale). The east direction is marked on the map. The geographical position of the Lábasbükki‑hasadék cave (on the map: L1) can be observed on the map. The manuscript contains 3 photographs illustrating the cave. The first photograph shows the rock group hiding the cave, the second photograph shows the cave entrance (both photographs were taken from the outside). The third photograph shows the cave entrance (the photograph was taken from inside the cave). The photographs were made by Zentai Ferenc.

In the 1979 MKBT Report, which came to light in a compilation written by Kordos László, it is recorded that in 1979 the Alba Regia Cave Research Group collected Anura indet. (frog) and Spalax sp. (mole) bones from the Lábasbükki cave, but bone fragments and charcoal also appeared (MÁFI Gy. vol.: 1979/14). The finds are from the early Holocene.