Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi Cavity

The Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd chamber is a cave located in the Vértes Mountains of the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in Gánt.

Description

The cave is situated in the forest area of Gánt. It can be reached from Véreskó by the road leading to the Fáni Valley (on the left side of the road) starting at the Hirczy memorial, which requires about 1300 m of walking. On the northern side of the Sárkány-lyuk-völgy, from the Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi passage to the east, 60 m away, about 10 m higher, directly under the ridge, at an altitude of 315 m above sea level, is the entrance to the Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd chamber. The cave entrance is on a small rock mound, on a densely overgrown thicket with prickly shrubs and nettles. The entrance is 0.7 m wide, 0.3 m high, natural and triangular in shape.

The cave formed in Triassic dolomite due to freeze‑thaw rock disintegration. The small, flat, insignificant fox‑hole‑shaped cavity that barely reaches the size of a cave has no formations. It is filled with some rock debris, dust, soil, in which there are traces of animal scratching. Most likely a small mammal lives in it. The difficult (steep) terrain can be approached, but a permit is not required to visit the easily walkable cave in street clothing.

In 2003 the cave was first called Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd chamber in the literature. The cave also appears in the literature under the names Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd passage (Kordos 1984), Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd chamber (Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group 1979), Sárkánylyuk-völgyi chamber (Egri 2003) and Sárkánylyuk-völgyi chamber (Béni, Viszló 1996).

Research history

According to a manuscript prepared by the Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group in 1979, the Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd chamber (S2) had not been mentioned in the literature until then. The group discovered it while searching for the Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi passage. The Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2nd chamber is located in Gánt (Fejér County, Móri district). It lies east of the Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi passage, about 50 m higher, at an altitude of about 310 m above sea level. Its entrance is directly on the valley slope, at the foot of a small rock mound. On top of the rock mound there is a large harp‑shaped stalactite. Ferenc Szolga can show the cavity, which is only accessible by crawling.

The horizontal, fox‑like cavity‑filling rock is Triassic thick‑bedded dolomite, whose bedding is 345°/25°. At the entrance there is some water dripping and icicles. Its filling consists of rock‑debris and organic‑matter dust. The cavity was formed along a bedding plane and a sloping fissure, due to freezing and thawing. The entrance narrows after a small rock ledge, then widens slightly to the side, and from its end continues as a hole of impassable size. In the about 0.3 m thick filling, animals have dug pits. An animal lives in the cave, at whose entrance grasses and drooping swallow‑grass grow. The cave, of only cadastral significance, is 2 m long, 1.6 m wide and 0.8 m high. At the entrance it is the highest. On 18 February 1979 the group completed the cave survey and description.

The manuscript contains the cave plan map, longitudinal section map and three cross‑section maps, as well as the entrance drawing. The maps and the drawing depict the cave at a scale of 1:100. On the map sheet the east direction is indicated for use of the plan map. The location of the three cross‑sections in the cave can be seen on the plan map. The cave was measured by Szolga Ferenc and Gönczöl Imréné on 18 February 1979. Using the survey, Szolga Ferenc drew the maps on 23 February 1979. The manuscript shows the map of Fáni Valley (approximately 1:10 000 scale). The east direction is indicated on the map. The geographical position of cavity No. 2 of the Dragon‑Hole‑Valley (on the map: S2) can be observed on the map. The manuscript includes a photograph illustrating the cave’s geographical location. The photograph was taken by Zentai Ferenc.

In the national cave list of the book *Magyarország barlangjai* published in 1984, the cave is listed among the caves of the Vértes Mountains as the cave Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2. sz. odú. 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 Béni Kornél and Viszló Levente, which appeared in 1996, it is mentioned that the small caves of similar development in the Fáni Valley area are the Sárkánylyuk-völgyi cavity, the Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi-odú and the Lábasbükki-hasadékbarlang.

According to the registration sheet prepared on 17 May 2003 based on a BTI cadastral survey, the cavity Sárkány-lyuk-völgyi 2. sz. üreg (Sárkánylyuk-völgyi-üreg) with cadastral number 4522-22 is located in Gánt (Fejér County) in the Vértes Mountains. The coordinates of the cavity entrance (Trimble Geoexplorer 3) are: X: 604378, Y: 236228, Z: 315. The cave entrance is a natural, triangular opening 0.7 m wide and 0.3 m high, situated in a rock cleft with shrubs on a hillside. The thoroughly surveyed cave is 2 m long, has a vertical extent of 0.8 m, a height of 0.8 m, a depth of 0 m and a horizontal extent of 2 m. The cavity lies in Triassic dolomite. The formation of the cave was prepared by stratification. The cavity was created due to freeze‑thaw rock disintegration.

The rock column-shaped cave has a horizontal floor, and its characteristic passage type is irregular. Inorganic, locally formed debris filling consists of stone rubble. Soil, humus occurs in it. Small mammals live in the cavity. Thematic processing: map, photograph, cadastre, description. In 1979 the cave was mentioned for the first time in the literature (cadastre record). The practically untouched cave floor is trodden. The difficult-to-traverse (steep) terrain is accessible, the easily, street‑clothing accessible cave can be visited without a permit. Competent nature‑protection authority: Danube–Ipoly National Park Directorate. The protection of the cave surface: Vértes Landscape Protection Area (Resolution 19/1976 OTvH). The cavity has no particular significance, which is not worth further investigation. The condition of the cave has not changed compared to the description made in 1979. Most likely nothing will threaten the cave in the future.