Urbán-dombi Remete Cave

Urbán-dombi Remete Cave is a cave located in Pilisszentkereszt in the Pilis Mountains of the Danube–Ipoly National Park. The cavity is also described in tourist guidebooks.

Description

The cave’s vertical entrance is located in the outskirts of Pilisszentkereszt, in the D part of Urbán Hill. Visiting the cave, which can be entered without a permit, requires the use of rope‑technical equipment.

The cave also occurs in the literature as Remete-luk (Kraus 1997). In 1997 the cave was first named Urbán-dombi Remete-akna in the literature.

Research history

In the 1937 volume of Turisták Lapja it is written that the Remetelyuk lies on the Pilisszentkereszt border, in front of the Két-bükkfa saddle, on the D side of Urbán-domb. The cave was reported in 1913 by Gyula Szücs. László Schőnviszky and his companions searched several times, until finally they found a small mushroom-shaped hole roughly at the indicated location, which, however, is not exactly like the cave described by Gyula Szücs. The narrow hole goes down about 6 m and opens into a small 6 m cavity, which ends to the north with a small 4 m niche. The cave was formed in the Dachstein limestone belonging to the Pilis mountain mass.

The 1974 book titled Pilis útikalauz mentions that from the Szopláki-ördöglyuk to É, on the K side of the green-marked tourist trail, there are two small caves in the limestone rocks that appear among the trees. The 1981 MKBT Report states that the Foton Cave Exploration Group uncovered two small cavities in 1981 on the hill between the Szopláki-ördöglyuk and the Dobogókő artificial trail, one of which is 3 m long and the other 12 m long. The guidebook that appeared in 1991 repeats the reference to the Urbán-dombi Remete shaft found in the 1974 guidebook.

In the 1993 report of the Troglonauta Barlangkutató Group it is mentioned that the Remete-hole (Urbán-domb rock cavity) is located in front of the Két-bükkfa-nyereg, on the D side of Urbán-domb. From the ridge one must walk on foot towards Pilisszentkereszt (according to György Ézsiás on the artificial site) to the first S bend, then from the signpost turn right, about 150 m away, on a small side hill’s rocky cone. The entrance of the small cavity is funnel‑shaped (?). The cave’s length is 2 m, its height (?) 1.8 m. According to another description (1981) two cavities (one 3 m and one 12 m) were found in this area by members of the Foton Barlangkutató Group. In the described place József Kárpát measured a cavity called Remete-hole, about 3 m. This is also known to György Ézsiás, because they have been inside it. It can be approached from the ridge via DK, walking on the green‑marked tourist trail, then after a few hundred metres turn left (to É) and bend. It is easy to find, but its entrance is not funnel‑shaped.

The 12 m cavity mentioned in the 1981 description is not known to György Ézsiás. The old literature describes the Remete-hole continuously as a very well‑filled, deep funnel‑shaped cavity. According to György Ézsiás therefore a cave certainly exists, but there may be four. This is possible because if the two cavities found in 1981 are not the same as the known (not the old) Remete-hole and are not funnel‑shaped, then besides them there is the known Remete-hole, as well as the old, funnel‑shaped Remete-hole. It is conceivable that the latter has become blocked. As an interesting note György Ézsiás quoted two cave descriptions presenting the Remete-hole published in the 1930 and 1937 issues of Turisták Lapja, because the dimensions mentioned there do not match any of those mentioned above.

On May 17, 1997 József Regős surveyed the Urbán-domb Remete shaft, and then in 1997 Sándor Kraus, based on the survey, prepared the cave plan map, longitudinal section map, and cross‑section map. The three maps present the cave at a scale of 1:50. The plan map shows the location of the longitudinal and cross sections within the cave. On May 17, 1997 Sándor Kraus drew a site plan depicting the geographic location of the Szoplak valley cavities. The plan shows the geographic location of the Remete shaft. In Sándor Kraus’s 1997 report it is readable that the previously unknown Urbán-domb Remete shaft had its map produced in 1997. The Urbán-domb Remete shaft and the Remete hole are mixed. The site plan made in 1997 was included in the report.