Demanovska Cave of Liberty EarthCache

[EN] The cave system in Demanovska valley includes some 30 caves and is the largest cave system in Slovakia extending to almost 35km (22mi). In was formed in the middle-triassic guttenstein limestone along the tectonic faults by the river Demanovka. The continuos submersion of the subterranean stream of Demanovka into the limestone base during the pleistocene created 9 horizontal levels in the heights 0-147m (482ft) over the present water level of Demanovka. In the emptied cavities the continuos process of flowstone creation is still observed.

The Demanovska Cave of Liberty itself consists of domes, halls and passages formed in 6 leveles. Its total length exceeds 8km (5mi), the most beautiful part of it is opened to public (1600m, 1mi). The youngest part of the cave, the Marble Riverbed continued its formation also in the Holocene. The main floor is older, its flowstone crust is 65-92 thousand years old. The crust in the most brilliant fourth level leading from Pusta cave through Kral's gallery, Dry passage and continuing to Demanovska Cave of Peace and Demanovska Ice Cave is 685 thousand years old. The upper parts of the cave over the Kral's galery and Janosik's dome are fissure-natured, forming a strong contrast to the lower halls created by the waters of Demanovka river.

The cave areas are decorated by flowstone of many forms and colours, ranging from white pure calcite to red, brown and black color of ferreous and manganic additions. We can admire among others unique flowstone water lilies, corals and striking monumental flowstone waterfalls.

The entrance to the cave (coordinates of earthcache) is in the Tociste valley at elevation of 870 m.a.s.l. (2854 ft.a.s.l.). There is a zig-zag educational trail with vertical span of 52m (170ft) leading from the parking (see waypoint) to the cave with 6 panels containing the basic information about karst phenomena in Slovakia and about the cave.

You'll find opening times and many other useful information on this page.

• Attach a photo of you with your GPS device in front of the cave entrance to the log. (Lone wolves may attach the photo of GPS showing the coordinates)
• Send me an email through my profile with answers to these questions:
• • Name at least 6 various flowstone forms (I already mentioned four, so it should not be a problem ;-) ).
  • What is the name of the best known formation in the Demanovska Cave of Liberty which made it also into the logo of the cave?
  • The caves offer a variety of interesting phenomenons from geological processes which form the karst territories, over the chemical and physical processes which create the various forms of cave decoration, over their specific climatic conditions and their unique flora and fauna to the interresting history of their discovery and exploration. Choose one phenomenon which caught your interest while visiting this earthcache and send me what you've learnt about it.
  • Bonus (not mandatory) question - not far off the cave there is another earthcache - The Crusty Meadow from dandra (GC14RBH). Explain the main difference in the creation of travertine incrustations in Besenova and the flowstone creation in the caves of Demanovska valley.

[SK] Demanovsky jaskynny system zahrnujuci asi 30 jaskyn je so svojou dlzkou takmer 35km najrozsiahlejsim jaskynnym systemom na Slovensku. Bol vyhlbeny vodami Demanovky v guttensteinskych vapencoch stredneho triasu na tektonickych poruchach. Postupnym zarezavanim sa podzemneho toku Demanovky do vapencoveho podkladu sa v priebehu pleistocenu vytvorilo 9 horizontalnych urovni vo vyskach 0-147m nad terajsou hladinou Demanovky. Vo vyprazdnenych dutinach sa sustavne vytvaraju kvaplove utvary.

Samotna Demanovska jaskyna Slobody pozostava z domov, sieni a chodieb vytvorenych v 6 urovniach. Jej celkova dlzka je vyse 8km, z ktorych je spristupnenych verejnosti 1600m. Najmladsiu uroven tvori najnizsie polozena chodba Mramoroveho rieciska, ktorej zahlbovanie sa dialo i v holocene. Prizemie je ulozene v starsej chodbe, ktorej sintrova kora je stara 65-92tis. rokov. V najvyraznejsej IV.urovni veducej z Pustej jaskyne cez Kralovu galeriu a Suchu chodbu a dalej cez Demanovsku jaskynu Mieru az do Demanovskej ladovej jaskyne datujeme sintrovu koru staru az 685tis. rokov. Horne casti jaskyne nad Kralovou galeriou a Janosikovym domov maju puklinovy charakter a silne kontrastuju s chodbami vytvorenymi vodami Demanovky.

Jaskynne priestory su vyzdobene kvaplovymi utvarmi roznych foriem i farieb, bielou farbou cisteho vapenca pocnuc, cervenou, hnedou az ciernou primiesanych zlucenin zeleza a manganu konciac. Okrem inych foriem tu nachadzame unikatne sintrove lekna, jaskynne perly a uputaju i mohutne sintrove vodopady.

Vchod do spristupnenej casti Demanovskej jaskyne Slobody je v bocnej svahovej dolinke Tociste v nadmorskej vyske 870m. Pristupny je serpentinovym chodnikom z parkoviska, pricom treba prekonat vyskovy rozdiel 52m. Chodnikom vedie i naucna cesta so 6 panelmi, z ktorych sa dozvedame zakladne informacie o krasovych javoch na Slovensku a o samotnej jaskyni.

Otvaracie hodiny a dalsie uzitocne informacie najdete na tejto stranke.

• Prilozit k logu fotografiu s GPS pred vchodom do jaskyne. (osameli vlci prilozia fotku GPS s citatelnymi suradnicami)
• Poslat mi email s odpovedami na nasledujuce otazky:
• • Vymenovat aspon 6 roznych formiem vyplne jaskyn (styri som spomenul v listingu, tak to nebude snad taky problem ;-) ).
  • Ako sa vola snad najznamejsi utvar Demanovskej jaskyne slobody, ktory sa stal i jej symbolom?
  • Jaskyne ponukaju mnoho zaujimavych fenomenov od geologickych procesov vytvarajucich krasove uzemia, cez chemicke a fyzikalne procesy vzniku roznych foriem nadhernej vyzdoby jaskyn, ich specificke klimaticke pomery, ich jedinecnu floru a faunu az po zaujimavu historiu ich objavovania a odkryvania. Vyberte si jeden z nich, ktory vas pri navsteve tejto earthcache zaujal a poslite mi mailom, co ste sa o nom naucili.
  • Bonusova (nepovinna) otazka - nedaleko od jaskyne sa nachadza dalsia earthcache - The Crusty Meadow od dandry (GC14RBH). Popiste hlavny rozdiel medzi tvorbou travertinu v Besenovej a tvorbou sintrovej vyzdoby v demanovskych jaskyniach.