Varasoaia 2007 Caving Camp

In the first part of August, I took part at the Varasoaia 2007 caving camp, organised by the Z Caving Club, in the Bihor Mountains, Varasoaia Glade, north from Padis Plateau. During the seven days spent here, I have visited the deepest Romanian cave, took photos in one of Romania's most beautiful caves, hiked through the deep Warm Somes Canyon, ate raspberries in Barsa Pit, and the last day I have visited the underground river of the Fortress of Ponor cave.

The V5 pothole with its -653 m depth and more than 10 km development, is the deepest Romanian cave. V5 has the second largest underground room in Romania, the Paul Matos room with 1,200,000 m3 and a length of 415 m. In some areas of the cave you can find clusters of aragonite crystals, some of them reaching more than 25 cm.



The Valea Rea Cave, the largest Romanian cave entirely developed in dolomites, is considered Romania's greatest underground mineralogical museum. Over 35 different minerals described as components of some speleological formations place this cave among the World's top 10. The cave has the greatest vertical underground waterfall in the country, the Ventilator Fall. 82 m height and 10 m diameter.