[ENG] The Wind Cave (Pestera Vântului) is located near Şuncuiuş mining village (Bihor County), in the King Forest (Pădurea Craiului) Mountains, North -West Romania. In the last 30 years, this represents the largest cave in Romania, and now with the length of almost 50 km, the most extensive limestone labyrinth in South -East Europe as well. The small and windy entrance of the cavern has been known for a long time by the local people. On the 7th of April 1957, the retired miner Dumitru BODEA showed the cave-entrance to one of the amateur cavers from Cluj,
Mr. Bela BAGAMERI, known as the father of the exploring speleology in Transylvania. After a very difficult crawling in the narrow and extremely drafting entrance passage, in a solitaire exploration he searched 600 m of active stream gallery. In the very next week, he came back with another few amateur cavers and alpinists, and in this moment a more than 40 years long exploration campaign began. Though only one entrance is known in the lowest (Northern) extremity, the length of the cave is growing fast from one expedition or weekend-trip to another: in 1958 the first fossil level and the second active sector was discovered: length = 3.022m; 1959 = 4463m. In 1960 the second and third fossil levels where partially explored: length = 5.180m.
In 1966 the CSA amateur speleoclub was founded.
The multileveled Wind Cave, is developed mostly on this parallel joint system, many of the adjacent passages being formed on secondary joints or transversal faults. The actual length of the cave is very near to 50 km (3 km in airline extension), but there are many passages, which have never been surveyed. Also in the far sectors of the system, the exploration work is not finished. The vertical extension is around 120 m.
In great line, the Wind Cave is a multileveled complex system, which has a main active passage and three main fossil flours. Very characteristic is the water-table type stream passage, with large meanders and erozional levels on the walls, with extensive sandy accumulations. In some sectors, extremely complicated meandered galleries are interconnected, forming huge labyrinthic networks (the Great Meanders, the Horseshoe sector).
The average temperature in the cave is 11,8 o C, being variable in the entrance area and the main passages of the close sector. The very powerful draft, which can be sensed in the entrance and in the far corners of the cave as well, is bi-directional being controlled seasonally. In winter, the cool air goes in, subsequently on summer erupting. The power of the draft (sometimes similar to a very strong wind) depends on the weather conditions, especially temperature.
SOURCE: http://csacluj.tripod.com/envant.htm
[RO]
Peştera a fost descoperită de ing. Bagameri Bela în anul 1957 și explorată pe 500 m lungime. În următorii zece ani explorările fac ca la sfârșitul anului 1967 lungimea totală a galeriilor cunoscute se depasească 15.000 m. S-au organizat ture de explorare și expediții de anvergură. În anul 1966, sub conducerea descoperitorului se constituie Cercul Speologilor Amatori din Cluj având ca scop principal continuarea cercetărilor de explorare, cartare și protejare a Peșterii Vântului. Prima hartă color a peșteri la scara 1:500 este realizată în 1969, pe ea fiind reprezenți 15.283 m de galerii. În anul 1972 timp de 8 zile se lucrează în subteran pentru realizarea de catre TVR a unui documentar despre Peștera Vântului. În anul 1978 apare albumul foto "Peștera Vântului" semnat de dr. Dan Coman și Valentin Crăciun. În cei 50 de km de galeri pot fi găsite aproape toate formele endocarstice cunoscute. Accesul în peșteră se face la cel mai jos nivel, acolo unde întregul debit de apă iese la suprafață. Urmând pârâul amonte, pe o galerie largă și înaltă apar formațiuni gigantice, scurgeri parietale și stalactite (Torpila). Înalţimea galeriei scade și curând devine inaccesibilă dar numeroase galeri fosile pot fi urcate în etajele superioare. Sunt trei etaje dinstincte formate din galeri, sali, puţuri și hornuri de dimensiuni și forme foarte diferite cu toate tipurile de speleoteme: stalactite, stalagmite, coloane, scurgeri parietale, cristale, gips... Se diferențiaza Labiritul Racoviță ca cel mai încurcat sector de peşteră din ţară sau Galeria Hipodrom, ca o galerie de metrou.
Source: Wikipedia
More about the cave here.
One of my blog posts about a visit here.
Please note: the cave is only accessible upon request. Geocachers can have a unique experience once they contact the club and get access to the cave.
Groups of minimum 10 people. Visiting fee of around 10 euros per person.
Optional: logging with picture taken at the In Memoriam Room! According to the natural reserve protocol guided groups are taken until there.
A must: please describe what the unique features of the cave are (especially the total length at the time of your visit and the number of levels!). Also: ask the speleologist accompanying you what is the name of the last point at the very end of the cave and send the answer to my Geocaching account.