Ledena jama pri Kunču
Zaklad ni skrit v jami. V jamo vstopate na lastno odgovornost, saj so jeklenice ponekod uničene.
Leži v severnem delu visoke kraške planote Kočevski Rog, na nadmorski višini 785m. Jama nosi ime po bližnjem zapuščenem kočevarskem naselju Kunč.
Skozi udoren, severno orientiram jamski vhod pridemo v edini prostor jame, veliko dvorano, v katero vodi strmo pobočje in se proti dnu pahljačasto razširi. Dno jame prekriva avtohtoni grušč,večje skale in organski material s hlodi. Jama je 81m dolga in 42 m globoka. Strm dostop do jame je zavarovan z jeklenico, ki je bila postavljena leta 2009 in je danes na več mestih pretgana, zaradi teže snega.
Pozor! Jeklenica je ponekod pretrgana.
Jama je bila prvič omenjena v članku objavljenem v Illirisches Blatt, tedenski prilogi časnika Laibacher Zeitung leta 1829 pod imenom Ledena jama na Kočevskem rogu pri Dolenjskih toplicah. V 19. Stoletju so domačini v poletnih mesecih z ledom iz jame oskrbovali zdravilišče v Dolenjskih toplicah. Marskikaterega gosta je premagala radovednost in se je pustil odnesti na konjskem hrbtu do ledene jame, zato je Ledena jama pri Kunču naša najbolj obiskana jama 19. stoletja. Ledeno jamo definira prisotnost stalnega ledu. Občasni led se v jami pojavlja pod stropom v obliki 3m velikih ledenih sveč in v obliki nekaj m2 velikih zaplat talnega ledu. Občasni led se zadrži največ do junija. Čeprav v letih z veliko snežnih padavin v vhodnem delu obleži tudi več metrov debela snežna odeja, se ta v celoti stali do prihodnje zime. Stalni led se pojavi v najglobjem delu jame med skalnimi bloki in organskim materialom. Volumen ledu je nemogoče oceniti, najverjetneje pa ne presega 100 kubičnih metrov. V današnjih razmerah nastaja stalni led izključno iz kapljajoče vode v jami, največ ga nastane ob spomladanskem taljenju snega na površju, ko hladna snežnica v podhlajeni jami zmrzuje.
Pogled v jamo, november 2023
Primerjava starih fotografij nam kaže, da je v dobrem stoletju povsem izginila do 2m debela ledena gmota, ki je zapolnjevala vhodni del jame. V jami so našli zanimive podzemeljske hrošče. Legenda pa pravi, da so v njej ujeli Veroniko Deseniško, drugo ženo Friderika Celjskega, ki se je v jamo zatekla pred preganjalci.
Ice Cave near Kunč
The treasure is not hidden in the cave. Enter the cave at your own risk, as the wire rope on the way down is damaged in some places.
Located in the northern part of the high karst plateau Kočevski Rog, at an altitude of 785m. The cave is named after the nearby abandoned Gottscheer settlement Kunč.
Through a collapsed, north-facing cave entrance, we enter the only space in the cave, a large hall, into which a steep slope leads and fans out towards the bottom. The cave floor is covered with native gravel, large rocks, and organic material with logs. The cave is 81m long and 42m deep. Steep access to the cave is secured with wire rope, which was installed in 2009 and is now broken in several places due to the weight of snow.
Careful! The wire rope is damaged in some places .
The cave was first mentioned in an article published in Illirisches Blatt, a weekly addition to the newspaper Laibacher Zeitung in 1829, under the name Ice Cave on Kočevski Rog near Dolenjske Toplice. In the 19th century, locals supplied the spa in Dolenjske Toplice with ice from the cave during the summer months. The curiosity overcame many guests, leading them to horseback to the ice cave, making the Ice Cave near Kunč our most visited cave of the 19th century. The ice cave is defined by the presence of permanent ice. Occasional ice appears in the cave under the ceiling in the form of 3m large ice candles and in the form of several m2 large patches of ground ice. Occasional ice lasts until June at most. Although in years with heavy snowfall, several meters thick snow covers the entrance, it completely melts by the next winter. Permanent ice appears in the deepest part of the cave among rocks and organic material. The volume of ice is impossible to estimate, but it likely does not exceed 100 cubic meters. In today's conditions, permanent ice forms exclusively from dripping water in the cave, most of it forming during the spring snowmelt on the surface, when the cold snowmelt freezes in the cave.
A view of the cave, November 2023
A comparison of old photographs shows that in a little over a century, a 2m thick ice mass that filled the entrance part of the cave has completely disappeared. Interesting underground beetles have been found in the cave. Legend has it that Veronika Deseniška, the second wife of Friderik Celjski, was captured in the cave while seeking refuge from pursuers.