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University of York

University cavers’ in-depth exploration

Since 2004 students, graduates and staff from the University of York have explored new caves in the Durmitor Massif in Montenegro. York University Cave and Pothole Club’s activities have entered a new phase following a small reconnaissance trip to the massif’s remote untouched Northern area two years ago.

Many of the caves of Durmitor are choked with ice and snow and this creates challenging problems but, in 2012, a York team began to explore a huge, snow-filled hole called JVC. After negotiating a steep, slippery ice tunnel they followed a passage that twisted through huge walls of ice eventually breaking into a large chamber containing beautiful, ancient ice formations. Beyond this stunning grotto, the team continued the descent into ever colder passages only to run out of rope forcing them to abandon the descent until 2013. But the huge amounts of snow in Europe in winter 2012/13 meant the cave was totally sealed off this summer.

York PhD student Mark Sims says: “Hopefully it will be open again in 2014, and we'll discover where it goes. The one thing we do know is that we'll be the first there - these caves are totally unexplored and even after we leave, they have seen fewer visitors than the surface of the moon!”

Fortunately, not all of the York team's discoveries are so cold! This summer, they explored the impressive Bunda Jama cave, negotiating a 40m shaft into a huge boulder floored chamber, big enough for several double-decker buses stacked on top of each other.  Beyond, small passages required days of digging before the team gained access to the deepest part of the cave. The biggest shaft they found was, at 68m, one third as high again as the central tower of York Minster. But the team again ran out of rope having attained a depth of 300 metres.

York graduate Toby Buxton insists the cavers will be back in force next year to continue their explorations. He says: “There is plenty to come back for in 2014 - watch this space!”

The exploration of Durmitor is just one part of British cave exploration across the world. University of York cavers are continuing the tradition of Shackleton of going where no one else has walked before. York University cavers will certainly be back in 2014, and for many years to come.

Image: Checking gear - members of the team assemble gear before a days exploration (credit: Toby Buxton)
Image: Promising lead - the first ever decent of a newly discovered entrance (credit: Lieke Oosterkamp)
Image: Chilly caving - The 20 metre high snow plug blocking the route into JVC, this will have to wait until next year (credit: Lieke Oosterkamp)
Image: Durmitor National Park - the team systematically search for new cave entrances in the beautiful national park (credit: Toby Buxton)
Image: The team - the seventeen strong team of York University cavers (credit: Catherine Moody)
Image: Early morning camp life - home in the mountains 5 hours walk from the nearest road (credit: Toby Buxton)
Image: A tight fit - abseiling into one of the smaller caves to continue exploration and mapping (credit: Toby Buxton)
Image: Deep Exploration Team - kitted out for a trip into Bunda Jama to explore the unknown (credit: Toby Buxton)

Further information

If you would like to know more about York's exploration in Durmitor please visit http://durmitor.yucpc.org.uk

For more about York University Cave and Pothole Club go to www.yucpc.org.uk