Post by L Roebuck on Aug 11, 2006 7:39:17 GMT -5
Longest Nordic cave
Norway can now lay claim to the longest cave in the Nordic region after spelunkers have mapped out over 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in total.
The cave - Tjoarvekrajgge, a Sami name - in Sørfold in Nordland County in northern Norway, was discovered in 1993.
"On Tuesday night we passed the 20-kilometer mark. We have now mapped exactly 20,047 meters of Tjoarvekrajgge," said Torstein Finnesand of the Norwegian Speleological Society.
The cave was a hole in the ground known to locals, but they had no inkling of its extent. Since exploration began, ever new passages, waterfalls and stalactite caverns have been discovered and the cave's mapped length has steadily grown.
"The goal was to pass 20 kilometers during this year's mapping and we have managed it," said Finnesand, who assumes there are still uncharted passages and caves in Tjoarvekrajgge.
Over 60 people from six nations have helped chart the cave over the years.
"The cave has a depth of 500 meters and it winds like a labyrinth in the mountain. We can compare it to a spider web," Finnesand said. "The exciting thing is exploring a cave and discovering passages, caves, stalactites and waterfalls that no one has seen before. That is what keeps us going," Finnesand said.
Nearly all of Norway's caverns are in the northern counties North Trøndelag, Nordland and Troms. While some of them are roomy enough to walk through comfortably, Tjoarvekrajgge is not for amateurs.
"It is difficult to enter. Either you have to force a very tight opening or you have to start by descending on a rope. This requires technical knowledge. There is also a very high risk of becoming lost in the cave," Finnesand said.
Article: www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1418485.ece
Norway can now lay claim to the longest cave in the Nordic region after spelunkers have mapped out over 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in total.
The cave - Tjoarvekrajgge, a Sami name - in Sørfold in Nordland County in northern Norway, was discovered in 1993.
"On Tuesday night we passed the 20-kilometer mark. We have now mapped exactly 20,047 meters of Tjoarvekrajgge," said Torstein Finnesand of the Norwegian Speleological Society.
The cave was a hole in the ground known to locals, but they had no inkling of its extent. Since exploration began, ever new passages, waterfalls and stalactite caverns have been discovered and the cave's mapped length has steadily grown.
"The goal was to pass 20 kilometers during this year's mapping and we have managed it," said Finnesand, who assumes there are still uncharted passages and caves in Tjoarvekrajgge.
Over 60 people from six nations have helped chart the cave over the years.
"The cave has a depth of 500 meters and it winds like a labyrinth in the mountain. We can compare it to a spider web," Finnesand said. "The exciting thing is exploring a cave and discovering passages, caves, stalactites and waterfalls that no one has seen before. That is what keeps us going," Finnesand said.
Nearly all of Norway's caverns are in the northern counties North Trøndelag, Nordland and Troms. While some of them are roomy enough to walk through comfortably, Tjoarvekrajgge is not for amateurs.
"It is difficult to enter. Either you have to force a very tight opening or you have to start by descending on a rope. This requires technical knowledge. There is also a very high risk of becoming lost in the cave," Finnesand said.
Article: www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1418485.ece