Starý hrad-Večná robota Caves (Hipman’s Caves)

In June of 2003 the cavers from Zvolen succeded in connecting the Starý hrad Cave with Večná robota Cave, by what a large cave complex arose, later named as the System of Hipman’s Caves. At present, it is the deepest cave system in Slovakia by its 495 m’s depth. The length of the cave system is 7,553 m.

The cave system is in the district of Liptovský Mikuláš, in the territory of Liptovský Ján in the Low Tatras National Park. The Starý hrad Cave was discovered during 1964 to 1970 in the southern slope of the Čierna dolinka Valley in the massif of Krakovej hoľa. The entrance is at elevation of 1,488 m.

The cave consists of a system of horizontal and spirally descending passages including several abysses. The biggest one, the Studňa radosti Abyss, reaches the depth of 50 metres. The system is formed in the complex of Gutenstein limestones and dolomites, as well as tectonic shales and shales rock complex. Compact rocks with flowstone fills in the form of white coatings prevail in the Starý Hrad Cave. Allochthonous stream of Krakovka flows through the cave where it forms siphons. On the contrary, the Večná robota Cave is characteristic by many cave-ins and collapsed rock blocks. Its relativelly huge spaces were formed along a major extense tectonic fault and bottom is filled by debris and rock blocks.

The System of Hipman’s Caves can be characterized as fluviokarst-corosive with a distinct vertical dissection.