Botovskaya
Siberia, Russia
Jarda Kadlec
February 9 - 21, 2004
Botovskaya Cave is an outstanding example of a maze cave developed in 6 to 12 m thick bed of Ordovician limestone confined in sandstones. The cave is located in the Verkholenskoye Plateau, about 400 km north from Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia. So far, the total length of explored underground passages reached more than 60 km. The Botovskaya Cave is the longest cave in the territory of Russian Federation.
Irkutsk, February 2004
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
A vertical base (former waterworks) of the Irkutsk speleological club Arabika
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Planning of final details before start of expedition
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Shopping of necessary valenky
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Last technical tuning before start of journey
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Almost done
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
100 km long icy road along the frozen Lena River
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Early morning arrival to the former Boty village
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Not easy winter driving in taiga
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
No obstacle will stop us
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Finally at the field base
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Preparation for two week stay in taiga
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Field kitchen and 3 stoves need a lot of wood
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Base kitchen
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Keep smiling
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Preparation of icy %22swimming pool%22 and a hole for water supply
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Final brushstrokes already at dark
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Joint dinner after a hard day
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Highly responsible organizing work by the head of expedition
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Evening relaxing
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Prediction of future scientific results
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Visit of a local taiga hunter
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Trail to the Botovskaya Cave
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Preparation of the upper base at the cave entrance
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Wood bar construction for the temporary roof
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Social live in the upper base
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Eager speleologists at the upper base
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
The Medeo entrance to the Botovskaya Cave
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Last preparations before a penetration into the cave
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Typical cave passage in the %22Old World%22 inside the Botovskaya Cave
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
First visit to the cave
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Intersection of phreatic and vadose passages
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Documentation in a test hole at the point PK 0122
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
A detail of laminated silts exposed in the section
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Erosional borders inside the laminated sits
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Alternating of corroded Ordovician limestones and horizontally or diagonally bedded sandstones
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Conduit filled with sandy silt and clay
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
A fresh gravitational fissure
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Underground lunch
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Sleeping cave friends
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
Landscape morphology visible from the upper base, horizontal snow line represents a limestone bed
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
A still life from Verkholenskoye plateau
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004
So long, Botovskaya Cave
foto Jarda Kadlec - February 9 - 21, 2004