Jaskyňa Skalistý potok
The longest and deepest cave of the Slovak Karst, on the Jasov plateau: about 7.1 km of passages over 336 m of height difference (older figures: 6 km, 317 m), formed by an active stream. It is the greatest success of Slovak speleodivers: J. Kucharovič passed the first sumps in 1982, and teams led by Z. Hochmuth and D. Hutňan explored and surveyed onwards through a total of 22 sumps between 1986 and 2000. In 2013 Hutňan and Honeš tried to find a continuation in sump '17.17' but were stopped by a boulder. Sump depths and lengths are published only in a 2012 Speleofórum article.
Facts
- Region: Slovakia – Caves, Sumps & Karst Springs
- Area: Slovak Karst (Jasov, Silica & Plešivec plateaus)
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: cave
- Coordinates: 48.6234722, 20.8872222
- Highlights: longest and deepest cave of the Slovak Karst (about 7.1 km, 336 m), 22 sumps passed by divers, active cave stream, national natural monument and UNESCO site, exploration 1982–2000
- Permit: In Slovakia every cave is a natural monument (Nature Protection Act 543/2002, §24(3)); entering or penetrating a cave that is not open to the public is prohibited (§24(4)a), exploration and research need the consent of the nature-protection authority (§24(5)a), and research may only be done by a qualified authorised person notified to the State Nature Conservancy 7 days ahead (§56). In practice consent comes from the district office's environment department (e.g. Okresný úrad Prešov, 2015); the cave custodian is the Slovak Caves Administration (SSJ). There is no tourist or commercial cave diving – only permitted expeditions of caving clubs, with Full Cave / sump-diver qualification.
- Issuer / contact: State Nature Conservancy of the SR – Slovak Caves Administration (Správa slovenských jaskýň, cave custodian); consent is issued by the nature-protection authority (district office, environment department)
- Phone: +421445536411
- Email: caves@ssj.sk
- Website: https://www.ssj.sk/sk/kontakty
- Unverified: The maximum dive depth is not published; length and depth figures differ between sources.
- Tips: Not a tourist site: dived only on permitted expeditions of caving clubs, with Full Cave / sump-diver qualification and in cooperation with Slovak cavers (SSS). The entrance is gated and the cave is a natural monument.