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Polish Cavers in Albania Contributed by zhalov on Monday, February 01 @ 11:17:58 EET
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 Year 2009 in Valbona -2 Polish expeditions in Albania
This year we went to Valbona as a bigger team than before - ten speleologists, and five people who support our actions in the mountains. We chose a different route to travel - tested in May, the route through Kosovo.
It takes less time, but unfortunately is more expensive because in Kosovo we must buy additional insurance for the cars.
Valbona, traditionally, in mid-August, greeted us with beautiful weather so on the next day we went into the mountains. Thanks to off-road vehicles, we could transport the equipment to extreme base located at huts Buni e Zicit. In the summer there is the shepherds’ base, because nearby there is the only source in this region. We left in their care the part of our equipment and the rest of the camp we transported to the upper base.
This summer in the mountains there was much more snow than in the previous year, so we decided that all the forces we will direct to the hanged valley located between the peaks of May Cet-Harushës (2421 m), Maja Ismel Bruce Hall (2527 m) and Maja Malgashit (2319 m). The camp we established in the middle of the valley at an altitude of 2100 m. Exploration was conducted within 8 days, which enabled us getting to know about 3 / 4 of the valley’s area. Divided into three teams, we have found 30 new entrances to the caves. 20 of them have been thoroughly reviewed. So far, the deepest one was that found by a team of Piętak, Sprycha, Wisniewski AVL 52 cave with a depth of 69.3 m and length 127.9 m, next in order is the AVL 50 (-54.1 m 114.0 m). In total, in 2009, we measured 1051.5 meters of new cave passages, and since the beginning of our exploration in Albania we have already identified 1815.5 meters of the caves.
In the course of the expedition a detailed plan for a previously known cave Shpella e Haxhise (365 m, 34.6 m deniwelacji) has been worked out, which in the future after a slight preparation can be made available to tourists and become an additional attraction of the valley.
We find it interesting to come back next year, as there are several promising entrances left to be examined, we also want to get to know the rest of the valley Cet Harushes and the upper floor of the valley Pecmares.
During the rest day we visited one of the side valleys of Valbona - Ceremit. Two years ago there was built the road to the village - until now only in Albanian standard, which can be reached by car with four-wheel drive only, but how we were ensured on the meeting summarizing the May trip by Margegaj municipal authorities, in 2 years there will by conducted an asphalt road through Ceremit to the border crossing with Montenegro. Such a solution would be very beneficial for us because it would significantly shorten the travel time to the massif. For the moment we are waiting patiently for the implementation of those plans.
During our stay in early May, and again in August, we carried out some hydrological observations. Most of the sources studied in May, is periodic. However, the most interesting for us were the measurements of Selim exurgence, which has not changed its temperature or discharge in relation to measurements of May. This can suggest a stable and relatively abundant supply. Observations of the sources will be continued to validate our assumptions concerning the direction of water circulation in massifs surrounding the Valbona valley.
Magda Słupińska
Speleoklub AVEN
ul. Będzińska 65 41-200 Sosnowiec
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