Tourism Review Online Magazine - Underground Attractions: Caves and Abysses

8/7/2019 Tourism Review Online Magazine - Underground Attractions: Caves and Abysses

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They may be dark and damp

yet they are a perfect tour-

ist aracon caves, groos,

abysses lure thousands of tour-

ists every year. Explore the Ice

Age caves in France, one of Ire-lands oldest caves or the lost

tunnel in Laos.


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ADVENTURE Underground Attractions: Caves and Abysses

January, 2011

There is no country in the world that com-petes with France when it comes to caring forits pre-historic cave art sites and presenngthem for public viewing. Most of these jewelsof Europe's Paleolithic Era have slept peace-fully and well preserved behind rock falls thatsealed them for thousands of years. In the late19th and early 20th centuries archaeologybecame a science and cave hunng became arecreaonal pasme connuing to this day.

Seeing images in books or on DVDs oersno clue to the enormous eorts of Early Man

to produce the engravings or painngs we soadmire. The limestone cave entrances weremainly small and hard to reach, tunnels deepinside could be crawling height or as tall ascathedral ceilings, and the interior tempera-tures were consistently cool.

Once inside, the area was pitch black butfor the equivalent of a small animal fat lamp'sickering light which had beer not go out!Tools, ochre for red paint, and possibly wood

for a re to create the black charcoal used inmany drawings had to be carted along, usuallyfor hundreds of metres before a suitable spacewas chosen for the artwork. And then therewas the danger of the cave bears, Paleolithicgiants of the species that occupied Europeunl 15,000 years ago.

Contrary to public percepon, our ancestorsdid not use caves as dwellings and they wereevery bit as intelligent and creave as we are

today. We are rightly astonished at the ability

France's Ice age art caves

and anatomical accuracy of these early arstsover tens of thousands of years and hundredsof cave sites in France alone. They etched andpainted deep into a "groe" (cave) barely lit

by the feeble ame of a stone oil lamp, per-specve and shadows on the wall connuallychanging. Was it merely a Picasso urge thatdrove them on or was there a spiritual dimen-sion to these creaons? Why are there onlya few humans and no scenery represented intheir art over millennia, and yet so many ani-mals? For fascinated visitors, these are com-pelling quesons.

France's Ice Age caves that are open for view-

ing are mainly 25,000 to 10,000 years old and

clustered in the Dordogne/Lot region and theMidi-Pyrnes. Though they have been modi-ed to accommodate visitors to walk safelyand upright, the caves sll provide graphic evi-dence of how uncomfortable and even perilousmany of the stone engravings and painngswould have been to execute. Where the workis located in some cases, arsts would have hadto lie down or crouch, or conversely build a scaf-fold and climb high up a dark wall to accomplishtheir artwork. Arsts oen used irregularies

Cougnac Cave combines stunning back-lit chambers ofstalactes and stalagmites with Ice Age cave painngs.Photo credit: Alison Gardner


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of the wall, both concave and convex, to add

startling three-dimensionality to their images.When our guides switched o the electric cavelights and played small ashlight beams fromdierent angles, the art danced o the walls!

France is very protecve of its Ice Age cavesand the Ministry of Culture has no hesitaonin closing to the public those caves whose artis too fragile to sustain. Some caves, such asFont de Gaume, are geng close to the endof their public access, so do not delay if you

want to see the real thing and not a replicalike Lascaux II. Other cave sites restrict toursto small numbers; for example, the fragility ofCombarelles cave allows entry to only eightpeople per day.

Quite a number of cave sites are on privately-owned land and operate as businesses, withmonitoring by the government to ensure thatthe heritage is protected. Rougnac Cave,near Les Eyzies, is a case in point, oering amini-train tour of its 250 painted and engraved

animal gures, riding deep into the cave sys-tem before the art is even revealed.

The original Lascaux Cave, with art dated at17,000 years, is the best-known cave in theworld. Because of measurable deterioraonaer its discovery, it was closed to the public.In 1983 the replica cave site Lascaux II opened,the result of 11 years of painstaking work by 20arsts and sculptors using the same methodsand materials as the original cave painters. Up

to 2,000 ckets are issued per day, making thisworthy aracon very crowded in the summerand the art work and exhibits, especially in thetunnels, dicult to appreciate.

Vising caves where our human ancestorshave so graphically le their imprint is excit-ing tourism for travelers from every walks oflife and many countries. Sturdy footwear andwarm clothing should be part of each caveexplorer's wardrobe, regardless of season,

because caves are a cool 6 and 10 degrees C.year round. There are age restricons on youngchildren.

Neither are most cave tours friendly to peo-ple with disabilies except the mini-train tour

Dang to 17,000 years ago, Lascaux Cave has a daz-zling display of animals and a multude of geometricsymbols. Photo credit: jj Brochard/CRTA

at Rougnac. Entrance fees are a modest

6-10 (US$8-13) for most sites, with reduconsfor students, children and groups. Some cavesoer tours only in French; some oer one Eng-lish tour a day or only during the summer sea-son. Open hours change with each season, andsome caves are closed for the winter.

By Alison Gardner

Editor/journalist, Alison Gardner, is a global expert

on nature-based vacaons and cultural/educaonaltravel. Her Travel with a Challenge web magazine, is arecognized source of new and established operators,accommodaons and richly-illustrated feature arclescovering all types of senior-friendly alternave travel.

hp://www.travelwithachallenge.com

Near Tarascon-sur-Arige in the Midi-Pyrnes, NiauxCave has 2 km of painted galleries.Photo credit: CRT Midi PyrnesDominique VIET


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Located a half-day drive south of Vienane inKhammouanne Province, Kong Lor Cave is anamazing 7.5 km-long limestone tunnel formedby the Hinboun River, which ows through thecave year-round. You can take a boat ride rightthrough the main cavern, which is up to 90

meters wide and 100 meters high.

The Hinboun River lls the enre width ofKong Lor passage except for a large white sandybeach located about halfway through the cave.Villagers also have names for rock featuresseen along the way: Frog, So-shelled Turtle,Owl, Buddha, and Fish Trap. The dry season

from November to April is the best me to

view these stone oddies as you can step fromthe boat onto the shore and enjoy the Beautyin the Dark.

Along with a paved road that leads to KongLor Village from Route 8, the cave riverride canbe reached via a 40-km overland trek from BanNa Hin Village, the Gateway to Kong Lor orby taking a slightly longer but more adventur-ous boat trip up the Hinboun River beginningin Napouk Village.

Home stay accommodaon is available inboth Kong Lor and Natan villages. Before head-ing to Kong Lor, stop at Ban Na Hin for a walkto That Mouang and That Namsanam water-falls. Tours to Kong Lor and Ban Na Hin can bearranged from Thakhek, the provincial capital,

through the Khammouane Guide Service Unitor directly with local guides staoned in Na HinVillage.

The popular two-night/three-day Kong LorCave & Home Stay tour departs Thakhek bylocal transport with an English-speaking guideonboard for the three-hour trip to Na Hin Vil-lage to explain the upcoming adventure.

Aer checking into a guesthouse, a localguide takes you to a protected forest to visit

That Mouang and That Namsanam waterfalls.The guide teaches you about the forest and itswildlife and non-mber forest products, andorganizes a picnic lunch. In the late aernoon,you return to your guesthouse in Ban Na Hin,with me to explore the town and its market.

Following breakfast, you travel by localtransport for three hours to Kong Lor village.Aer exploring the village, you walk to thecave entrance, board a local long-tail boat

Kong Lor cave:

Laos Lost tunneL


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and travel through the 7.5-km cave/tunnel tothe valley beyond, stopping along the way toobserve stalactes and other limestone forma-ons. The tunnel is sll used by local villagersas a communicaon route.

Following a picnic lunch, you connue to Ban

Natan (or return to Kong Lor) for an overnighthome stay with a local family. There is ampleme to wander around the village and observetradional acvies such as weaving and ricepolishing. In the evening the villagers organizea tradional baciceremony. The following day,you return to Na Hin and your next desnaon.

Other accommodaon opons for visitorsto the Kong Lor Caves include guesthousesin Khoun Kham Town on Lao Route 8. More

upscale eco-lodges are also available in KongLor Village.

There are also several nearby caves toexplore. Nam Nyaeng Cave leads to an under-ground river that runs all year round. TheTham Nam Cave, or Water Balance Cave, hasa permanent pool of water fed by an under-ground spring. Near Kong Lor villages SalaHinboun Lodge is Tham Kee Cave surroundedby the remnants of mysterious centuries-old

structure.

By Bernie Rosenbloom

hp://www.ecotourismlaos.com
http://www.olomouc-guide.com/


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It might seem as if no maer where you go inItaly, youre likely to see something old. But tosee some of the stu thats really been aroundawhile, you need to go underground. There itspossible to see natural formaons of rock thathave been growing for several hundred thou-sand years or so.

One of the best places to do so is within aneasy drive of Aviano Air Base or Vicenza. GroaGigante (giant cave) is just north of Trieste,near the Italian border with Slovenia. Accord-ing to its publicity, it has been called the worldslargest tourist cave and is listed in the GuinnessBook of Records.

Italians knew about the cave long beforethere was an Italy. But there wasnt much writ-ten about it unl a series of exploraons con-ducted in the 1800s. Thats probably becausethe cave wasnt easy to explore unl modernspelunking techniques and equipment were

introduced. Before that, its possible that somepeople got in but didnt live to relate the tale.The original entrance had a steep drop: Therst step, as they say, was a doozy.

It wasnt unl 1908 that the rst groups oftourists had ready access at another entrance.Since then, it has become a popular touristaracon of the Trieste area.

These days, its not necessary to take yourown ashlight, ropes and climbing gear for a

trip inside in fact, that would be frownedupon. Just wear a good pair of shoes andmaybe a jacket, as temperatures (around 11C)below tend to be cooler than those above.

Theres a series of prohibited items, includ-ing cameras and cell phones. No smoking. Nodogs or other pets, presumably. It probablywouldnt make sense to take small childrenwho cant walk a lot on their own, either.Strollers wont work, and visitors have to navi-gate about 500 steps down and back up duringthe trip. Visitors follow a guide along a cementpathway lined with metal railings and featuringstep aer step aer step (it might seem as ifthere are even more on the way back up).

grotta gIgante:

the WorLds Largest tourIst cave

Know and Go

To visit, you must take a tour, and unless priorarrangements were made, it will be in Italian.

From April through September, the 45-minutetours start on the half-hour from 10 a.m., withthe last one beginning at 6 p.m.; during the restof the year, tours begin on the hour, with thelast one at 4 p.m. The cave is closed Mondaysexcept in July and August, when its open daily.Admission is 7.50 euros; for groups of 25 ormore, it is 6 euros each. An overview of thecave, in Italian, is available at www.groagi-gante.it. Call ahead to reserve a tour in Englishor if in a large group: phone, 040-327-312; fax:040-368-550.


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The most impressive aspect of Groa Giganteis the sheer size of the place. According to vari-ous web sites, it is about 925 feet long, 215feet wide and 350 feet high. Pick just about any

size building you know St. Peters Basilica inRome, for instance and it would t inside.

The cave is well lit in most places, allow-ing visitors to see the variaons in colors thatrange from white to red, with a lot of generalshades of rock thrown in. There are stalac-tes (formaons going down) and stalagmites(formaons going up) in abundance some

are 30 m long.The most noted features are various named

stalagmites. It takes years of dripping waterto form the oddly shaped creaons. The larg-est, named Ruggero aer an early explorer, isthought to be about 200,000 years in the mak-ing. So plan a second visit in a few decades.Maybe youll noce half an inch of new mate-rial.

By Kent Harris (Stars and Stripes)hp://www.stripes.com
http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/


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Have you seen a waterfall in a cave? AillweeCave is one of the many thousands of ancientcaves beneath the karst-landscape of the Bur-ren in northwest Country Clare, Ireland. Thecave is Ireland's premier show cave and isthe most famous. Visitors are guided on a 35

minute stroll through caverns, over bridgedchasms, beneath weird rock formaons andalongside a thunderous waterfall.

The name Aillwee is derived from the IrishAill Bhu which means yellow cli. The complexconsists of over a kilometer of passages lead-ing into the heart of the mountain.

hIstory

Aillwee Cave is one of the oldest caves in Ire-land. This cave was formed by the glacial meltwaters of an early ice age. The erosive powerof the waters carved out a subterranean riverdeep underneath Aillwee mountain. This riverhas subsided since the last ice age, leavingbehind one of Ireland's most stunning caves.

The cave was discovered by Jack McGann, alocal herdsman, in 1940. One day, Jacko was

aILLWee cave: one oF the

oLdest In IreLand


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looking aer his sheep at the foot of AillweeMountain with his dog. The dog gave chase toa rabbit, following it up the mountain and intoa small opening in the rocks. Jacko exploredthis opening with nothing but a candle to guidehis way, nding his way right as far as the Great

Cascade.The cave was le alone for 33 years aer

this. In 1973, Jacko talked to group of caversand told them of his nd. The group, from Bris-tol University, under the leadership of Dr. Trat-man, explored the caves as far as was possible.A massive fall of boulders sealed the passagebeyond the Cascade chamber.

open to tourIsts

In 1975, the land surrounding the cave wassold to two local families interested in open-ing the cave to the public. December saw theentrance tunnel lowered a lile to make accesseasier and rails, lighng, cabling and pathwayswere laid as far as the Cascade. This seconnow remains visually much as it appeared toJacko and the rst explorers.

The rock pile from the passageway between

the Cascade and Midsummer's Cavern wasexcavated in 1977, revealing a further 350meters of cave. This was opened to the publicaer connuing the lighng and path system.

In 1991, it was decided to join the nal stopon the tour, the highway to the entrance of thecave via an alternate route to create a circulartour. Marine Blast Company together with NickBarnes undertook the massive task of drillingand blasng through 255 meters of solid lime-

stone.

LIFe In the cave

Caves have always provided refuge for wildanimals and indeed for humans, but few ani-mals actually live all of their lives underground.This is because the dark, cool, cave environ-

ment lacks a supply of food.Aillwee Cave was inhabited by animals for

thousands of years prior to its discovery byman. The bones of a brown bear were foundat Bear Haven, together with a series of shal-low excavated pits. These may have beenused as hibernaon pits scraped out by bears.Bears have been exnct in Ireland for over1000 years so the Aillwee bear may be ofgreat anquity.

the "prayIng hands"

There are many splendid examples of forma-ons in the Aillwee Cave. Calcite formaons inthe form of a "Wasps Nest" and the "PrayingHands" and "the Carrots" are to be seen as wellas many others including a magnicent displayof Straw Stalactes.

In the Aillwee Cave most of the formaonsare very recent in the history of the cave itself.

The small knobbly stalagmites on the oor ofMud Hall took over 1,000 years to reach theirpresent size 8,000 years ago. The larger stalag-mites in Midsummer Cavern took 5,000 yearsto form. Some samples of calcite taken fromdeep inside the cave started to form 350,000years ago.

hp://www.aillweecave.ie

hp://www.nci.ie

Tourism Review Online Magazine - Underground Attractions: Caves and Abysses

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