Daredevils only. That could be the slogan for Abisso 4\u00b0 di Gropada. This deep cavity sits at the foot of Monte Gaia near a path. The path runs from the Cippo del Cristo di Gropada. It curves to the Basovizza-Sesana road. Now, the road is closed near the state border.
Abisso 4\u00b0 di Gropada’s entrance is small. It opens in the bare rock. After a few meters the access well widens. It drops a long way into empty space. You will eventually reach a detrital level. Some logs hold back rubble here. These logs stop stones from falling into the pit below.
The descent continues. After about 25 meters you will reach a ridge. This ridge divides the space into two separate wells. The wider well has ledges and rocky spurs. Twenty meters from the opening there is a large terrace. It is full of boulders. A long steep detrital slope closes off this side of Abisso 4\u00b0 di Gropada.
The other well is narrower. It leads to greater depth. Two branches go from here. The first branch is a meander. It is about 60 meters long. The other branch leads to caverns and wells via a climb. These will lead you back to the initial cavern.
But beware. Do not try these climbs without caution. The walls are corroded here. They hold unstable stones and boulders. These can fall if disturbed. This makes the descent very dangerous.
Instead of climbing you can descend a 19.5-meter well. Followed by a 10-meter one. You can reach the bottom through successive wells. These wells measure 10 meters 9 meters 7.5 meters and 34 meters.
Abisso 4\u00b0 di Gropada is similar to other Karst abysses. But it has unique morphological features. It almost completely lacks chimneys. The wall opposite the ladder seems shaped by direct corrosion. There are few wall encrustations. And these are quite washed out.
During World War One the Austrian army had positions near this cave. They also used it as an ammunition dump. At the time of defeat they dumped ammunition into the cave. The Gruppo Rastrellatori spent almost eight months removing artillery shells. Each load had few pieces. A person had to accompany each load from the bottom to the surface. Abisso 4\u00b0 di Gropada was cleared but its history remains.