“Ostruito” is the word that describes the entrance to the Caverna dell’Hudoleto today. This means obstructed. The Caverna dell’Hudoleto is a cave in the Carso Triestino area near Trieste. It is also known as Caverna dell’Udoleto or Caverna presso il Monte Spaccato.
Let’s delve into the story of this hidden cave. First registered on January 1, 1969, the Caverna dell’Hudoleto bears the catalog number 1288. Locally, it is known as 4226VG. This single-entrance cave is now obstructed, lying beneath a methane pipeline.
Imagine this area in 2020. A team from the Gruppo Triestino Speleologi (GTS) tried to tag the cave. The cave could not be tagged because it was under the pipeline.
To find the Caverna dell’Hudoleto, head from the Chiusa superiore toll towards Padriciano. Pass the Golf Club. Find where two power lines cross the road. Go left, or right if you are coming from Padriciano. Walk 60 meters alongside the power lines. You will see a drop in the ground. At the bottom of this drop is the cave’s entrance.
Once inside the Caverna dell’Hudoleto, after a flat area with a dry-stone wall, the ground slopes steeply. The cave widens. At the end, you will find walls covered in formations. A short chimney rises.
The cave is 30 meters long and 17 meters deep. The bottom of the cave is 347 meters above sea level. The entrance is at 364 meters. The cave is mainly horizontal.
Pino Guidi and Aldo Bobek from the CGEB first surveyed the cave on October 29, 1963. They created a map and cross-section of the cave. The cave’s map is only an approximation.
Geologically, the Caverna dell’Hudoleto consists of layered carbonates, sometimes with marl. These are platform deposits dating back to the Paleocene and early Eocene epochs. Specifically, they belong to the Liburnico: Vreme e Cosina formation.
The Caverna dell’Hudoleto remains elusive, marked as “introvabile” or “cannot be found”. It is not a tourist cave. This cave holds secrets beneath the surface. Its obstructed entrance protects its geological history.