A chilling draft whispers secrets from the depths. This is Jama 1 v Kanjaducah. For generations its entrance has pulsed with a mysterious draft. This powerful airflow fueled countless legends. It spurred generations of explorers to investigate its secrets.
The first documented explorations of Jama 1 v Kanjaducah started in 1886. Austro-Hungarian engineers and local residents dug searching for water. Their explorations ended abruptly 20 meters down in a cave-in. A map of the cave appeared in 1906 in the publication Alpi Giulie. It was based on a survey from 1898. The first Slovenian map was created much later in 1959.
The Sežana Speleological Society continued explorations in 1963. After 39 excavation attempts they advanced only a few meters by 1974. Between 1970 and 1980 a shaft was dug deepening the cave to 40 meters. Further research between 1980 and 2000 proved fruitless. Various groups tried to find a way through the collapse. They were unsuccessful.
Then luck changed. After 2000 Gorazd Berdič led new explorations. His unconventional methods surprised veteran cavers. He dug upwards towards the surface instead of down. It worked. On December 9 2003 he and Slavko Čok discovered a passage. It led to a larger cave system. The same day they descended 200 meters before running out of rope.
On December 12 2003 a team reached the underground Reka River. They explored 600 meters of river passage and about 200 meters along the river bed. The river’s width ranges from 5 to 10 meters. Chambers spread up to 85 meters wide and 75 meters high.
After this discovery many groups descended. They mapped the cave. They installed equipment and marked trails. They collected water samples. In 2005 measurements of the water flow were done. This was in collaboration with the Karst Research Institute and Škocjan Caves Park.
Once the dry parts were known exploration of the siphons began. In 2009 divers from JPD Sirena Sub were contacted. Divers Damir Podnar and Boštjan Čopi entered. They first explored the outflow siphon. Visibility was limited to 2 meters. This was due to the 3 cubic meters per second water flow. The siphon slopes down to 21 meters. It then rises gently. Beyond it lies a 250-meter-long chamber ending in another siphon.
In June the divers explored the inflow siphon. This siphon is 6 meters deep. They reached a 100-meter-long chamber. They found a new siphon. Poor visibility and air supply forced them to turn back at 12 meters. They saw many shrimps leeches human fish some fish and a loach.
In August they explored the outflow siphon again. They swam through another 10-meter siphon. They reached a 60-meter-long chamber. It ended in yet another siphon. At 5 meters they found a passage. It was a 10 x 10 meter blind passage 2 meters high. It was filled with sediment. They could not continue due to poor visibility and time constraints. Jama 1 v Kanjaducah continues to hold its secrets.