Czech cavers complete country’s longest underground traverse
A team of Czech speleologists have successfully completed the longest possible cave traverse in the country—a route no one had managed until now. Over nearly two days, the trio navigated a challenging, seven-kilometre journey through the Amatérská caves system in the Moravian Karst.
It’s a feat Czech cavers have dreamt of since the 1980s. This past weekend, Jan Sirotek, Radek Nejezchleb, and Petr Chmel made that dream a reality. They descended into the Nová Rasovna cave early Friday morning and emerged into daylight at the Macocha Abyss on Saturday afternoon.
Jan Sirotek spoke to Czech Radio shortly after emerging from the cave:
“It’s the first time anyone has completed the full route along the Bílá Voda and Punkva streams in one continuous push. It’s symbolic—the culmination of decades of research and a tribute to the collaboration among all the caving groups who’ve worked here.”
In several parts of the system, no one had dived in over 40 years. The trio had to re-establish the underwater route, laying new guide ropes through the submerged sections. To manage the demanding conditions, they spent the night in a temporary shelter inside the Nová Amatérská Cave.
“We didn’t run into anything critical, but there were a few hiccups—some of our gear sank, and we had to dive back to retrieve it. We didn’t want to leave anything behind,” Mr. Sirotek added.
The mission required meticulous planning and support. Over 80 speleologists from 15 clubs under the Czech Speleological Society took part in the operation. According to Mr. Sirotek, the expedition was an extremely challenging and complex undertaking—unlike anything in the history of Czech cave exploration.
The Amatérská cave system lies in the northern part of the Moravian Karst and forms part of the longest cave network in Czechia. It’s shaped like a triangle—a form first described by renowned explorer Karel Absolon. Radek Nejezchleb elaborates:
“You can picture it like a triangle. One side follows the Sloup Stream, the second runs along the Bíla Voda stream to where it sinks into the Punkva. And then there’s the imaginary third side—hypothetically linking Sloup Stream and Bíla Voda.”
This traverse also marks the symbolic fulfilment of a vision first pursued in the 19th century by physician, archaeologist, and cave explorer Jindřich Wankel, and later by his grandson, Karel Absolon.
The breakthrough discovery of the Amatérská cave system came in 1969, when a group of cavers uncovered the largest section of the underground labyrinth. Since then, speleologists have worked to connect the many branches—often by diving through tight, flooded siphons. Today, the mapped length of the cave system stretches over nearly 52 kilometres.
