ACTIVITY REPORT "LEFKA ORI 2011”
For the second consecutive year, Romanian cavershave contributed to the research in the arid mountainsof Crete. Indifferent weather conditions than last year - temperaturesat night fell to 5 degree C, days with fog, winds of 120km / h which raised problems in the prospecting shifts and also in the base camp, we set and have achieved all the objectives of theexpedition.
THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE EXPEDITION Period:7 and 19 august 2011 (12 days) Participants:27 speleologists in 5 countries -Kostas Adamopoulos – expedition coordinator,
Alexandros Margiolis, Vasilis Tsalos, Antonis Vorrias (Grecia, Selas Club-
Atena), Michalis Polychronakis, Cristoforos Baladimas, Savas Paragamian,
Georgia Agellaki, Katerina Hobitaki (Grecia, E.O.S Chania Club), Adrian
Sopincean, Mihaela Sopincean, Razvan Marcu, Oana Chachula (Romania –Mountain
Sports Club- Hunedoara), Simona Laiu (Romania, Politehnica Club - Cluj-Napoca),
Razvan Eugen Sabau, Adina Florescu, Roxana Maria Soreata (Romania, Focul Viu
Club - Bucuresti), Marc Faverjon, Anne Faverjon, Maud Faverjon, Tim Faverjon,
Samuel Faverjon (Italia, GSSM), Alain Soubirane, Valerie Soubirane, Remi
Soubirane, Chloe Soubirane (France, GSV) and Richard Bramley (New Zealand,
Nelson Speleo Club). Base Camp:at an altitude of 1980m, in an area with no water and
vegetation Purpose: "Systematization of Lefka Ori massif of speleologicalpoint of view" Objective: Furtherexploration of the narrow passage of Sternes Cave, la - 428m Prospecting for new cavesinventory Results: 53 newly discovered caves, with the position markedon GPS Working areas:Sternes, Troharis, Mesa Soros,
Rouskies, Psoristra (LEFKA ORI – White Mountains) Equipment: 3 drills Bosh (8 batteries) In Sternes Cave were used 630m of rope and 120 moorings Expedition Costs:(the Romanians):3000€ AREA CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPLORATION Best Regards, Adi, Miha, Razvan and
Oana ~ CSM Hunedoara, Tanned and dreaming
about Lefka Ori 2012
Lefka Ori massif is located in the
central-western Crete. The most
important localities are Hania (in the N)and Sfakia (in
the S). The tectonic framework,built over 2000m,is composed of limestone,dolomite and limestoneconglomerates. Almost all the 50 peaks of the
massif have an altitude over
2,000 m. Its length is 30 km east-west directionand 20 km widenorth-south. The mountains are crossed by numerous gorgesand canyons ofthe most famous areSamaria (13 km) andAradena.
Reaching a number of 1000 caves marked on
the GPS in Lefka Ori
Exploration and mapping new caves
Mapping of over 700mof new galleries
17 caves mapped- the most important of (-135M), (-85m) (-50m)
17 descents inSternes Cave (equipment,
exploration, unclogging, unrig)
Progression in SternesCave 4m on a fissureenlarged from 15 cmto 50-70 cm
Reach of the -430M altitude in SternesCave
Exceeding the number of currently 1000 cavesin White Mountains (Lefka
Ori)
Over 1000 m of
rope used
1000 liters of drinking water brought to camp
Altimetric ranging between 1800 and 2300m, speleological prospecting area covered fiveareas, of which 3
were explored again this year.
Caves developed predominantly vertical were favored by the high degree of tectonic. The modelling process of karst is
extended in spring season due tosudden melting of
snow (over 2 m thick). Between the
mountain ridges, valleys have very differentaspects: small orcovered by debris.
The largest bumpsare found in caves formed in dolomite or limestone or at the contact of limestone.The most important discovery this year was Triploftaki Cave (- 135M),
the next being of -85 m
