Peștera de la Piscul Negru

The Piscul Negru Caves in the Făgăraș Mountains, protected by law as an area of ​​national interest, are composed of five cavities located on the steep slope of Piscul Negru Peak. They present a high degree of danger for those who intend to explore them during mountain hikes.

Located in Argeș County, in the Arefu commune, these caves form a spectacular speleological reserve, being crossed by flowing waters, waterfalls and galleries, but very few people have ever entered them. It is precisely this mystery that makes them attractive to adventurers. Local authorities recently promoted them online, mentioning that they are suitable for adventure and exploration tourism, but they also warned of the major risks that await those who dare to approach them.

The truth is that, without solid professional training in speleology, such an expedition can become fatal. Currently, access to the caves is impossible because the entrance gallery, located at the base of the mountain on the right slope of the Capra Valley, in the area where it meets the Izvorul Sec valley, has collapsed. Even if this entrance were excavated and consolidated, the caves could not be opened to ordinary tourists, due to the dangers involved.

The risks are multiple. In the event of rain, the caves fill with water, and those inside can drown. There is an underground river fed by rain on the surface, which makes any sudden change in weather extremely dangerous for explorers. Speleologist Gabriel Cazan warns that in such conditions, a person isolated inside the cave can drown if not searched for in time.

In addition to the danger of flooding, the speleologist also reports other risks based on experience from the 1980s, when mining prospecting work was carried out in the area. Then, during the excavation of a gallery, the first caves were discovered, and entering them caused massive water leaks. The caves are active, which means that underground rivers constantly flow in them and there are waterfalls with heights of up to eight meters, which makes them extremely dangerous and inaccessible to tourists.

Access to the cave area can be done either from Bâlea or by climbing from Arefu, but the route to the entrance is difficult. At this point, the only thing possible is to approach the entrance to the collapsed gallery and look down, knowing that there, underground, are these spectacular formations, but impossible to explore without extensive excavation work. There is no other way to access them, and the risk of drowning is constant.

According to information on the website montaniarzi.ro, Cave 1 is located approximately 310 meters from the entrance to the gallery, has two water courses and is the longest in the Fagaras Mountains. Its initial length of 447 meters was extended to 791 meters, with a level difference of approximately 43 meters and a lateral width of 182 meters.

Nearby is Cave 2, 348 meters from the entrance, with a length of approximately 150 meters and a height difference of 22 meters. Cave 3, located 165 meters from the entrance, was difficult to access at first and extends on both sides of the gallery, especially to the south, with a length of 115 meters, a height difference of approximately seven meters and a lateral width of 47 meters. It has a narrow and low profile, being formed by pressure flow and later remodeled.

Cave 4 is located between Cave 3 and Cave 1, developing parallel to them. It is 348 meters long and has a height difference of 34 meters, being as difficult to traverse as Cave 3. Cave 5 is positioned after Cave 3, in the direction of Cave 1, and in order to become accessible it was necessary to successively clean the ascending gallery. Its length is over 17 meters, with a height difference of approximately 14 meters.

Sursa: adevarul.ro