Bizarre caves portrayed

Lechuguilla Cave

Location: Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, USA
Length: > 240.0 km
Vertical extend: -497 m
Special features: Special in all respects and not without reason attributed as most beautiful cave in the world; sulphuric acid speleogenesis; UNESCO World Heritage Site
Conservation: Gated; National Park; Wilderness Area; state-of-the-art conservation measures

Please see my website www.lechuguilla-cave.info for detailed information on the cave and the coffee-table book Lechuguilla Cave: Discoveries in a Hidden Splendor

to the photo gallery Lechuguilla Cave – The Southwest

to the photo gallery Lechuguilla Cave – The Nearwest

to the photo gallery Lechuguilla Cave – The Farwest

Cottonwood Cave

Location: Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, USA
Length: > 2.5 km
Vertical extend: > -100 m
Special features: Rare cave minerals including elementary sulphur and monohydrocalcite; sulphuric acid speleogenesis
Conservation: Sensitive parts gated; National Forest

to the photo gallery Cottonwood Cave

Metro Cave

Location: South Island, New Zealand
Length: ca. 8 km
Vertical extend: ca. -50 m
Special features: Palaeontological site; glowworms; nice calcite speleothems; beautiful river cave
Conservation: Gated; some parts accessible via guided black water rafting tours

to the photo gallery Metro Cave

Flower Cave

Location: North Island, New Zealand
Length: ? km
Vertical extend: ? m
Special features: Outstanding gypsum speleothems including "the helix", a spiral with 42 whirls
Conservation: Gated; on private farmland

to the photo gallery Flower Cave

Piatra Altarului

Location: Bihor Mountains, Romania
Length: ? km
Vertical extend: ? m
Special features: Diverse and pure calcite speleothems; exceptional archaeological features
Conservation: Gated

to the photo gallery Piatra Altarului

Grotte Malaval

Location: Grands Causses, Lozère, France
Length: > 12.0 km
Vertical extend: +160 m, -77 m
Special features: Outstanding variety in speleothems, especially with respect to aragonite; rare blue formations; gypsum speleothems; beautiful active canyon cave
Conservation: Gated; private property of the Association Malaval

to the photo gallery Grotte Malaval

Aven Noir

Location: Grands Causses, Aveyron, France
Length: > 15.0 km
Vertical extend: +50 m, -107 m
Special features: Spectacular spacious entrance shaft; diverse and rare speleothems
Conservation: Sensitive parts gated

to the photo gallery Aven Noir

Aven Mt Marcou

Location: Montagne Noir, Hérault, France
Length: 1.8 km
Vertical extend: -345 m
Special features: Also known as "The Green One"; including impressive 146 m single drop
Conservation: Sensitive parts gated

to the photo gallery Aven Mt Marcou

Grotte Pousselières

Location: Montagne Noir, Hérault, France
Length: ca. 1.5 km
Vertical extend: -126 m
Special features: Superb variety in aragonite speleothems
Conservation: Gated; proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site

to the photo gallery Grotte Pousselières

Grotte Asperge

Location: Montagne Noir, Hérault, France
Length: > 7.0 km
Vertical extend: > -80 m
Special features: Also known as "The Blue One"; diverse aragonite speleothems
Conservation: Gated; on private property; proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site

to the photo gallery Grotte Asperge

Grotte Cabrespine

Location: Montagne Noir, Aude, France
Length: 16.1 km
Vertical extend: -255 m
Special features: dome with 200 m ceiling height; beautiful underground river; rare speleothems
Conservation: Gated; partly s show cave; proposed as UNESCO World-Nature-Heritage site

to the photo gallery Grotte Cabrespine

Gouffre Berger

Location: Vercors, Isère, France
Length: 31.8 km
Vertical extend: -1271 m
Special features: First cave in history to have exceeded 1000 m in vertical extend
Conservation: Access restricted

to the photo gallery Gouffre Berger

Eiskogelhöhle

Location: Tennengebirge, Austria
Length: 4.6 km
Vertical extend: 660 m
Special features: Among the world's most spectacular ice caves
Conservation: Gated; in parts accessible via commercially guided tours

to the photo gallery Eiskogelhöhle

Eiskapelle

Location: Berchtesgaden Alps, Germany
Length: Varying
Vertical extend: Varying
Special features: Ice tunnel in small glacier
Conservation: Not sensitive (but dangerous)

to the photo gallery Eiskapelle