{"id":960,"date":"2020-01-24T19:02:08","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T16:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/?page_id=960"},"modified":"2020-01-27T18:59:43","modified_gmt":"2020-01-27T15:59:43","slug":"our-past","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/our-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Our history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The first cave exploration attempt by future members of the &#8222;Montana&#8221; Caving Club from Baia Mare (Maramure\u015f, NW Romania)\u00a0 came to pass on 8 september 1964, when a group of high school students from Baia Mare (Dumitru I\u015ftvan, Tiberiu Kornreich, Stelian Pop), visited Pe\u015ftera din Cariera Cuciulat (<em>The cave from the Cuciulat Quarry<\/em>), in S\u0103laj county. The same group visited Lii Cave on 07.09.1964, until what is now the first sump. Between 1965 and 1966, visits and exploration trips were undertaken at Ciungi Cave (then 234 m long), Unghiuri (<em>Angles<\/em>) Cave (100 m), Unghiuri upstream cave, Avenul din Dumbrav\u0103 (<em>Pothole from the Grove<\/em>), Boiu\u0163 Cave and Gaura Boiului de sub Piatr\u0103 (<em>The hole in Boiu under the Rock)<\/em>. The group also made surveys, drawing plans and sketches of the caves visited.<\/p>\n<p>Another trip is known from 1972, in the Mesteac\u0103n \u2013 Boiu Mare area (Maramure\u015f county). The team, consisting by then of Dumitru I\u015ftvan, Relu Neme\u015f and Cornel P\u00e2rvulescu, explored several pits and caves. Only one of the three, Dumitru I\u015ftvan, continued with a fruitful speleological activity extended over almost four decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-1024x635.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-512\" width=\"898\" height=\"557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-1024x635.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1-768x476.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/1.jpg 1264w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Camp near Avenul din Dumbrav\u0103, 1972 (from the collection of fam. I\u015ftvan).                                                  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"670\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2-1024x670.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2-1024x670.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2-768x503.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/2.jpg 1296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Caving trip around Boiu Mare \u2013 Mesteac\u0103n (Maramure\u015f county), 1972 (from the collection of fam. I\u015ftvan).                                                                <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The era of systematic cave exploration had as a starting point the date of 21.11.1976, when a group from the &#8222;Montana&#8221; Touring Club in Baia Mare (founded in 1974) opted for an ordinary sunday trip, but the first (for the touring club) in a karst area. The four participants (\u015etefan Czibulak\u00a0 &#8211; club president, Dumitru I\u015ftvan &#8211; leader of the Orienteering section, Alexandru Zachan and Andrei Potra) took a trip to the Ciungi Cave. It was also the first caving trip of the touring club, on which occasion a new cave, Pe\u015ftera Pic\u0103turilor (<em>Cave of the Drips<\/em>), was discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-566\" style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-566 ml-slider has-dots-nav ms-theme-radix\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Istoric2\" data-height=\"600\" data-width=\"1040\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_566\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_566\" class=\"flexslider\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-567 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:17:31\" data-filename=\"3-1040x600.jpeg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/3.jpeg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/3-1040x600.jpeg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-566 slide-567 msDefaultImage\" title=\"3\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Spre Pe\u0219tera Boiu\u021b-25-26 iunie 1977. Poz\u0103 din arhiva personal\u0103 Cseterki Francisc                                               <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-568 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:17:43\" data-filename=\"4-1040x600.jpeg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/4.jpeg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/4-1040x600.jpeg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-566 slide-568 msDefaultImage\" title=\"4\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">\u00cenainte de a intra \u00een Pe\u0219tera Boiu\u021b--25-26 iunie 1977. Poz\u0103 din arhiva personal\u0103 Cseterki Francisc<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-615 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:29:21\" data-filename=\"5.1979.03.04-Pestera-Ciungi-2-1040x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/5.1979.03.04-Pestera-Ciungi-2.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/5.1979.03.04-Pestera-Ciungi-2-1040x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-566 slide-615 msDefaultImage\" title=\"5.\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"> Pestera Ciungi 2, 04.03.1979. Fotografie din colec\u021bia fam. I\u0219tvan<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While waiting for the return bus at the Mesteac\u0103n Inn, the \u201emeeting\u201c, seasoned with curly pie and beer, decided: karst is an attractive and <span class=\"tlid-translation translation\" lang=\"en\"><span class=\"\" title=\"\">thrilling<\/span><\/span> subject and deserves to become a research interest for the Montana Touring Club. This was in fact the founding moment of the Montana Caving section. After the trip at Ciungi Cave, caving activity started to take shape and then a group formed, ready to follow this new direction: cave discovery, exploration and research. Later in the same year, the first metres are explored in a new cave, Pe\u015ftera Pic\u0103turilor, then Pe\u015ftera Mic\u0103 de pe Poian\u0103 (<em>Little cave on the Meadow<\/em>) and Avenul Casa Popii (<em>Priest&#8217;s House Pothole<\/em>) were discovered and explored. Shortly after, the restrictions in Pe\u015ftera Pic\u0103turilor were passed and the cave was surveyed on 74 m, this being the first cave discovered (through digging) by Montana. Pe\u015ftera din Valea Rea de la V\u0103lenii \u015eomcutei (<em>The cave in the Bad Valley from V\u0103lenii \u015eomcutei<\/em>), Pe\u015ftera Furcituri (<em>Haystacks Cave<\/em>), Pe\u015ftera Uli\u0163a Pietrii (<em>Stone Alley Cave<\/em>), Avenul din Col\u0163ul Pris\u0103cii (<em>Pothole from the corner of the <\/em><span class=\"tlid-translation translation\" lang=\"en\"><span class=\"\" title=\"\"><em>Apiary<\/em>) <\/span><\/span>were then explored and mapped.<\/p>\n<p>On december 23 1978, the first important lead in a known cave is recorded: the terminus of the Ciungi Cave was overcome by digging a 2,5 m tunnel, leading to the discovery of the Montana Passage (ca. 200 m long), nicely decorated, with which the cave passed 500 m in length. Several new caves in the Some\u015fan Plateau were explored and mapped until 1980 (Pe\u015ftera din Dl. Marginea (<em>Cave from the Edge Hill<\/em>), Pe\u015ftera &#8222;La Pe\u015fteri&#8221; din Boiu Mare (<em>Cave &#8222;at the caves&#8221; from Boiu Mare<\/em>), as well as the caves from Tocarnea Hill near Bistra (Maramure\u015f Mountains). Explorations and digs begun at Pietri\u015f Hill (Tg. L\u0103pu\u015f) and Leordi\u0163a Cave is discovered near B\u0103iu\u0163. The caving group consisted of: Dumitru I\u015ftvan, Alexandru Zachan, \u015etefan Czibulak, George Miric\u0103, Carmen Calogherato, Liviu Berinde, Doina F\u0103rca\u015f, Francisc Cseterki and Iosif Rist.<\/p>\n<p>The activity of the caving section took off, eventually leading to the disappearance of the Touring Club. At first, the alpinists found better conditions at I.M.U.A.S (<em>Enterprise of Machine-Tools, Accesories and Tools<\/em>), where they formed a mountaineering section; then, when the president \u015etefan Czibulak, the driving force of the club, left town, the activity of the other sections (orienteering, tourism) ceased and the club was practically liquidated. The caving section was the only one remaining under the original club name and became the Montana Caving Club, which was then affiliated to the Romanian Federation of Tourism &#8211; Alpinism in 1980, at the Speosport (National Congress of Speleology) from Izvorul Mure\u015fului. The club presented at the congress the results of five years of explorations (surveys and records for 23 caves and potholes, with a total length of 1892 m and a vertical range of 253 m).<\/p>\n<p>The second phase in the club history began in the autumn of 1980 and it is the one in which, once entered in the national annual competition during a period of impressive output on a national scale (between 500 and 1000 new caves were reported nationally each year during the &#8217;80&#8217;s), the club was forced to survive with a small nucleus of members (until 1985: Dumitru I\u015ftvan, Gheorghe Gellinek, Ioan Borz and ocasionally Iosif Rist). Several caves\u00a0 were surveyed in V\u00e2rtoape Hill &#8211; R\u0103zoare, the caves of Bulbuc and P\u0103ltini\u015f in Preluca, Pe\u015ftera Vulpii (<em>Fox Cave<\/em>) and Pe\u015ftera din Z\u0103noaga Pietricelii (<em>Cave from Z\u0103noaga Pietricelii<\/em>),<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/6.Tura-speo-Vartoape-Nelu-Marius-Mocean-Mitica-Istvan.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/6.Tura-speo-Vartoape-Nelu-Marius-Mocean-Mitica-Istvan-1024x639.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/6.Tura-speo-Vartoape-Nelu-Marius-Mocean-Mitica-Istvan-1024x639.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/6.Tura-speo-Vartoape-Nelu-Marius-Mocean-Mitica-Istvan-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/6.Tura-speo-Vartoape-Nelu-Marius-Mocean-Mitica-Istvan-768x479.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/6.Tura-speo-Vartoape-Nelu-Marius-Mocean-Mitica-Istvan.jpg 1488w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Caving trip on the V\u00e2rtoape plateau \u2013 Tg. L\u0103pu\u0219, 08.06.1986                                                              <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Avenul din P\u0103durea Glodeanului (<em>Pothole from Glodeanului Forest<\/em>) &#8211; Hovrila, \u015eura Cailor 2 (<em>Horses Barn 2<\/em>) from Bor\u0219a and two small caves on the Iscioarei valley (Rodnei Mts.), generally modest cavities. During this whole period, participation to the national congresses benefited from the support of the \u201eEmil Racovi\u0163\u0103\u201c Caving Club from Bucharest. Also, the first papers presenting the caves explored by Montana Baia Mare are published in the bulletin of the Bucharest club.<\/p>\n<p>The third phase begun in 1985, when the club received a group of people with previous caving experience at the \u201eCristal\u201c Timi\u015foara Caving Club, or with explorations in the Apuseni Mountains and in the Izvorul Izei (<em>Iza Spring<\/em>) area in the Rodnei Mts. (Ioan T\u0103ma\u015f, Felix Mer\u015fei, Marius Mocean). A new organisational format was found, as a caving section of the \u201eAv\u00e2ntul\u201c (<em>Impetus<\/em>) Baia Sprie Sporting Association. Montana moved its headquarters to Baia Sprie, 11 km from Baia Mare, for several years, with the meetings being held in the photographic workshop of the \u201eAv\u00e2ntul\u201c Cooperative, the working place of a veteran club member. It is the stage when the club reached maturity, because along with the three new members named above, Eugen Constantinescu (1987), formerly of &#8222;Focul Viu&#8221; Bucharest, Dan Zenecan (1988) and Marius Diaconescu also joined the club, while Iosif Rist returned unequivocally to caving in 1989. Iosif Rist focused his interests on the \u015eoimu\u015feni Forest in the Some\u015fan Plateau, where he discovered Avenul Pu\u0163urilor (<em>Pothole of the Pits<\/em>).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Many other new caves are discovered: \u015eura din Cearc\u0103nul (<em>Barn from Cearc\u0103nul<\/em>), the caves from Piatra Scris\u0103 (<em>Written Rock<\/em>) (Baia Bor\u015fa), the caves from \u015eomo\u015f Hill &#8211; Baia Sprie, Poiana Botizii (<em>Botiza Meadow<\/em> village), Piatra V\u0103ratecului (<em>V\u0103ratec Rock<\/em>) and Pietrele de Var (<em>Lime Rocks<\/em>) at Botiza, Horodi\u015fte Cave &#8211; Rona de Jos, Avenul din Podul Cailor (<em>Pothole from the Horses Attic<\/em>), Avenul din Piatra Rea (<em>Pothole from the Bad Rock<\/em>), Pe\u015ftera cu Ap\u0103 din Piatra Fr\u00e2nturii, Avenul din V\u00e2rful Jgheabului. Many potholes are discovered and explored in the \u015eoimu\u015feni forest and Cozla (in the Some\u015fan Plateau).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/9.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/9-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-520\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/9-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/9-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/9.jpg 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Pothole from Vizuinii (<em>Den<\/em>) Hill, Botiza (<em>in gypsum<\/em>). Photo by Traian Minghira\u0219<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><u>1990 \u2013 1995<\/u>. Two cavers from Gherla (Corneliu Moldovan and Marius Todoran), together with Traian Minghira\u015f from Baia Mare, join in 1990 \u2013 so that the old patriarchal nucleus is transformed into a decisive, dynamic team. This also reflects on the results of the club and, apart from the extensive, routine prospections, several big leads are found. Moara lui Pocol Cave from Letca is discovered in march 1991, helping Montana to earn its merited place at the top of Romanian caving, alongside clubs renowned on a national scale. Another important lead is found in Lii Cave (Cuciulat), while several other caves are discovered: St\u00e2r\u015fel Pothole &#8211; S\u0103lni\u0163a, Pancu Cave &#8211; Mesteac\u0103n, The Cave from Ghezii valley &#8211; V\u0103rai, B\u0103beni Cave, the caves from Custura Cet\u0103\u0163elei &#8211; Vima Mic\u0103.<\/p>\n<p>Year 1991 marks the point when the contribution of youth &#8211; Gheorghe Nistor, Emeric Paal, Zamfir \u015eomcutean, Ioan Mure\u015fan, Robert Gergely, Rodica Todoran (1992), then Cosmin Andron (1993), &#8211; is seen as taking over difficult exploration &#8211; the important discoveries at Moara lui Pocol and Lii caves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-572\" style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-572 ml-slider has-dots-nav ms-theme-radix\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Istoric4\" data-height=\"600\" data-width=\"1040\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_572\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_572\" class=\"flexslider\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-573 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:19:16\" data-filename=\"10.Letca-tabara-de-scufundare-9-1040x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/10.Letca-tabara-de-scufundare-9.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/10.Letca-tabara-de-scufundare-9-1040x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-572 slide-573 msDefaultImage\" title=\"10.\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Echip\u0103 de v\u00e2rf \u00een tura de scufundare \u00een P. de la Moara lui Pocol, 1992. Foto: T\u0103ma\u015f Ioan.                                            <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-574 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:19:16\" data-filename=\"11.Letca-tabara-de-scufundare-10-1040x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/11.Letca-tabara-de-scufundare-10.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/11.Letca-tabara-de-scufundare-10-1040x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-572 slide-574 msDefaultImage\" title=\"11.\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Echip\u0103 de v\u00e2rf \u0219i cea de sus\u0163ienere \u00een tura de scufundare \u00een P. de la Moara lui Pocol, 1992. Foto: T\u0103ma\u015f Ioan.                                            <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-575 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:19:17\" data-filename=\"12-976x563.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/12.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/12-976x563.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-572 slide-575 msDefaultImage\" title=\"12\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Echipa de sus\u0163ienere \u00een tura de scufundare \u00een P. de la Moara lui Pocol, 1992. Foto: T\u0103ma\u015f Ioan.                                            <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-576 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:19:17\" data-filename=\"13-770x444.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/13.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/13-770x444.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-572 slide-576 msDefaultImage\" title=\"13\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Echip\u0103 de sus\u0163ienere \u00een tura de scufundare \u00een P. de la Moara lui Pocol, 1992. Foto: T\u0103ma\u015f Ioan.                                            <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Moara lui Pocol Cave has remained the topmost cave of the club for a long time, at present still the longest of the caves discovered and explored (in premiere) by the club. Between 12-17.04.1992, two exploration divers &#8211; Iosif Rist and Eugen Constantinescu &#8211; self-isolated themselves for 5 days in an underground bivouac during the record first post-sump camp in a cave in Romania, surveying over 800 m of new passage. Later on, after several exhausting trips, the cave reached almost 3500 m in length (3496 m).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/14.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/14-1024x690.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-525\" width=\"1024\" height=\"690\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/14-1024x690.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/14-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/14-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/14.jpg 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Diving trip at Lii Cave, 28 january 1995. Photo by Ioan T\u0103ma\u015f.             <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Cave discoveries and exploration continued in the Some\u015fan Plateau, as well as in the Rodnei Mountains (Cob\u0103\u015fel, Valea Vinului, Valea Blaznei), and Maramure\u015f Mountains (S\u00e2lhoi &#8211; \u015eesuri). Although the big finds were the result of cave dives (Iosif Rist, Eugen Constantinescu, Marius Diaconescu and Robert Gergely), they were based on a pyramidal effort, with the participation of all the club members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/15.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/15-935x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526\" width=\"701\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/15-935x1024.jpg 935w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/15-274x300.jpg 274w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/15-768x841.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Caves from Piatra Socol\u0103u, march 1995.                                                      <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It is the moment when all the hard work is acknowledged through the prizes obtained at the national congresses: 2nd place in 1990 and 1992, 1st place in 1991 and 1993 (the last year when a unitary system was applied to evaluate yearly speleological activity). Ioan Pop, a member of the former Touring Club, joins the caving section.<\/p>\n<p>Prof. Dr. Marcian Bleahu \u2013 who appreciated the club&#8217;s activity at our first congress participation in 1980 \u2013 was declared an honorary member of the club and honored our invitation with his presence in our camp at Cuciulat, in July 1994. New club members during this time were Adrian Coman, Cristian Coman, Teodora T\u0103ma\u0219.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>1995 \u2013 2000<\/u><\/strong>. Various new caves and potholes, as well as new leads in known cavities were found: B\u0103beni cave, Col\u0163ul Pris\u0103cii pothole, Ferestruic\u0103 pothole, V\u0103rai cave, Valea Rea cave &#8211; V\u0103lenii \u015eomcutei, Hornoiu cave and sinkhole, the potholes and cave from Indrion peak, Valea Purc\u0103re\u0163ului pothole\u00a0 (Some\u015fan Plateau), Baia lui Schneider cave, Pearl Grotto, Pothole with water from Ponoare, Ladder Pothole and 5 other caves in the Iza Izbuc &#8211; Iza Ponor area, Fissure pothole from Vf. Jgheabului, Podul Cailor pothole<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/16.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"727\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/16-1024x727.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-527\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/16-1024x727.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/16-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/16-768x545.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/16.jpg 1488w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Theodolite survey, Baia lui Schneider cave, 28 \u2013 30.06.1996<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/17.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"736\" height=\"515\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/17.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/17.jpg 736w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/17-300x210.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Near the Iza cave entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>(Rodnei Mountains), Pe\u015ftera M\u0103rinului de sub Tufe (<em>Marin&#8217;s cave under the bushes<\/em> :D) (L\u0103pu\u015f Gorge), Dealul Crucii Grotto (Nth Volcanic Mts.), The cave from Solovan Hill, Mohelca Cave, Cet\u0103\u0163uia grotto, F\u0103get grotto (Maramure\u015f Depression), Vasile Bologa cave and other five caves in Podul Cearc\u0103nului and Dl. Frumos (Maramure\u015f Mts.), new potholes in V\u00e2rtoape Plateau (L\u0103pu\u015f Depression). Iosif Rist dives the Iza spring in 1996, for 10m and -6m, stopping at an underwater restriction which was only passed once before, in a dive in 1984. Then in 1998, the club organizes its first National Congress of Speleology, at Bor\u015fa Complex in Maramures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/17.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/18-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/18-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/18-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/18-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/18.jpg 1772w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Exploration and survey of Pe\u015ftera din Izbucul de la Ramp\u0103 at the National Congress of Speleology  &#8211; St\u00e2na de Vale, 16 september 2000. Photo by Ioan T\u0103ma\u015f.                <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/18.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/19-1024x686.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/19-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/19-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/19-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/19.jpg 1552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The Montana organizing team for the National Congress of Speleology, IIIrd edition, Bor\u015fa 1998. <br>Photo by Ioan T\u0103ma\u015f <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>1999 marks the beginning of a new direction for the club: the discovery, survey and research of artificial cavities, especially old, manually dug mines. The re-survey of the Iza cave begins in 2000, when the cave, blocked by a tree trunk dam formed on the entrance passage, is reopened after 15 years.\u00a0 Several dives are attempted in the Zug\u0103u spring and in Gaura Pi\u0219oii (<em>The P** Hole<\/em>) , in collaboration with belgian divers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/20.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"739\" height=\"508\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/20.jpg 739w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/20-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Baia Mare and belgian divers at Zug\u0103u spring &#8211; R\u0103stoci, 25.07.2000<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/21.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"731\" height=\"516\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/21.jpg 731w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/21-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Dive in Zug\u0103u spring, 25.07.2000<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The club receives a big boost in membership during this phase: Dan C\u0103lean, Vasile Timur Chi\u015f, Bogdan Chiuzb\u0103ian, Gheorghe Chiuzb\u0103ian, Sorin Chiuzb\u0103ian, Augustina Habineac, Mihaly K\u00fcrti, Andrei Mihalca, Iudith Nemeth, Marius P\u0103linca\u015f, Alec Portase, Sandor Ravay Nagy, Alexandru S\u00f6ver, Alina Su\u0103tean,\u00a0 Mihaela Traian, Flaviu Vasile, Florin Volfart, C\u0103t\u0103lin V\u0103su\u0163iu, Odile Negrean, Mihai T\u0103ma\u015f and Tudor T\u0103ma\u015f. Many of them have since left the country due to the precarious economic situation during the nineties and early 2000&#8217;s. The latter three contributed to the exploration and survey of several of the big club objectives in the late 90&#8217;s and 2000&#8217;s: Podul Cailor Pothole (-106 m), Iza Cave (4610 m), Iza Spring Cave (&gt;900 m), and in the discovery of new caves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-580\" style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-580 ml-slider has-dots-nav ms-theme-radix\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Istoric6\" data-height=\"600\" data-width=\"1040\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_580\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_580\" class=\"flexslider\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-581 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:21:17\" data-filename=\"22-1040x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22-1040x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-580 slide-581 msDefaultImage\" title=\"22\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Pe\u0219tera Iza. Foto: Vasile Chi\u0219 Timur                                                                         <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-582 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:21:17\" data-filename=\"23-1000x576.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/23.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/23-1000x576.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-580 slide-582 msDefaultImage\" title=\"23\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Pe\u0219tera Iza. Foto: Vasile Chi\u0219 Timur<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-583 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:21:17\" data-filename=\"24-669x385.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/24.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/24-669x385.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-580 slide-583 msDefaultImage\" title=\"24\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Pe\u0219tera Iza. Foto: Vasile Chi\u0219 Timur<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-584 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:21:17\" data-filename=\"25-1040x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/25.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/25-1040x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-580 slide-584 msDefaultImage\" title=\"25\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Pe\u0219tera Iza. Foto: Vasile Chi\u0219 Timur<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><u><strong>2001 \u2013 2005<\/strong>.<\/u> New caves\/new leads: Pe\u015ftera cu Oase \u2013 Poiana Botizii (L\u0103pu\u015f Mts), the Pothole from Geam\u0103nu, the Cave with Three Entrances and Pintea&#8217;s Pothole from Muncelul R\u00e2ios and many others (25-30) in the traditional areas of the club, mainly in the vicinity of Baia Mare or in the Maramure\u015f and S\u0103laj counties. M\u0103gurici Cave is resurveyed in collaboration with the ,,Emil Racovi\u021b\u0103\u201c Institute of Speleology during several trips in 2002. During 2003, the club prospected and surveyed at the surface of the old Appafy Salt Mine at Co\u015ftiui in the Maramure\u015f Depression; a preliminary exploration was done in the upper part of the salt mine. Ca. 400m were resurveyed in the Iza Cave, out of the 2.5 km already known from the &#8217;80s. Then, during two trips in august and september 2004, a 9m tunnel was dug in sediments at the Iza Spring Cave, rediscovering the stream passage after 20 years from the first (and only successful) dive, and surveying 500 m of passages. Several new members joined the club on a temporary or permanent basis: Dana Balea , Alexandru Costin, Stela Cucu, Flaviu Golda, Dan Libotean, Alexandru Mure\u015fan, Bogdan Mure\u015fan, Sergiu Negrean, Alexandra Opri\u0219an, Szabolcs Sz\u00f6ll\u00f6sy, Dan Tar\u021ba, C\u0103lin Tot, Adriana V\u0103lean, C\u0103t\u0103lin V\u0103su\u021biu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/20.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/27.Avenul-lui-Pintea-din-Muncelul-Raios-1024x690.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/27.Avenul-lui-Pintea-din-Muncelul-Raios-1024x690.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/27.Avenul-lui-Pintea-din-Muncelul-Raios-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/27.Avenul-lui-Pintea-din-Muncelul-Raios-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/27.Avenul-lui-Pintea-din-Muncelul-Raios.jpg 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Pintea&#8217;s Pothole from Muncelul Raios. Photo by Marius P\u0103linca\u0219.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/26.Santul-din-Muncelul-Raios.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/26.Santul-din-Muncelul-Raios-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-537\" width=\"576\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/26.Santul-din-Muncelul-Raios-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/26.Santul-din-Muncelul-Raios-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/26.Santul-din-Muncelul-Raios.jpg 1104w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Fracture groove in Muncelul Raios. Foto: P\u0103linca\u0219 Marius<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>2006 \u2013 2010<\/u><\/strong>. 33 new caves and potholes, generally of small dimensions, are found. F\u00e2nt\u00e2na lui Pavel (Pavel&#8217;s well) \u2013 an interesting cave accessed through the household well in the backyard of a house, was explored and surveyed for 201 m length and -19m vertical range in july and december 2008. Collaborations with other clubs (Proteus Hunedoara, Cristal Oradea) and with students from the Faculty of Geology, Babes-Bolyai University helped to finish the re-survey of the Iza Cave and the discovery of 1.5 km of new passage, the cave reaching 4 km.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/28.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/28-980x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-539\" width=\"490\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/28-980x1024.jpg 980w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/28-287x300.jpg 287w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/28-768x803.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/28.jpg 1102w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Parietal art at the entrance of Pe\u0219tera lui Dobo\u0219 din Dl. Camnea (<em>Dobo\u0219&#8217;s cave from Camnea Hill<\/em>), 18.03.2006. Foto: Alec Portase<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/29.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/29-1024x521.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-540\" width=\"512\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/29-1024x521.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/29-300x153.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/29-768x390.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/29.jpg 1247w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Parietal writing at the entrance of Pe\u0219tera lui Dobo\u0219 din Dl. Camnea (<em>Dobo\u0219&#8217;s cave from Camnea Hill<\/em>), 18.03.2006. Foto: Alec Portase<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/30.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/30-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/30-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/30-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/30-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Exploration of Izvorul din Coasta Vl\u0103dicii (<em>Spring at the Ruler&#8217;s Slope<\/em>)\u2013 Prislop, 20 april 2009. Photo by Traian Minghira\u0219.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/31.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/31-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/31-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/31-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/31-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Digging in Fundul Labului (<em>Plot Bottom<\/em>) Pothole \u2013 Prislop, 02 mai 2009. Photo by Traian Minghira\u015f.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/32.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/32.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/32.jpg 426w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/32-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Exploration of Bonifapt&#8217;s Fridge \u2013 Rodnei Mts., 11 august 2007.  Photo by Petru Lucian Goja<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/33.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/33-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/33-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/33-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/33.jpg 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Exploration of Bonifapt&#8217;s Fridge \u2013 Rodnei Mts., 11 august 2007.  Photo by Traian Minghira\u0219.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/34.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/34-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/34-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/34-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/34-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Entrance to F\u00e2nt\u00e2na lui Pavel (<em>Pavel&#8217;s Well)<\/em>&#8211; 2008. Photo by Tudor T\u0103ma\u0219 .                                                                                          <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/35.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/35-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/35-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/35-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/35-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Surveying F\u00e2nt\u00e2na lui Pavel, July 2008. Photo by Adriana V\u0103lean.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2006 a cave formed in ice, albeit temporary, was discovered: Pe\u015ftera \u00een Ghea\u0163\u0103 din P\u00e2r\u00e2ul \u015eurii, Criva Valley, a 700 m cave formed in a nival glacier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/36.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/36-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/36-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/36-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/36-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption> Pe\u015ftera \u00een Ghea\u0163\u0103 din P\u00e2r\u00e2ul \u015eurii. Photo by Alexandru Mure\u0219an                                                                   <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/37.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/37-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/37-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/37-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/37.jpg 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Pe\u015ftera \u00een Ghea\u0163\u0103 din P\u00e2r\u00e2ul \u015eurii (<em>Cave in Ice from Barn Creek<\/em>). Photo by Alexandru Mure\u0219an<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The year 2006 marks an increased activity of the club in the old mines, especially from the Baia Mare area. In collaboration with Cristal Oradea, club members joined the re-survey of the Pothole of Pa\u0219cal\u0103u (Bihor county), discovered by a villager while digging the foundations of a house. The pothole terminus, known at -100m, is passed and a depth of -150m is reached. In 2007-2008, during two international survey camps at Humpleu System (Cluj county), the second longest in Romania, Montana contributed with ca. 1.5 km of re-surveyed passages. In 2007, Iosif Rist dived and discovered 25 m in the sump of Gaura Pi\u015foii (<em>P** Hole<\/em>) from Fr\u00e2ncenii de Piatr\u0103, while in 2008 his second diving tentative in the same sump reaches 50 m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/20.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/38-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/38-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/38.jpg 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Ioji Rist diving in Gaura Pi\u015foii (<em>P** Hole<\/em>), 19 july 2008. Photo by Traian Minghira\u015f.                                                                                                                                                                                                          <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>2009: in a diving trip in the Iza Spring Cave, Geza Rajka and Nimrod Nagy manage to cross sumps 3 (16 m long) and 4 (40 m long), while shortly after, a digging camp joined by the whole club makes short work of tunnels 2 (6m) and 3 (8m) on a short fossil level, discovering 200 m of new passage. Another 200 m of passage are discovered on the upper(most) fossil level of the Lii Cave (Cuciulat, S\u0103laj) past the 2nd sump, the cave reaching 1.5 km. An important lead, yet to be surveyed, was discovered via more digging in the V\u0103rai cave.<\/p>\n<p>New members: Ioan Liviu Bere\u015f, C\u0103lin Buzura, Dan Ciurte, Olimpiu Chin\u0163a, Anamaria Dan, Marius Luca, Adrian Moldovan, Cristian Moldovan, Raul Mure\u015fan, Andreea Paltan, Tamas Pandi, Andrei Pop, Iuliana Vi\u015fan.<\/p>\n<p>The club received several awards for its activity during this interval: Ist and IIIrd prizes at the National Conventions in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, mainly for cartography and scientific output. The Iza cave map received the IInd prize in the 1.5 &#8211; 5 km cathegory at the International Congress of Speleology in Kerville (Texas, USA, 2009), this being the first international prize received by Montana Baia Mare. However, probably the most important result of this phase is the design of the \u201eDigital Cave Register\u201d of the caves explored and surveyed\/re-surveyed by Montana, an original design of a club member. The cave register is permanently actualized and contains detailed sections comprising the whole explorative and cartographic activity of the club.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>2011 \u2013 <\/u><u>2018<\/u>.<\/strong> 2011 is marked by an unfortunate mountain accident leading to the tragic loss of president Dumitru I\u015ftvan.&nbsp; Trying hard to overcome this loss, Montana hosted the XXXIXth edition of the national caving congress at Ileanda \u2013 S\u0103laj county, of which we had already assumed the organization. In a previous year nea Mitic\u0103 I\u015ftvan was named an Honorary member of the Romanian Speleological Federation, while the title of Honorary citizen of Baia Mare was accorded to him posthumously in 2013.<\/p>\n<p>The most important results during this period were obtained in: Rodnei Mts. (8 caves and several new leads in Iza Cave and Iza Spring Cave), L\u0103pu\u0219 Gorge and L\u0103pu\u0219 Mts. (Custura \u015eetrii (<em>Rock&#8217;s Edge<\/em>) Pothole &#8211; the deepest Romanian pothole in volcanic rocks) and in the N. Volcanic Mts. (3 caves and 2 old mines). In the Some\u0219an Plateau 8 new caves were discovered, with a -38m pothole (<em>Pothole of the Three Little Pigs<\/em>) in an area previously not prospected. In Gaura Pi\u015foii, after several pumping trips, the 56-m long and 6 m deep sump was eventually passed through pumping ca. 500 mc. of water, also passing the terminus reached previously through diving. Exploration was then stopped by a second sump. In Moara Lui Pocol Cave, diving was recommenced after 22 years and in a 17-hour trip, several sump bypasses were rigged for SRT.&nbsp; Many other trips were concerned with prospections and GPS locations of previously discovered caves for the update of the systematic cave record. Andrei B\u0103rbos, Teodor B\u00eelcu, Mihai Fene\u0219an, Octavian Pop, Mircea Ra\u021biu, and Agnes Ruskal participated in some trips. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Area, geographic units and caving zones<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most of the caves explored by ,,Montana\u201c are located in the Maramure\u015f and S\u0103laj counties in North-western Romania, but we also explored and surveyed caves in the counties of Bistri\u0163a-N\u0103saud, Satu Mare, Cluj, Bihor, Alba, and Cara\u015f Severin. The hidrographic basins, per the Romanian Systematic Catalogue, are: 100, 101, 1000, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1010, 1022, 1025,1026,1028, 1029, 2214, 3311, 3427, 3511, 3800, 3812, 3901, 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 401, 4012, 4013, 4020, 4022, 4043, and 4060, while the geographic units are: the Maramure\u0219 Mts., Rodnei Mts, North Volcanic Mts., Gil\u0103u Mts., Bihor Mts., Vl\u0103deasa Mts., Plopi\u0219 Mts., Meze\u0219 Mts, the Some\u0219an Plateau, G\u00e2rb\u0103ului Hills, Ciceului Hills, Alma\u0219 &#8211; Agri\u0219 Depression, Preluca Mts. At present, the number of caves found is of ca. 350, with a total length of over 25000 m.<\/p>\n<p><u>Other activities<br><\/u><\/p>\n<p><strong>Protection<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Between 2005 \u2013 2015, Montana had four natural protected areas in custody: three caves (Pe\u015ftera Valea Rea de la V\u0103lenii \u015eomcutei, Pe\u015ftera cu Oase de la Poiana Botizei and the Iza Cave) and the Fossiliferous Reserve from Chiuzbaia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mining archeology<br><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Beginning seriously in 1996, although many of us had adventures in the old mines from the hills around the city at a younger age, \u201eMontana\u201c also focused its interest on the artificial underground environment, especially old mine galleries, dug manually, or natural cavities transformed by human intervention. In 2006, in collaboration with specialists from the Maramure\u0219 Museum of History and Archeology, we documented and surveyed the medieval sewage network from Pia\u0163a P\u0103cii in Baia Mare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-606\" style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-108-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-606 ml-slider has-dots-nav ms-theme-radix\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Istoric14\" data-height=\"600\" data-width=\"1040\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_606\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_606\" class=\"flexslider\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-607 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:25:33\" data-filename=\"42-576x332.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/42.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/42-576x332.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-606 slide-607 msDefaultImage\" title=\"42\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Arheologie urban\u0103 \u00een re\u021beaua medieval\u0103 de canalizare a ora\u0219ului, \u00een Pia\u021ba P\u0103cii, Baia Mare. Foto: Zamfir \u0218omcutean<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-608 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:25:33\" data-filename=\"43-576x332.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/43.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/43-576x332.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-606 slide-608 msDefaultImage\" title=\"43\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Arheologie urban\u0103 \u00een re\u021beaua medieval\u0103 de canalizare a ora\u0219ului, \u00een Pia\u021ba P\u0103cii, Baia Mare. Foto: Odile Negrean<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-609 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2019-04-29 17:25:33\" data-filename=\"44-1040x600.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/44.jpg\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"View Slide Details\" class=\"metaslider_image_link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/44-1040x600.jpg\" height=\"600\" width=\"1040\" alt=\"\" class=\"slider-606 slide-609 msDefaultImage\" title=\"44\" \/><\/a><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Planul re\u021belei de canalizare medieval\u0103 a ora\u0219ului. Cartografie: Traian Minghira\u0219, Tudor T\u0103ma\u0219<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Also in 2006, the club participated in the evaluation of some tens of objectives in a project financed by the Maramure\u015f county council. Starting with 2007, this activity has intensified and concerns the discovery, exploration and documentation of artificial cavities, such as: <em>i.<\/em> old, manually dug mine galleries, (so far 30 mines identified, out of which 23 surveyed, for a total length of 1587.5 m); <em>ii.<\/em> cavities with a mixed genesis (natural, but modified by human intervention &#8211; two, with a length of 860.9 m), and <em>iii.<\/em> artificial cavities, dug or constructed, other than mines (two, 46.2 m). These cavities are all located in mining areas: Baia Mare, Baia Sprie, Baia Bor\u015fa (Maramures county), Rodna Veche \u2013 Valea Vinului (Bistrita Nasaud county), and Huta Certeze (Satu Mare county).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/45.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/45-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-556\" width=\"576\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/45-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/45-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/45.jpg 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><br>Galeria Petru \u0219i Pavel superior (<em>Peter and Paul Upper gallery<\/em>) \u2013 dug manually. Photo by Traian Minghira\u0219              <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/46.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/46-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-557\" width=\"576\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/46-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/46-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/46.jpg 1944w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The Lobkowits gallery \u2013 epigraphic monument in latin, dated 1834, 10.05.2006<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><u>International events and expeditions<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Internationally, club members debuted in 1998, participating at camps, trips and expeditions in France, Italy, U.S., U.K., Bahamas, India and Hungary. In the field of artificial cavities, the club won the Ist prize of the Map Salon at the International Congress of Speleology in Brno, Czechia (2013), with the map of the Baia Mare medieval sewage network. A map drawn after a collaboration with the Meghalaya Adventurers Association (India) during the Caving of the Abode of the Clouds expeditions in Meghalaya received another international prize &#8211; 2nd place at the Cartographic Salon of the International Congress of Speleology in Sydney, Australia (2017), followed shortly after by the Ist prize at the national Romanian Congress (sept. 2017).<\/p>\n<p><u>Publications<\/u><\/p>\n<p>The results of our research are reflected in over 50 papers published in various caving and scientific jurnals: &nbsp;Speomond, Cercetari speologice (<em>Speleological Research<\/em>), Contribu\u021bii la Cunoa\u0219terea Carstului (<em>Contributions to Karst Knowledge<\/em>), Pro Unione, Theoretical and Applied Karstology, museum journals \u2013 Marma\u021bia, Memoria Antiquitatis, Revista Bistri\u0163ei, Bibliotheca Cumidavae, Arheovest, Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research, as well as various bulletins, annals of clubs or speleological societies. Tens, maybe hundreds of articles were published in the local and national press with the purpose of information and promotion of caving and speleology, as well as our discoveries.<\/p>\n<p>Trying to somehow elude the present state of affairs less favourable for the support and encouragement of the development and evolution of caving in Romania, we believe that our hopefully nice story may live longer still, as it happened in the 44 years our club celebrates this year.<\/p>\n<p>Traian MINGHIRA\u0218<\/p>\n<p>Dumitru I\u0218TVAN \u2020<\/p>\n<p>Tudor T\u0102MA\u0218<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/our-past\/\"><span class=\"more-msg\">Continuarea &rarr;<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-960","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=960"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1072,"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/960\/revisions\/1072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/speomontana.ro\/wps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}