We're thinking of planning a Club Trip for the Dudley to Slovenia in 2017. Possibly to include other activities e.g. skiing, via ferrata etc.

We will be a group of adult experienced cavers, SRT competent.

Suggestions/ recommendations please? At the moment we're looking at March as flights seem cheaper but open to advice on:

where to stay
where to cave
when to go
what kit to take
whether we need permits and how to get them

links to trip reports and photos would be good

Your help is much appreciated!

PM sent

Stay- Laze at Speleocamp
Cave- in the woods around Laze
When?- I've been in summer, but I guess march is fine
Taking- usual caving gear (if camping a tent etc or if in the bunkhouse then the usual bunkhouse stuff)
Also take spits, rope protectors and stuff for rigging off naturals (like trees and stals!)

don't think you need permits although there are some good caves with boats, which are leader led.

see page 3-5 of YUCPC's 2009 trip reports http://yucpc.org.uk/trips/index.php?year=2009&cave=&page=5

Bradford Pothole club went in 2015 (I think)

alastairgott said:

see page 3-5 of YUCPC's 2009 trip reports http://yucpc.org.uk/trips/index.php?year=2009&cave=&page=5

Click to expand...

And pages 2-3 of YUCPC's 2012 trip reports! http://yucpc.org.uk/trips/index.php?year=2012&cave=&page=2

I'd forgotten Y.E.S. had been as well. (or did they call themselves Team Win? they were definitely an iteration of Team Rhythm from 2009)

I can't remember who told me, but apparently some of the woodland around Laze was cut down and finding cave entrances was made much more difficult as a result! This might have been cleaned up now though.

Would totally recommend arranging a leader in advance for Krizna Jama.

Your obviously need a book...

Well,a caving Journal:

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar [BULLETIN The Railwaymen Caving Club] 2016 100 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  As you may have guess, when the club was first formed all its members were railway workers.  Today the club is open to all. 
Contents
Editoral  2
Report of the President on the work of the club in 2014 Janez Jak Cerar 3
Report of the President on the work of the club in 2015 Janez Jak Cerar 4
Deep Throat or dive into the Renejevem Pothole 2014 Bo?tjan Vrvi??ar 5
The Ice Cave in Vi?evnik - a summary of the activity in 2015 Miha Staut .. 8
A Large account John Ferreira Stra?i?ar 17
Dejama [Cave] Mjlaiv Ferran 18
The Cave under Vr?i? - Kanin discovery in Lisa White Miha Staut 20
The Colorful Cave or Disappointment Cave  John Ferreira-Stra?i?ar 26
The Clarification of the Secrets of Jami over Prodi [Cave] Miha Staut 28
My research 2014-2016 [a cave on Triglav Mts] Janez Ferreira-Stra?i?ar 30
Caving Camp Bear Expensive Sne?nik [drinking beer to frighten the bears!] 2014 Robi Mesojednik 31
Slejkova Cave  Survey Miha ?ekada 32
Slejkove Cave Research Camp JKZ [JLZ=Railwaymen Caving Club] Jasa Zidar 34
Cinematography Winery - 60th anniversary of JKZ Janez Jaka Cerar  36
Commemorating the 45 th Anniversary of Chamois Miha ?ekada 38
Mountain Caves or Four Men in a Boat Ciril Mlinar Cic 40
50 hours in Padirac [France] Peter Gedei 42
Impressions from the camp BSU 2014 Serbia Iztok Tr?ek - JOLBE 46
Slovak Cavers Week - Low Tatras, 28.7, -3.8.2014 Matej Zalokar 50
Good Success in Brazil Miha Staut 54
When the Second Plan Becomes Tutum Cave ... Tm Bizjak 62
Wintering 2015 [Caving in Thailand] Vid Gorjan 64
Caves and Cavers Have is so Cool [ Vranjo Cave] Anja Kos 66
Beer and Caves Jasa Zidar 67
Heaped Rate Canyoning  Sandi Kmeti? 69
Verd Hydroelectric Power Plant Ale? Liv 72
Perknapova Ports Alenka Glazer 73
We and 57. The number of new journals Ale? Lajovic 75
In memoriam: Franc ?irovnik-Bavc Igor ?itko 77
Memories of Drago Opasica?Billyja Ale? Lajovic 79
Rog Factory Alan Bizjak 80
Christmas 2015 Anja KOS 81
New Year's Party in 2014 Aeneas Osterman 82
New Year 2015 Anja Kos 83
Personal News 84
Minutes Delivered to the Cave Register JZS Miha ?ekada 90
Registered Caves in the Caves Register JZS Miha ?ekada 92
Members List JK ?elezni?ar 93
Cave Index Bilten. 94
In Slovenian SB ?5.00

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar 2010  105 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  Too tired to translate the contents.  Tomorrow perhaps.  In Slovenian SB ?5.00

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar 2008  137 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  In Slovenian SB ?5.00

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar 2006  123 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  In Slovenian SB ?5.00


BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar 2005  136 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  In Slovenian SB ?5.00

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar 2003  134 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  In Slovenian SB ?5.00

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar 2001  123 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.  In Slovenian SB ?5.00

rhychydwr1 said:

Your obviously need a book...

Well,a caving Journal:

BILTEN Jamarskega Kluba ?eleznicar [BULLETIN The Railwaymen Caving Club] 2016 100 pp, colour photos on nearly every page.

Click to expand...

Or Seemingly Free from https://issuu.com/jkzeleznicar

Talk to Imperial College Caving Club; they've been running expeditions there for many years. (If you happen to be in the Dales some of them are also NPC members. They are often around on the first weekend of each month so call into Greenclose and have a chat.)

Went to Slovenia in Summer to go caving. Ended up more like a summer holiday, but we had a lovely time. You do need to apply for a permit a month in advance, but it's free, and you just need a note from your club confirming that you're a bona fide caver and a photocopy of your passport. All the info you need is online here: http://www.jamarska-zveza.si/index.php/foreigners/permit-ic

Hi
Cave guide to Slovenia, Vol 1 by Ian Bishop. 1997.  ISBN 0 9531312 0 3

I have only visited in Summer, but the average weather appears to be cold and wet in March. A number of the classic caves are river caves which show signs of very high water levels.

Cheers
Allan

If you go to the south Wales cc hut i'm sure  Allan ^ their librarian will pull out a copy for you.

I think he wears shorts even in winter, but don't mix him with Tony Seddon!

SUSS had a 2 week jolly to Slovenia in 2010 (or maybe 2011). I'm not SUSS but tagged along to keep them out of trouble. We split the holiday and did a week in the north at a lovely campsite at Trenta on the edge of the Julian Alps to go climbing mostly but some did some via ferrata and canyoning. There were some good limestone crags (mostly sport) within half hour drive of the campsite and a few within walking distance. Oh and a nice bar / restaurant.  For week 2 we migrated south to Speleocamp at Laze and were lucky to have the site to ourselves. Its the perfect camp for cavers and is well equipped with washing facilities for dirty gear and Franc (the owner) speaks good English and is a caver with plenty of advice on the best caves to visit, directions, how to obtain guides/permits for some caves etc etc etc. Some cracking caving to be had and for a lazy day some stunning  / vast show caves in the area.

Apart from the 'little-uns' (Tom Smith and Chris Playfoot) almost getting taken for the sex trade by a couple of polish chaps, its a beautiful country with really friendly people. Thoroughly recommended.

Thank you all for info, very helpful. Do people mainly fly or drive?

I flew to Slovenia in summer 2007 and summer 2008 to cave around Laze with EUSS.
The caves in the area are excellent if you enjoy abundant formations, karst features and interesting cave life. They are varied and the best known caves are, for the most part, straightforward.

Vertical caving isn't my cup of tea but if that's your thing then I believe that the Julian Alps in the north west of Slovenia may be a better choice.

March is probably not the best time to be caving at Laze because the Planinsko Polje can completely fill with water and thus reduce the number of caving options, but it is best to check this with Franc.

Alex