Rudické propadání

Useful Information

Location:	From Rudické 1 km/15 minutes walk. (49.3328282, 16.7333927)
Open:	no restrictions. [2023]
Fee:	free. [2023]
Classification:	Ponor
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Rudické propadání.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1802	first exploration attempt by Count Hugo Salm.

Description

Close to the small village Rudické is a spectacular abyss, the river which flows above ground on not karstifiable rocks reaches the Devonian limestone and goes underground at the foot of a huge limestone cliff, into a ponor which is also a huge cave portal. It is called Rudické propadání (Rudice sink) or more baroque Jeskynní systém Rudické propadání (Rudice sinkhole cave system). The cave system Rudické propadání - Býčí skála in the Moravian Karst, with its length of more than 12 km, is the second longest in the Czech Republic. A massive layer of Devonian limestone contains the 153 m deep Rudická abyss, which is the deepest shaft in the country. The underground flow of the Jedovnické Potok starts with a series of waterfall, and it descends 86 m until it reaches an underground canyon. The highest of the waterfalls is 35 m high and is the highest in the Czech Republic. The underground passage reappears in a valley near Adamov, the cave is named Býčí skála (Bull Rock cave) on this side.

Both sides are accessible with restrictions, as both are not show caves, but the local cavers offer cave trekking trips. This cave is actually entered through a second shaft which is dry and opens higher up the cliff wall. It is developed by a series of iron ladders which allow the rather comfortable descend to the canyon. Then it is necessary to walk through the river, as there are no dry passages. For such tours a neoprene suite is recommended. The cave also has places which are difficult to pass through. Above the underground stream, reaching up more than a hundred meters, there is a labyrinth of chimneys and horizontal corridors. One of the shafts actually reaches the surface. Those fossil parts of the cave system have a rich sinter decoration.

We actually listed the site not for those tours, which are quite strenuous and only for sportive visitors. But the site is a popular destination for visitors of the Moravian Karst as it is possible to walk to the ponor from the village Rudické. It's less than a kilometer, so its about 10 to 15 minutes hike, but the ponor is located at the end of a deep valley, and so the walk back is a little more strenuous. The Starting point is the small museum of the spelologists, which is located in a historic windmill in Rudice called Větrný mlýn Rudice. There is a small beer-garden and a shop which sells ice, coffee and beverages. The museum is small but has three levels, with local history on the ground floor, geology of the local iron mining on the first floor, and history of the speleological explorations on the second floor. On the other side of the road is a meadow with an educational sign of the geopark and a collection of huge rocks, which are found in this area. After a short visit of this geological follow the road, which soon becomes a grassy trail. It leads down into a depression and turns right. Here are several limestone cliffs which are popular with climbers. There is also a sort of amphitheatre with numerous small caves and cave houses in the cliffs. Keep right, and a steep trail leads down through the forest to the river and the ponor. Return the same way. You might allow at least an hours for the museum and the walk, probably a little more.