Complesso del Foran del Muss - the expeditions of KS Aven in 1995 - 97 Waldemar Kasprzyk, Marek Koziol, Waldemar Mucha Klub Speleologiczny "Aven" Sosnowiec

We were encouraged to explore the Mount Canin massif in the Julian Alps by the article "Foran del Muss - utopia o futuro", which was published by our Itallian friend Mario Kraus of Club Alpinistico Triestiono. It was in that article that its author put forward the suggestion that, at least, some of the already known deep caves, situated on the Foran del Muss plateau, were linked together forming the hypthotetical Complesso del Foran del Muss. For the first time we set off to explore the massif in March 1995. It was a daring enterprise as in the winter time the above area is actually not visited by Italian cavers. As a result of the arrangements made with the Triest cavers, who had been systematically exploring the area in question for many years, we decided to carry out a search in Abisso Morning cave. Our main target was a series recently discovered by M. Krauso and G. Benedetti at the depth of 400 meters. The main attainment of the first expedition, led by Waldemar Kasprzyk, was the discovery of the entrance to a new gallery, constituting the upper level of a huge meander of the length of about 0.5 km and the height reaching 50 meters. Having covered the distance of about 300 meters in the upper level of the Wind Meander, whose lower level is too narrow to go through, we unexpectedly reached the already known point in the cave WZ 10. The above point had been previously explored by the Italians who had descended there from the entrance of WZ 10. Having traversed the distance of 100 meters along the spectacular and draughty gallery, we decided to stop the climbing due to the expiry of time of our expedition. However, we managed to discover 200 m of passages situated off the place we had chosen for bivouac. Nevertheless, the fragment of the southward passage has not been explored so far. Encouraged by such promising results, we came back to Foran del Muss four times again: in the summer of 1995, in the winter, and in the summer of 1996, as well as in February of 1997.

Each of the expeditions was organized by KS AVEN of Sosnowiec. The first two expeditions were led again by Waldemar Kasprzyk wherease the next two by Marek Koziol. We carried on exploring the route we had chosen at the beginning. Having covered the subsequent 100 m of traverse in the Wind Meander, we reached the boulder-chock, the crossing of which opened up some new perspectives for the exploration. A twig of mountain pine found behind the boulder-chock, at the bottom of huge Richard's Chamber, made us climb a 200 m high vertical chimney. It led to the surface throughout the snow plug situated at the entrance of WZ 8 cave. As we discovered later in winter the entrance was completely obstructed. In the upper part of the chamber a narrow entrance to a 66 m deep pit was subsequently discovered. On descending it we reached the bottom of the Wind Meander, which was behind the boulder chock. Proceeding throughout an active water passage with a few rapids, we came across a small mound which was raised by the Italian cavers who had reached this place by the climbing one of the passages of Abisso Emile Comici cave. Finding the mound proved that the two big caves: Mornig and Comici were linked. The evidence supported Mauro Kraus hypothotesis that Complesso del Foran del Muss does exist.