The Moravian Karst is home of more than 1100 caverns and gorges. It is considered to be one of Central Europe’s most important karst areas and is interlaced with many trails, thus making it possible to see beautiful rock formations, pits, underground lakes, corridors and domes. People that are looking to dig away at history will find this Czechoslovakian gem the perfect site for archaeological and paleontological discoveries. Despite the wealth of caverns and gorges, only 4 four caves are open to the general public.
At this point you may be saying to yourself: “but what about the divers?- I have not read anything so far about what divers can do at such a mysterious place!” It is true- at first sight the Moravian Karst would seem to be more of an attraction to those that are interested in going in and out of different caves and seeing curious gorges and lakes; however, with the presence of the Mococha Abyss, this unique attraction takes on new life and meaning for experienced divers and rock climbers. Notice the two words of the last sentence: ‘rock climbers’? This simply means that anyone that wants to embark on the adventurous thrill of diving the Moravian Karst or better the Mococha Abyss, must have some rock climbing knowledge to make the whole trip worthwhile.
Diving The Moravian Karst
You will be taken by electric boats to get to the place where the blossoms of your diving imaginations begin to take root. The electric boats will get you to the bottom of the Mococha by passing through the underground Punkva River passages. The water levels through this passage is shallow and only two deep areas named “forty” and “one hundred” may interest divers. Your final destination will be the two little lakes that are located at the bottom of the abyss, but you will have to do most of the work of unloading and climbing to the action point on your own.
The Upper Lake and Lower Lake will lead you to milky lake water with chilly temperatures. You will not have any issues with visibility during the first two to three feet and as such will not need a line drill within these parameters. You will also notice that the cave line is a rock climbing rope that will facilitate the whole process of moving from one place to the next in the freezing temperatures. It is natural to expect that the dimensions underwater would be vast as above land, however the passage through the milky water is quite narrow with another passage strung throughout the cave leading to the Key Hole. The whole adventure will end once you reach 150 feet within the tunnel.
While you are in the Moravian Karst, you may also want to adventure out to the Hranicka Abyss where you will be welcomed with breathtaking view of nature’s handy work. The Hranicka Abyss does not have a bottom and records have it that divers broke the water surface in 1961. The water is full of CO2 which means that breathing through regulators should be performed within the water. The tingling sensation that the CO2 causes on exposed skin may take some time to get used to and divers will find that their lips loose sensitivity after sometime within the CO2 rich water. By swapping regulators, divers can minimize the occurrence of such an effect in the water.
In the early years divers reached a depth of 289 feet in the Hranicka Abyss. As time progressed and the thirst for challenges got more intense, this accomplishment was replaced with new depths of 361 feet and 594 feet in 1981 and 2000 respectively. The site is out of bounds for the general diving public and only explorers are allowed to venture in the Hranicka Abyss’ mysterious waters. Many attempts have been made to determine the bottom of the abyss, but the results have not proven to be accurate due to technical complications and other issues.
The Hranicka Abyss has a very high concentration of CO2 which means that regulators cannot be removed at any time for long periods. The formations in the abyss are spectacular giving way to vertical fissures and aragonite formations that add a peculiar scene to the whole place. So if you are looking for pristine scenery and the underwater adventure of a lifetime, the Moravian Karst in the Czech Republic may be the dive spot for you.