Primož Jakopin, photo diary

Mala Karlovica, Skednena and Najdena jama
Winter in Inner Carniola

January 3 to 18, 2026, 63 pictures

          Most images are approximately 768 x 1024 pixels in size. Numbers in front of picture descriptions are serial numbers of the original photo files. The excursion to Mala Karlovica was made possible by Berta and Jože Stražišar through the hospitality and warmth of their home, otherwise it would have failed due to the late hour and a cold winter day. The photos taken on January 11 depict Polona Planina, and Renato Verbovšek - Rene is mentioned in the text. Bor Grošelj Simić, Jakob Dorn, Mihail Tertični, Teo Delić, Aja Zamolo, Matija Perne, Warren Briggs and Vladimir Levašov participated at the excursion on January 18 and provided support to the author, the most sizeable was the contribution of Vladimir. Most of the photos in Najdena jama were taken handheld or with some improvised hand support, without a tripod, to save time, despite the exposure times of several seconds. The names of cave parts are sometimes the author's.

          The purpose of the excursion to Mala Karlovica was primarily sightseeing, and of course photography, to Lanski vrh checking, if there were any icicles left, and the visit of new parts during the Najdena jama trip. In the latter cave the author also wanted to show his delight for the most thrilling decision of the young members of the society (DZRJL), to renew the exploration of the cave after two decades of dormancy, and above all to prevent that the common knowledge about the cave would vanish together with the passing of the first-time explorers, and to give the cave the first complete, modern plan - more than 60 years after the discovery of its inner parts.

          Page, text and photos copyright (c) Primož Jakopin - Klok 2025, except for the photos VL87, VL88, VL89 and VL90, which were made by Vladimir Levašov and are published with his permission.


 

Gorenja Brezovica, January 3


 


 
56398. The vibrant sky over Rakitna - view from the road to Gorenja Brezovica


 

 

Mala Karlovica, January 4


 


 
56400. View of Planinsko polje from Jakovški hrib, ...


 
 


 
56399. ... with Planina at the bottom left in the previous photo.


 

 


 
56401. Jože, an inexhaustible source of interesting caving stories, even in lesser-known underground beauties of the Inner Carniola


 

 


 
56402. Evening view from the Cvinger viewpoint across the snow-covered Cerknica Lake ...


 



 
56403. ... and from the path to the cave along the edge of the lake, towards Cerknica and Mt. Slivnica


 



 
56404. The aforementioned view through the entrance to the cave, with some added light from the front


 

 


 
56406. Skull-like reflection of light from a round vent in the rock with stuck dry grass, above the siphon at the end of the main tunnel from the entrance to the cave interior


 

 


 
56409. Floating dry reeds at the beginning of the siphon ...


 
 


 
56408. ... to the right of the author's feet as he is sitting in front of the siphon.


 
 


 
56410. View through the siphon, with the ligh directed at the ceiling above the water, for better reflections ...


 
 


 
56411. ... and with the light directed to the water surface.


 

 


 
56412. Cavities in the rock, to the right side


 

 


 
56413. View back from the siphon along the high and narrow tunnel leading to it


 

 


 
56415. View along the tunnel leading towards the siphon (blackness in the middle of the picture), when it was still somewhat wider.


 

 


 
56418. Rock tooth, in the middle and slightly to the left in the previous photo, illuminated from all sides


 

 


 
56420. The blade of a rock knife in an increasingly narrow passage to the left of the rock tooth


 

 


 
56422. View through the entrance to the cave towards Cerknica, Mt. Slivnica and the purple-brown sky with a full moon


 

 

From Rakitna to Cerknica, January 8


 


 
56423. The sun above the eastern part of Rakitna polje


 

 


 
56426. Recently glued ring of a small inflatable boat. It is slightly oval, the inner diameter E-W in the photograph measures 50 cm, and N-S 60 cm.


 

 


 
56427. Sunset over Javorniki


 

 

Lanski vrh, January 11


 


 
56429. Blowhole near Najdena jama entrance, ten meters to the east


 

 


 
56438. Entrance to Najdena jama






 
56430. Thaw on Friday and Saturday took most of the icicles in the North Entrance of Skednena jama, very few remained.


 

 


 
56432. Small smooth pebbles on the floor, ice glazed


 

 


 
56431. How the previous photo was taken


 

 


 
56433. Closer view of the ice palm with four fingers ...


 

 


 
56434. ... and more wider view.


 

 


 
56436. View from the bottom of the collapse doline a little north of the southern entrance of the cave, it gets very close to the side tunnel that climbs from the hall in front of the Chapel (Kapelica). Rene used to dig there in the 1960s, and the author helped him.


 

 


 
56435. Another view towards the entrance from a slightly higher standpoint, more in the style of Kurz's image of Tkalca jama.


 

 


 
56437. View from the viewpoint Nad stenami across Planinsko polje, on the horizon are the Javorniki, slightly in the clouds, and Planinska gora.


 

 


 
56439. Polona with a headlight


 

 


 
56440. Two-storey sun above Javorniki, view from Podskrajnik





Rakitna, January 17


 


 
56641. Lake Rakitna with ice, quite soft already





Najdena jama, January 18


 


 
56642. Matija in front of Članska vas - in a caving suit, tested in many heavy-duty missions.






 
56643. Warren, Matija's guest, during the descent towards Baldahin


 

 


 
56644. The mud lake in Piparji Tunnel (Piparski rov) can be bypassed at the east or west side. On the west side the passage is not difficult, you just have to get into the water to a little below the edge of your boots (or, with a little less luck, over this edge), while on the east side there is this slippery traverse at the end. A slip almost certainly leads to a mud bath. Miha went along the west side and then helped Vladimir across the traverse, who first helped the author, and then (in the photo) Warren.


 

 


 
56645. Saddle in Borisov rov


 

 


 
56646. Matija in the Wrocław Hall, at the beginning of the climb towards the Rov brhke Gorenjke (Tunnel of the Handsome Upper Carniola Girl).


 

 


 
56647. Light-dark scene at the top of the chimney to Franken rov, which was first climbed by German cavers in the nineties, ...


 

 


 
56648 and 56649. ... here in a wider view. It shows Vladimir on the ascent, and the photo is a collage of two - in the first, the lower right corner was still full of caving gear, which the author did not have the time to hide, and in the second, the scene is clean, but without a person, and was taken only to copy the beautiful lower right corner to the photo with Vladimir.


 

 


 
VL89. When the author was making preparations for further photss in the Hall with the Waterfall, Vladimir returned from the Franken rov and proceeded back along the Borisov rov to the Wrocławska Hall, and from there climbed to the Rov prisrčne Gorenjka, where Bor, Matija and Warren had already gone earlier. In the photo: clay-covered stalactite mounds in this tunnel.


 

 


 
VL90. Dripstone draperies in all shades from white to dark brown


 

 


 
56662. Immediately below the chimney to Franken rov, on the right in photo 56648, Ježkovo jezero begins. Above deep rimstone pools, the rock covered with yellow flowstone turns ...


 

 


 
56660. ... into a dark brown coated surface ...


 

 


 
56663. ... with such tiny patterns.


 

 


 
VL87. The chimney continues with a horizontal, very muddy passage. In the picture, Aja during the survey of the tunnel.


 

 


 
56653. In the Franken rov (Franken Tunnel), explorers came to a pit that led them back to Ježkovo jezero. However, they could not return to the bottom of the chimney by the shortest route because they did not have a boat.


 

 


 
56652. The previous scene without lighting from the front - a very different image.


 

 


 
VL88. Klok has been in the cave many times before, but never in Borisov rov at a time of the waterfall. He decided to make the most out of the time and means available. In the photo - Klok during the preparations for the first photo: two floodlights are already in place.






 
56651. View of the rapids with a waterfall from above...


 

 


 
56655. ... and a view of the waterfall from the south side.


 

 


 
56656. Rough rocks under the chimney with Jakob, ...


 

 


 
56657. ... Klok ...


 

 


 
56658. ... and with the exploration and measurement team, which included Aja, Teo, Jakob and Miha.


 

 


 
56659. Witty Teo


 

 


 
56664. Miniature Aku-aku, about 60 cm tall, it served as a stand for one of the floodlights in the previous photos.


 

 


 
56665. Two kettles - owl's eyes or a sign for infinity


 

 


 
56666. Stalagmites on the edge of the dripstone heap, as bases for a pier






 
56667. A ledge in the rock, on the way back from Prepadna dvorana (Hall of the Abyss), where Vladimir and the author went in error, following the widest side of the tunnel.






 
56668. In Piparski rov, the path sometimes leads through the middle of a clay canyon.






 
56670. Towards the passage to the narrow part of Ičotov rov


 

 


 
56671. Still life with washed hazel rods, which served as stands for floodlights and as a walking canes.


 

 


 
56672. Vladimir with two backpacks and sticks, already at the top of the step below the cave entrance


 

 

Related pages:


 


 

  Skednena jama, Gradišnica and Planinska jama, December 9 to 28, 2025     Planinsko polje sinkholes, Križna jama and Mitjina jama, January 29 to February 8, 2026  



This page, text and photos by Primož Jakopin, member of the Ljubljana Cave Exploration Society (DZRJL). Send inquiries and comments to primoz jakopin guest arnes si (insert dots and at sign as appropriate). Page was initiated on January 19, 2026; date of the last change: February 14, 2026.

URL: https://www.jakopin.net/primoz/slike/2026/PJ20260103_en.php     134