Domanului Mountains: Comarnic Cave (Pestera de la Cantonul Comarnic, Pestera din Ogasul Ponicovei)

Comarnic Cave is situated in southwestern Romania, in a region in which the Mesozoic limestones cover an area of ~600 km² and form parallel ridges with high plateaus that are fragmented by deep gorges. The karst plateaus are dotted by sinkholes and sinking streams that recharge permanent or temporary karst springs. Comarnic Cave (6201 m) represents a hydrological penetration of the Ponicova Creek across the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous limestone bar. Its passages are mostly descending and develop on three levels (inactive, temporarily active, and active), with an offset of 101 m between the access points. The upper (inactive) level is rich in speleothems, such as draperies and stair-stepped rimstone pools, well developed in the Virgin Chamber. Along the lower level, erosional and/or solutional features are abundant. Comarnic Cave is well known for its spectacular chert layers (in the Zebras’ Chamber) protruding from the limestone along the bedding planes. Adventure caving trips can be arranged at the Semenic-Cheile Carașului National Park Headquarter.