The 1997 expedition to the Migovec Plateau in Slovenia was a highly successful caving and scientific venture that extended the known extent of the Migovec cave system by an additional 4km and deepened it to –958m, making it the fifth deepest cave in Slovenia and the 71st deepest in the world at the time. Collaboration with Slovenian cavers was a major component of the expedition, strengthening long鈥憇tanding partnerships and contributing to shared exploration efforts.
As in previous years, the team established a remote mountain base camp at 1800m, supported by pack鈥慶arried supplies and improved water鈥慶ollection systems due to unusually wet weather. Underground operations began with re鈥憆igging, bolting, and re鈥憇urveying major entrances and passages to BCRA Grade 5b. Renewed surveying added the M2 and M16 entrance series to the updated master survey.
Deep exploration centred on multi鈥慸ay pushing trips supported by an underground bivouac at –605m, known as Hotel Tolminka. Major achievements included descending new leads such as Cold Feet Passage and reaching a sump at –958m (“Good Not Grand”). Additional leads at –700m, in the branching system known as Rameses, revealed extensive pitch and rift complexes, now a priority for future expeditions. A dangerously wet pitch at –930m (FA999) was also identified but left for later exploration. Higher鈥憀evel work included investigating strong drafts in Hotline, exploring Level II pitches such as Titanic and the 85m Britannic, and completing major new surveys in M16.
Alongside exploration, a geological survey analysed bedding鈥憄lane orientations both on the plateau surface and inside the cave, contributing to understanding the structural controls on passage formation. The expedition also introduced improved solar鈥憄owered charging for underground communications and battery systems. Overall this expedition advanced both the physical exploration of the cave and the scientific understanding of the massif, setting the stage for further expeditions.