Ice caves

**Kazimiera** · 09-26-2013, 10:20 AM

The World's Largest Ice Cave

The Eisriesenwelt is a natural limestone ice cave located in Werfen, Austria, about 40 km south of Salzburg. The cave is inside the Hochkogel mountain in the Tennengebirge section of the Alps. It is the largest ice cave in the world, extending more than 42km and visited by about 200,000 tourists every year.

The entrance to the cave is at altitude of 1.641m. You need around 40 minutes of easy walking and also nice gondola ride. You also need to beat 700 steps in one hour, at around 0°C.

Source: http://www.snowaddiction.org/2013/08...-ice-cave.html

**Kazimiera** · 09-26-2013, 10:24 AM

Kamchatka, Russia! Is This the Most Magical Cave in the World?

This surreal-looking ice cave is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. The almost kilometer long tunnel was formed by a hot water spring flowing beneath the glacial ice fields on the flanks of the nearby Mutnovsky volcano. Because glaciers on Kamchatka volcanoes have been melting in recent years, the roof of this cave is now so thin that sunlight penetrates through it, eerily illuminating the icy structures within.

These incredible pictures show ice caves carved by volcano-fed hot springs through the glaciers of Kamchatka.

"Entrance to the underworld": The expedition members lit flares in the cave to highlight the undulating erosion caused by the warm water as it flows through

"Treasures Of The Dwarfs": This breathtaking picture taken by Russian photographer Natalia Balentsova of a cave carved out of the ice in Kamchatka by a hot spring near the Mutnovsky volcano won the 2012 Russian Wild Nature competition. The incredible lights shining purple, blue, green and yellow are no computer trickery.

"Natural wonder": The cave has been carved out of the glacier by an underground river that is sourced in a hot spring gushing from the Mutnovsky volcano itself

"Geology": The walls and ceiling of the frozen world are made up of layers of compacted snow, with the river softly gurgling through a long chamber here illuminated by a yellow flare

Ms Balentsova spent several hours inside working on photographs to record the incredible subterranean world they found themselves inside.
She said: "Outside, the glacier was very dirty and grey. But inside, everything was different.
'The snow was melting, and the light passed through the thin walls, reflecting surprisingly bright colours."
The walls and ceiling of the frozen world are made up of layers of compacted snow, with the river softly gurgling through a long chamber illuminated by light glinting through windows made of ice.

Source: http://www.snowaddiction.org/2013/08...the-world.html

**Atlantic Islander** · 09-26-2013, 10:29 AM

Pretty!

**finly** · 12-12-2013, 07:03 AM

It is surely beautiful and the art of photography is also too good.. The lights that are shining in one picture like purple, blue, green and yellow are marvellous to watch.