Stop n.7b

"The Southwest Branch"

We notice on the left a massive opening of the gallery, which on this point doubles its width. This is also due to the fault in direction SW-NE. Here starts the “Ramo dei Pipistrelli” translated to “The branch of the bats”, which is possible to enter passing a narrow opening, soon leading to a room consisting of a stalagmite pavement and usually inhabited by different families of bats. Rimstones are also present, spectacular during rainy season.

Of importance is the stalagmite that raises lonely at the beginning of the branch. It has a feature that makes it unique amongst the other formations of the cave: this is the only one that has seen an increase of sourcing water. Because of this, the formation has a wide top: the stalagmite is not balanced with its diameter but is increasing it quite quickly. The water generating the formation is thus higher in the last years, an unusual phenomenon as the rest of the cave’s formations have decreasing their growth in the last years.