All three caves were formed in the gable of Hubelj spring. East wall of the gable represent the walls of slope of the breccia. Northern walls are made of limestone. Spring occured, because flysch, on which limestone cover is applied, is in this part the lowest and that is why water carved here a free path. The largest cave is Big Hubelj on altitude 250 meters. The highest is Hubelj kitchen on 280 meters above the sea. All caves are watered and occasional springs. Even in dry times in all caves we can find water.

Water in Spider’s slot is at normal water level is liquid on 243 meters above the sea level and flows towards the nearby springs. In other two caves the water reaches the level of Karst water. Measurments have shown that the water in lower part of Hubelj kitchen is on altitude 263 meters. In Big Hubelj is in narrow hall on altitude 264 meters. The difference of 1 meter is probably the consequence of error in measurments. Spider’s slot is obviously lower active floor. Right under it are also the bigest springs. It is interesting that water never floods Hall of drafts in Spider’s slot. It also never flows through the dug entrance to the cave although it is located lower from the entrance in Big Hubelj. From the entrance of Big Hubelj water erupts in a big waterfall. This shows that connections between Spider’s slot and Big Hubelj are very narrow. Narrower as they are between Spiders’s slot and the springs. So the water from Spider’s slot flows without any problems. An interesting phenomen was seen in Hubljeva kitchen. At the beginning of the flood, water starts flowing from the rubble in the entrance passage. From there it flows back to the cave. Only when the level of the water is high, starts to flow out of the cave.

The morphology of all three caves is very similar. Entrance passages are lying in direction east to west and are slightly larger dimensions. Internal parts of the caves are mostly vertical cracks in the general direction north south. All three caves were formed at the secondary faults. Passages of largher dimensions were formed by rockfalls. Higher lying passages, which are rarely or almost never reached by water, are somewhere calcified. Halls in Big Hubelj and in Hubelj kitchen, which lie deepest in the interior of the massive, are strongly muddy. It looks like the water rises through the passages at the bottom. At the same time puts down the mud. The water here rises due to an obstruction that prevents the outflow of large amounts of water. The restriction  is probaly demolished zone at a rupture.

Map of Hubelj caves
On the map, you can see the caves of Hubelj and their positions from side view – caves Big Hubelj (SI: Veliki Hubelj), Spiders’s slot (SI: Pajkova reža) and Hubelj kitchen (SI: Hubljeva kuhna). To view the map in full size, just click on the image on the left or on the link to open it in another window. [_See the map_]

Big Hubelj cave
Big Hubelj cave is the largest and most known. Main entrance is seen from the bridge over the Hubelj. Even nicer is the entrance at high water, when from the cave Hubelj vomits and the water falls into the valley. Entry cavity soon narrows into a crack between boulder of rock. [_Read more_]

Hubelj kitchen
The entrance into the cave is in eastern wall or slope of the gable of spring Hubelj. Slope below and above the cave is quite steep. Under the entrance is the torrential channel of Hubelj. The surrounding area is grown with leafy trees. We enter into the cave under approximitaly 10 meter high flakily wall. [_Read more_]

Spider’s slot
Cave has two entrances. First is in the wall righ above spring Hubelj. It was formed by lesion and brings us through very narrow slots to Hall of quarrels. Second entrance was artificially extended and is on eastern end of Hall of quarrels. This is triangular opening with each side of 40 centimeters. [_Read more_]

Hubelj
Hubelj is a river (according to some sources it is a stream), during rainy times mountain torrent, which flows along the border between cadastral municipalities Lokavec and Šturje. It originates from three karstic springs (waterfalls) at the foot of the hill Navrše. [_Read more_]