Sensation in the Klutertberg: The Kluterthöhle is now the longest in NRW!

Sensation in the Klutertberg: The Kluterthöhle is now the longest in NRW!

A sensational find brings a breath of fresh air to speleology: Last weekend, four experienced speleologists from the Kluterthöhle working group discovered a long-sought connection between the Kluterthöhle in Ennepetal and the Bismarckhöhle. This discovery, which was achieved after 150 years of intensive searching, now presents the Kluterthöhle as the longest known cave in North Rhine-Westphalia with an impressive total length of 8.7 kilometers.

This major highlight of caving was made on Saturday as researchers fought their way through muddy, partly submerged passages to map the new cave system. Before this discovery, the Windloch in Engelskirchen held the record at 8 kilometers long - a title that now passes to the Kluterthöhle, like WDR reported.

A long road to discovery

There was already a similar relief for researchers in August 2024 when a connection to the Hackerloch was discovered, which increased the size of the Kluterthöhle by several hundred meters. This connection was only 15 centimeters wide and posed a real challenge for the research team. T Online highlights how important these discoveries are to understanding the complex subsurface structures in the region. All the work and passion of the researchers show that there is still much undiscovered to be explored in the field of speleology.

The Klutert Cave, which has been protected as a national natural monument since 2019, can partly be explored by visitors as part of guided tours. However, the rest is left to the experienced researchers, which further reinforces the exclusivity of this discovery. However, given the challenges of developing such cave systems, it is not uncommon for decision-makers to have a good hand in finding the balance between protection and accessibility.

Caving through the ages

The current enthusiasm for caving has an interesting historical context. The depth and breadth of speleology in Germany was once severely compromised by the Nazi system of injustice. The Kluterthöhle working group is the result of a long tradition among researchers. A striking example of the ongoing challenges is Dr. Benno Wolf, who personally endangered himself during the Nazi era to advance research. His fate and that of his contemporaries underline how important it is to keep the history of speleology in view even today - an important reference piece that will be further developed by the members of the VDHK is appreciated.

The new discovery in Ennepetal is not only a triumph for speleologists, but also a sign that the passion for exploring our nature and history can continue to bind us together and show us how much remains to be discovered.