Potholing in the Lazio Region
Caverns, narrow rock tunnels, underground lakes… all this is Potholing.
A journey into the depths of the earth to admire timeless underground places and enjoy a unique experience. Silence, darkness, slow movements, teamwork: elements that together create a memorable experience you’ll want to recommend.
And also… which other sport involves trying out the feeling of being in Total Darkness?
Not knowing whether your eyes are open or closed… you have to give it a go!
Potholing in the Lazio Region: the Simbruini Mountains!
A Natural Park to be experienced to the full. Not only along its paths and admiring its views… but also in the underground world below your feet.
Because the karst subsoil of the Simbruini Mountains is a true wonder of nature: grottos, underground lakes, tunnels, stalactites, stalagmites.
A parallel underground dimension: silence and darkness are not the enemy, but the perfect travelling companions to help you enjoy every aspect of the experience.
The Associazione Vivere l’Aniene (Experiencing the Aniene Association) guides are there to accompany you on your journey.
- Trips take place all year round, with a minimum number of 2 participants.
- Helmets and equipment are provided by the association.
- It’s up to you to bring the rest: a full change of clothes (including shoes!) and a woolly jumper.
Push yourselves beyond all limits, right to the centre of the earth!
For More Information, download the activity schedule:
Within the .pdf document, you will find all the information on the Potholing excursions organised by the Vivere l’Aniene Association.
Book through the Green Park Madama and you will get the following discounts on Vivere l’Aniene excursions:
- €10 for 3-hour excursions!
- €13 for 5-hour excursions!
A bit of information on Potholing
- Potholing is a sport that anyone can do; you just need to choose the right route! Remember to specify your physical condition in your booking so that you will be taken to visit the most suitable cave for your ability.
- You mustn’t get worried about visiting the grottos; they won’t fall in, so relax! However, caution and respect are always welcome.
- You will not be without air! The air is always recycled in the caves.
- If you want to try the experience but you get claustrophobic, let your guide know: he or she will choose the grottos without narrow passes for you.
- Always bring jumper and a waterproof: cave humidity gets to 100%!
Curious information from the deep
The word stalactite comes from the Greek ‘stalagma’, which means ‘droplet’, and the largest stalactite in the world, 20 metres long, is found in the Gruta Rei do Mato, in Brazil.
The deepest cave in Italy is found in Tuscany, in the Apuan Alps: it is called the Paolo Roversi abyss and is 1,350 metres deep.
The largest underground lake in Europe is St Leonard’s Lake in Switzerland: 300 metres long and 20 metres wide, its crystal clear waters get to 10 metres deep. Leonard in Switzerland: 300 metres long by 20 metres wide: its crystal-clear waters reach as far as 10 metres deep.
In the summer of 1961, during the ‘700 Hours Underground’ expedition in the caves of Caudano and Frabosa Sottana (Cuneo Province), an unexplainable phenomenon occurred that is still not clear today: a few days into the experiment, despite being in total darkness, the potholers could see the faces of the person standing in front of them.
Have a safe trip to the centre of the Earth!