Korallgrottan

Coral Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Ankarvattnet, Jämtland. North of Gäddede, 6 km on small road to Stora Blåsjön. Parking where the road crosses Leipikälven, north end of Ankarvattnet, signposted. (64.8873418, 14.1557825)
Open:	Midsummer to AUG Tue, Wed, Sat 10. [2022]
Fee:	Adults SEK 1345, Children (10-15) SEK 995 . [2022]
Classification:	Karst cave marble
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=6,000 m, VR=124.5 m, T=4 °C.
Guided tours:	MinAge=10.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Gäddede Turistbyrå, Storgatan 40, 83090 Gäddede, Tel: +46-672-10500, Fax: +46-672-412728. E-mail: E-mail: Frostviken Adventure, Tel: +46-763-44-85-79. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1985	discovered by a group of cavers from the Swedish Speleological Society.
1994	declared a Nature Reserve and Natura 2000 area with a size of 26 km².
1999	cave becomes the longest cave of Sweden.

Description

Korallgrottan (Coral Cave) is noted as it is the longest cave in Sweden. It is a karst cave system in marble with more than 6 km length. It is not a show cave and the entrance is closed with a massive iron gate. But there are guided cave trekking tours into the cave by local guides. This is a wild cave, many parts are low, the tours are true caving tours and require full caving gear. You should be able and willing to crawl, but as far as we know vertical gear is not required.

The cave is characterized by the banded structure of the marble, which forms beautiful patterns on the wall, and erosional forms like dolly tubs and scallops. But it also has speleothems, especially stalactites. They formed since the end of the last ice age, when the glaciers above melted and dripping water started to deposit limestone on the ceiling. Quite astonishing is, that they are only about 10 cm long, although they formed for 8,000 years. In other words, they grow about 1 cm in 1,000 years. And there is an abundance of a speleothem called cave coral, small speleothems consisting of short stalks with bulbous ends. They actually resemble living corals, hence the cave got the name Korallgrottan.

The cave is also known as Grottan med vattenfall (Cave with Waterfall), because there is a waterfall right at the cave entrance. This is one of the four entrances which is called the Doliningången (Doline Entrance). The other three entrances are called Klyftgrottan (Gorge Cave), Skymningsgrottan (Twilight Cave), and Isingången (Ice Entrance).

The area is protected through the nature reserves Korallgrottan and Bjurälven and has numerous other caves, which are not accessible. It is not allowed to use off-road vehicles or stay overnight in camper-vans. Also, it's not allowed to destroy plants, for example by cutting them or digging them out, to make fire, disturb wildlife, bring a dog that is not tethered, enter caves, or harm geotopes. In other words, the only way to legally visit any cave in the area is by hiring a local guide who has the permit to show the cave. They are educated in the necessary safety and nature protection measurements, and they even provide the required gear. The tours include the hike, the cave, the gear, and even lunch, and are full day tours.

Guides are best booked through Gäddede Turistbyrå (Gäddede Turist Office). According to them, it's possible to walk to the cave without a guide and to visit the waterfall and the doline, but not to enter the cave. There is an official car park at Ankarvattnet and even a "sight"-sign for the cave. The trail is paved and is an easy and beautiful 4 km long hike. There is a rest cabin with outdoor toilet, water and fireplace above the cave. It is also the store for the caving equipment.