Na kraju istraživačkog ciklusa MSRE "Zrmanjin BUK ‘08" u izvoru Kupe bila je "točka na i". Dobra suradnja na istraživanju izvora Kupe nastavila se od prošle godine između NP Risnjak, Udruge "Kupa" i DDISKF-a. Kamp je bio smješten u Donjim Kuparima, dva kilometra od izvora Kupe. Tu se odvijao cjelokupni dio priprema za istraživanje, kao i svakodnevna prehrana kod Josipa Turkalja, nadzornika NP-a Risnjak. Uz 7 članova DDISKF-a, svakodnevno su pri transportu opreme pomagali članovi Udruge "Kupa" iz Broda na Kupi. Poslije uspješnog završetka istraživanja, udruga "Kupa" je priredila mali domjenak i veliku tortu s natpisom "Kupa -154 metra"!
U nastavku objavljujemo napis Gigia Casatia o njegovom uronu u izvor, kao i skice tlocrta i profila...

At the end of the research cycle of the International speleo-diving expedition "Zrmanjin BUK ‘08" the Kupa river spring was the topping. Good cooperation on the Kupa river spring continued between the National Park Risnjak, "Kupa" association and DDISKF. Our camp was located in Donji Kupari, two kilometres from the Kupa spring. All the preparations for the research, as well as daily catering was provided by Josip Turkalj, the supervisor of the National Park Risnjak. With 7 of our members of DDISKF, members of the"Kupa“ association from Brod na Kupi daily assisted in transport of the gear. After a successful exploration, the "Kupa" association threw a small party and a big cake with writing on it: "Kupa -154 metres"!
Continues log records by Gigi Casati on his dive into the spring...

Saturday 2 we depart from our camp at 8 in the morning, because we have an appointment at Crni Lug for a television interview toward the end of the morning. There are over 200km to cross of which a part has to be done on district roads because of the partial closing of the highway. Arrived at the village, they are expecting us near the little pool formed by the river Kupa. There is a comprehensive demonstration of skydiving and a swimming competition at the place: we are introduced to the public, then interviewed, and then we are free to approach Gerovo. Melita, Frf, Alexander and I meet Moonlight there, who has arrived from Italy in advance. We leave the trailer at a private property and go, only by our cars, to our base camp at Kupari where we get ready for a first transport: we pass a piece of washed-out road with my 4x4, then about half a kilometer quite comfortable road to be done on foot. We carry two 15 liter and four 20 liter tanks. Finally with the dark, the moment arrives to go to sleep.

Sunday 3 there will be the first exploration in the spring of the river Kupa: Izvor Kupe.

Frf was forced to go home for health problems and his girlfriend Melita follows him: the Piper (Pifferaio), Moonlight and I remain. The Piper and myself will go into the water: the visibility is not the best which is already to be seen looking from outside. I depart for first laying out the line next to the rope left by a group of Croatians and Slovenians who were here to make a dive one month ago. As already foreseen the visibility is about 2m. In the dark shaft I follow the rope which they have asked me to recover afterwards, until I reach the bottom at -65m and from here I continue in strong inclination until -75m where the rope finishes with a tail of white line and a piece of lead. A little further appears a piece of line abandoned to its destiny, fluctuating after being cut off the rope: I follow it at safe distance from the place where it is not fixed anywhere, not even in the place where it is interrupted at -85m. Nothing can be seen but, as I can follow the bottom, I continuoe to go down between rocks and gravel in a place where it is not easy to make tie-offs because the rocks are smooth and the line slips off extremely easy.

When the left side of the tunnel appears after about twenty meters of progression, I move toward the center where I believe the section is taller, my sight is clouded but it is only one side of the mask which is misted and this is very annoying in an environment of this type, with water temperature of 7 degrees and at over -100m of depth. I arrive in a strange zone with just fine gravel on the bottom and not even a single stone: not so bad, because I place the exploration reel for the next time and beginn the ascent. At -115m, about 180m from the entry, I go up again trying to observe the walls around, but with the water so turbid, it is nearly impossible and, not having the tied off the line in many points, during the ascent I end up on the left wall, full of trunks and branches and above of me, I don't see anything. Stop after stop, at -21m the Piper arrives with the battery for the heating vest. At least from here I am able to see the light of the sun and against the light, some enormous trunks blocked inside the tunnel: after a 94 minutes dive I return to the surface.

Monday 4, a day of rest for me, Alan and Gordan who have joined us will make a trip in the water while the Piper will explore the shaft next to the one gone down by me yesterday: he will verify, with a slightly better visibility, that there are no conjunctions among the two shafts, going down to -59m at a distance of 80m from the entry.

Tuesday 5, already before having breakfast, I run off to put glycerine into the two displays of my Copis to increase the depht limits, even if it is designed that already without changes, it can be used up to -150m without problems. In this cave I believe that there will be many surprises and my optimism it is high up like the stars.

The glycerine is not very liquid and it is necessary to wait that all the air bubbles go out; after the first filling up, I have the time to eat. I return to my displays and with the help of the Piper I complete the job: not even the smallest air bubble appeares on the monitor, but turning on the electronics, with surprise, I realize that something doesn't work: the used glycerine is not adapted for this use.

I phone the guy who regarding the Copis and the Megalodon is my technical reference, Aldo Ferrucci, who tells me to clean off everything and to look for some glycerine not conductive or for neutral oil. It has become late and while I polish everything with patience, the Piper climbs up on to the trailer which is parked at Gerovo to take the exchange head of my Copis.

At midday, after having transported the material in front of the cave on the shoulders, I still have to prepare my Copis, but fortunately it is not a long job; I prepare three 20 liter bailout tanks, together with the Piper I organize the assistance and begin to change. In water, not only an o-ring of the first stage loses gas and I have to replace it, but I also quarrel with the mask which continues to mist all over: Irritated I get off helmet and mask and I repeat the operation anti-fog with a beautiful spit and some "let's hope that this will do". The always efficient Piper quickly hands me over the tanks in correct order, and therefore, even if I don't see Alen who should be filming my preparation, I approach to the rope and I go towards the bottom.

Visibility is about twice as much but the bubbles which I believe are of Alan, and that rise exactly around my line and the rope, hinder my vision and slow me down. Alen is at about -30m together with Gordan and when I overtake them passing at their outside, I resolve the problem and I can continue my descent towards the bottom of the shaft. In the place where the line leads horizontally I begin finning, up until I reach the bailout tank at -80m cheering up because, even if I don't succeed in seeing the whole cave because of its dimensions, the general visibility it is really improved. At -100m I leave the company of many graylings and the tank with the topography mark: I am more agile and with small effort I reach the exploration reel. The section with the gravel is huge, and once estimated the perils of the environment, the mind returns to focus on how to find a tie-off point, which direction to go and whether to move away from the wall that rises from out of the nothing at my right side. I don't succeed in fixing the line on the few rocks which are too smooth; at -125m I get entangled in the line with the fin, with agility I disentangle and I am free. I don't like the type of line which I am laying out because it is too loose and I continuously find it wrapped around myself in more and more unpleasant positions.