Krubera-Veryovkina Deep Dive
The Krubera and Veryovkina caves in the Arabika Massif of the Caucasus Mountains (Abkhazia, Georgia) are the two deepest known caves on Earth. Veryovkina reached -2,212 m in 2018; Krubera holds -2,197 m. Both are pure expedition caves — reaching the bottom takes 2-3 weeks each way.
Geological setting
The Arabika Massif is a Cretaceous-Eocene limestone block in the Western Caucasus. The caves form in deeply-fractured limestone with exceptional vertical relief between mountain summit and the Black Sea drainage 2,500 m below.
Veryovkina
First explored to significant depth by Ukrainian cavers in 2016- 2018. The 2018 expedition by the Perovo-Speleo team reached -2,212 m, surpassing Krubera. The cave continues with siphons that have not yet been passed.
Krubera
Reached -2,197 m by Ukrainian Speleological Association expeditions 2004-2007. The cave dives below -2,000 m through a series of sumps and constrictions. Multi-week expeditions of 30+ cavers are required to push the cave further.
What it takes
Cavers spend weeks in underground camps at -1,000 to -2,000 m depths. Equipment includes neoprene wetsuits for sumps, rebreathers for some sections, vertical SRT gear throughout. Resupply is by relay teams.
Why depth matters
Vertical extent in karst caves is limited by water-table depth. Both Krubera and Veryovkina reach below sea level in their deepest siphons — meaning the water at their bottoms must rise through limestone to its eventual resurgence.
Access
Pure expedition territory. Russian and Ukrainian caving federations have managed access historically; current political conditions complicate expedition logistics. No public visit possible.
Explore on the map
See Krubera and Veryovkina on the interactive map.