Wild Boar Rock Shelter

The Wild Boar Rock Shelter (Schronisko z Dzikiem) is a small cave in a forest on the northern side of Zastudnie, part of the village of Suliszowice, in the Częstochowa Upland. Administratively it lies in the village of Siedlec in the municipality of Janów.

What the shelter looks like

The opening is on the north-western side of the largest rock in this place, which climbers call the Hermit's Rock (Skała Pustelnika). It is semi-oval in shape, 5 m wide and up to 1 m high, and lies at about 360 m above sea level, roughly 10 m above the valley floor. Behind it is a chamber 0.5 to 2 m high and measuring 5 by 4 m. In the ceiling there is a chimney 3 m high. The whole cave is 9 m long.

From the chamber several narrow passages dug by badgers lead off, inaccessible to a person. The sediment is sandy, and there are no speleothems.

The name and the rock

The shelter was formed in hard Late Jurassic rocky limestones. It is dry and almost entirely lit, and it gets dark only in the farthest places. During the survey the skeleton of a wild boar was found in it, and this is the origin of the name. It was first described in February 2001 by Marian Czepiel.

Nearby

On the same slope stands the rock Bezlik, used by climbers. A little further, about 1.2 km away, are the ruins of Ostrężnik Castle.

Practical information

• Location: a forest on a hill north of Zastudnie, Janów municipality, Częstochowa County.
• The land belongs to the State Treasury (State Forests), the approach is through the forest, with no infrastructure.
• The side passages are inaccessible to a person. Before setting out, check the current rules in the forest.