Thief-Antes cave at Storrisberget

Storrisberget has been a nature reserve since 1975 and has attracted a lot of attention thanks to Tjuv – Ante's cave. The cave is one of the country's largest tunnel caves and is much appreciated, not least by the speleologists, ie the cave researchers. The whole area is 21 hectares and for those who want a day out, the area is perfect. There is a lot to explore here.

The name Thief – Ante

According to legend, the largest of the caves on Storrisberget became a haunt and hiding place for the big thief Anders Andersson, born 1823-11-16 in Storfall. On a couple of occasions he is said to have escaped from prisoner transports and he must then have ha moved to the inaccessible area on the mountain. Today, the path to the cave is well trodden after many visitors, but with the help of the imagination one can understand that when this took place in the 19th century, the mountain was unknown to most people. Anders Tjuv – Ante Andersson was born in Storfall, so for him the lands were probably familiar.

Cave types

The largest cave, Tjuv – Antes, is thus a tunnel cave. One is recognized by its pear-shaped profile. If you imagine the cave in cross section, the entrance is usually narrow and narrow, and then opens into a room or a hall at best. The type is very unusual and is only documented in Scandinavia. In Sweden there are about 60. The strange shape has arisen when cobblestones were set in motion by water and sanded further on a deadly crack.

The cave

From the opening in Tjuv – Ante's cave, a ladder leads down to a crack that is approximately 1.5 meters wide at the bottom. The underlayer are round cut stones. This requires a flashlight and good shoes to walk safely. When you get to the bottom of the opening, another ladder leads down to a deeper level. From there you reach the innermost room, about 2.5 meters in diameter. In total, the cave with passages is 30 meters long, 5 meters wide and 3 meters high.

The area in general

Out again from the cave, the hiking trail continues up the high mountain. The peak measures 131 meters above sea level and offers an outstanding view. The road up is lined with high rock walls formed by the waves of the sea. Follow the trail past clapper pits and cobblestone fields to the north side of the mountain. There are your storage bed caves, ie "horizontal" cave rooms.

The entire reserve is part of the European network of protected areas, Natura 2000.