The now experienced speleologist began to develop his hobby gradually from his youth, he did not miss a single opportunity to experience an underground adventure.
“When I went to visit a castle or ruins somewhere, I was the last to go and I always went into some kind of cellar. Once in the Jihlava underground – I was already equipped with a headlamp and a snack – the guide had about twenty of us. Again, I was the last to head into the side corridor and walk alone,” Hruban recalls.
Speleologist and photographer Petr Hruban at an exhibition of his photographs from underground.
“Then I heard a noise, the tour guide was showing the visitors a glowing corridor. I appeared in it from the other side. I lied about getting lost, the guide scolded me and wouldn’t let me go. I had to walk in front of her,” he adds with a smile.
He decided to develop his hobby and became a member of the basic organization of the Sovinec Czech Speleological Society. He worked there for many years and participated in a number of discoveries in the caves in Sovinci.
“Then I became independent because I was interested in mining works. I started riding in Jeseníky and Olomouc. I am probably the most devoted to Jeseník,” explains Hruban.
The supplied light decides the photos
He also wrote two books about underground beauties, Olomouc underground and Zlatohorské underground. Both are complemented by his unique photographs, the second was also translated into English, German and Polish and received a second, revised edition.
“Now I am preparing a third book about the Rožnov underground, but it will be a matter of several years, because it is very extensive. I already have it mapped and documented, but the preparation of the book will require a lot of time and work,” reveals the speleologist.
It searches for mines where iron ore, non-ferrous metals or graphite were previously mined. They always shoot on film, but shooting in a dark space requires more time than elsewhere.
“It takes about thirty seconds to take a single photo, but the preparation and lighting take up more time. It’s such a game, I enjoy experimenting. No two photos of the same place need to be identical, it depends on what kind of light you give them. I rarely have people there, none of my colleagues can stand not moving for that long,” Hruban explains, adding that he usually spends the whole day, sometimes even the night, in the tunnel.
He has no shortage of exciting stories
With a group or alone, he often goes to places that are difficult to access or little known.
“Sometimes you don’t even want to publish where the photo was taken, because it happens that someone gets in there and destroys the beauty,” points out Hruban, who works as an orderly at the Prostejov hospital.
The local native shares photos and experiences from underground explorations not only through exhibitions, but also organizes lectures. He has no shortage of exciting stories, he tells, for example, how he overcame buried parts of centuries-old tunnels, waded through flooded places whose depth he had no idea about, or reached areas where there was not enough oxygen.
“Sometimes it was even dangerous, we climbed somewhere, started to make our way, and suddenly the boulders came loose above us. So I think that someone up there is watching over me,” concludes the speleologist.
2024-03-25 03:51:00