Cave and karst systems of the world. The Ankarana plateau in Madagascar. Tsingy, caves, volcanoes and sapphires / Пещеры и карстовые системы мира. Плато Анкарана на Мадагаскаре. Тцинги, пещеры, вулканы и сапфиры

I discovered the existence of the Ankarana in 1981 when I was a geology student at Nice University attending the lessons of Prof. Julian, a famous French karstologist, along with three comrades who were also cavers. One day he showed us a map from a book based on work that had been carried out in the north of Madagascar: The Ankarana Plateau by Georges Rossi (1980). At first glance we were fascinated by the landscape represented on the map. Reading the book, an important part of which was devoted to the karst areas of Red Island (Madagascar), was the incentive we needed for us to put on on our cavers’ boots and explore such a remote area. <...>