Oxford University Cave Club

British Speleological Expedition to the Cantabrian Mountains of Northern Spain, 1965

in conjunction with the "Espeleologos de Penalba", Leon

British Speleological Expedition 1965 Report

Other Expedition reports

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Ribadesella (sea-side) Trip

Mrs. R.W. Howard

A party visited the old show cave at Ribadesella for the object of survey and photography.

Locations: In an outcrop of limestone at the extreme northern end of the Sella Gorge, on the west of the Rio Sella before it discharges into the sea at Ribadesella. This is in fact a land cave, not a sea cave.

Descriptions: One ascends by climbing path to the cave entrance, which is approximately 100' above two largo rock shelters which are at sea level with a resurgence flowing out of them. This water is from the cave. The height of the outcrop is approximately 200'. The cave entrance is largish, approximately 20' high and 30' wide, the passage continues slightly uphill for approximately 100', then descends into an immense chamber, comparable to Main Chamber G. Ghyll, with an open shaft in the roof. This was laddered and was approximately 150'.

In the nethermost region of the chamber is a small hole which gives entrance to a well-decorated chamber containing the stream which sumps at one end, and the other end was not fully explored but assumed to sump. This is the stream which resurges in the cave shelter (see above).

N.B. This stream is well worth further exploration as surface investigation on top of the outcrop revealed a series of very large sinkholes which extended over the hill for about a mile or more.