Oxford University Cave Club

1995 Expedition: Boca del Joon

Picos de Europa, Spain

1995 Expedition Report Contents

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New Caves Found.

C13WS MHC13 is on the east side of La Rena, just below the fault line which crosses La Rena up ridge of El Regallon. The entrance is a long rift trending NE/SW (8m by 2m) with a rock bridge. A 20m pitch rigged from a bolt on the rock bridge lands on a snow plug. Climbing 5m leads to a second 20m pitch landing on a boulder floor with a small draughting hole. A small window 5m above floor can be penduled into but becomes too tight.
C14WGJ WSOn the east side of La Rena, 100m from C13 on a bearing of 054, NE of C16, on the left side of the main fault from La Verdelluenga to Tras la Jayada. The cave is a rift in the top of the plateau between El Regallon and La Jayada which continues under the surface on a boulder floor. The cave continues and drafts out.
C15WGJ WS15m below C14 and 6m towards El Regallon, an undescended shaft in the rift.
C16WGJ WSFrom new Top Camp head through the pass in La Rena and follow evident rift (terminating at C14). C16 is a 15m deep section of rift with steep walls and chocked boulders. A draft can be felt from the boulder floor.
C17WS MH30m from C13 on a bearing of 152.5. The entrance has a characteristic large rock bridge.
C18WS10m below last peak of La Rena, bearings Cuvicente 121.5 and Cabeza Llambra 75. A 14m diameter shaft, partly filled with snow, ending in a drafting boulder choke.
C19WSOn main ridge from La Verdelluenga to Cuvicente, 10m below C8.
C20IC WSIn shakehole on Top Camp side of C9, at point nearest C9. A 4m climbable shaft leads down into a small entrance chamber. A short floor level crawl leads in to a second chamber. A further crawl on the opposite wall leads through a sharp right turn to a small choked chamber. A slot in the floor leads down a fifteen metre pitch to a rift with steeply sloping boulder floor. At down slope end the rift becomes too tight but stones can be thrown through a gap in the boulders and fall some distance. Digging is awkward but some progress was made to enlarging the hole.
C21WS10m NW of C9, an undescended 10m shaft on the E edge of shakehole.
D2WS PAR WGJIn La Jou de las Cuevas. Follow the ridge from snow pole to Vega de Aliseda. Continue in the same direction for about 150m? to large obvious entrance shaft, visible from knoll above new Top Camp. The shaft is 30m by 5m, split in two by a rock bridge at -20m. The pitch is rigged from two bolts on the edge of the shaft. Rebelay at -5m gives a descent on to a snow plug at -50m. Two rebelays on opposite wall follow down the side of the snow plug to a 45 snow slope which ends with no way on approximately 100m below the surface.
D3PAR WGJ OJH10m north of D2. Entrance has a Polifemo '81 paint mark. An awkward 4m climb down the shaft leads to a small hole at floor level. A fifteen metre pitch can be rigged from naturals here (needs a rope protector) through the hole. Penduling into a window at -10m breaks into a rift leading off left and right. At the base of the pitch a tight rift leads off. This is a lower level of the right hand part of the rift from the window. Heading right leads across two blind pitches before terminating below several inlet avens. Some of these where climbed for almost fifteen metres before they closed down. Heading left from the window leads to a free climbable pitch. The rift continues before closing down, with a pitch beyond the constriction. The constriction has yet to be pushed.
D4PARFrom where ridge to snow pole joins Vega de Aliseda go right. Another track goes left to D2. The cave is the first depression on this track. There is a medium sized menhir in D4b. D4a is easily visible from the other side of the shakehole as a black hole. Both are blind shafts, 2m and 4m deep respectively.
D5'79 expoaka 'A dig' in area E. Walk W along Vega de Aliseda towards direct route to Lagos and descend last shakehole. A slightly jagged 1m by 50cm entrance to 4m drop (climbable with care). Very good draft can be seen as steam from cave. The cave has a diggable boulder floor and is often snowplugged.
D6WJSaka 'William's wolf trap'. On W side of Gusterteru. Turn N from Vega de Aliseda on route down to Sod 4 and walk for about 20m. A hole dug under the small climb on path. A loose slope leads into a small chamber, drafting from a tight rift to the south.
D7MLBy the Vega de Aliseda moraine, bearings La Verdelluenga 152, Conjurtao 274. Head direct from new Top Camp to orange rocks N of Vega de Aliseda moraine. Stop at prominent shakehole about 30m before reaching Vega. Prominent back wall has yellow/brown staining and a small bush growing out of it. Climbing down through large boulders for 3m leads to a small chamber. Draughting rift to 2 second drop, 3 second rattle.
E11AH MBSituated behind the dolomite peak in area E, on opposite side of large shakehole from peak. Entrance is a small rift in wall above shakehole. A 10m ladder climb leads down to a ledge. After a ten metre traverse above snow plug the rift closes down.
E12PMM BNOriginally number F85, but actually in the middle of Area E. See F85 for description.
F85PMM BNon N slope of La Verdelluenga, bearings La Rasa 346, El Regallon 82. From snow pole head directly for El Regallon. Cave lies at about same height as snow pole across two low ridges (keep high). Above bowl shaped corrie with roches moutonnees. Horizontal passage at base of small crag. Now cairned above entrance. The horizontal passage leads to a 20m pitch. A small window 4m above floor leads to a muddy slope. Climbing down slope breaks into the roof of a rift. A rope is needed to descend into rift, which awaits exploration.
F86MC RBG AHAt the base of the green tongue proper, 19m from F59 on a bearing of 199. An undescended shaft down side of snow plug in large shakehole.
F87AH MBWalk up towards dolomite peak in area E from new Top Camp. On the right of ridge above F71 is a large depression. F87 is a metre wide rift in right hand wall of depression. Climbing down the rift leads under an arch to floor level. Doubling back through a crawl at floor level leads into a boulder choke.