Oxford University Cave Club

Reconnaissance Expedition to the Region of Sequenco

J. Carney

On Monday 16th August, a party of seven went to explore some shafts in the hills above Sequenco. At the village, reached by a newly built road - the first right on the Cangas de Onis to Covadonga Road, a farmer was persuaded to accompany us in the Land Hover about 3 km up a rough track.

In all, four shafts and one cave were explored - all fairly easily accessible from the vehicle but virtually impossible to find without a guide. The first was an oval shaft, about 15' long at the mouth, dry and blocked at 110' by mud and boulders. There appeared to be low crawls off the shaft at some distance above the floor but these were explored and found to lead nowhere.

Secondly, we were shown: a fissure type cave entrance which sloped down about 30' to the head of a pitch. After a little gardening to remove loose boulders, this was descended 55' into a chamber measuring approximately 100' x 30', with some formations. The floor seemed to be of a similar kind to that found in the first shaft and although one could ascend a fair way through the heavily calcited boulder choke at one end, there was no way on.

A short cave was then explored about 60' in length and again well calcited. This was near the other two shafts, although somewhat lower and the entrance was in a sheep fold.

We then crossed over to the far side of the hill and the guide pointed out a shaft about 10' in diameter which was almost completely hidden by overhanging trees. This too was about 100' deep and blocked in a similar fashion. It had the added attraction of being the livestock burial pit of the area and when the ladders were pulled out we were rewarded by a cow's skull.

The guide, with the help of another shepherd, took us to the final shaft. This seemed more hopeful, deep and, unlike the others, taking water. It turned out to be 135' deep but the water disappeared down the almost inevitable boulder choke into a fissure too narrow to follow.