OUCC Proceedings 8 (1976)

A very pleasant trip is extensive, easy passages, with one large pitch.

Survey: OUCC Proc 11:  3300x2150; 1600x1040

Location

Situated about 20 minutes walk from the Bar Maria Rosa at Lago de la Ercina. Take the path to Ario along the E . shore of the lake until about 50m beyond the spring near the shepherds huts, where an indistinct path crosses the stream and ascends the hillside to a plateau. The cave entrance is located at the tree line, and is marked SIE and named inside. The shepherd who showed us the entrance gave the alternative name noted above.

Previous exploration

Certainly explored by SCAL in 1964 and subsequently by several Spanish groups, including SIE and Grupo Espeleologica de Gijon. Cox notes a cave of this name as being located near Burdio de la Pena cave above the Arco de Pomperii which was partially explored by Spanish biospeleologists in the 1950's. Almost certainly, this is that cave and the location has been mistaken.

Description

The small entrance often draughts strongly and contains large quantities of leaves. Several passages lead off from the entrance and choke fairly soon, except for one reached by going left down into a chamber and out again by a small passage at roof level on the right. This rapidly reaches a short climb down in a rift to 2 rope pitches of about 5m each which enter a fault zone in which the 40m main pitch is situated. Belay points here are slightly dubious and a bolt would prove a useful replacement for the present antiquated piton. The pitch lands on a large rubble pile, through which a route leads to the floor of the chamber without needing to rig another pitch. A rift passage leads past a side passage to a high chamber and reaches a T-Junction. Upstream soon becomes low and was not pursued on our brief visit. Downstream is easy walking in phreatic passages with occasional decorations and chambers for more than 1km, when the passage ends in a sand choke. Pools and a trickle of water indicated that this passage is active in wet weather, but we visited the cave after a dry spell.