Summer Expedition to the Jura, France.
27th July – 10th August 2019
Lead contact: Gary Vaughan
Phone: 07836 727131 E-Mail: gary@dorsetland.co.uk
INFO
Jura Caves
(Bief-Boussets to Baudin) – 9km long, 345m deep. One of the classic French through trips. Big stream, very flood-prone. 12 hour + trip. 4th longest cave in France (30km). In same class as PSM, Dent de Crolles, Diau, Felix Trombe i.e about as good as it gets. Includes pitches up and down and a 5m free-diveable sump (don’t worry, can be bypassed).
This pothole lies 7km from the Source du Verneau and gives access to the highest portion of the Verneau river. Sadly, no dry through trip is possible, but it offers a short, sporting introduction to the Verneau System.
Gouffre de la Baume des Cretes
This fine pothole gives access to over a kilometre of the upstream Verneau river. Although no dry through trip is possible, this remains a fine cave in its own right.
6 km to sump with lots of swimming (204 pools !!!). Then 6 km back out. Julian Walford, who found Claonaite and Pollballiny reckons it’s the best stream cave he’s ever done. A wet-suit trip. Another French classic. Hard.
9 km long. Entrance pitches drop into big well-decorated galleries.
15 km horizontal cave with good formations. Combination lock. Part streamway, part big pretty stuff.
25m pitch to bizarre gate (climb over) then lots of pretty passage to fantastically decorated final chamber.
Basically a big 85m deep daylight shaft much like Alum Pot. Not much else (much like Alum Pot). The Dutch think it’s fab.
Alongside the Reseau du Verneau, this is the deepest cave in the Franche-Comte. A series of big and impressive pitches lead to a long, difficult meander.
Sporting. Over 200 meters deep, its pits and meanders provide numerous surprises. No pretties or big passages though. 10 hr+ hard trips.
4 km long. Underground river. Lots of swimming.
which should be enough to keep everyone going for a while.
This wet and entertaining cave is basically a single splendid
stream canyon, containing groups of helictites and about 120 gours. The
generally vast streamway (10m high x 5m wide), is punctuated only by an
11m long duck, for which a wetsuit is essential.
The entrance is an active sink, which can flood in wet weather. 8m of snaking meander leads to a 9m pot, which is free-climbable but has spits in place for a rope if required.
A fixed metal ladder ascends to the cave. A relatively easy horizontal cave, popular with tourists.
Updated 12.12.18