Summer Expedition to the Jura, France.
27th July – 10th August 2019
Lead contact: Gary Vaughan
Phone: 07836 727131 E-Mail: gary@dorsetland.co.uk
Gouffre de Pourpeville
Length 10000m, VR -106m, Time 8-12 hours
GPS UTM 32T-0310380-5259280 406m
This vast cavity, which is the longest single entrance cave in the Doubs region, is located on the plateau overlooking the village of SOYE. Follow the D29 from Soye towards Rougemont. A dirt track leading onto the plateau is followed for nearly 2 km. The entrance is located to the left of this track, in a thicket. It is a classic cave, of the highest quality and sport.
Entrance Series
The entrance pitch of 10m, lands in a large passage. To the north, Reseau Nord can be followed for 300m, including several pitches and some fine formations. The main way on however, leads south into Reseau Sud, where 60m of large, chaotic gallery leads to a 7m climb/pitch down through boulders to the head of the vast, echoing 33m deep Grand Puits. The first 8m are descended against the wall, with the remaining 25m free-hanging in a large chamber. From the bottom, a muddy descent offers two ways on into the main system.
A hole between blocks on the right of the passage reaches a roomy gallery. This is Réseau Ouest, which is followed through a succession of small rooms connected by rifts and crawls to a small streamway. Upstream can be followed for 100m, but the way on lies downstream, where 500m of passage leads to a low crawl/duck beyond which the connection with the alternate Reseau Sud is made. The Reseau Sud route starts opposite the entry to Reseau Ouest, where a hole between boulders on the left leads into the once very fine Galerie des Gours. Although this passage can be followed a long way to the Diaclase Weite, the way on is a low gallery on the right a few metres along. This leads to 200m of hands-and-knees ending in a series of three basins, which can be swum or traversed with difficulty. A few metres beyond a wet 8m pitch/climb is reached, below which the passage enlarges (4 x 5 m). A few tens of meters along this the junction with Reseau Ouest is reached. Beyond the junction, the Lac du Guano is traversed to reach a well-decorated series of potholes and lakes, including one of 100m, which is waded waist deep. Beyond the lakes, the ceiling lowers and a maze of small passages – the Amazon Delta - is entered. Stick to the main gallery on the right, which enlarges to 3m high x 10m wide. This soon closes down again at which point a passage on the right (300m from the junction of Reseau Sud and Reseau Ouest) enters the Galerie des Cristaux, which gives access to the Pourpelui 1 series. The main passage continues for 100m to a terminus and a link back into the Amazon Delta.
Pourpelui 1
The Galerie des Cristaux leads down into the Galerie d’Access, which
is followed for 350m to a major junction. 50m before the junction, the
stream disappears on the left into a keyhole passage leading to the Mini-Collecteur,
which can be followed for several hundred metres. From the major junction,
left enters Autoroute ASCO, which starts off wet before enlarging into
a well-decorated gallery 5m high x 8m wide. This can be followed for some
distance before it deteriorates into a series of pools, squeezes and climbs.
Turning right at the major junction enters the Galerie de la Voûte
Mouillante, a vast corridor containing the stream. This is followed for
250m to an end at the base of a chimney. The chimney is 14m high and gives
access to the superb large high-level Poupelui 2 series.
Pourpelui2
Two routes lead off from the top of the chimney. The least obvious route
enters a maze of small passages, connecting back to Pourpelui 1. The more
obvious route leads to Station Plaisance and a junction with a much larger
passage. To the south, lies L’Avenue Sud, a vast and beautiful gallery,
which can be followed for 500m to a boulder choke. In the opposite direction
from Station Plaisance, 30m of passage leads to the river. This can be
followed upstream, in some huge passages, for 500m to the White Barrier,
which was once beautifully decorated. Beyond the barrier, traverse past
two pools to a 4m climb down into a vast chamber. This marks the end of
the decorated series and the passage changes character. A further 1km
of varied passage can be followed through crawls, rifts and muddy chambers
to terminate in a series of chimneys.
