The South Wales Caving Club

Summer Expedition to the Jura, France.

27th July – 10th August 2019

Lead contact: Gary Vaughan

Phone: 07836 727131          E-Mail:   gary@dorsetland.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perte des Ravieres

 

Length 1500m, VR -107m
GPS UTM  32T-0280780-5209220  823m

 

From Bolandoz, take the D32 road towards Reugney. At a crossroads, just beyond the Gite, turn right onto a minor road. Follow for about 2km to a turning on the right to les Laves. The cave is located in a depression near the junction.

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. The pot enters Salle Monelle. Upstream, quickly ends in choked rifts below the surface depression, but downstream, a descent between boulders at the northern end of Salle Monelle, reaches the main stream, in a meander. 25m downstream, the river leaves the meander on the right, above which, a series of small climbs enters the large Lafeyette Galleries, which can be followed for 120m to end in choked bedding-planes. The main meander continues dry, enlarging to 2m x 10m proportions. 20m from the junction, the very tight, 50m long Fleur Inlet enters from the left. A chimney up in the meander near this junction reaches a high-level series of large interconnecting or choked passages. Continuing along the main passage, 30m of high, narrow progress leads past another short inlet to a 6m pitch, Puits Salai. From the base, 100m of passage ends in a narrow, wet and muddy meander and tiny sump. The main way on lies above Puits Salai. A climb up to the roof of the meander, crosses the pot and enters the New Galleries, which start as a series of tight passages and loose, wide beddings (chokes to the right terminate close to the choked beddings at the end of the Lafyette Galleries). After 50m, the wide Salle d’Affluent is reached, at a junction of several passages. To the right, a severe 5m squeeze accesses Medusa Inlet, which can be followed for 100m until it becomes too-tight. The tiny streamway leaving the Salle d’Affluent, which can become very sizeable in wet weather, is followed down a steepening series of sporting rapids and cascades. After 150m of easy progress the streamway narrows, just before which a passage on the right leads to Galerie des Eccentrics. This can be followed for 200m and is very well decorated with helictites. Several inlets combine to make a pleasant stream, which finally disappears in an impenetrable crack. Back in the main streamway, the meander continues for 50m, narrow and steep, to end in the 6m deep Vagina Pitch. This has two ways on at the base, but both terminate after only a short distance. The deepest point in the cave is reached by crossing the head of Vagina Pitch to the right to enter the narrow Ogine Meander. This can be followed for 100m to end in a 5m pitch into a sump.

 

 

 

 


Updated  01.11.18