Oxford University Cave Club

Expedition: "Gustuteru 1996"

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Small Caves Explored

13/8

A bedding plane in the side of a rubble filled surface shaft, on the crest of the ridge between the Ario path and the 2 large grassy depressions of area 8. Aluminium tag placed.

Doubling back through a slot inside, opens out over a climb down into a vadose rift. Down the canyon, bridging and climbing, it heads north(ish), passing one or 2 inlets in good rock, occasional avens and a small stream in bits.

After a chossy climb down into a small chamber, the low route involves crawling, but can be bypassed over the top (not so painful if wearing shorts and T-shirt). The routes rejoin at another climb down to a chamber of about 5m x 3m. The continuation is about 5m up the forward wall. A high level route brings you to the top of the chamber, but no way across. The climb is possible but the rock is not good so a rope and protection are needed.

Vital statistics: 55m long, 25m deep.
Explored: TBB, PAR. Survey: Grade 1.

D9 (A&B)

UTM coords (GPS) : 0342122 4788681
Altitude (GPS) 1717m
Bearings: 208° to snow pole; 172° to La Verdelluenga; 111° to Jultayu.

2 shafts 20-25' deep in bare sloping rock on RHS of gully.Base of deeper shaft looks diggable and draughts.

Found: MP, AM.

D10

Chamber 6m wide/long. Dry - good potential cache. Just round corner from D9. No potential.

Found: MP, AM.

D11

UTM coords. (GPS) : 0342170 4788772
Altitude (GPS) : 1807m

2m climb down into dissolved hollow, 50m further on from D10. A further 5m climb down a slot under a wall. Could say optimistically it is diggable.

Found: MP, AM.

D12

UTM coords. (GPS) : 0342111 4788835
Altitude (GPS): 1765m
Bearings: 172° to La Verdelluenga; 228° to Peņa Santa.

From the climb where you normally leave the Vega Aliseda path to get to Top Camp, continue instead for another 20m past the cairn. Turn R at the next cairn and follow a small valley NW. Climb out of the valley to the highest point on its L and you are now in sight of the entrance 25' shaft into a 4m by 6m chamber. Trickle of water in one corner and hole in floor to v. small canyon.

Found: MP, AM.

E12

Reexamined by AH and NJM.

First pitch and climb descended to a rift. Down a few short drops, the rift goes round a tight corner, blocked by rocks which had fallen down the climb. A large chunk of wall was dislodged and now bars the apparent way on.

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