October 14-22, 2024: Peter Eagan and Dave Bell (UK), Torben Redder and Louise (Denmark), Santi (ADES)
Peter, Dave, Torben, Louise and Santi carried out several trips into various caves in the Matienzo caving area between 14/10/2024 and 21/10/2024.
14/10/2024 Fridge Door (1800) via The Boob tube (5000)
A short trip to check out a traverse previously seen by Peter and Torben whilst exploring a rift near the entrance.
We all entered the cave without problem (getting out would be a whole new story): down the short entrance slope the left-hand passage with pits in the floor leads to a hole on to a 6m pitch to the start of the rift. Further 6m pitch and rifts below have no way on. The bottom of the pitch requires you to pass a constriction on your LHS. The rift is directly ahead. But before we could do any of this Peter had to return to the van to get the rope and hangers, which we had all forgotten about.
Torben rigged the start of the rift using bolts placed for the pitch below, plus a bolt placed on the previous trip as we had a drill. Two more bolts and we were across the rift and at a corner with a boulder blocking the way. This was dispatched down the rift without too much trouble. Around a short corner the top level of the rift must be followed to a blockage. This was broken up by Torben and then combined tactics enabled us to remove the block entirely. The rift now became a walking size passage with ways on ahead into a low arched passage with calcite and mud floor (not pushed), then a walking passage slightly above where we entered leads to a 2.5m Dia chamber beyond a flake with echo (also not entered). We had no survey kit, so it worked once again: don't take a kit and you will find new passage. We finished rigging the traverse and rejoined Santi and Dave, who complained that our hammering had woken Santi from his sleep. Dave confirmed that there was snoring, and that it wasn't him. Upon exiting, Dave confirmed that the Boob Tube is still “a bit tight across the chest.” Three-and-a-half-hour trip.
15/10/2024 0103
At the base of an Aven, we found wild boar, cow and other bones, but the Aven still needs to be climbed. A wide and low passage was entered further into this section of the cave but gets very low before looking like it may improve. A few short Avens were climbed but with no ways on.
The main find was a 5 cm wide slot, where a very strong draught is about to blow your hair off. Looking into the slot a 4 m wide and 2 m high passage is seen going left and right. The slot is narrow only for a few centimetres and will easily open out. We would return in a few days. The stream at the entrance was used to remove a few days of accumulated mud.
16/10/2024 0103 Espada - Torben, Dave, Santi, Peter
Whilst Torben and Dave opened the 5cm wide slot, Santi and Peter checked out other interesting areas of the cave, including a tight crawl to a chamber, an area near the bones with many routes in the floor all returning to the bones, and finally a 4m climb near the top river entrance as it appears to be heading for the high level.
18/10/2024 Santi, Peter, Dave went prospecting above Espada (#3443), finding and recording a few new and old sites.
19/10/2024 Fridge Door (1800) via The Boob tube (5000) to carry on the exploration beyond the traverse.
We pushed on forward to a flat-out crawl to a draughting dig in pebbles. Other short climbs and small digs were looked at before we turned our attention to the passage heading in the same direction we had entered. This was too tight for Santi, but he quickly enlarged it and we all entered the 2.5m Dia domed chamber sloping down to walking passage. This led to a low section which were easily dug out then finally became too small with a draught. On the RHS (on the way in) were digs in the floor which we managed to dig out mainly in soft sand and plates of calcite. They all join up then began to climb with still more potential for digging. We surveyed and photographed just short of 100m. The quote of the day came from Santi:”no need to wash our kit, we will be in another squalid hole tomorrow.” (other expletives may have been used)
20/10/2024 Espada (0103) - Peter, Dave, Santi
A 5-hour trip to cap open the draughting hole in the northbound passage upstream of the top entrance. We thought it might be a shorter trip as we only had 24 caps - but we spotted Simon at Casa German as we drove off, and he gave us about 150 more caps - thanks!
The rock on the left side was hard, kept trapping the capping rod, and wasn’t cooperating. The rock on the right side was fragmented, easily shattered and was removed. We ran through both drill batteries and made fair progress. Peter could eventually squeeze through to look to the left (but the right closes) the left-hand corner wall needs to be removed. The left-hand wall is the one that doesn’t cooperate! The draught all comes from here, so it is worth the effort, and should be continued until we can at least see properly around the corner. There is a possibility that the way on will be too small - but it might not be. The “dig” which is further along this passage looks like it is “run in” - possibly this passage is an oxbow and will rejoin the “main” passage beyond the choke. There is a small stream at a slightly lower level which must come from this section of passage.
21/10/2024
We returned to Espada for a 5h trip to survey and push the now larger slot and found 49,1 m,
Beyond the capped-out section left went straight to a wide but low sandy dig. Right hand side ended in small chamber. Whilst Dave and Torben tied in the survey. Peter dug this out and followed it to a curtain of stalls. The passage quickly widens to a higher section with two run ins; the left looks impenetrable but with slight draught, the right-hand side will dig with a long crowbar, mash and chisel. A way ahead can be seen with a very good draught. The bottom of this run in is like a butcher's chopping block of bones, some quite big, probably Cow. This will be the focus of our next visit.
On the way out of the cave we looked at lots of potential leads around the area of “the fault” there are 2 or 3 holes in the floor (about 5m to 7m deep) which look interesting - they are probably best tackled with a ladder. An interesting crawl was entered, also near the fault shown on the survey, but will need digging gear to get through.
Peter Eagan
