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
We turned our attentions to Espada and entered the high level via a 6m climb.
This was rigged with a rope for faster access and a comfortable descend later.
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.
Torben in a new passage in Espada cave. Photo: Peter Eagan 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)
Peter back from the hole that connects to the new galleries.
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
