1975 Expedition to the PSM

Introduction

1974 saw the first, relatively organised group of Bristol Exploration Club members at the PSM. Before this time, only occasional visitors had gone from the club, usually either as individuals or as members of other groups. In 1974 we acquired a taste for me area; the friendly, jovial company of the local Basques; the quiet, serene way of life, where no-one had to be in a hurry; the lack of tourists; the climate – in the valleys it is warm even when it mains; the caves, with their deep pitches and large chambers; the gorges and mountains with their impressively wild walks; the lapiaz, where there are hundreds of open, undescended pots; and finally, certainly not the least Important, the deepest cave in the world. Almost immediately after we had returned to England, therefore, we were planning our 1975 expedition.

Most of the area in which we were interested comes under the control of A.R.S.I.P, the Association des Recherches Spelaeologiques Internationales à la Pierre Saint-Martin. Through their expedition’s controller, Ruben Gomez, we had arranged a number of projects:

a) The recovery of a maypole from the Grotte des Stalactites Deviées In the Kakoutéta Gorge.
b) The surveying end exploration of some parts of the Reseau d’Arphidia.
c) the detailed examination of an unexplored part of the lapiaz.

We also hoped for a trip from the Tete Sauvage to the EDF tunnel through the PSM since this is one of the world’s classic though trips. Unfortunately, this was not arranged until after the majority of club members had left for home.

There were three other projects which did not come under the control of A.R.S.I.P:

a) The climbing of Picd’Anie.
b) The traverse of the Grande Randonee 10 from the Gorges de Kakoueta to the Gorges d’Holzarte.
c) The recovery and renovation of a generator that had been left In Betchenka.

It was arranged that we would camp in the village of Licq, behind the Hotel des Touristes, as we had done in l974. We are well-known in the village, the camp-site is a good one much used by cavers and most of the surrounding area is easily reached from Lacq.

In July 1975, the following members of the Bristol Exploration Club made their way through France, eventually to meet, up at Licq (several had already met up in the Dordogne to visit Padirac, etc.):

• Angie Dooley
• Colin Dooley
• John Dukes
• Chris Batstone
• John Hunt
• Pete Leigh
• John Manchip
• Don McFarlane
• Keith Newbury
• Andy Nichols
• Mike Palmer
• Roger Sabido
• Buckett Tilbury
• Ann Tilbury
• John Widley
• Barrie Wilton
• Brenda Wilton
• Graham Wilton-Jones

What follows is basically an account of the caving and caving orientated activities that took place on the way to the Pyrenees and in the Pyrenees. Occasionally, it is supplemented with other information.

Area Maps

Key

1. Brice
2. Biarritz
3. Pau
4. Oloron
5. Licq
6. Col de la Pierre St. Martin
7. Gorges de Kakoueta
8. Gorges d’Ehujarre
9. EDF hut, Ravin d’Arphidia
10. Pic d’Arlas
11. Pic du Soum Couy
12. Pic D’Anie.

Resume

The Gouffre de la Pierre Saint-Martin crosses the French / Spanish border in the Pyrenees Atlantiques, at a point where the mountains are beginning to dwindle towards the sea. This is Basque county, and the great majority of geographical names are of Basque origin.

Hydrologically, there are three cave systems which constitute the PSM system, and though these three share the same resurgence, no passable connection has yet been found between them. The three cave systems are the PSM itself, the Gouffre Lonne Peyret and the Reseau d ‘Arphidia.

The waters for the PSM are mainly gathered on the slopes of Pic d’Anie and Pic du Soum Couy, and three of its entrances are found here – D9 (Tete Sauvage), M3 and SC3 (Belfry Pot). The fourth entrance, the Lepineux Shaft, enters the system just after it (the PSM) has passed beneath Pic d’Arlas. The fifth entrance, the EDF tunnel, mined by the engineers of Electricite de France, enters the huge chamber (Salle oe la Ferna), in which the PSM river sinks in to a gravel floor. The system. finally peters out in narrow rifts just before it should, hydrologically speaking, dive beneath the Ehujarre gorge. It appears briefly in a short, phreatic section at the bottom of the otherwise isolated Trou de Renard. Lonne Peyret is a parallel system with the PSM, with one entrance near the Lepineux. It is about 7km long, compared with over 20km for the PSM, and ends close to the EDF tunnel, having attained a depth of 717m., compared with 1332m. for the PSM Arphidia is less then 2km long, 555m deep, and its only entrance is the artificial EDF tunnel. It may provide a caveable link between Lonne Peyret and the PSM.

It is presumed that there are other systems which run parallel to the total PSM system – at least one to the North and one to the South. The one to the South is particularly intriguing; high up in the southern wall of part of the Gorges de Kakoueta an underground river cascades to daylight. It is far bigger than all the other resurgences in the area, and in fact, prompted the original explorations which led to the discovery of the Lepineux shaft. The sinks for this resurgence must lie on Anialarra, a remote and desolate area to the south of the Col de la PSM. So far, a number of deep pots have been explored, but none of these has much horizontal development.

The underground watershed to the east of the PSM seems to be a line northwards from Pic d’Anie and Pic du Soum Couy. Only one pot is known near this area, and this is 170m. deep. The water in it seems to be heading eastwards. Resurgences from sinks east of this divide flow into the Vallee d’Aspe.

Thus, although exploration of this area has been continuing for over twenty-five years, there still exists a great potential.

In recent years, access has improved considerably. Paths have been widened and tracks have become roads. The Lapiaz, a vast area of bare karst in which lie the four natural entrances to the PSM, is now becoming more and more popular as a winter ski resort. In summer many of the skiers’ facilities are kept open. No longer is the area several hours walk from the nearest civilisation. It is now possible to drive right into the Lapiaz. No longer are the nearest shops way down in the valleys. There are shops, together with cafes and restaurants, at the ski village of Arette le Pierre St. Martin.

In spite of all this, exploration goes on at a limited pace. Although the area is more accessible, it is still enormous and largely empty. Further, there are so many holes in the rea, it is impossible to explore them as fast as they are found. Away from the tracks and roads, the country is still a difficult to traverse as it ever was. Thorough explorations should easily see this century out.

PSM Lonne Peyret & Arphidia shown in relation to surface features.

Expedition Diary

Friday, July 18th.
John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones left Southampton on a warm, still evening. Slept on ferry deck.
Saturday, 19th:
John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones awoke to drizzle, which soon cleared to herald the beginning of a long spell of hot, dry weather. Drove to Thonac, on the Vezere, a tributary of the Dordogne. This in the centre of a region steeped on pre-history. Lascaux is just to the north-east, while the hamlet of Cro-Magnon, a little way down river, is surrounded by caves decorated by early man. This area deserves a much longer visit.
Sunday 20th:
John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones visited Le Thot, a superbly designed and constructed museum and information centre of pre-history. English translations of both static exhibits and slide-shows make this well worth-while. They then moved on to the cliff dwellings of La Roque St Christophe. This ‘Troglodytic City’, built on five levels of undercut terraces on a riverside cliff, may be quite a show-piece in a few years time, when improvements are complete. Everyone else set off from England today.
Monday, 2lst:
John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones visited Grotte de Font de Gaumes, which is a good, painted cave. It is worth noting here that daily limits are placed on the numbers of people allowed to enter the best caves. For this one it was 700, and it is necessary to arrive early. For a cave such as Lascaux, the limit is 5, and visits are by appointment only, and visitors must have a specific, scientific purpose. Lacave was also visited. This is an ordinary show cave, with plenty to see, but it is spoiled by poor cable laying and a profusion of mould in many places. The highlight of this cave is the lake chamber, lit by ‘lumiere noire’ – ultra-violet light.
Tuesday, 22nd:
Everyone met at Padirac, and all agreed that this was well worth the visit. The Great Dome is magnificent. Later on, some of the group climbed up to and explored a few caves, one being an unclimbed 15m aven, in Les Roches Ste. Marie. The day ended with sunbathing and swimming in the river nearby, while Keith Newbury’s landrover was being mended,
Wednesday, 23rd:
Everyone drove by various routes to Licq and the mountain cloud.
Thursday, 24th
A day of dampness and low cloud. Mike Palmer plus wife and offspring, Keith Newbury, John Dukes & Graham Wilton-Jones went to the Col de Souscousse in the landrover. When the track is eventually pushed through the remaining forest, it will provide a short route to the Col de PSM. John Hunt et al proved the Moskvitch’s prowess by taking it further along the track than the landrover.
Friday, 25th
Last year a climb had been attempted to the Grotte de Stalactites Deviees, the intention being to recover a maypole belonging to Max Cosyns (BEC No 325, p204ff). Today we returned and began climbing the aven using bolts.
Saturday, 26th
The climb was completed, the maypole found and the upper series explored. A ladder and line were left so that the maypole could be recovered later.
Sunday, 27th:
Keith Newbury, Mike Palmer, Chris Batstone and Andy Nichols collected the maypole. Various other groups made their way to the border, namely between Betzula and Otchogorrigania, and Pic d’Arlas, where they were attacked by lightning!
Monday, 28th
Roger Sabido, Don McFarlane, John Dukes, Buckett Tilbury, John Hunt, and Graham Wilton-Jones visited Betchenka, where some photographs were taken.
Tuesday 29th
The weather has now been clear, still and hot for several days. Most people took the opportunity to climb Pic d’Anie, which really dominates the Lapiaz.
Wednesday 30th
At last we obtained the key to the EDF tunnel. Roger Sabido, Don McFarlane, John Hunt, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones took some equipment up to the EDF hut and had a quick look at the entrance passages of Arphidia.
Thursday 31st
Our objective was now to try and reach a passage high up on one wall of the Salle Accoce in Arphidia. More equipment was ferried up to the EDF hut. Roger Sabido, Don McFarlane, Chris Batstone and Andy Nichols explored upstream into the Galerie Suicide. John Hunt, Keith Newbury, Mike Palmer, John Widley, and Graham Wilton-Jones descended into Salle Accoce, but failed to locate the elusive passage.
Friday, August 1st
John Hunt, Roger Sabido, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones had stayed in the hut overnight and descended early to Salle Accoce with the “SUN” – a 6 volt motorcycle headlamp. This failed to reveal the type or size of passage for which we were searching, but did show that a traverse across the wall of the Salle Accoce would be impracticable or dangerous. The party then descended the Perte Rivere, and left this by an exposed climb into a rarely visited, steeply descending passage. This soon led back into the main system at the bottom of Salle Accoce. When Mike Palmer, Keith Newbury, Don McFarlane and Andy Nichols arrived, they descended some way into the Chaos du Baron.
Saturday, 2nd:
John Hunt, Roger Sabido, John Dukes, and Graham Wilton-Jones rigged the Put Prebende, below the Chaos du Baron, and the Cascade, and descended to the Salle Radaux. Andy Nichols and Don McFarlane came down part of this later. They were to use the tackle a couple of days later, with members of CUCC to explore some possibilities lower down in Arphidia. The others moved out of the hut and back down to Licq.
Sunday, 3rd:
Today was exceptionally hot and humid. For most it was a complete rest day, with swimming in the river and a visit to the Fete at Larrau.
Monday, 4th:
John Hunt, John Dukes, Roger Sabido, Chris Batstone and Graham Wilton-Jones., went over to Betchenka again to recover a rusty old generator. John Hunt and Graham Wilton-Jones descended with one light and one set of prussiking gear and collected the generator, and the other three hauled it to the surface. The five then moved back up to the EDF hut. Mike Palmer and Keith Newbury went into Betchenka for a few hours in the afternoon.
Tuesday, 5th:
John Hunt, John Dukes, Roger Sabido, Chris Batstone and Graham Wilton-Jones., went from the EDF tunnel to the base of the Lepinaux shaft and back.
Wednesday, 6th:
Various of the above group of five went into the PSM on three separate trips, for photography and collection of gear.
Thursday, 7th:
The EDF hut was vacated. The generator was stripped, checked and rebuilt, but failed miserably to perform for us. Caving equipment was cleaned, sorted and dried.
Friday, 8th:
Most members of the club left at midday, leaving Andy Nichols and Don McFarlane (who were to continue caving with CUCC) and John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones.
Saturday, 9th, Sunday 10th and Monday 11th:
Much of the time on these three days was spent in planning the activities of the next two weeks, organising materials, buying provisions and finally moving up the Pescamou meadow, among the Lapiaz.
Tuesday, 12th, Wednesday, 13th, Thursday, 14th, Saturday 16th
The detailed search of part of the Lapiaz carried out on these four days is dealt with in the section titled “Prospecting on the Lapiaz”
Friday, 15th:
We (John Dukes & Graham Wilton-Jones), took the day off prospecting, and drove over to Spain in an attempt to escape the storms.
Sunday 17th until Thursday, 28th:
During this period Belfry Pot was discovered, explored and surveyed. This is dealt with on in the section titled “The Discovery Exploration of Belfry Pot (SC3)”.
Friday, 29th:
Drove to Saumar, arriving at midnight
Saturday, 30th:
Returned to Cherbourg.
Sunday, 31st
Ferry back to Southampton.

Aerial Photograph of Soum Couy Area

Soum Couy summit is towards the top left corner, the South-East corner. The prospected area, including the low hill, is half way down the western edge of the photograph

Figure 2 Aerial photograph
This indicates the area of Lapiaz in which prospection took place. In is drawn on the same scale as the aerial photograph.

Prospecting on the Lapiaz

ARSIP have four main types of country to explore in their search for new caves. All have a bedrock of limestone:

a) A land of gentle features, with thin topsoil and grass close-cropped by generations of sheep. The wide valley at the head of the Gorges d’Ehujarre, near the border, is of this type, and is very similar to the karst scenery of some of the wide, empty, Yorkshire vales.

b) A steep land between the valleys and the mountains, clothed in mixed forest, often accompanied by a dense undergrowth. The trees are mainly beech, with various conifers on the higher slopes. The undergrowth is a completely riotous mixture, especially of bramble and nettle. Beneath the thick, leafy mould of topsoil there is, in places, broken rock and scree before the bedrock io reached. Many of the dolines of this type of area are heavily choked as a result. It is likely that these areas will be the last to be thoroughly explored, because of the difficult nature of the terrain. The majority of the area under ARSIP’S control is of this type.

c) and d). Can be dealt with together, because the only difference is that one the is thinly dotted with conifers, whereas the other has practically no trees at all. In both cases, there is little or no top-soil. There are practically no pools, and no permanent streams. All precipitation rapidly sinks underground.

We had originally been allotted the area of the Foret de Heylé, west of the Kakouetta Gorge, to explore, but this was of the type (b) above. We particularly wanted to have a close look at some of the Lapiaz – (c) and (d). Accordingly, we were given two aerial photographs.

Each covered an adjacent plot of land, each of area about one square kilometre. One photograph showed many trees, so we chose to begin with the area covered by the other photograph.

These aerial photographs are sufficiently detailed to show any holes that are wide enough to be entered by a person. With a little practice, it is easy to distinguish between holes, shadows from rocks, and dark objects such as trees. Furthermore, the photographs were stereoscopic, and viewing them with a stereoscope gave an excellent 3D effect.

However, such is the profusion of hollows among the joints and faults of the lapiaz, that the value of the photograph is not in detecting sites of interest initially, but in locating them accurately for later reference after they have been found on the ground.

Tuesday, 12th August
Our first task was to locate on the ground the area covered by the aerial photograph. This area included Pic du Soum Couy and its slopes northwards and westwards. Having made camp on the meadow below the Cabenes de Pescamou, we therefore followed the blue trail, which leads through this meadow, past the Tete Savage, and finally up to the summit of Soum Couy.

The country we had to cross and search in is a confusing land of bare limestone pavements, together with slopes and hollows of scree. From a little distance, the area appears to be devoid of all plant life, and as barren as lunar landscape, apart from the few trees that are left, growing in small, sparse groups and rising to no great height. However, closer inspection reveals that the grikes are full of hardy grasses and alpine plants, as are many of the spaces between the screes. On a dull day, the rock seems to stretch endlessly, drab, uniform grey and featureless. On ??? day, distances are shortened so that far off peaks seem only a short hike away. All this is an illusion. On a large scale, the surface is split and broken by deep faults, giving rise to steep slopes and sheer cliffs with wide gaps above gaping holes. On a smaller scale, much of the more level pavements are scored with deep grikes. These often leave, instead of the more familiar clints, sharp spikes of limestone which are impossible to walk over.

From the Pescamou to the start of our area was less than 1.5 km but it took us about an hour to cover the distance, so difficult is the country. We (John Manchip, John Dukes & Graham Wilton-Jones) finally arrived at a point where, after much discussion and reference to the map and photograph, it was decided we should begin searching. This is marked on the map: Carte de France, Larrau Noso.3-4, 3498 782, as a spot height 2069 at the eastern end of a low hill. This was marked with a red post.

Within a few minutes, John Dukes had made the first discovery, SC1. To the south the low hill dropped down steeply for 30-40 metres. South-east of the red post and about 20 m from it, almost on the brink of this slope, two deep vertical sided gullies met to form a scree filled doline. The main joint running through this doline is aligned 18° E. mag. The doline has sheer sides and is 10m deep. In its south-east corner, a careful squeeze over the loose scree is the head of the next pitch.

John Dukes bad been through this narrow section, and had stood on a chock stone above the pitch. Graham Wilton-Jones then descended this pitch. It was suddenly chilly after working on the surface in blazing sunshine over a sea of cloud.

This second pitch is 30m deep, and is basically a widening of the joint mentioned above. The pot bells out, and only the western wall remains near vertical. At the scree and coarse gravel floor, the walls close in a little. The floor drops awey at its northern end through a short tight section.

John Dukes descended the secund pitch and then Graham Wilton-Jones continued down the third. The carbides were working well on their melted snow, but it took some time for us to get used to their feeble glow after the brilliance of the sunshine on the Lapiaz. When Graham Wilton-Jones reached the bottom, John Dukes came down and explored up a side rift.

The third pitch is 25 m deep and is not vertical, but slopes northwards with a floor of scree. At its base, it widens to a high chamber. The side rift is just another way down, leaving the main way at -50m. The very bottom isa 2m deep hole, thoroughly choked with boulders and having no draught. On Mendip it would be dug.

It is very difficult to explore systematically on the lapiaz, because the ground is so rough and broken. We therefore worked eastwards, for about 250m., to where the hill dropped down a little before it led up finally to Soum Couy. We looked at every joint and fault in this area. Many of these join up to form more complex systems of narrow (0.5 -2m) but deep (up to 15 or 20m) canyons. However, they were all either choked at the bottom with thick layers of scree, or became too narrow. None went completely beyond the light threshold and were easily caveable. The main fractures in this area run south-west to north-west. One in particular was too narrow right from the surface, but stones rattled down it for at least 9 seconds. (We had been without a watch since Graham Wilton-Jones dropped his in Arphidia).

Having covered the south-eastern edge of the hill and its associated rifts and canyons, we moved our attention to the northern edge, which is dissected by numerous faults, running here between east-west and ENE-WSW. Within these faults area number of very interesting looking sites which, in fact, do not go very deep, on average 10-15m. It was difficult to decide which of the holes looked at were worth noting. Eventually, we only noted down those sites which, for some reason, were not thoroughly explored.

A number of the larger (i.e. wider) holes had snow in them. Whether the piles of snow were actually snow plugs concealing a deeper, if narrower continuation of the holes, or whether they were simply mound of snow at the bottoms of shallow shafts, was not determined. It was possible to climb down to the snow in several of the holes, but two required ropes. In all cases of this the of hole the snow had melted away from the sides and was left as a high pinnacle in the centre. In some instances the holes became wider at the top of the snow, and overhung. Mostly, as with other shafts, it was necessary only to hurl a few boulders down to see if they ‘went’. Many were not descended at all.

One such hole that was descended was designated SC2. It was found late in the afternoon by Graham Wilton-Jones, about 40m. to the north of the red post. He went down, on rope, for 20m. and tried to check down in the gap between the snow and the wall. In most places the gap became too narrow but to the north-east a rift could be seen leading out of the main pot at -20m. – -25m. There seemed to be a possibility of a deeper continuation here, but the explorers become too cold, and evening was drawing on.

Wednesday, 13th August:
Today, John Manchip and P.X, left on their long journey back to Scotland. Consequently, we did not get back to SC2 until mid- afternoon. Although it was still hot and fine, the wind was from the south east – a bad sign.

John Dukes descended between the snow and the wall of SC2 and worked his icy, slippery way into the north-east rift. There he descended further to -27m. where he stood on a snow ledge, with very little space in which to turn round. The hole below him was tight, but could be a way on, clear of snow, perhaps because of a draught. The boulders around the hole were loose and possibly held op the huge pile of snow, now towering 14m above John Dukes John Dukes’s hands were very cold, and he deemed it wise to return then – it is very difficult to prusik with frozen hands. Without the cold and the snow this would be an easy pot to push, if indeed it does go deeper.

It could be argued that, where potholes are blocked with snow, there can be no drought, and therefore no continuation. However, it should be remembered that M.3 was plugged with snow at a depth, and it took two years of preventing fresh snow accumulating before it could be probed deeper.
A typical mountain thunderstorm arrived at about 1630 and continued until well after dark. This curtailed our day’s prospecting, and we rapidly cached our gear in a convenient depression, and hurried back to camp.

Thursday 14th August
It was obvious as soon as we set out onto the Lapiaz that thunder was on it’s way. The wind was from the south, and large, puffy cumulus were building up over Spain. We had only just reached our area of operations when the first thunder began to roll around the mountains. By the time we had dumped our extra gear in the depression the rain had begin, and he lightening was all around us – on Pic d’Arlas, Pid d’Anie and Pic du Soum Couy. Again we hurried back to the camp site, this time though a storm of horizontally driven hail stones. Several times the lightning struck the rocks close by, accompanied by instantaneous thunder. Soon after reaching camp a foaming grey torrent poured down from the Col de Pescamou and bubbled along the usually dry streambed beside our tents.

So soon did the storm pass that both of us felt we ought to have found shelter “up the mountain” and not bothered to hurry back to camp. After a quick change into dry clothes, we returned and started prospection once again. Four hours later another, more violent storm, drove us both back to camp, where we were well entertained by a wild storm that danced around cliffs, ridges and peaks of the Pescamou, lighting the sky for several seconds this time. This storm succeeded in pushing the ???? out of action – a great loss.

The hole marked (a) was descended during our second session on the plateau. It was only 13 metres deep, with the snow pile at its base, and no evidence of further possibilities. It was noted mainly because it is one of the few such holes required tackle for the descent.

The site of (b) is one of the numerous, narrow, shallow rifts that seemed to be formed partly by joints and partly in faults. These rifts are rectangular in cross section with an undulating base, the hollows being partially filled with limestone scree and rubble. At (b) the base of the rift was clear of small rubble and the rift continued rattled and fell free for six seconds. Unfortunately, a large boulder was poised precariously at a constriction three metres down. In trying to remove this, it dropped a further 3 metres, making the entry to a deeper parts of the rift impossible

Saturday 16th August
We ignore the mist, the rain and thunder today and it left us as quickly as it came. Much of our time was spent using ropes, tethers, and jumars to raise the boulder out of the rift. Then, when success seemed near, the boulder fell over all the way back. It was possible to swing aside, creating a man size gap, hold it in that position, but neither of us was prepared to descend below it.

At (a) John Dukes removed number of loose boulders to reveal a deep, but narrow, though just caveable joint. Boulders rattled and fell free down this for five seconds.

The area around (d) is one of wide, deep rifts where several faults converge. All are narrow, but one seems to be just caveable, and is a possible route below SC2.

On Tuesday 12th of August members of the first American Pierre St. Martin expedition arrived at the Pescamou plateau. Some of them were to play a significant part in the rest of our expedition. They were:-

• Jim Smith
• Jim Yeomans
• Fred Wefer
• Tom Ramsey
• Dwight Drennan
• Cher Combs
• Bill Combs
• Arthur Champion

We had also been joined in camp on the plateau by Dicky, Richard and Dave of the Eldon Pothole Club. These three stayed long enough to take part in a combined Bristol Exploration Club/C.U.C.C./E.P.C. through trip of the PSM from the Tate Sauvage to the EDF tunnel and then they left on the Friday.

The low hill that marked the beginning of our area of prospection, viewed from the west. SC3, entrance is ringed. The post can just be seen, leaning drunkenly on the summit.

The Discovery Exploration of Belfry Pot (SC3)

Sunday, 17th August:
Today, for a change, was hot and clear, but this is largely irrelevant since we were destined to spend most of the time underground. In order to reach the low hill that marked out prospection starting point, Graham Wilton-Jones, took a short cut, leaving the now familiar blue trail. At the western end of the hill, he came across a deep, open joint, 5m. long and 0.5m. wide. It lies just off the western edge or the aerial photograph. Stones dropped down the shaft took 15 seconds Io stop, and this included obvious free falls. We called the pot SC3.

Cher Combs had originally intended to walk up Soum Couy, along with her Siamese cat. She soon decided to join us in our explorations, however, so while John Dukes rigged the drop with nylon super-braidline, Graham Wilton-Jones went back to camp to fetch some gear for Cher Combs. A bolt was put io the side of the rift to act as the main anchor, while the back-up was a wire tether around a large lump of rock. While the cat waited on the surface we descended to -120m. The first three pitches were descended as one. For the next two pitches, two more bolts were put in, the rope above being the back-up belay in each case. Another bolt was required for two short pitches at the bottom of a scree slope, and a short piece of nylon s-b used to descend these. Stones dropped down the next shaft went for about nine seconds. We returned to the surface after six hours.

Monday, 18th August
200m of terylene s-b. was carried up to SC3, and the initial 100m. of pitches was re-rigged using this. The two pitches at the bottom of the scree slope were rigged with ladders instead of rope, and this required a further bolt. The next pitch was rigged using nylon s-b. anchored to a bolt, with a large boulder as a back-up. Cher Combs, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones were then able to descend to -175m. Stones dropped into the narrow, non-caveable rift in the floor went for 15 seconds, but the route onwards seemed to be a climb and traverse to the head of a series of short drops. We called it a day, and reached the surface after 8 ½ hours.

Tuesday, 19th August
The rest of the Americans had now surfaced after their three days underground surveying the connection between the Affluent Larumbe and the M.3 pitches. After we had visited Tardets to stock up with food once more, Cher Combs, Jim Smith, Fred Wefer, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones, descended SC3, which was now also called Belfry Pot, to the pitch that was descended left on the previous day. Cher Combs, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones went down this pitch, created a food dump and first aid dump at the bottom, and put in a bolt for the next pitch. John Dukes free-climbed most of the way down this pitch, for it is really a series of short slopes and pitches, to a chamber and a short vertical section. Meanwhile Jim Smith and F.W, had replaced the nylon s-b. with Bluewater, and put in an extra bolt at an awkward bend, part way down. We were all out after 4 ½ hours, the earliest ones out being lucky enough to see an impressively beautiful sunset over a sea of clouds.

Wednesday. 20th August:
Bill Combs and Cher Combs started surveying the pot for us, and reached -120m. John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones, descended the series of small pitches to the chamber. A bolt was put in above a rift which was obviously very deep – stones fell completely free for 4 -5 seconds. Using a large boulder as a backup, the pitch was hung with 100m. of nylon s-b. Graham Wilton-Jones, descended past a narrow ledge and boulder bridge 30m. down, a wider ledge and a few more boulders 70m down, where a tiny waterfall entered, to a ledge about 85m, down below which there were three more drops, each separated by a wide ledge of short horizontal section. The stretch in the rope allowed Graham Wilton-Jones to abseil down the next pair of drops, but the final drop had to be free-climbed, while the now free rope unnervingly contracted to its original length. Fortunately, the end remained just within reaching distance.
While John Dukes began putting in extra bolts at the two boulder bridges to fend the rope away from the wall, Graham Wilton-Jones explored the horizontal continuation of the pot along a high rift carrying a small stream. Following the water into a small side rift to bypass a boulder blockage, he came to the head of another pitch. Stones fell freely down this for 3-4 seconds. We returned to the surface after an 8½ hour trip, having reached -285m.

Tuesday, 21st August:
Arthur Champion, Jim Smith and Fred Wefer did the PSM through trip today. The weather was bad – wet with a thick, low cloud, and most of the morning was spent in one of the Ski resort cafes, Le Relais, sorting over the survey note9 made so far. In the afternoon Cher Combs, Bill Combs, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones attempted to go up to the EDF hut, but the rainfall increased. We sat it out in the car.
While consulting the PSM survey, having little else to do, it was realized that, according to the survey, the area map, and the figures worked out from the surface survey, SC3 entrance was only 100m. horizontally displaced from the Bassaburuke inlet of the PSM., and SC3, as surveyed so far, was heading obliquely towards this inlet.

At the cafe in Licq little later, we made use of the local expertise to work out the Basque equivalent to ‘Belfry Pot’. It is “Segnuteguiako Lezia”.

Friday, 22nd August
Since today was wet and misty once again, we spent most of it in Le Relais.

Saturday, 23rd August
It was not wet today, and we went up to SC3 in spite of the mist. Arthur Champion, Bill Combs and Cher Combs continued the survey to the bottom of the 100m. pitch. Jim Smith, Fred Wefer, John Dukes and Graham Wilton-Jones made their way directly to the head of the next undescended pitch. There was no reasonable position for a bolt, so Fred Wefer chose the least unreasonable place, while Jim Smith put in a back-up bolt nearby, there being no natural belays. Below the narrow pitch head, the drop was wide-open free hang. It was rigged with Bluewater, and Graham Wilton-Jones, John Dukes, and Jim Smith descended the 54m to find the stream sinking in a gravel and boulder floor. After we had eliminated every other possibility of a way on, Jim Smith plucked up courage to climb over some massive, precarious looking shale flakes, and into a narrow rift. This appeared to draught slowly, and we therefore all followed it until it dropped into a 3m square cross section streamway. Downstream we came upon footprints and a cairn. We returned to the base of the final pitch and told Fred Wefer to call the survey team and come on down. The survey team had, unfortunately, decided to exit so Fred Wefer came down alone.

The four of us then followed the streamway down until it reached a wide, low bedding plane which is probably the way on in that direction. Upstream eventually led to another stream, and on the wall above was an inscription in carbide:

“RUBEN ’67 ALIBERT JC. T.S. TEMINUS R. GOMEZ”

We made our exit after 8 hours, to find the Lapiaz thickly coated in mist, with visibility down to a few metres. The next hour was spent in a concentrated effort to find the blue blazes which marked the trail back to the camp site.

Sunday 24th August
Everyone travelled down to Mauleon to see Ruben Gomez, to give him the survey figures and confirmation of the M.3 connection, and to tell him about the SC3 connection. Ruben confirmed that he had, indeed, written the inscription at the end of the Bassaburuko Streamway. We considered this to be a new world depth record, the entrance to SC3 being some 60m. higher than that of M.3. Our calculations were based on a zero azimuth reading from one of our surface survey points to the summit of Pic d’Arlas.

Ruben showed us a couple of films of the PSM and then we left for the plateau, taking with us two altimeters and a pair of walkie-talkies.

Monday, 25th August:
It rained end drizzled all morning, gradually dying out in the afternoon. The mist stayed all day end thickened for the night. As the rain petered out, a cold north wind increased, and conditions become winters.

Max Cosyns arrived at 1130 to take charge of altlmetric operations. While Arthur Champion, Bill Combs, Cher Combs and Fred Wefer made their way up to SC3 to complete the survey, Max, Ruben, Jim Yeomans, John Dukes, and Graham Wilton-Jones wandered about in the mist and rain making measurements at SC3, M.3 and a marked border post, each simultaneously with measurements at Tete Sauvage.

At 1600, Jim Smith and Graham Wilton-Jones, went into the Tete Sauvage to de-rig it. They emerged at 2200 and lost themselves in the mist, but eventually made it down to the Pescamou meadow.

John Dukes and D.D. left for SC3 at 1800 to ferry gear down the mountain. They spent much of the night in a polythene survival bag in a hollow next to the entrance, waiting for the survey team to come out. They all arrived back at the Pescamou at 0330 the following day.

Apparently, what had been drip in SC3 had become running water, and the waterfalls on the 100m. pitch (near the 2nd boulder bridge) and the final pitch were torrents. Throughout the day the intermittent streams of the Pescamou had been running in spate.

Tuesday, 26th August
John Dukes brought down some equipment that had been left at the Tete Sauvage entrance the previous day. Everyone packed up camp and moved down to Licq. It was actually warm here -a great change from the mountain chill.

Wednesday, 27th August
We returned to the plateau just for the day to recover the rest of the gear. We went onto the Lapiaz in bright, warm sunshine, although it began to mist over a little in the afternoon. On Monday night / Tuesday morning, the surveying team plus John Dukes and D.D. had managed to remove 150m. of rope from SC3. Today, Fred Wefer, John Dukes and Jim Smith placed themselves at various strategic positions down to -200m., where the majority of the rope had been left. Each length was tied end to end. While the three underground kept it from snagging, Jim Yeomans hauled the rope onto the surface, and Graham Wilton-Jones laid it out ready for coiling end to dry. Arthur Champion blazed a red paint trail from the blue trail to SC3 entrance. Arthur Champion and Jim Yeomans recovered a rucksack from the Tete Sauvage. We then vacated the mountain.

Thursday, 2Bth August:
Having performed the necessary calculations, Max was able to confirm the altitude of SC3 entrance as 2043m -3m, which gave the new depth of the PSM as 1332., again -3m.

Figure 5 SC3

The entrance rift of SC3.

SC3 – Description & Surveys

The entrance to SC3 is a north-south joint at the western end of a low hill, marked 2069 on the map (Larrau 3 & 4, 349780 78180 ). This area is described elsewhere. It is at an altitude of 2043m and since it lies so close to the summit of the hill, there is no water in the entrance shaft. On the surface, the joint can be traced for several metres northwards until it intersects a deep fault zone trending east-west. Southwards, the joint soon closes off.

From the surface down to -42m., Puits du Puddy Tat, it is necessary to swing or traverse northwards at -16m and at -37m. The joint varies in width from a sharply fluted 0.5m near the surface (very damaging to knees when prussiking back up), to about 1.5m maximum near its base. At the bottom, some constriction has allowed the build-up of a large bouldered slope into a small chamber (standing room only, almost, although the roof is high up) with one way on for falling boulders (eastwards) and a more obvious, less perilous route to the north, descending the southern extremity of a deep meandering rift which disappears to the north.

At -46m, from a narrow perch in one wall, the next pitch drops away for 52m, the Put de Nuit. This is the most dangerous section in the cave, due to the abundance of loose rocks on the sloping floor of the chamber above. After a few metres, the rift breaks through the roof of a large, impressive chamber, with a huge sloping wall, dipping some 60° to the south. This appears to be the fault that is so prominent on the surface, just to the north of SC3. The fault is met with again and again throughout the cave, finally being lost during the descent of the last pitch. It is clearly a major factor governing the development of the system. This is dealt with later.

The rope for the 52m pitch just lands on the top of a wall of rock which divides this pot into two sections at -62m. The pot to the north-east of this wall has not yet been descended, since it is considerably smaller in cross-section than its neighbour to the south-west, and pebbles dropped for longer down the latter.

From the top of the dividing wall, the rope hangs close to the wall right to the bottom of the pitch. Here it lands on a steep slope of well-worn scree in a fine rift (40-50m high, more than 40m, long and varying in width but averaging approximately 3m). 9m to the north-west, up the scree slope, is a small inlet trickling down from high above. This has not been explored. It is both the most northerly and the most westerly point reached in SC3. It lies directly under the fault zone previously mentioned. Undoubtedly it is this area on the surface that has so liberally supplied the rift with scree and percolation water from the same source has smoothed most of the rocks there subsequently.

Down at the base of the screes slope, some larger jammed borders overhang a 5m pitch. This is immediately followed by a second 5m pitch. At the bottom of this pitch, about 0.5m off the floor, is a remnant of false floor, consisting of slightly stalagmited pebbles clinging to one wall. The passage widens to a small chamber (at the two previous pitches, it is only 1m wide) and the vast sloping wall of the fault looms ahead end overhead. There are two undescended but rather small pitches in the chamber. If they are not blocked, then it is likely that they enter the fault-rift lower down. There is some stalagmltlng in the chamber, now undergoing re-solution.

The next pitch is reached up a short climb and traverse, and descends a vadose trench in the fault rift from -116m. This hades at 27.5°. At -136m. the pitch drops away vertically in a rift which runs at right angles to the fault, in the same direction as the pitch above the scree slope, ie.es NW-SE. This rift, Bryce Canyon, varies considerably in width because of the many ledges which follow the dip of the limestone. These are particularly interesting, as the general lateral trend of the system is against the dips. It is just possible to see the south-eastern end of the rift rising up and round to the south in a large aven. To the north-west, the rift vanishes into blackness. It becomes very narrow, but with spacious ledges at -175m and this is therefore the natural end to the pitch, although stones rattle downwards for a further 15 seconds.

To the west, the floor of the rift rises rapidly to meet the ledges and is visible only as a shallow vadose downcutting. After 12m is a small waterfall, some 3-4m high, above which is a large black space. This lies vertically below the deep, wide fault one that is to the south of the low hill (2069m). On the surface at this point, the hill ends abruptly as a cliff, so the wide ledge forming the base of Bryce Canyon is nothing like 175 metres below the surface.

At its other end the rift bends onto the NW-SE alignment again, but below is too narrow. It is necessary to climb up and traverse in a narrow, muddy rift roughly southwards for about 10m. The drop below must be in the region of 60m. A narrow, meandering rift is seen descending to the left at the beginning of this traverse. At the end of the traverse is a small chamber with a boulder choke in one wall and in the roof. Opposite this is a steep, but free-climbable descent of 15m, the 39 Steps. This passes a window on the left, through which a wider, deep rift can be seen. This is probably the same rift as that into which the passage opens at -180m. Below the free-climbable section is an 8m vertical drop into a boulder-floored chamber. Two rifts from the west unite to form this chamber and then continue eastwards as a single rift.

Beyond the chamber, below the single rift, the floor again drops away to give a pitch of 100m, The Belfry. The head of the pitch is reasonably narrow, with thin stalagmites on the walls, but soon becomes roomy during descent. After 26m, at -214m, two ledges create a narrowing of the rift, and a few jammed boulders prevent a vertical descent. 36m further down, this occurs again. Below this point, -250m, water cascades in and the pitch is damp. 25m below this, the floor is met but a couple of steps to one side (eastwards) is a further drop. This happens twice more, and the final landing is in a pool drained by a small stream in a vadose trench.

The rift continues in the same easterly/south-easterly direction. A few metres along, a massive, loose-looking boulder pile all but blocks the passage, but it is possible to pass underneath this by dropping into the vadose trench. 40 metres from the pool, the water breaks into a chamber below for its final drop. Just a little further along, it is impossible to continue on the resultant ledge. The whole area is fractured and stalagmited, and the ledge at first seems unsafe. The wall of the hading fault plane is visible a little further ahead.

The final pitch has its safest take-off through a narrow continuation of the vadose trench, where it is merely a rift between two ledges. However, below the lip, the chamber widens considerably to 10m and more. This pitch, the Liberty Bell, is 54m and is, without doubt, the finest in the cave. It hangs down the centre until a few metres from the bottom where it is close to a wall dividing the base of this pitch from another chamber. The soon disappears in the gloom in one direction, while the waterfall can only be heard in the other. The landing, at -367m, in on a silt and gravel floor with a scattering of boulders of various sizes. This pot just breaks into a thick bed of shale for its final couple of metres, and it is this shale band that has caused the breakdown and resultant abundance of boulders. A thin waterfall drips from high above and into the large shallow puddle on the floor, and the water then sinks. The way on lies to the south-west. Standing on a pile of loose, shaley boulders are several very large slabs of equally shaley limestone, like a tilted house of cards. This area could be dangerous. It guards the entrance to the Shale Rift, a narrow, fractured passage with a draught which frequently changes in direction. After about 30m. the rift drops into a wider area of loose bouldery fill, and then quickly drops again down a steep, shaley slope to enter the Bassaburuko streamway.

On Names

The area in which we were prospecting is the Lapiaz to the north of Soum Couy. Anything of significance that was also descended was labelled with the prefix SC (Soum Couy), followed by a number, SC3 was the third such pothole discovered.

It was decided to name SC3 ‘Belfry Pot’ (after the Bristol Exploration Club H/Q on Mendip). This translates into French as ‘Gouffre du Beffroi”, a name we expect the French will use. Down at the cafe in Licq, I took an hour’s lesson in Basque, and after much discussion and argument we came up with the name Segnuteguiako-Lezia, which is now painted at the cave entrance. Basically, Lezia = Pothole, Segnu = Bell and Teguia = shelter.

The first pitches, the Puits du Puddy Tat, are named after the long-suffering Siamese cut who had to sit at the surface waiting for its mistress to return from the depths. This happened on each of the first two days of exploration.

Puit de Nuit is so called because so many people found themselves ascending the pitch in the dark. The pitch was neither wet nor windy, and electric lights suffered just as frequently as carbides.

The two short pitches at the bottom of the scree slope were named together – Puits de Chocards Morts. A pair of unfortunate Alpine Choughs (Chocards) had, on some previous occasion, entered the pot, perhaps to rest. (It was choughs that helped Lepineux to discover his shaft). There two had obviously failed to refind the entrance and had died there.

On the next pitch at the break between the slope and the vertical, it was necessary to rebolt. While Jim Smith put in the bolt, Fred hung on the rope and fell asleep. This point immediately acquired the facetious neme “Camp 1”. Some members of the party even had ideas of leaving a few empty sardine tins and bottles there, in true French expedition style, just to make future visitors ponder.

The rift below is Bryce Canyon, after the impressive gorge is America.

The Dragon’s Back is simple a flake of rock around which the base of Bryce Canyon meanders before the traverse.

Below the traverse are the 39 Steps. Although the drop here is a series of steps, there are not 39 of them. Originally, it was thought that the drop here was about 39m but this is not so either – a complete misnomer!

Communication up and down the big pitch was made very difficult because of its superb ringing echo, The Belfry seemed an obvious name.

The Americans were asked to name the final pitch. Because of its beautiful bell shape, it was given the name Liberty Bell.

Shale rift is so called because it is in the Shale band.

Figure 6 Bassaburuko

Notes on the Bassburuko Survey

The survey is based on an A.R,S.I.P. survey, on which very little detail was given. Initially, no grid was marked, the only relevant information being the north line. This is presumed to be magnetic north. The Lambert co-ordinates for the positions of the Tete Sauvage entrance and Segnutegniako Lezia entrance (D9 and SC3) have been determined using the map Larrau Nos. 3-4, 1:25,000. This was necessary for D9 since existing co-ordinates from the A.R.S.I.P. D9 survey and from the Atlas des Grands Gouffres du Monde did not correspond with each other, and gave obviously erroneous positions according to the map.

D9	348590	78250
SC3	349780	78180

The magnetic variation for the area is calculated from information on the above map, and the adjacent map, Larrau Nos. 1-2.

Calibration proved unreliable, figures yarns from 8.4 degrees to 12 degrees. Therefore, for the purposes of this report, a declination of 6 degrees W. of N. has been used. Applying these figures to the A.R.S.I.P. plan of D9, gives the position of the D9-Bassaburuko junction as:

348596

78291

On the Bassaburuko survey, station 104 is at

349522

78058

and the SC3-Bessaburuko junction is at

78091

78091

If the magnetic variation is greater than 6 degrees, then SC3 is brought more into line with the general East-West trend of the Bassaburuko. It is intended to survey this section of the Bassaburuko, from station 104 to SC3 and on to the known end upstream, during the 1976 expedition.

The Impenetrable bedding plane must, in fact, have been penetrated in 1967 by R. Gomez and J.C. Alibert from the present end of the system is 400 metres further east from station 104

Facts & Figures

Altitude

PSM Resurgence	448m
Arphidia (bottom)	569m
Puits Parment (bottom)	711m
Tete Sauvage (entrance)	1882m
M.3 (entrance)	1985m
SC3 (Entrance)	2043m

Depth

Tete Sauvage – Puits Parment	1171m
M.3 – – Puits Parment	1274m
SC3 – Puits Parment	1032m
SC3 – Arphidia	1474m
Potential: SC3 – resurgence	1595m

(this potential depth if obviously increased if another higher entrance to the. PSM is found.  Pic du Soum Couy rises to an attitude of 2315m, while Pic d ‘Anie reaches 2504m.  Its seems unlikely however that pots of great depth will be found above about 2300m in this area.  This Increases the potential by 250m).

The altitude of the base of the Salle Stix in Lonne Peyret is 935m. The altitude of the EDF tunnel is 1050m.  Salle Stix is therefore level with the base of the Chaos Du Baron in Arphidia.  The two systems are believed to be within 50m. of each other.  If they do join with caveable passage, this is clearly to be found somewhere between the bottom of the Salle Accoce and the bottom of Puit Prebende.

Bibliography

A Piece or the Rock	Fred L. Wefer
Atlas des Grands Gouffres du Monde	Paul Courbon
Belfry Bulletin, no. 323, p. 168	Andrew Nichols
Belfry Bulletin, no. 325, p. 204	Malcolm Jarrett
Belfry Bulletin, no. 330, p. 78	Malcolm Jarrett
Belfry Bulletin, no. 335, p. 181	Graham Wilton-Jones
BSA Bulletin 15. British Expedition to the PSM, 1969.	Dave Gill
BSA Bulletin 6. No 48, pp 1-27	Nick Reckert
Bulletin de l’A.R.S.I.P., nos. 1 -7	A.R.S.I.P.
Craven Pothole Club Journal, 1975. vol. 5, no.3, p141	Arthur Champion
Wessex Cave Club Journal, 131 In and around the Pierre and the Galerie Wessex.	Nick Reckert
Jusqu’ au Fond du Gouffre	Corentin Queffelec

Notes on surveying equipment.

The location of shaft entrances was effected using the aerial photographs, except in the case of SC3, which was just off the photograph. The position of SC3 was found approximately by taking bearings on nearby peaks.

The surface and underground survey for SC3 was done using an American Army type combined compass and clinometer, graduated in mils, and a 50 metre Fibron tape, graduated in metres and centimetres. Readings were taken to the nearest 5 mils end the nearest 5 cm.

For SC1 and SC2 ropes of known length were used to measure depth, with an accuracy of approximately 5%, while a standard silva compass measured azimuths to the nearest degree.