The Battle of
 El Mazuco

Name: Cueva del Toyu, Sumidero de Toyo

Location: ~10.8km SSE of Unquera, close to the road along the Lamasón valley

GPS: N43°17′00″ W4°29′04″ (barn corner) Alt 203m

UTM: 30T 379.56 4793.44 (barn corner)

Lambert: 5349 9643 171 (sink)

Map: Cabezón de la Sal (57-II)

Surveys:

by Cowlishaw (CRG Grade 1, 24.07.1982)

by Collis/Cowlishaw/Robertson 1982 » (showing barn) CRG Grade 5b

by Carlos Puch CRG Grade 5d

Surface sketch by Pete Robertson

Description: Last sink of the Río Latarma, length 585m.

Toyu river entrance

OUCC Report 1975–76 »: “This large entrance swallows the Latarma river which even in dry conditions has a flow of some 100 litres per second. This makes the 14m pitch situated some 50m inside very exciting. In wet conditions a constriction deep inside the cave causes the water to back up. We found evidence of flood debris 20m above the lowest point of the system. However locals inform us that the entire system floods and the water overflows the saddle!

The Latarma resurges at La Manantial del los Baucos, altitude 144m, close to Río Lamasón, and is impenetrable. However both the two high level entrances, la Torca el Fresnedo and Cueva de Rozada give access to all the cave below the Toyu pitch without the need for any tackle.”

Also explored and surveyed by Carlos Puch and STD/Club Bathynellidae.

Visits:

1975 – Bill visits entrance

1976 – visit to resurgence (blocked)

1977 – visit: “more water than Porth yr Ogof in flood and pitch far too wet”

1979 – Mike bolted the (very wet) pitch, while B&E ‘surveyed the remainder of the cave’; rope was not long enough to bottom the pitch

1982 – four visits (three with PJR) to explore and survey

1985 – barn entrance blocked by sand, bypassed, pushed remaining leads; 3 hours

1986 – “beginner’s trip”, in dry upper series

2001 – re-locate and photograph

2003 – GPS (corner of barn)

Other:

Nice cave.

This page was last edited on 2009-05-26 by mfc.