The Battle of
 El Mazuco

Expedition log, Summer 1976

A summary and index of the Speleogroup logbook.

This expedition, Forcau 76, was organized by Speleogroup and the Oxford University Cave Club, and had as its objective the Pozu de Vega El Forcau (now shown on Picos de Europa maps, 2km SSE of the sorthern tip of Lago de la Ercina, x=340.4, y=4790.4, alt. 1480m). This was partially explored by Speleogroup in 1975 with the French club SCAL.

See the expedition report » for more details.

Date	Activity
29.06	Late evening boat Southampton-Santander (Monte Toledo, Aznar Line)
01.07	Off boat 07:35; Posada by 11:05, Los Lagos at 14:30. One party (MC/ST) rigs pitches 1-4 in Forcau (3:00 after 1:15 hike). DT/BC look for Hoyo La Madre but find Río Casaño.
02.07	Rig pitches 5-7. Cangas for paella/trout dinner. Posada for bopping in Becket. Rales to sleep in hay barn.
03.07	Barro Beach; BC & ST visit Rales cave with Victor & Maria del Mar. Return to lakes and prepare food dump (detailed in log) for bottom of pitch 6.
04.07	Arrive Forcau to find cache of chocks, etc., looted of cord. Down on to head of pitch 8, past Spanish (S.I.E.) campsite. Marking: “S.C.A.L. 23/8/1964” found at top of pitch 8, confirming identity of cave. (4:00?)
05.07	Heavy rain, so late start; Arriondas for car radiator repair; very heavy rain throughout the day and following night (125mm total est., Lago Ercina rose considerably).
06.07	First party (DT/MC) descend and re-hang 5th pitch then survey out and return to meet new arrivals (ML, DK, HW). ST & BC leapfrog and press on to descend 8th pitch and following cascades and climbs (7:00), exiting 22:30.
07.07	ST & BC vist Cueva de la Campaña. DT & MC rebolt Forcau 6th in complicated rock. ML, DK, & HW search unsuccessfully for caves around Vega de la Cueva and Lago Enol. Water levels almost back to normal.
08.07	VOPS (walkers) arrive 01:00. ST & BC enter Forcau at 13:45; 2.5 hours later and only 200m after previous limit of exploration they reach the big deep blue sump. MC & DK follow in at 14:45 and meet the earlier party after the 10th pitch; look for bypasses. (6:15 and 7:30, some lights fading.)
09.07	Restock/recoup in Cangas. BC, ST, ML descend Campaña to complicated end, then to Gueyu Reinazo resurgence to clean up.
10.07	ML & DK survey Campaña. BC & ST continue from Covadonga with Spaniard and do La Huelga through trip – 1km of passage still unsurveyed. Remainder of OUCC party arrive after breakdown in France, with welcome foodstuffs.
11.07	Warm southerly gale at 03:00 takes down several tents (and more on the rest of campsite). Followed by rain. BC, ML, and VOPS people leave for Suarias (Oyo Ceñal system, La Redonda sink, Cabañuca sink, Cueva de Navaron sink, night in barn shared with rats) while the rest fester in the rain and test tents.
12.07	Suarias party move on to Venta de Fresnedo; visit Toyu blocked resurgence, Cueva de los Moranos, Toyu sink, Comaria system, Cororigo System, La Huerta resurgence (3:00 walking). MC & DK acrobatically push holes above Forcau 3rd and 5th pitches. Remaining 5 descend to the sump en mass. After various lighing and equipment problems, eventually out at 01:30 (after 12:30), by which time all the others were on the way up with full rescue kit; all back to camp by 03:00.
13.07	8 to Cangas for shopping, meal, and all-day ‘quick game of Bridge’. Others walk, look for Pozo Palomeru, and find Burdio de la Pena. VOPS descend Forcau to top of 8th pitch (lose camera on 3rd, later recovered).
14.07	BT & DT fail to find Hoyo la Madre while ST, HW, MC take photo trip to top of 8th pitch in Forcau (70+ photos). BC, DK, ML to Forcau sump (3:00?) with some equipment problems (carbide flame-thrower, poor prusik gear, etc.), plus surveying exploring (3:15, total 11:00, out 01:00).
15.07	Recovery day; Cangas, play Bridge, 4 down Trumbio.
16.07	MC & BC pack and leave .. Posada, Llanes, Posada, Rales (barn full), Posada for the night.
17.07	Tortillas in Acuario, East to France.
18.07	Flat battery, but get to Rocamador 16:30ish. Look at Gouffre Lacaro, then do Padirac (BEC membership card handy). Overnight in Martel.
19.07	Leave 10:00; northwards Brive, Limoges, Poitiers, Angers, Rennes, St Malo. Night in a field.
20.07	Ferry left St Malo 11:30 to ?, arrive Winchester 22:00.

Personnel: Jason Clements, Bill Collis, Mike Cowlishaw, Dave Kelsey, Martin Laverty, Brian Matthews, Tony Moult, Theresa Moylan, Steve Tarran, Dot Toft, Hilary Worth.

Other log details: Cueva Campaña survey data. Forcau survey data. (14.07 from ML & BC notes; ST notes, DT? notes.) Sundry accounts and equipment details. Mileage and petrol records (1,433 miles total).

This page was last edited on 2008-06-21 by mfc.   All content © Speleogroup 1973, 2008. except where marked otherwise. All rights reserved. Here is our privacy statement.