The Battle of
 El Mazuco

Expedition log, Summer 1976

A summary and index of the Speleogroup logbook; full transcription in progress.

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, 30T 340.39 4790.42, alt. 1480m). This was partially explored by Speleogroup in 1975 with the French club SCAL.

See the expedition report » for additional details.

Date	Activity
29.06	Left Winchester 21:00; collected extra 100m rope in Southampton. Joined boat queue at 21:50. Actually got onto the boat at 22:35; Southampton→Santander (Monte Toledo, Aznar Line). MC+BC+DT+ST.
30.06	Full day on the boat watching The Adventurers (topical) film, sunbathing, etc. Anzar Line meets with approval: First Class cabins (private shower, etc.) for just £21 each.
01.07	Arrived Santander 07:35; cleared customs, etc., at 09:25. Arrived Posada (104 km) 11:05, Rales shortly after to arrange later accommodation, etc. Arrived lakes (after some overheating on the hill) 14:30. Raining; set up camp. After discussion decided to (1) start tackling Forcau, and (2) look for and survey Hoyo La Madre. (1) [MC+ST] Sherpa’d ropes etc. up to Forcau and then proceeded to rig pitches 1→4. First obstacle was 10′ snow plug at the bottom of the first pitch: the whole of the entrance series visited was very cold. Four bolts added to the existing, one at the top of each pitch, so now pitches: Belay + Bolt 2 bolts (one above the other) 1 bolt before traverse + 1 on pitch 2 bolts (one each side of pitch head) 1¼ hours up to cave, 3 hours down it, ¾ hour walk down. (2) [DT+BC] Searched for cave for two hours and after a roundabout walk found Río Casaño – small and steeply descending but not very interesting. Hoyo la Madre not found.
02.07	A rather late start; Mike, Steve, Bill down Forcau at about 13:30. On this trip a second bolt was put at the top of the 5th pitch. There are abrasion problems near the bottom of this pitch due to a ledge. The rope was rigged on the 6th pitch with no extra bolts needed, short traverse line on the top part. On reaching the bottom of the 6th, the ladder for the 7th and rope for the 8th were taken along the rift. The ladder was rigged and descended, and the tackle bag with the rope was left at the foot of the 7th pitch. The trip was successful and the only mistakes were a tackle bag dropped down the 6th and forgetting the hanger for the bolt on the 7th. After the 6-hour trip we returned to the campsite to meet Dot, who had acquired very pink skin walking back from Forcau. We then drove down to Cangas de Onís and had an excellent meal of paella, trout, fresh fruit, and wine. Next stop was Posada – as it was Bill’s birthday Mike relectantly agreed to get dragged into Becket, and Dot and Bill bopped. Lastly, on to Rales, had a drink in the bar, and went to bed in the hay loft of a barn. Variable amounts of sleep were obtained, but all were awoken by the repeated cries of a cockerel at dawn.
03.07	We spent some time waiting for the bar to open in Rales, and then the same thing in Posada, but by about 10 a.m. we could wait no longer for the use of the loo in Posada and returned to Rales for this purpose. Wearing satisfied smiles we then proceeded to Barro beach via Posada and spent some time relaxing on the beach and in the bar. Mike and Bill had an unsuccessful trip into Posada to get carbide, as the shops were shut. They returned to the beach for a while; then we drove to Rales to meet Victor and Maria del Mar, who accompanied Bill and Steve down Rales cave. This was remarkable for its superb gour pools. Afterwards we returned to the lake, stopping on the way to refill the radiator again, and reached the campsite about 7:30 p.m. Prepared kit and food dump (for the bottom of pitch 6) for the next day, e.g., spent 20 minutes folding loo paper...
04.07	08:45 Reveille, and Bill makes macaroni cheese for breakfast in anticipation of the efforts to be required in the days Forcau trip. Arrive at the entrance after usual 1¼ hours in blistering heat to find that someone had stolen all the string they could lay their hands on – off bolt driver, hammer, + chocks. Entrance pitches descended in ½ hour and on to the 7th pitch; ladder was bolted onto the anchor. Progress through the next few hundred meters of tight meandering stream passage was slow, but faster than through the previous rift. In particular a section of red/brown rock was v. tedious due to the projections coming out of the walls. Generally the passage was 2ft wide and over 15ft high with occasional pools. A slight enlargement of the pasage then leads to rapid progress as ones shoulders no longer rub against the pasage walls. 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 (Freya) 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 2012-02-04 by mfc.