The Battle of
 El Mazuco

Expedition log, Summer 1979

A summary and index of the Speleogroup logbook.

Los Lagos in the wet, Cueva Toyu, Garma Ciega surface measurements, etc.

First appearance of barometric altitude data in logs.

Date	Activity
15.07	Heathrow to Bilbao for M, met by B&E. On to Castro Urdiales and camped outside Sangazo; explored side passage noted in 1977 (ended in muddy chamber after duck).
16.07	West to Posada, Rales, and El Mazuco (social), then on to Los Lagos for Chicken Curry and to meet OUCC.
17.07	SRT trip down Trumbio with Mike of OUCC. 3 small climbs, 10m pitch. (4:30) Recovered with bread & Manchego; Cangas (Río Grande) for dinner. Trumbio entrance: 587m. Final Sump: 482m. Depth (barometric) 105m. Depth (surveyed) 106m.
18.07	Bill and Pete (OUCC) visit Cueva del Viento (beyond Enol), elevation 1359m. Generally small and sharp. 5m climb (see 1961 survey) leads to deep pool. Larger, unexplored, maze-like high level passages bypassed the pool. Should be revisited and surveyed. Mike walked SE to karstic hanging valley. Evening hailstorm (20mm hailstones, drifting) was seen out in the Refugio (Fabada, Truchas, etc. for 327pts).
19.07	Very wet and foggy; lake up at least 30mm. Rounds of Bridge in the upper bar with breaks for lunch and veal/Cabrales dinner.
20.07	Still wet, so down to Ribadesella and Cueva de Tito Bustillo tourist trip (well worth the 50pts). On to Rales to camp and start to dry equipment. Café Moderno for Bridge and coffee for the evening.
21.07	Fabada breakfast, then down Rales cave upper entrance. Serious ducks needed some engineering to lower water enough to pass. Very wet on the pitch, communication difficult. One rope lost, so plans altered; all finally met at the bottom of the second pitch (Bill having done an external round trip). Exit uneventful.
22.07	East to the Latarma river valley. Minor difficulty finding the entrance to Cueva del Toyu (180m). Mike bolted the pitch, while B&E ‘surveyed the remainder of the cave’. Pitch was several very wet segments (carbide lamp impractical), but rope was not long enough to bottom. Exit to rain. Back to Rales via Lafuente, La Hermida, Suarias, Posada.
23.07	Ants and other unpleasantness overnight, followed by a recovery day (finally the sun came out) on San Antolin beach. Evening in Posada and Rales. More Bridge.
24.07	East to Ramales for altitude checks (all in m):   674 Spot height 14:00   211 Lower resurgence K2.7 14:30   330 Upper resurgence K6.27 (no waterfall at head       of Val de Ason) 15:30   693 Pass de Ason (map showed 682m) 16:10   730 Shrine at junction outside San Pedro 17:15  1140 Garma Ciega 19:02  1205 Spot height (1149m) 19:15  1004 Sumidero de Cellagua 19:55   760 Shrine (again) 21:00   400 Cruz Verde (368m) 23:00 Late to Vizcaya restaurant in Ramales; excellent menu del día (130pts, 90p), with Manchego. Back to Rales via Matienzo, arrived 02:00. Corrected (for time) altitudes for Garma Ciega System show probable depth 749m, maximum 873m.
25.07	Recovery day. Llanes, Acuario, San Antolin, Llanes, Rales.
26.07	East to Santander (failed to meet Garcia Leon at the museum) to catch the boat (M.V.Armorique), which left at 15:20. All surprised at excellent meal.
27.07	Arrived UK 14:02; back to Bath via Mendip.

Personnel: Bill Collis, Elsa Collis, Mike Cowlishaw.

Other log details:

• Draft articles:
  • A Note on the depth of Garma Ciega/Cellagua
  • Experience with the (Bridon) Viking Speleo Rope (with Kevlar core).
• Numerous Bridge score sheets.

This page was last edited on 2007-02-19 by mfc.   All content © Speleogroup 1973, 2008. except where marked otherwise. All rights reserved. Here is our privacy statement.