The Battle of
 El Mazuco

Expedition log, Summer 1989

A summary and index of the Speleogroup logbook.

(Update to full transcription in progress.)

Llanes area, Mestas, Socueva, La Borbolla, etc.

Date	Activity
30.06	(Friday) Mike, 24 hours after return from Seattle, finds himself on a BA flight to Bilbao (an hour earlier than the usual “Iberia” flight). Met by Bill and Elsa at about 16:15, then onwards in traffic jams (hmmm... maybe Friday not such a good idea) to Llanes (with sustenance stops at Ôtanes and Santillana). Arrive Barcenas campsite 9:45. 10:15 to Covadonga restaurant, where chuletillas mysteriously become escallope... The Marques de Riscal was good! Town and campsite very quiet. Bill arranges campsite fee reduction (1350ptas per day). Diesel fuel costs 55 ptas/litre – going up tomorrow to 59 ptas. Sun & blue sky.
01.07	Up at 8:30, Elsa has a shower while Bill & Mike take coffee on the bar terrace. After more coffee with Elsa, we drive to Lubiesco track. Walk starts at 10:00 up the valley we explored briefly in 1988. Up the track there is an ‘abandoned’ limestone mountainette [sic]. This did contain a nicely draughting cave-passage (old?) leading off into the hill. Passage big. but entrance blocked by a rock. 7″ squeeze will require dedication to pass. We looked at several possible stream-level resurgences but the only promising one was under lock & key! We did find the source of Río Dovedad – multiple (many!) small resurgences. At 12:30, Elsa returns to car and Bill and Mike march up the hill south of path to junction and shepherd in ruin. We are informed of torcas and a cueva in the westward-leading valley (as opposed to the eastward valley leading to La Borbolla). So admiring (but not descending) the magnificent depression to the south we proceeded up and west. Up we climbed on a fairly good path past many smaller depressions and saddles. Unfortunately there was no stream and no obviously visible cave entrances. (However we never descended any of the depressions.) The agreement was to return to Elsa after two hours. We reached 550m to the highest (but not last) saddle at 13:30. On the way back we mistakenly took a higher path past a couple of torcas (not descended) and correcting ourselves we rediscovered an old mine passage full of cow shit and mud. Drizzle was partially welcome to cool off. We returned to the junction at 14:20 and it was agreed that Mike should walk to La Borbolla bar and Bill should return to Elsa and car then drive round. Bill found Elsa at 14:40 and the eastern bar was reached at 15:05. Cheese and beer were ordered and Mike duly turned up at 15:20. The track down to La B. was imaginative (the map-maker’s imagination) but after 30 minutes jungle-bashing a reasonable cowpath was reached. A small sink didn’t go, but soon a larger depression with dry (it was a drought) waterfall with hanging valleys above is worth a return visit. Could be hard to find from La B. Back to the campsite to write up log. To El Retiro for chiperones, Campo Viejo (×2), cheese, churizo, etc., then back into town (via fiesta in Pancar for fireworks and marksmanship by M (globes!)) to El Taleru, etc. Town seemed to be full of Valencian students. Overcast.
02.07	A slow start. Acuario for tortilla, then a look a look at Cueva Geoffo (Cosagra), then lunch at Ortiguero. Weak fabada but excellent chips. Back down-valley towards Rales – curiosity leads us left up to Malatería village and onwards to Sucueva – accessible by a very new road. Didn’t linger there even though hamlet overlooked by caves – locals said they didn’t go. Elsa tried raw walnut: reaction sufficient to stop Bill & Mike from repeating the experience. Back towards Malatería – but first up a side-valley (S [at Mestas?] and then W) which was idyllic. Find a cave resurgence with a strongly draughting entrance which leads to a cross-rift rather small, with water, but promising. M grovels in the cave. To the bar at Malatería – here told of a large cave nearby used for shelter during the War. Definitely worth a prospecting trip. Back to campsite for a couple of hours sleep – and on to Bill’s Birthday dinner at El Hornu. Green beans, peppers, avocado, anchovies; merluza con quisquillas, merluza romano, chuletillas – washed down with Viña Soledad. Back to campsite for an early night.
03.07	Up at 9:30 on a fine sunny day, the night’s sleep having been disturbed by fiesta music until 3 a.m... Tortilla in Acuario, film purchase, then on to Cueva Cosagra. Mike & Bill enter with rope and descend the the pitch/ramp explored the previous day. A rift passage leads to water, wading under an arch to noisy streamway. The rift continues to final sump via a pair of deep pools. Bill slipped into the first pool and was out of his depth! The final sump looks infinitely promising, blue clear water under an arch, but the presence of divers’ handline suggests it has already been dived with bottles. Washed in river after finding pitch bypass via stream course to resurgence entrance. Lunch @ 14:00 in El Viveru overlooking the sea. Patatas bravas (again) and Bonito a la plancha. Next off to find the fabled “resurgence near Bar La Roxia” (OUCC Trans CRG April 71: “At the nearby village of La Pereda, near the Bar La Roxia, is another resurgence cave, carrying a small stream which is used locally as a water source. This was entered by the 1969 expedition, but has not been explored.”) Follow the dry streamway up the hill – it becomes wet with a small stream – but eventually in the heat and humidity we retire to the bar for a cerveza. Back to the campsite, then at 9 to the restaurant opposite La Viveru – beans with clams for Mike (doing his bit for the Greenhouse Effect – regretted later!) excellent fish soup for Elsa, etc. La Viveru afterwards for sweet frothy coffees among lightning, powercuts, and (later) rain.
04.07	It’s Tuesday, so off to Tito Bustillo (free on Tuesdays) – not a bad cave (though paintings a little disappointing). Definitely worth the visit. The exploring SW of Ribadesella for caves – end up driving through(!) a cave on the way to Cuevas (3km SW of Riba. Δ). Back, via Riba. to Arriondas and San Remo Bar/Restaurant for traditional menu: fabada (excellent), truchas con jamon (average), flan (above average), coffee (good), and pan y vino (average). 600pts (£3) each – far to much (to eat) for a lunch! Next stop the Lakes. OUCC just arrived really, nothing to report, all bar one up the hill. Low cloud, cool, but not raining. Brisk stroll about the lake, appreciating the view. Back down (via craft shop) and along the Cangas↔Mestas de Con road towards Rales and Posada. Up the track (now a road) through Bobiás and Demués (stopping at Cueva del Agua on the way) and finally back down to Con and the “main” road. No other speleo interest. Back to campsite for a light pollo al ajillo, etc. at El Retiro, before retiring.
05.07	+++ In progress, to here +++ Back to Malatería to look for caves; met Angel, who agreed to take us to a bigger cave near Mestas. This cave, Cañada, is about 300m above the Socueva junction through dense undergrowth and brambles (grid ref: 4966 9765). Angel and Bill explore 140m of mixed passages, worth the walk. Lunch at Meré. Driving back along Mestas–Riensena road we spotted a resurgence near Socueva, near 4946 9777, to be investigated later (06.07). Also investigated cliff face in depresssion near Priedano, but no cave. Back to Llanes for Paella at Covadonga.
06.07	Shopping for boots to fit the Bill. Then back to the resurgence spotted yesterday. Three entrances lead to rift passage 20m long ending in 7m pitch (explored 08.07). Back to Llanes for quiet potter. More thunder, lightning, and powercuts.
07.07	East to La Borbolla via Purón campsite for breakfast. Up the valley just west of village, then east up-valley to line of depressions. The highest had a strongly-draughting hole (too-small, but class-A dig), but the big find of the day was a fine plum tree, on the edge of the same depression. Circled back to La Borbolla; a long walk. El Jornu (Pancar) for a good, fishy, meal, washed down liberally with Monopole. Met Antonio of Rales at El Taleru.
08.07	The previous evening’s ambitious plans of a sporting cave were soon overridden by general stiffness from the strenuous walk the previous day. So, back to Mestas (via Acuario for tortilla) to explore the pitch found on 06.07. Bill agilely descended the pitch with rope and descendeur to 20m rift passage which ended abruptly. Lunch in Ortiguero, then a long investigative drive via Arenas, Alles, Panes, Columbres, and back to Llanes. Little of interest noted (map in log). Rte. Covadonga for expedition dinner (Stuffed peppers, Bonito, Lechazo) with excellent Marques de Murrietta 1983.
09.07	To Bilbao in very light traffic. Hours to spare before flight; Elsa finally manages to find a truly vegetarian meal. Bill & Elsa depart for France.

Personnel: Bill & Elsa Collis, & Mike Cowlishaw.

Other log details: Exchange rate 189 pesetas/GBP. Diesel 55–59pts/litre.

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