The Battle of
 El Mazuco

Expedition log, Summer 2003

A summary and index of the Speleogroup logbook.

Andinas, Bulnes, Trumbio, Viango, Cueva Negra, High Picos etc.

Date	Activity
01.07	Bill just misses his flight from Milan, but re-routes through Barcelona and still gets to Bilbao an hour before Mike. We drive the hired Citroen Xsara directly to Llanes (with a snack in San Vincente), arriving around 18:00. Rte. Covadonga for paella, sardinas, chuleta con queso.
02.07	Early start for the Andinas area, noted in 2002. First scouted tracks from the ‘main road’; the one we chose had an easy cement surface and took us close to a good view of the depression shown on the map. Unencouraging, however – no stream visible. Investigated up-valley depressions, all dry (most promising is the westernmost, at N43°21′03″ W4°34′41″). Split up, using radios, to circle around the main depression, meeting at the final sink, at N43°20′00″ W4°33′25″, which was choked with mud and brambles. The 8.6km of walking raised a fine appetite; assuaged by lunch in La Hermida. Then on to Bejes, including a very steep cement “quad” sidetrack going up to 860m. Refreshments in Panes, then up to Cabañuca (following a very slow lorry, passed 100m before the cave’s depression), locating the cave at Δ). Alas, while taking the measurement, the lorry had dumped its load of grit onto the road – between us and Suarias! Eventually dug our way through, and got back to Llanes around 18:45. The rest of the evening spent selecting a suitable restaurant for Bill’s birthday dinner. Enventually decided on the “u-shaped one” in the alley; Merluza a la Romano for Bill, Escalope for Mike, Rosada.
03.07	Up to El Mazuco from the west, to calibrate GPS and locate Caldueñin and Fresno (see site locations list for GPS coordinates). On to Arenas for an excellent lunch at the ‘triangular restaurant’. Bulnes gorge Next objective was the “Funicular” at Poncebos, which we had seen advertised in Posada earlier that morning. This turned out to be a new underground railway rising 400m to give access to Bulnes. €15 each took us the 2km in 7 minutes in the company of many teenage hikers. Excellent Cabrales cheese inspired us to walk down the gorge (right) to return. Spectacular! Heading back, we crossed the bridge to Allende/Los Callejos, and drove up the track towards La Montaña Mágica, looking for a good route to Cueva Samorelli. The best track is on the right before Allende from car parking spot at N43°24′41″ W4°54′05″. Bill descends Pozo del Molino, takes photos, and does through trip using red LED.
04.07	Took the new motorway past Tinganón across the Río Sella, u-turn at Bones, stop in Cangas. Then up to K4 on the road to the lakes with a stop to locate and look at the Gueyu Reinazo resurgence. From K4 it is but a short walk around a small hill to Trumbio, last visited in 1979 and still impressive. The main purpose of the visit was for testing our LED lamps in real cave conditions. Bill & brunette On up to typically misty lakes (see picture at right) for lunch under green tarpaulins in the newly rebuilt bar, which lacks much of the charm of the original. After lunch we attempt to get lost in the mist (to test the GPS), but fail miserably as there is now a generator at the bar giving a 5° fix for at least 1km. Still enthusiastic, we return down from the mountains and find a depression off the track south of Benia. Bill, having dry boots (until then), heads down the streamway down to the cave “El Peruyal”; a 20m × 10m entrance in a cliff face with about 100m of big walking passage.
05.07	Destination Cueva de la Yosa del Viango, first visted in 2001. The track up from Purón is now complete, so we drive as far as we can and park at N43°22′30″ W4°43′06″. The first speleological feature of note on the walk to Viango is the Fuente Grande (1.4km from the car), which is a resurgence with 1m × 1m very wet passage which might ‘go’. Viango from C. la Raiz On to the pass (C. la Raiz, 3km from the car Δ) over rough going, reaching it after about 2 hours. A short descent and pleasant walk for a further 2km took us to the entrance of the cave, which is behind a line of trees (on the left of the open vega in the photo), among ‘sand dunes’ and grass. Once in the cave, three routes were explored (see sketch from log), the best proved to be across the daylight aven, where a passage leads into a good-sized chamber with an aven with a fine echo. An easy-to-miss sand crawl leads from there to another 25m+ sandy chamber which ends in a deep clear pool, with a possible bypass 4m climb on the left. The rope on the climb being suspect (and having no SRT gear on this trip) we declared the trip ‘done’. LED Lamps were tested under full caving conditions on this trip; Bill on red Luxeon 1W, and Mike on his white Luxeon 1W Star/O (ATtiny-a); both performed well, with plenty of light for the cave. On exit from the cave the mist had turned to drizzle. It was a long 2-hour slog back to the car. Lunch was sorely missed, but was made up for with a large plate of queso, pan y vino, at the new bar outside Purón.
06.07	Recovery day; Mike walks along the cliffs to Poo; excellent Merluza a la Plancha lunch at La Marina restaurant in the port.
07.07	Reconnaissance: Nieda (S and just E of Cangas); promising depressions S of Següenco proved uninteresting Amieva: to hydro-electric plant, didn’t find a good route to the Dobra gorge, but did have a good walk up the track to size the stream from Cueva Ozania (rather small) Viego—Beleño—Prieca—Santillán loop (with a rustic lunch of Fabada » in Beleño). Mostly non-limestone with a few high-level cow shelters. Back to Llanes then dinner at Casa Poli – busy for a Monday.
08.07	Thick cloud over the Sierra, so we decide on Cueva Negra. Tried the track beyond Santianes that we explored in 2002, but it soon deteriorated, forcing a boring reverse to a parking spot near the mill (Ariba) at N43°25′26″ W5°02′48″. The good walking track leads up with good views of the Tinganón upper-entrance depression; Cueva Negra is in the first depression east of that one. We deliberately overshot the entrance to Negra in order to link up with our paths of 2002, but eventually decided that to cross the earlier path would be “too far”. Into the cave, less cowsh than expected. Test lamps, return from head of 3m pitch (no gear). Checked out possible Tinganón feeder on the return, but the promising cliff face revealed no cave; a good 4 hour walk & cave. Spent the remains of the afternoon looking for the ‘Madre del Río’ resurgence for Negra. Located the Bahrua hostel and spoke to the owner who remembered Frank Nicholson and Liverpool students. MdR, she said, was to be found 500m further west at foot of (now) Eucalyptus woods (we didn’t find it). Dinner at Terraza, Llanes.
09.07	Back west to look for MdR again, this time from the south-east of the building site for the new industrial park. Eventually found it in a valley, below the hillside, filled with 2m+ -high bracken. The water bubbles up through inpenetrable gravel at N43°26′06″ W5°00′13″. Mike then foolishly traverses the Eucalyptus forest above and tests the load-bearing attributes of a 10cm Eucalyptus log (failed under 60kg load, depositing said 60kg load into bramble bushes). Nothing notable of speleological interest. We also investigated other possible resurgence sites, finding just one, at N43°26′19″ W4°58′48″. Lunch of wild boar stew and bonito at Arenas. Then up towards Sotres and over the spectacular pass (Cda Barreda) at 1300m, and on to the bar in Tresviso. Back to the lower pass (Cdo de la Cabellar, 2km west of the 1300m pass) and marked caves on the map. Soon found the larger (shown as (8) on the map, Torca Labarga, 361m deep) and explored the large entrance with avens down to top of 5m+ pitch. Then split, using radios, to check out depressions and contour back to the road by different routes. Back to Llanes, then to the sidraria Cabañón in Naves for sidra, Rioja Muga, chuletillas, queso, chorizo criollo, lacón con patatas...
10.07	Crags above the mines Unpromising clouds over the Sierra, but this was the last chance for Fuente Dé, so we headed south. The weather improved, and there were no queues for the Teléferico, so we were at 1835m by noon (only slightly cooler). This year NNE again, but further on to the Minas de las Mánforas at about 1550m (mines for Blenda, probably zinc ore), where we explored the buildings and some mine workings using Bill’s Cyan LED lamp. Hunger now kicked in (it was 14:30) and a long walk up the hill took us to the Refugio de Aliva at 1666m (N43°10′11″ W4°47′04″) and welcome spring-cool water and menú. Thus refreshed, back to the saddle and a short excursion NW, then down and on to La Hermida. Stopped at the Vauclusian spring between Estragüeña and Puentelles to record its position Δ before return to Llanes.
11.07	A more inland route west that usual: Unquero, El Mazo, stopped to look at depressions near Otero (pretty, but no caves). SW to Cueva Toyu to pinpoint location: NE corner of barn (on survey) is at N43°16′59.6″ W4°29′04″ Alt203. Then Puentenansa and start looking for lunch. Found an admirable restaurante in Ruente (fine lechazo), with, 200m away, the biggest resurgence we have seen in Spain! Perhaps 2 cumecs (in July!). This is called La Fuentona and is at N43°15′00″ W4°15′57″ Alt 203. A short walk above showed no nearby sink; research needed. On to Castro Urdiales and up into the hills to locate Cubilla Δ and Cueva Lastrilla Δ, followed by a light dinner.
12.07	Early start for Bill’s delayed 09:10 flight; Mike’s is at 13:00, so plenty of time to write up the log...

Personnel: Bill Collis & Mike Cowlishaw.

Other log details:

Exchange rate: 69p = 1 Euro = 166 pesetas (241 pts/GBP). New GPS (Garmin Geko 201), positions in °,′,″ using European 1979 datum (matching maps in Spanish blue series). Notes of LED lamp tests in Trumbio (4 July). Sketches of Cueva de la Yosa del Viango (5 July). Additional waypoints to Cueva Negra (8 July).

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