Introduction
Site list (GPS fixes) Walks (GPS tracks) Video clips Panoramas
Electronic projects:
Bat detector
Lamp tests
µ-controlled lamp
SEPIC-based lamp
ISP isolators
Making SMT boards
Expedition logs:
Spain 1973, 1974,
1975, 1976, 1977,
1979, 1982, 1983,
1985, 1986, 1987,
1988, 1989, 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2011, 2012,
2013, 2014, 2015,
2016, 2017, 2018,
2019, 2020, 2021,
2022, 2023
Mexico
New England
Translation:
Name: Cueva Cabezas de Vaca
Location: Valle Sobra, west of Tresviso
GPS: N43°15'19" W4°41'47"
UTM: 30T 362.41 4790.77
Map: 1:80,000
Survey: See: Cabezas-de-Vaca.jpg
Description: >1km, including sumps, etc. See SWCC Newsletter 104 1988 (LUSS expeditions Agua ’86 and ’87).
Visits:
2007.06.09 – GPS fix; also “on to the Valle de Sobra and parked near the junction of two tracks 📌, one of which contoured around the hill for 300m to a cave/mine, which we explored to just out of daylight.
Next we went down the steep track into the valley with the objective of following the rushing water and investigating a possible resurgence at a cliff face at the bottom. On the way we passed a small resurgence/stream with a cave adjacent which had obviously once been a cheese storage cave – with the remains of a few cheeses still on the shelves 📌.”
Other:
2025.06.22 Carlos G. Luque kindly e-mailed:
“This cave is located in Cabañas Las Porquerizas, Valle Sobra, municipality of Tresviso, Picos de Europa National Park (ETRS89-UTM coordinates: 362314 / 4790568). It is known as Cabezas de Vaca Cave. It is also known as Musk-ox-head ‘Ovibos’ or Cowshead Spring Cave:
Álvarez-Laó DJ, Ballesteros D, Rivals F, Álvarez-Vena A, Valenzuela P, Jiménez-Sánchez M. 2020. A remarkable musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) assemblage was recovered at Cowshead Cave (Picos de Euro-pa Mountains, NW Spain). Quaternary Science Reviews, 238: 1-19.
digibuo.uniovi.es/dspace/handle/10651/56346 »
The ‘Cheese cave’ gallery is marked in yellow [in Cabezas-de-Vaca.jpg].
The cavity is inhabited by a small colony of greater horseshoe bats (Rinolophus ferrumequinum).”