2023

Abstract

The 2023 expedition was to continue with ongoing exploration in Andara (Eastern Massif) of the Picos de Europa, Northern Spain.

Summary

The main objectives of the 2023 expedition were:

Cueva del Nacimiento 

• Mendip Mission – at the furthest point in the cave, there are multiple leads, these will be explored. 
• Far Upstream Sump – an attempt on the sump will be made in 2024, this year diving equipment will be carried in and stored in the cave. 
• Resurveying project – commenced in 2022, will be continued.

Cueva de la Marniosa 

• Beyond Sump 2 – an undescended 6m pitch will be descended by small team of divers. 
• Sump 1 Bypass – investigation of high level leads in the streamway, looking for a bypass to the first sump. 
• Alien Weaponry – 35m aven partly climbed in 2022 will be completed. 
• Derigging – several aven climbs, now finished, will be de-rigged. 
• Surveying – new modern survey required.  This will include the unsurveyed discoveries from 2018 and as far as possible into the known cave. 

T169 Torca del Picu Boru (Flowerpot) 

• Unexplored leads – a number of potential leads will be investigated. 

This year, permission has been extended into the Asturias region, specifically the area around Sotres and La Caballar.  This will allow exploration of some of the caves that potentially sit between the deep caves of Andara and the resurgences in the Urdon Gorge³. 

Cueva C29 

• Terminal Sump – sump at -120m is 1975 limit of exploration.  Investigate and dive the sump. 

Results:

The 2023 expedition has continued to build on the successes of previous trips discovering over 2.5km of new cave and several new leads. Over 3km of existing cave was also resurveyed to improve accuracy of old data and provide a better picture of the interconnected systems. 

Cueva del Nacimiento – Barbenheimer 

In Nacimiento exploration continues to push the cave further into the mountain, but now passage is increasingly heading downwards, although this is away from the surface, it is promising as the cave follows a similar profile throughout the cave, steep ramps up, followed by drop in height to next the next ramp ups. 

In addition, dive bottles have been carried into Nacimiento, ready for a dive of the upstream sump in 2024. 

Cueva del la Marniosa – Beyond Sump 2 

The undescended pitch beyond Sump 2, discovered in 2018, was finally dropped and a short section of passage unfortunately leads to a third sump.  Iin 2024 the search for possible bypasses to the sumps will continue.  

Cueva C29 – Torca de Brana Espina 

Cueva C29 was a major success on the trip, pushed to just short of -500m deep and appears to lie on the fault directly between the higher potholes and the resurgence caves.  The cave continues with unexplored passage and will be visited again in 2024. 

Cueva de Concha Vies 

The cave has been rigged to the previous limit of Spanish exploration (1996) and will be progresses further in 2024. 

T169 Torca Picu Boru 

The Bill Series was re-rigged, surveyed and fully explored.  The main route, via Ben Series was also re-rigged and surveyed down to the -277m, with some new leads identified. 

Members

Documents & Links

Tresviso 2023 (ES) 18 MB 41 downloads

Spanish Translation ...

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Tresviso 2023 25 MB 61 downloads

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Ghar Parau Tresviso 2023 Summary Report 2023 1.4 MB 17 downloads

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