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Aven des Nîmois

A pit whose 1 x 0.6 entrance leads via an inclined plane to a geode, then to a large descending chamber of 20 x 4 and a network of shafts and joints down to -40.

Tharaux 60m 40m

A pit whose 1 x 0.6 entrance leads via an inclined plane to a geode, then to a large descending chamber of 20 x 4 and a network of shafts and joints down to -40.

Characteristics

  • Type: Pothole
  • Municipality: Tharaux
  • Length: 60 meters
  • Depth: 40 meters
  • Record updated:

Location

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Aven des Nîmois

    44.257263, 4.330501
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Description

Morphology

From the entrance (1 x 0.6), an inclined plane leads into a geode from which the P 10 starts, a small room with speleothems at elevation -9 reached through a skylight. At the base of the shaft (P14), after a short downclimb one discovers a large descending chamber (20 x 4), with an average height of 5 m. From the ceiling two chimneys rise, going noticeably back up toward the surface. In the scree, at the level of a low passage, one squeezes into a narrow perpendicular meander (east-west joint) that opens into a small room.

Speleothems

The P 10 is a small room with speleothems. The bottom of the cavity, at -40, is a speleothem-filled side passage from which a chimney starts.

Progression

Two possibilities are offered.

1 - Higher up, a climb on a flowstone followed by a narrow crawlway emerges at elevation -21, into a P 20 (rubbing). After a ledge at -34, the shaft descends on a flowstone to reach the bottom of the cavity at -40 in a speleothem-filled side passage from which a chimney starts.

2 - Through a skylight, on the right wall, one gains access by a (hazardous) downclimb into a joint intersected by numerous erosion blades (a skylight at 25 leads back into the P 20). Continuing the downclimb allows one to set foot at the bottom of the cavity in the chimney mentioned above.

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Contains information from Grottocenter (Wikicaves), grottocenter.org, made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0, https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/), modified. · https://grottocenter.org/ui/entrances/37342 · The derived data is available on request under the ODbL: [email protected] · data as of 2026 · Source: Grottocenter (Association Wikicaves), worldwide collaborative cave database (grottocenter.org), modified. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Grottocenter (Wikicaves) · Text by SCSP Alès (Description générale) · adapted by Espeleoworld (normalized, translated); the adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ · https://grottocenter.org/ui/entrances/37342 · data as of 2026