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Avenc de Vallbona

Avenc de Vallbona

Magnificent 23 m deep pit in Garraf (Sitges), with a large 12 m by 5 m entrance and a single shaft.

Sitges • Garraf 30m 23m

Magnificent 23 m deep pit in Garraf (Sitges), with a large 12 m by 5 m entrance and a single shaft.

Characteristics

Location

From the Bassot de l'Arbre one must head toward the puig de l'Olla and continue through the flat areas of the Cocona de la Sivina (Turó de Vallbona). On its SE slope a torrent begins that descends toward the fondo de Vallbona, and about 200 metres away from the hill, in the middle of the streambed, is the entrance of the pit, surrounded outside and from within by exuberant vegetation.

Our friend Lluís Muntan proposes another itinerary (only suitable for good walkers of Garraf) that begins at the parking lot of the Garraf golf school, W of the turó de Cova Fumada, from where a path sets off in a SW direction. After 250 metres, the path turns suddenly almost 180º and we follow it, skirting the quarry along its upper lip for some 500 metres. Here, leaving a branch that goes off to the left, we continue along a narrow trail always in a N direction and on a steep climb. This trail enters a field of rascler and, once past the Morro Curt, it is lost. We continue in a N direction seeking the best stepping stones, until reaching the crest of the ridge, not far from the turó de Vallbona, where the Cocona la Sivina is. We turn in the direction of the aforementioned hill and we will see that on our left the fondo emissary of the Vallbona one is formed. We will have to descend some 150 metres of distance to go and find the entrance in the streambed of this fondo.

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Vallbona, Avenc de

    Elevation: 365 m

    41.277980, 1.931240
    UTM 31T (ED 50) 410588 4570372
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Avenc de Vallbona - Photo, Sitges, GarrafView image
Click to enlarge

Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.

Image 1 of 5

Description

Morphology

The cavity presents a large entrance of some 12 metres in length by 5 metres in width, oriented in a NE direction, which is that of the joint on which it is structured. The pit consists of a single shaft that reaches 23 metres in depth; from the –3 level, the dimensions of the shaft range between 9 and 4 metres.

It seems to be a typical cavity of rascler of extraordinary dimensions and formed from numerous infiltration points that have given rise to different embryonic cavities, later joined by longitudinal coalescence and anastomosis. One can observe an enormous development of the forms produced by erosion and corrosion.

Speleothems

Not the slightest trace of lithogenic morphology appears.

History

In their respective catalogues of Garraf, both F. Termes (1952) and J. Borràs (1974) indicate that the first exploration of the pit was carried out by Faura i Sans (without specifying the year). We have not been able to find any information about this supposed exploration. More recently, E. Aragonès, in his excellent work: “Faura, espeleòleg” (2009), also records that he has not found any data on the matter.

Curiously, in an unpublished work by J. Borràs (1978) on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the GES, he makes an exhaustive compilation of all the cavities explored by the GES between 1948 and 1978, furnished from a clearing of the Club's activities book. Here it is recorded that the first exploration of the avenc de Vallbona was carried out by members of the GES in the month of February 1950.

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Bibliography

  1. Borràs, J. (1974).- Catálogo espeleológico del macizo de Garraf. Vol. II. 166 pp. Barcelona.
  1. Montoriol, J.; Muntan, L. (1961).- “Resultado de nuevas investigaciones sobre el karst del Pla de les Basses (Macizo de Garraf, Barcelona)” Speleon. T.12 (1-2): 35-53. Universidad de Oviedo.
  • Coordenades, fotos retolades i situació facilitades per Lluís Muntan (GES - CMB)
  • Fotografies sense retolar facilitades per Jordi de Cabo, extretes del blog “espeleo y Fotografia”, post del dia 8 de març de 2015.

Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/