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Avenc M-1

Avenc M-1

Escletxa de 31 metres de fondària i 310 metres de recorregut a Montcortès, (Baix Pallars).

Baix Pallars • Pallars Sobirà310m31m

A 31-metre-deep and 310-metre-long fissure at Montcortès (Baix Pallars), a diaclase with several levels and unstable rocks.

Characteristics

Location

The cavities are located at Montcortès, in the Baix Pallars. From Senterada one must head to the Pobleta de Bellveí, where a narrow road is taken to the right as far as the estany de Montcortès. From the E side of the estany a paved track leads off towards Peracalç; on reaching the junction with the track that goes to Montsor, this is taken to the right, suitable for any vehicle, and after 1.7 kilometres one arrives at the flat area where the cavities are found. This flat area is on the left of the track and the spot is easily recognised because the track makes a sharp bend to the right and also to the right there is a large temporary pool of water used for watering animals.

The identification of the cavities is rather complicated, since the painted name is preserved only on M-1, M-11 and M-35; from the remaining cavities any sign identifying them has disappeared, and the GEB gives no information about any guideline followed in order to identify them. Therefore, apart from these cavities, it is unknown which coordinates correctly correspond to each of them; it has been thought appropriate to mark the remaining cavities with coordinates situated between M-1 and M-11, bearing in mind that, apart from M-8, which is found a couple of bends before reaching the flat area, the remaining cavities are situated within a radius of less than 200 metres from this indicated point; in some cases the coordinates correspond to hole entrances, but it is unknown whether they correspond to the same ones.

As for M-1, this is found about 70 metres away, in the first line of trees on the left of the large meadow that lies on the other side of the track; there there is a collapse and, among the box trees, the entrance to the cavity.

Mapa

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Boca A

    Elevation: 1359 m

    42.316042, 0.977998
    UTM 31T (ETRS89) 333370 4686846
  2. Boca B

    Elevation: 1358 m

    42.315938, 0.978241
    UTM 31T (ETRS89) 333390 4686834
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Avenc M-1 - Photo, Baix Pallars, Pallars SobiràView image
Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 7

Description

Morphology

It is an important diaclase that fractures the terrain very close to the track. Externally it is about a hundred metres long, it is full of vegetation that greatly masks its location, it has different levels and an important clastic process with unstable rocks everywhere.

Progression

A couple of small drops take us into the beginning of the cavity; this continues with fallen blocks that become wedged in the diaclases having to be overcome, and this is the general pattern throughout the cavity. From time to time some intersections with other diaclases are found that will lead to lower levels. Several exits to the outside are also found.

History

On 26 to 30 March 1970 a team from the SIE of the CEA explores the Forat de Montcortès (98 metres) and the Forat del Vicenç (-10 metres). Later, on 6 and 7 March 1976, another SIE team in which some of the members of the previous team take part explores, in the serra de Peracalç, between the estany de Montcortès and Peracalç, three cavities of (-30 metres, -11 metres and -7 metres) depth respectively, which it names Forats de la Grata no. 1, 2 and 3; this information remains in the SIE archives but nothing about it is ever published. Very probably they correspond to one of the many holes explored by the GEB in this sector.

In 1980 the GEB begins a series of explorations on this flat area that lies to the N of the roca de Perauba and to the W of the dolmen de Perauba, and which the GEB calls pla del campament, because it is the spot where they set up camp during the explorations; these would last until 1988.

Later they return in September 1994, and in July 1995 they accompany the archaeologists from the department of history of pre-capitalist societies and of social anthropology of the UAB, returning again in November 1999.

In the course of these years, the forest mass has grown considerably, which also complicates the location of the cavities.

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Bibliography

  1. Porcel Caro,Enric.(1990).-”Exploracions a la Serra Magdalena ”.Cavernas (22):49-57. GE Badalona.
  2. Porcel Caro,Enric; Miret Pérez, Francesc.(2008).-”Cavernes d'interès arqueològic”. Cavernas (27):58-63. GE Badalona.
  3. Navarro,J.(1971).-”Relación cronológica de las exploraciones realizadas por miembros de la SIE en 1970”. EspeleoSie (10):75-87. SIE – CE Àliga. Barcelona.
  • Fitxa actualitzada el novembre de 2017, coordenades, noves fotografies i dades facilitades per Enric Peradalta Rocha (GIRES).

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