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Avenc M-7

Avenc M-7

A 43-metre-deep pit in Montcortès, Baix Pallars, explored in 1983 and surveyed in 1989.

Baix Pallars • Pallars Sobirà 130m 43m

A 43-metre-deep pit in Montcortès, Baix Pallars, explored in 1983 and surveyed in 1989.

Characteristics

Location

From Senterada you must head to the Pobleta de Bellveí where we will take a narrow road on the right to the estany de Montcortès; on the E side of the estany, an asphalted track comes out that heads to Peracalç; when we reach the junction with the track that goes to Montsor, we will take this one on the right, suitable for any vehicle, and after 1.7 kilometres we will reach the flat area where the cavities are found; this is on the left of the track, the spot is easily recognised since the track makes a sharp bend to the right and also on the right there is a large temporary pool of water that serves for the animals to drink.

The identification of the cavities is quite complicated, since the painted name is only preserved on the M-1, M-11 and M-35, on the rest of the cavities any sign identifying them has disappeared, and the GEB does not report any kind of guideline followed in order to identify them; therefore, apart from these two cavities, as for the coordinates of the rest we do not know which one corresponds correctly to each of them; we have thought it appropriate to mark the rest of the cavities with some coordinates located between M-1 and M-11, bearing in mind that apart from the M-8, which is found a couple of bends before reaching the flat area, the rest of the cavities are located within a radius of less than 200 metres from this point that we indicate; in some cases the coordinates correspond to the entrances of holes, but we do not know whether they correspond to the same ones.

To access this group of cracks it is necessary to cross the small depression of the Avenc M-1 along a small path that skirts, on the outside, the group of cracks that make up this cavity, leaving them on the right. The entrance to the M-7 is made between some box trees; to help us find the entrance there are two stone cairns, one on each side of the crack.

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. M-7, Avenc

    Elevation: 1359 m

    42.316403, 0.978396
    UTM 31T (ETRS89) 333404 4686886
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Avenc M-7 - Photo, Baix Pallars, Pallars SobiràView image
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Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.

Image 1 of 6

Description

Morphology

The first section of the pit is an open-air fracture where we pass under a large block; in about 15 metres we will find a turn to the left and a drop of a little more than 2 metres. We will continue a few more metres where we find a turn to the right, and shortly after another turn, this time to the left; after a few metres we enter the dark zone, since on reaching the point R-4.5 it becomes a cave until reaching a small chamber located at -18.91 metres, where a rope must be rigged to descend a pit of -11 metres (parabolt without hanger); at the base of this pit we find a gallery of interesting dimensions where the ceiling in some points reaches 13 metres in height, and it leads us by means of some drops to the point of maximum depth of the cavity, at -43 metres. The total route is 130.43 metres.

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, explore 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 they name 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 is 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 the year 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.

This cavity in particular was explored in 1983 but was not surveyed until 1989.

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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.
  4. De Valles, Jordi.(2008).-Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (Vol 1):245-246. ECG, FCE. Badalona.
  • Fitxa actualitzada el novembre de 2017, coordenades, 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/