Cova del Brugal

Cavitat de 44 m. de fondària i 279 de recorregut al municipi de Sant Esteve de la Sarga.

Sant Esteve de la Sarga • Pallars Jussà279m44m

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Cova del Brugal

Cavitat de 44 m. de fondària i 279 de recorregut al municipi de Sant Esteve de la Sarga.

Sant Esteve de la Sarga · Pallars Jussà

Length: 279 m · Depth: 44 m

Updated record

https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/cova-del-brugal

Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.

Topographic map of the main entrance — Main entrance · ICGC topographic map

A cavity 44 m deep and 279 m long in the municipality of Sant Esteve de la Sarga, known since ancient times and explored since 1958.

Characteristics

Type: Cave
Municipality: Sant Esteve de la Sarga
Region: Pallars Jussà
Unit: Montsec d'Ares
Length: 279 meters
Depth: 44 meters
Major Unit: Prepirineu
Lithology: Limestone
Last review: 2026-06-30

Location

In the municipality of Sant Esteve de la Sarga. By the road that goes from Sant Esteve de la Sarga to Alsamora, on reaching the coll de la Fabregada we will turn off onto the paved track on the left that heads towards the coll d'Ares; after a few metres we reach the first left-hand bend, at this point we will leave the track to head West in the direction of the nearby torrent; on reaching it, we will go up its bed for a few hundred metres and we will find the entrance in the middle of the torrent.

In 2025 the entrance has been closed with a grille; we do not know which body carried out the closure. The reason for the closure seems to have been the complaint of the residents of Alsamora due to the excess of visits to the cave by speleologists, adventure companies and passers-by, this caused the contamination of the water that flows there, which resurges at the fonts del Pasterot and dels Horts. As was to be expected, the closure did not last even six months: someone has cut the padlock, in addition to clearing stones from the side wall that is not rock and that allows passage even if the padlock is there.

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

Cova del Brugal
Elevation: 979 m
42.077160, 0.739360
UTM 31T (ED 50) 313096 4661021
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Topographic

Cova del Brugal - Topography, Sant Esteve de la Sarga, Pallars Jussà

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

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Description

Morphology

The entrance mouth (1x0.60) with a small step gives access to a descending gallery that will place us on the main axis of the cave. If we go up the gallery towards the East it becomes narrow and after about 25 metres it becomes impenetrable; on the other hand, if we follow the direction of the watercourse we will find a sector with a flat ceiling with a height that goes from 1 to 1.60 metres, while the width is much greater. The continuation is half blocked by boulders and one must search for the passage that will place us at the widest point of the cave (18 metres). The gallery follows the dip of the bedding planes, finding the floor covered with sediments and fallen slabs of strata. Next the gallery makes an 'S' with a parabolic ceiling and a width of 2.5 metres, shortly after the gallery narrows until it becomes impracticable.

Speleothems

In the stretch where the gallery follows the dip of the bedding planes we find various lithogenic phenomena. In the 'S' gallery the floor is covered by very white concretion.

Hydrology

A small watercourse runs along the main axis of the cave; we lose the stream momentarily only to find it again a little further on. A dye tracing with fluorescein gave a positive result at the font del Pasterot de la maçana and at the font dels Horts.

Progression

History

The first exploration of this cavity, known since ancient times by the inhabitants of Alsamora and Sant Esteve de la Sarga, was by members of the CGB, in 1958. Later in 1963 a team from the GIE led by Josep Castell visited it. On the same dates F. Chavarria and J. Sangenís of the GES visited it. For almost five years it was forgotten, until a campaign of the ERE-CEC in December 1967 in which its survey began.

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Bibliography

Borràs, J; Miñarro, J.M.; Talavera, F.(1979).-'el Pallars Jussà'. Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (Vol.3):1-211. ed. Políglota. Barcelona.

Escolà, O. (1970).-'Catálogo espeleológico del Montsec'. Espeleòleg (11-12): 453-541, ERE del CEC, Barcelona.

Romero i Rectoret, Martí (1970) .-'La cova del Brugal'. Espeleòleg (11-12):554-558, ERE-CE Catalunya, Barcelona.

Sas Planas, Francisco.(1967).-'Graller Gran del Corralot'. Cavernas (9): 10-28. G.E. Badalona.

Valles, Jordi de (2008).-'Alta Ribagorça, Pallars Jussà, Pallars Sobirà i Val d'Aran'. Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (vol.1):1-319. EC Gràcia/FCE.

Fotografies extretes del web espeleodijous.cat post del dia 29-4-2021.

Fotografies facilitades per Francesc Rubinat i Arcadia Cabanas (2007 i 2026)