
Cova del Manel
Coneguda cova de 788 m. de recorregut a Sant Llorenç del Munt
EspeleoWorld
Cova del Manel
Coneguda cova de 788 m. de recorregut a Sant Llorenç del Munt
Matadepera · Vallès Occidental
Length: 788 m · Depth: 64 m
Updated record
https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/cova-del-manel
Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.
A 788 m long cave in Sant Llorenç del Munt, with 64 m of vertical extent (-12; +52). Known since 1899 and explored throughout the 20th century.
Topographic
Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.
Photos
Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.
Description
Morphology
The cave entrance, 5 metres high and quite narrow, gives way to the entrance gallery, 40 metres long, which, descending, loses height until reaching a perpendicular gallery; this one, to the right, ends immediately, and to the left is where the cave continues. After a first narrow passage, we find a chimney, the first connection with the upper level. Then a new narrow passage leads to a fork; following the left (SW) we climb into a complicated labyrinth (Laberint del caos), formed by a group of galleries between blocks, originating from an important clastic process. Leaving this and returning to the fork, to the right (N) we follow a narrow gallery that connects at two points on the left with the previous labyrinth, and at two more points with the upper level. The gallery, after following various directions, reaches a narrow passage followed by a 1.5 metre drop called Clot dels ossos. Past this we find ourselves in a joint that also gives access at the top to the upper level, and following it we quickly find a gallery parallel to it; then two more are added until they all meet in a wide gallery that leads us to the Sala Pirenaic, through which the cavity continues. At the beginning of this wide gallery and above it, we find a bedding plane that is the last link with the upper level.
Upper level: It can be reached through six connections; the most recommendable is, perhaps, the first one we find on entering. This is a chimney of about 6 metres; once climbed, we find a gallery that leads us to a wide chamber, the largest of the upper level. Halfway up the chimney we find a new gallery; this has a fork to the left that leads us to a new chamber full of blocks and originating from the same clastic process as that of the Laberint del caos. Among the blocks we can reach the lower level by two different places. Following the gallery, before the last chamber, we find a narrow passage (Pas del 4), and past this we enter a new labyrinth formed by a joint up to 12 metres high that cross perpendicularly. From here we will return to the lower level by a pit that opens directly above the Clot dels ossos, or else by the bedding plane that led us to the gallery before the Sala Pirenaic.
The Sala Pirenaic, also known as Sala de les banderes, is the most spacious of the cavity. From the chamber and going up a flowstone, we find the Galeria Datzira, 15 metres long and with a chimney on the left 14 metres high.
Returning to the chamber we follow the Galeria GES, also known as les Rambles or el Metro. It is the widest gallery of the cave. The Galeria GES decreases in section along its 60 metres of length, and at its end, in direction N70E, we find the first of the terminal galleries: the Galeria GETIM. Its access is an extremely narrow passage (19 cm. wide), since a flowstone has notably reduced the section. Once past this passage, the gallery increases in dimensions and continues, straight first, and to the left afterwards, until becoming impenetrable.
In the opposite direction to the Galeria GETIM and following within the same joint, the gallery continues, generally flooded, finding in the middle a fairly low passage (Pas de les riuades), until reaching the fork from which the other two terminal galleries emerge: the Galeria Sanclimens and the Galeria del Vent. The first is reached by passing the Sifó Setmana Santa, a fairly narrow passage but which in reality does not sump, and then climbing 14 metres of vertical extent until reaching the foot of two chimneys within the same joint. These chimneys have a 70º inclination and can be climbed by opposition the first and by artificial means the second until meeting at 26 metres, continuing afterwards until it becomes impracticable at 46.5 metres where we find many concretions and also roots, which indicates that the surface is not too far away. This is the highest point of the cave (elevation + 52) relative to the entrance.
Returning to the Sifó Setmana Santa and before passing it, we find on the right the Galeria del Vent, where there is a strong air current. At the beginning of this gallery and on the left, there is a very decorated small chamber with a chimney, called Confluència Cavall Bernat, which climbs 24 metres. The floor of the small chamber is full of water that drips from the chimney and that through an impenetrable conduit passes to the gallery of the Pas de les riuades.
Following the Galeria del Vent and travelling 40 metres, a narrow passage that can easily sump (Pas de la planxa), leads us to a last chamber of 8 x 4 metres, called Sala del llac or dels llibres, among other names. At the other end of the chamber, the gallery continues until finding water, which recedes or advances according to the rains; and finally, the gallery becomes impracticable, although the air current indicates that the cavity continues. At this point we are at elevation – 12, the maximum depth relative to the entrance and about 200 metres in a straight line from it.
The total vertical extent of the cave is 64 metres (-12 ; +52) and the total surveyed length is 788 metres. (Data from the year 1978).
Speleothems
The walls and floor of the largest chamber of the upper level are covered by flowstone, produced by infiltrations. The Sala Pirenaic is quite decorated, but very damaged and dirty due to the vandalism of some visitors. In the Galeria Sanclimens, at 46.5 metres we find many concretions and also roots. The small chamber of the Confluència Cavall Bernat is very decorated.
Hydrology
Ancient spring that drained the waters of this sector of the massif. Currently and only in cases of exceptional rains, only the three terminal galleries become active. The Galeria GES is where the waters coming from the three terminal galleries met. The gallery that continues in the opposite direction to the Galeria GETIM is generally flooded. The floor of the small chamber of the Confluència Cavall Bernat is full of water that drips from the chimney and that through an impenetrable conduit passes to the gallery of the Pas de les riuades. At the other end of the Sala del llac, the gallery continues until finding water, which recedes or advances according to the rains.
Progression
Around 1994, members of the GES – CM Terrassa forced the end of the Galeria Sanclimens, managing to progress about twenty metres. The gallery is quite filled with sedimentary material where a good task of clearing would be needed to advance more metres. At the same time, members of the Espeleo Club Sabadell climbed the Sala del Vent, accessing through a crawlway to another chimney that unfortunately ends in a short crawlway with no possibility of continuation. With these small extensions the cave will exceed 800 metres of length. (Information provided by Xavier Badiella, SIS del CE Terrassa).
History
Known in its first 40 metres since 1899 by the owners of Can Pobla. It does not appear in any of the catalogues of Font i Sagué or of Faura i Sans.
Visited in 1911 by members of the Centre Excursionista de Terrassa who were able to enlarge the hole at the end of the entrance gallery and penetrate into a part of the galleries of the upper level, calculating about 150 metres of length, and they made a sketch that was published in the Guia de Sant Llorenç of the year 1935.
Since the end of 1948, members of the GES – CMB frequented visits to the cave and during 1951 they explored almost all the labyrinthine zone of the upper level, considering the exploration totally finished (Assens dixit). At that time they gave it a length of 210 metres.
In the middle of 1952, members of the Centre Excursionista Pirenaic (Barcelona) were able to overcome the labyrinthine zone and emerged into the largest chamber of the cavity, which bears the name of the entity. On learning of the discovery, members of the GES - CMB returned to the cavity and once in the Sala Pirenaic they found a gallery of notable dimensions that had incomprehensibly gone unnoticed by those of the Pirenaic. This gallery ended in a sump.
During the severe floods in the Vallès in September 1962, the cavity became hydrologically active and some passages until then impracticable were opened. This circumstance was discovered the following month of November by speleologists of the EDES – CECB (Manresa) who, while excavating the mud in the old sump (Pas de les riuades) advanced a few metres and a few weeks later were able to reach the point called La Planxa.
During the year 1966 members of the SES – CE Sabadell carried out a total survey of the cavity and affirm that its length reaches 1248 metres. The following year, people from the GETIM (Sabadell), while forcing a very narrow passage at the end of the Galeria GES, discovered the Galeria GETIM, 106 metres long.
The GES – CMB added to its survey the new discoveries made by the groups from Sabadell and published it in the Catàleg de la província de Barcelona, corresponding to Sant Llorenç del Munt (1974), assigning it a length of 932 metres.
In 1978, the SIS – CE Terrassa redid the survey of the whole cavity again and fixed the length at 788 metres.
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Registered Explorations (4)
Exploration date: August 30, 2026
Segona visita a la cova, avui amb l'Isaac, un altre company opositor🧑🏽🚒. Hem arribat fins desprès de la galeria GES, creuar la cantonada i fer 20 metres. Molt content d'avançar pero ja estic dessitjant tornat i arribar a la galeria del vent i sanclimens. Oxígen mínim mesurat: 20.0% CO2 máximo mesurat: 4600ppm Ambdos a la sala Pirenaic.
Exploration date: August 23, 2026
Visita amb l'Iñaki. Ha sigut el primer cop que faig gateres i m'ha impressionat. No hem arribar a la sala pirinaica pero el proper dia apuntarem cap allà.
Exploration date: October 4, 2025
Amb l'aigua fins la cintura després de la galeria G.E.S.
Exploration date: October 4, 2025
No em deixa de sorprendre aquesta cova!! Encara queda molt per explorar!
Bibliography
- Badiella, E. (1981).- “La Cova del Manel” SIS (8): 14-17 / Arxiu del Centre Excursionista de Terrassa (23): 254-257. Terrassa
- Cardona, F. (1990).- Grans cavitats de Catalunya, vol 2. 484 pp. EC Gràcia, Barcelona.
- GES-CMB (1974).- Catálogo espeleológico de la provincia de Barcelona. 198 pp. Club Montañés Barcelonés /Diputación Provincial de Barcelona.
- Montoriol, J.; Assens, J.; Andrés, O. (1955).- “El funcionamiento hidrológico actual del sistema hipogeo de la Canal de Can Pobla (Sant Llorenç del Munt. Barcelona)” Speleon T. VI (3): 127-154. Universidad de Oviedo.
- Fotografies extretes del blog: Espeleobloc (apunts dels dies 4 i 5 d'abril del 2013)
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Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
