Cova dels Tres Alls
Interessant cova amb una cambra de gran superfície (el Molar, Priorat)
EspeleoWorld
Cova dels Tres Alls
Interessant cova amb una cambra de gran superfície (el Molar, Priorat)
Molar, El · Priorat
Length: 62 m · Depth: 13 m
Updated record
https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/cova-dels-tres-alls
Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.
Cova del Molar (Priorat) with a large hall of 42 x 31 m and about 780 m2, known for its stalagmites called "Tres Alls".
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 entrance is small (1.3 m wide by 0.7 m high) and gives way immediately to the hall that constitutes the cavity, which has maximum dimensions of 42 x 31 metres.
The ceiling height is low in the upper part of the hall, but it increases as we go deeper, so that much of the hall can be traversed comfortably while standing. The ceiling is very regular, being formed by a single bedding plane with a moderate dip towards the south. The floor is occupied mainly by silts and follows the same slope as the ceiling, more or less.
On the south side of the hall this scheme is broken, since there is a step, which can be descended by a ramp, and which places us at the lowest level of the cave (-11 m).
As for the dimensions of the hall, it is quite large, about 780 m2 approximately. One of the largest in surface area among the cavities of the Tarragona regions. The elevation difference is 13 m (-11; +2).
Speleothems
Although, in general, it is a cave poor in speleothems, the stalagmite formations that have given the cavity its name stand out.
Progression
From the Font we will continue 200 m along the track we came by to take a path that leaves on the right obliquely. After passing through an olive grove, the path – now a narrow trail – heads for the bed of the barranc de Rec de Bas, which we will follow for a good while until we leave it on the left and reach a col where we change slope. Now comes a steep descent to the bed of the barranc dels Comuns, which we will go up for about 250 m before leaving it on the left. Some zigzags uphill place us at the Mas del Miquelet, in fact a precarious agricultural hut.
The path continues climbing, now heading north. About 600 m after the Mas del Miquelet a flatter trail leaves on the left, abandoning the one we are following, which continues straight ahead uphill. We pass a col – the highest point of our itinerary – and the path begins to descend, first gently, then with zigzags that place us at the very bed of a secondary torrent. Just on the other side of the torrent, almost next to it, we find the entrance of the cavity.
History
Although the cave is known by the people of the village of El Molar and its name is also labelled on the ICC map, the cavity had gone unnoticed by speleologists, not appearing in any speleological catalogue.
Thus, once its existence was detected, a team from the ECM Barcelonès and the GE Badalona decided to go and locate it. Since they had no reference about its characteristics and dimensions, they were pleasantly surprised to find that it was a relatively important cave.
As for the name “Tres Alls”, the toponym seems to refer to the existence of three characteristic stalagmite formations that in popular imagination recall the shape of garlic.
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Bibliography
- Totes les dades, topografia i fotografies han estat extretes del web: geb.cat (del Grup d'Espeleologia de Badalona). Apunt del 13-7-2020. Dades: Ferran Cardona (ECMB) i Josep Cuenca i Xavier Samarra (GEB).
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Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/