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Cova Simanya

Cova Simanya

Emblemàtica i històrica cavitat de Sant Llorenç del Munt amb 372 m. de recorregut.

Sant Llorenç Savall • Vallès Occidental372m8m

Emblematic and historic cavity of Sant Llorenç del Munt, with 372 m of passage, closed since 2021 to protect archaeological excavations.

Characteristics

Location

Beside the Information Centre of the Natural Park at Coll d'Estenalles (road from Terrassa to Mura), a service track of the Park leads up towards Coll d'Eres. From this point you must follow the path (well signposted) that goes into the Canal de Llor and brings you to the foot of most of the cavities in the area.

Since 2021 the cavity has been closed with a grille to protect the archaeological excavations. From October 2021 the Natural Park Service will organise guided visits at weekends and on public holidays.

Mapa

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Simanya, Cova

    Elevation: 885 m

    41.674110, 2.009080
    UTM 31T (ED 50) 417611 4614270
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Cova Simanya - Photo, Sant Llorenç Savall, Vallès OccidentalView image
Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 12

Description

Morphology

Spectacular entrance that leads to a rectilinear gallery oriented N45O and ending 98 metres further on, progressively filled with sediments. From it two branches emerge: the first, a few metres from the entrance, is slightly ascending and ends in a narrow joint almost 50 metres from its start. The second, oriented like the previous one (S25O), is also rectilinear and has an average width of 3 metres. In its first half it has triangular sections. From the place called Pas de l'Oca, the heights rarely exceed one metre or a metre and a half, due to the increase in sediments that end up almost completely blocking the gallery; it is at the end of this that the connection with the Cova del Triangle has been verified, which for the moment has not been physically achieved.

Going back, beside the aforementioned Pas de l'Oca, another conduit is born, parallel to the entrance gallery and with small unimportant branches, which ends in two small pits excavated in the sediments. From this point a union with the Cova Simanya Petita would be feasible, since sounds arrive weakly from one cavity to the other.

It is a cavern formed by an ancient subterranean course, traced over a network joint system (N20E and NW – SE), which must have ceased to function in full juvenile phase and which must have drained a massif much more important than the present Montcau.

Speleothems

Reconstructive phenomena are of very little importance.

Hydrology

In the first half of the second branch there are small pools of water, remains of destroyed gours. In times of heavy rain infiltrations occur that can flood some sections of the cavity.

History

Cited and described with much fantasy by Jeroni Pujades in his “Crónica Universal del Principado de Cataluña” in 1609. Its popularity means that it is cited in all the old works of speleological cataloguing and in others on hiking subjects. Visited, among others, by Cèsar A. Torras, Font i Sagué, Faura i Sans, Palet i Barba, ... Even the well-known painter and draughtsman Lluís Rigalt made, during the last third of the 19th century, a plate showing the cave entrance from the inside.

The first known survey was carried out by members of the Centre Excursionista de Terrassa on 7 May 1911.

In the years 1929-30 some archaeological “test pits” were carried out directed by Pau Codina, of Terrassa. A few years later, J. Closas drew up a new plan later published by N. Llopis Lladó (1944).

The two most complete and recent surveys are those carried out during the decade of the 1960s by members of the GES – CMB and also by the ERE – CEC.

The Cova Simanya is undoubtedly the most visited non-tourist cavity in Catalonia.

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Bibliography

  1. Cardona, F. (1990).- Grans cavitats de Catalunya, vol 2. 484 pp. EC Gràcia, Barcelona.
  2. GES-CMB (1974).- Catálogo espeleológico de la provincia de Barcelona. 198 pp. Club Montañés Barcelonés /Diputación Provincial de Barcelona.
  1. Romero, M. (1974).- “Les cavitats del Turó del Montcau (Sant Llorenç del Munt)” Espeleòleg (21): 37-62. ERE del Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. Barcelona.
  • Fotografies, coordenades i altres dades extretes del blog Espeleobloc (post del 2-5-2011)

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