
Espluga dels Maquis
Curiosa cova penjada a la Serra de Sant Joan i que serví d'amagatall
EspeleoWorld
Espluga dels Maquis
Curiosa cova penjada a la Serra de Sant Joan i que serví d'amagatall
Coll de Nargó · Alt Urgell
Length: 22 m
Updated record
https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/espluga-dels-maquis
Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.
Curious cova penjada (hanging cave) in the Serra de Sant Joan, used as a hideout, with traces of habitation and an access that requires climbing and a rope.
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 ledge section forms a vestibule area, a kind of rock shelter that gives access to the true cavity.
In the first section, 8 metres long by 6 wide, three large beds are placed.
Continuing from this chamber follows a gallery 10 metres long where one must crouch and even crawl on all fours. This section ends in some small diverticula with signs of pooling, but before that on the floor we find a dug-out hiding place protected for a purpose unknown to us.
Hydrology
The small diverticula show signs of pooling.
Progression
To gain access one must climb free until resting on a fragment of rope hung with knots (May 2017). Then a doubled rope is rigged which serves to ascend with ascenders and allows the last person to descend with a "figure eight" and retrieve the rope. We estimate the vertical drop to be about 15 metres.
Other details
In this section we find remains of campfires and a curious rusty spoon stuck into the wall.
Access to the Espluga is protected by an artificial wall that acts as a windscreen.
The assembly of the beds is isolated from the ground by pedestals of rocks; on these rest the larger-diameter trunks and above it all a mesh of branches, twigs and leaf litter.
On the ceiling there are some fitted trunks that we suppose are useful for hanging some element.
Signs of habitation appear everywhere, and significantly in the remains of cans and bottles. We see ceilings blackened by the smoke of the fire and utensils for cooking and/or warming oneself.
History
Together with other nearby cavities, it had been known for many years by the people of the area, who had used it as a hideout, perhaps both by the so-called emboscats and later by anti-Franco groups ("maquis").
These cavities were not documented until climbers began to open routes on the wall known as the Planxa vermella. Informed by Jordi Francès, members of the Espeleodijous located them in May 2017, carrying out the appropriate cataloguing and documentation work.
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Bibliography
- Totes les dades, topografia i fotografies han estat extretes del blog: espeleobloc.blogspot. Apunts dels dies 26-5-2017 i del 20-6-2017
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Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
