Forat de l'Obaga de la Maçana

A combination of circumstances has meant that the name of this cavity has ended up being quite a headache.

The first mentions we have of this cavity are, on the one hand, from Oleguer Escolà, who cites it as Cova de la Maçana in the ERE's Catàleg del Montsec and published in Espeleòleg (11-12) in 1970. On the other hand, Jesús Serrate and Xavier Corrià of the GELL publish a note in a bulletin of the Centre Excursionista de Lleida also in 1970, but citing it as Cova de l'Obaga. In the early 70s the GEFOMA, having learned of the existence of the cavity, approached Ca l'Urcola, who was the one who made the track from the Camarasa dam to la Maçana with the intention that a housing development and a nautical club be built in the area (fortunately it did not go ahead). This gentleman indicated to them where the cavity was, calling it Forat de l'Obaga. On arriving at the entrance they found a large piece of graffiti on which could be read “Forat de l'Obaga de la Massana”, supposedly made by the members of the GELL; at present (2009) no trace of the graffiti remains. The Cova de la Maçana or Cova-Casa de la Maçana is already cited by Jeannel and Racovitza in 1912; in 1911 Faura cites it; both citations refer to the explorations carried out by Jeannel and Racovitza between 1909 and 1911. At present this la Cova (the cave) lies beneath the waters of the Camarasa reservoir. According to Jeannel and Racovitza, as well as old citations, there was a two-storey house at the entrance. Popular legends say that it was an inn for muleteers, and that one of them had disappeared while sleeping, his remains ending up inside the cave, which was about 60 metres long. Recently, we have located an article on the website caminsdemuntanya.com about the construction of the Camarasa dam and power station, where a photograph of the Cova de la Maçana appears before it was submerged in the Camarasa reservoir. The photograph has been included in the 'Photos' section, so that it remains as a testimony to its existence. On the other hand, in the book “El Montsec i Muntanyes veïnes” by Manuel Cortès, on page 46, referring to the caves where medieval remains have been found, the cova de la Maçana is cited; it is evident that it refers to the cave that today is beneath the reservoir. In the same book, on page 324, the cova de la Maçana is cited again, but this time it is given a location and description very similar to the forat de l'Obaga. The conclusion we draw from all this is that the Cova-casa de la Maçana or cova de la Maçana, at present beneath the waters of the reservoir, bears this name because it is geographically close to the now abandoned village of la Maçana. While the Forat de l'Obaga de la Maçana is another cavity; probably the original name was Forat de l'Obaga and that later, through geographical proximity, the “de la Maçana” was assimilated, even though in reality where it is geographically located is in the Obaga de les Figueretes.