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Forat de les Gralles

Forat de les Gralles

A 54-metre-deep pit in Bellver de Cerdanya, with an entrance 13 metres by 4.50, shafts of 23 and 18 metres and a chamber of 17 metres.

Bellver de Cerdanya • Cerdanya 84m 54m

A 54-metre-deep pit in Bellver de Cerdanya, with an entrance 13 metres by 4.50, shafts of 23 and 18 metres and a chamber of 17 metres.

Characteristics

Location

From Bellver de Cerdanya we will head to the hamlet of Santa Magdalena; from there one must follow a path that gains height quickly. On reaching the point where this path descends, one must go down to the torrent de Gavarret and climb again up the opposite slope, to arrive in a short time at the entrance of the pit. The cavity is located in an abrupt landscape, some 30 metres above the thalweg, on its hydrographic right.

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Forat de les Gralles

    Elevation: 1368 m

    42.330209, 1.775085
    UTM 31T (ED 50) 399173 4687369
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Forat de les Gralles - Photo, Bellver de Cerdanya, CerdanyaView image
Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 7

Description

Morphology

The entrance of the pit is oriented to the N20O, it is 13 metres long by 4.50 wide. From the N side, one descends vertically 23 metres. The base of the shaft is occupied by small-sized blocks, plant detritus and a large quantity of guano that in some points reaches 2 metres in thickness. Towards the S side of the floor, we find enormous blocks as evidence of a clastic process. Below there is a small chamber, at the end of which opens a vertical crawl, followed by a small shaft that joins laterally to the second shaft of the cavity.

If one penetrates through the shaft located at the N end of the base of the first shaft, one descends 18 metres until reaching a ramp of clastic materials situated at -46 metres. At its bottom we find a chamber 17 metres high. At its end there is a small passage between the clastic materials that allows one to descend to -54 metres.

Speleothems

In the chamber 17 metres high a lithogenic process is observed.

Progression

If one penetrates through the shaft located at the N end of the base of the first shaft, one descends 18 metres until reaching a ramp of clastic materials situated at -46 metres. At its end there is a small passage between the clastic materials that allows one to descend to -54 metres.

History

The first data on the cavity were communicated by Josep Closes i Miralles, who cites it in 1935 within the article on the Cova de la Fou de Bor published in Sota Terra II; he himself cites it again the following year in a similar article published this time in the Butlletí del Centre Excursionista de Catalunya.

The first exploration took place on 17 and 18 June 1950, with the participation of F. Español, J. Montoriol and F. Vicens of the GES of the Club Muntanyenc Barcelonès with the help of Messrs P. Estany and the Pons brothers, natives of the region.

Between 11 and 16 July 1961 it is explored and surveyed again by a team of the ERE of the CEC.

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Bibliography

  1. AA.(1950).-”Sección de exploraciones”. Speleon (1-3/4):233-234. Oviedo
  2. Borràs, J.; Miñarro,JM.; Talavera, F: (1978).- Catàleg espeleològic de Catalunya. Vol. 1 (l'Alt Urgell i la Cerdanya): 166. Ed. Políglota. Barcelona.
  1. Canals, M.; Ribera, C. Viñas, R. (1970).- La Fou de Bor i cavitats de l'alta vall del Segre., 98 pp. Centre Excursionista de Catalunya – Ed. Montblanch.
  2. Closas i Miralles, Josep.(1935).-”La Cova de la Fou de Bor” Sota Terra (II):103-129. Club Muntanyenc Barcelonès.
  3. Closas i Miralles, Josep.(1936).-”La Cova de la Fou de Bor”. Butll. Centre Exc. Catalunya (490):111-117. CE Catalunya.
  4. Montoriol, J.(1951).-”Estudio geoespeleológico del Forat de les Gralles (Bellver de Cerdaña, Lérida)” Speleon (2-2/3):165-175. Oviedo.
  • Foto blanc i negre extreta del llibre La Fou de Bor i cavitats de l'alta vall del Segre.
  • Coordenades i foto color facilitades per Jordi Perera (Grup de l'Espeleodijous).

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