Graller de Castellet

First explored on 17 June 1911 by R. Jeannel and E.G. Racovitza during one of their biospeleological research campaigns. They only make a partial exploration of the upper part, estimating an incomplete exploration of about 80 m. This cavity, at least the upper part or cave, has long been known to the inhabitants of the area and is quite often referred to in the popular legends collected by F. Gili and J. Amades. Members of the SIE of the CE Àliga rediscover the cavity and explore the whole upper gallery on 24 September 1966. On 12 and 13 December 1970 members of the ERE of the CE Catalunya visit the cavity and find the continuation, descending the first pit and stopping at the entrance of the next. They return on 23 and 24 January 1971, when they reach -84 metres in a crawl that they begin to dig open. On 29 to 31 May of the same year they carry out the total exploration of the cavity, finishing digging open the Pou de la Piqueta and passing with considerable effort the very narrow terminal passage that leads to the -107 m level. In July 1971 and April 1972 the people of the SIE return to the cavity and carry out a survey that will be published in 1974, although it fails to represent the final stretch. In May 1980 a team of the ERE-CEC decides to survey the accursed terminal meander again, which they achieve, and it is not until January 1982 that they consider the total survey finished, publishing it that same year.

Note on toponymy: When Jeannel and Racovitza visited the cavity in 1911 they named it lo Graller, on the indications of the local people, and they place it at la fayada de Castellet (sic). It should be noted that the entrance of the cavity does not meet any of the conditions to call it a classic graller. It is not a pit, nor a fissure and of course the gralles do not nest there. When in 1966 it is rediscovered by the SIE-CEA they mention it as Espluga de la Fageda and consider that this is the most appropriate name. When in 1970 it is visited by the ERE-CEC they recover the name given by Jeannel and Racovitza and, to differentiate it from other grallers in the area, they decide to add the name of the nearest village, Castellet. So both denominations are valid and each person may use whichever they prefer. It should be said, however, that recently, in September 2020, speaking with one of the very few inhabitants remaining in Castellet, he assured us that he has always known it (and he is more than 80 years old) as lo Graller and that he had never heard the other name.

Coleoptera

• Stygiophyes latebricola latebricola (Jeannel, 1911) (previously: Speonomus latebricola (Jeannel, 1911))
• Troglocharinus (Troglocharinus) quadricollis (Jeannel, 1911) (previously: Speophilus quadricollis (Jeannel, 1911))