Querant Gran de Paús

A cavity with -83 metres of vertical drop in Vilanova de Meià, with a 5 x 2 metre entrance, shafts and inclined galleries. Explored since 1963; survey revised in 1980 by GEFOMA.

Vilanova de Meià • Noguera 194m 83m

EspeleoWorld

A cavity with -83 metres of vertical drop in Vilanova de Meià, with a 5 x 2 metre entrance, shafts and inclined galleries. Explored since 1963; survey revised in 1980 by GEFOMA.

Vilanova de Meià · Noguera

Length: 194 m · Depth: 83 m

Updated record

https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/querant-gran-de-paus

Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.

Topographic map of the main entrance — Main entrance · ICGC topographic map

A cavity with -83 metres of vertical drop in Vilanova de Meià, with a 5 x 2 metre entrance, shafts and inclined galleries. Explored since 1963; survey revised in 1980 by GEFOMA.

Characteristics

Type: Pothole
Municipality: Vilanova de Meià
Region: Noguera
Unit: Montsec de Rúbies
Length: 194 meters
Depth: 83 meters
Major Unit: Prepirineu
Lithology: Limestone
Updated on EspeleoÍndex: January 15, 2017

Location

In the municipality of Vilanova de Meià. Follow the L-913 road that leaves Vilanova de Meià in the direction of Pas Nou and turn off to the left in the direction of the hermitage of la Mare de Deu del Puig de Meià. Shortly after taking the track we find a turn-off to the right that we must take until reaching a point where two hundred-year-old plane trees (Platanus hybrida) stand, at the foot of which there is a small spring that dries up in times of drought. To the right we find a hill (spot height 1022) which we must climb; on the flat area that forms next and in the direction of the cliffs of Montsec de Rúbies is the entrance of the Querant Petit. From here we descend southwards a little more than a hundred metres where, in the middle of a group of holm oaks, the entrance of the Querant Gran opens.

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

Paús, Querant Gran de
Elevation: 980 m
42.018886, 1.025010
UTM 31T (ETRS89) 336481 4653760
Open in map Open in Google Maps

Download all entrances as GPX

Topographic

Querant Gran de Paús - Topography, Vilanova de Meià, Noguera

View image

Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 2

Photos

Querant Gran de Paús - Photo, Vilanova de Meià, Noguera

View image

Click to enlarge

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

Image 1 of 6

Description

Morphology

The entrance is 5 x 2 metres and gives access to a 7.5 metre shaft whose base is a gallery with an inclination of 35º that follows the NW direction. This gallery has an average width of 2.5 metres and is cut by a 5 metre shaft. From this point the gallery continues descending in zigzags, though maintaining the stated direction and with inclinations of up to 48º. On reaching -45 metres, we find on the left a gallery structured on a bedding plane which, after a ramp and a few steps, continues along a flat gallery until reaching a rather narrow floor passage; once past this, the gallery continues descending and changes direction completely; after about 20 metres the gallery ends at -83 metres of depth. Back at -45 metres, the main gallery ascends a few metres over some blocks before descending again to -48 metres. From this point it is possible to reach a series of upper galleries, all structured on the same joint.

Hydrology

At the foot of the two hundred-year-old plane trees there is a small spring that dries up in times of drought.

Progression

The 5 x 2 metre entrance gives access to a 7.5 metre shaft. From the point where the gallery is cut by a 5 metre shaft it is no longer necessary to install equipment in the rest of the cavity.

History

The first speleological explorations date back to 1963 by the SIRE of the UEC. Later, in 1969, J. Ullastre published a survey in bulletin no. 10 of the C.E. Puig Castellar, in which he attributed an exaggerated depth of -103 m. In 1980 GEFOMA made a survey revision of the cavity, attributing to it its current depth of -83 metres.

Bio

Troglocharinus senenti. 6 males and 9 females. Col. Catopidae. Bathysciinae. Collected by J. Ametller and F. Rubinat on 14 June 1980. It is an interesting species close to Troglocharinus Hustachei Jeannel and also to Troglocharinus variabilis Bellés (=Troglocharinus españoli Jeannel) and which until now is known only from this cavity.