Aven de la Galette

The entrance opens in the scrub. It all begins with a 3-metre oval scramble covered in moss. It leads into a first small chamber with a stony, clayey floor. A second scramble then gives access to another chamber filled with blocks. At its lowest point, a severe U-shaped squeeze leads to a boulder choke resting on a shaft start, the « puits des Renforçateurs ». 17 metres lower down, you land on an oblique ledge overlooking the finest and most vast shaft of the network: the « puits des Nouilles ». At its base, a vast scree cone deposits you at the network's crossroads.

The « salle du Mistral » measures 15 metres high by 4 metres wide and 10 metres long.

To make the connection with the aven du Téléphone, one must still pass the S1 sump which marks the bottom of the said Téléphone.

1) Towards the « Salle de la cloche de boue » shaft: descend the scree cone at its lowest point; on the left, 2 windows; climb towards the second and descend the shaft; one reaches the S2 and the S3 (cloche de boue).

2) Towards the « galerie aux Goujons »: do not descend but go to the left of the ledge (scree cone); climb to the top of the window; a 10-metre gallery opens into a fine chamber.

3) Towards the « Big Méandre »: from the scree cone, climb back up to the cylindrical window; this is the start of a superb 30-metre meander giving access to a clayey chamber.

4) Towards the « aven du Téléphone »: make the climbing step then crawl through the « boyau du Tabaz » to reach a fine 6-metre scramble; descend it to then head towards the P8. Then, in the meander, one passes through two chambers, including the « salle du Mistral »; further on, a squeeze gives access to the junction meander.

Geology: Turonian limestone with rudists.

Source: Fichier des cavités du Var > Réseau Galette-Téléphone (Réseau P46 - P6) / Aven du Crâne (number 2053153): http://www.fichiertopo.fr/display.php?details=1&indexid=1750 (dead link); article from the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipédia, in French (and access to other languages) > Turonien: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turonien