Cova de les Llenes

The first report about the Cova de les Llenes is given by N. Font i Sagué in the appendix of his Catàlech (1897), although he only mentions it and says that it is in the congost d’Erinyà. M. Faura i Sans mentions it again in his Recull (1909) and two years later he also refers to it in the excursion carried out in August 1910 (accompanied by Jeannel and Racovitza), although everything seems to indicate that they did not manage to visit it.

The first data we know about the exploration of this cavity are those carried out by Lluís Marià Vidal in the early years of the 20th century; he collected various archaeological material that became part of his private collection, studied later by Josep de C. Serra Ràfols, who in 1921 published a note on the matter in the publications of the prehistory seminar of the University of Barcelona and also in the bulletin of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. It seems that in 1920 the cavity was visited by Serra Ràfols himself and J. Colomina.

In June 1950 the Instituto de Estudios Pirenaicos organised an archaeological campaign at the cavity, directed by Joan Maluquer de Motes. Among other results, the finding of remains of Ursus spelaeus stands out. During these days a first topographic sketch of the cave was also produced.

Later we have news of different visits by speleological groups, although very sporadic, but it is not until March 1972 that members of the SIE – CEA make a complete and detailed survey of the cavity, which remained unpublished until its publication in the Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya, vol. 3 (1979).

In 2013, within the framework of a research project of the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), the cave was closed with an iron grille by the Cos d’Agents Rurals in order to protect the site.

Coleoptera: Speonomus crypticola (very frequent in all the reliefs of the Serra de Lleràs).