Cova I de l'Afrau

Cavity known to the people of the area, who would have used it as a refuge or hiding place in a relatively recent period (17th century) and possibly later.

Explored by a hiking group from Centelles in 1922 and later by the mountaineer and climber of the CEC Albert Casanellas, who in 1958 showed it to his son Francesc. The image of the cave remained in the latter's memory and after 50 years he decided to find it again. The density of the wood makes the search difficult (the vegetation had covered the view of the entrance), but after various attempts, Francesc Casanellas and Maria Garcia (of the Gafarrons group of Sant Martí de Centelles and Aiguafreda) managed to locate it in the early part of 2008 and were able to enter the cave with the help of an aluminium ladder.

In January 2011 they accompany a group from the ERE – CEC and SIE – CEA who survey the small cavity and it is included in Espeleoíndex a few days after the exploration, the other neighbouring cave (Cova II de l'Afrau) remaining pending a visit. Two months later, in the fourth volume of the Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya (Jordi de Valles), dated 2010 but published in March 2011, the records of both cavities are included, visited by members of the EC Gràcia and GE Badalona a year earlier and swapping the numbering with respect to ours. At the end of November 2011, through the blog cientificitat.wordpress we can learn that on 12 September 1919, a group of people including the artist Joaquim Renart explored the two caves (could they be the people from Centelles who we had been told had explored them in 1922?). Renart makes some drawings and in one of them it can be seen beyond any doubt that the one he calls 'second cave' is the one we catalogue as Cova II de l'Afrau; therefore, this one must be number I.