Gouffre de Villepot

From -12 to -30 m, bolts facilitate rigging: the limestone in which the pit develops is particularly soft and the anchors do not hold well.

The first route is the most classic, and the one recommended for a first visit. Descending the puits artificiel to its bottom, at -24 m, one emerges into a natural shaft, presenting at this level a 33 m vertical. The proportions of the latter quickly become more vast, reaching a few meters in width. At its base, one steps onto a floor covered with scree: the stones disappear into the continuation of the pit through a small opening in the floor. One reaches the continuation of the shafts by stepping over a rock bar. Beyond, a 10-meter vertical leads to a landing: “le palier des 3 puits”. The most vast shaft, 16 meters deep, allows one to touch the lowest point of the cavity; some traces of digging (still in progress?) can be noticed. A second shaft, whose entrance is narrower, allows one to reach another low point of the pit, around -78 m. The “third shaft” of the landing is impassable.

The second route is more technical. Descending the puits artificiel for about a dozen meters, to a window, one then finds oneself at the top of a fine 45-meter single-pitch vertical.

In wet periods, the area of the floor covered with scree is also watered by a rain coming from a small water feed beginning around -30 m.

We will describe two different routes allowing one to reach the bottom.

The first route is the most classic, and the one recommended for a first visit: descend the puits artificiel to its bottom, at -24 m; from there one emerges into a natural shaft presenting at this level a 33 m vertical; at its base, one steps onto a floor covered with scree; one reaches the continuation of the shafts by stepping over a rock bar; beyond, a 10-meter vertical leads to a landing, “le palier des 3 puits”; the most vast shaft, 16 meters deep, allows one to touch the lowest point of the cavity; a second shaft, whose entrance is narrower, allows one to reach another low point of the pit, around -78 m; the “third shaft” of the landing is impassable.

The second route is more technical: descend the puits artificiel for about a dozen meters, to a window; one then finds oneself at the top of a fine 45-meter single-pitch vertical. To traverse it entirely, one must descend this shaft down to the landing described above; for the continuation, refer to the description above. Another solution consists of swinging over to -45 m, to rebelay on a rock bridge; from there, the descent can be done in a single pitch to the bottom of the pit.

Source: Site du Spéléo Club de Chablis > “Gouffre de Villepot (89125 - Courson-les-Carrières)” -- https://www.scchablis.com/Site/Speleo/Invent/89/89125/villepot.php

Limestone of the Oxfordian stage (Rauracien-Argovien). Malm period, Upper Jurassic System. Mesozoic Era, also known as the Secondary Era. -155.7 million years.