Grotte de la Barbette

The cavity develops along 2 distinct main directions: the main network broadly follows the north-south direction, while the "grande diaclase" network takes the south-west, north-east direction.

La Barbette develops at the contact of a flat terrace. This is a remnant of one of the erosion surfaces that can be observed throughout this sector between the Aven d'Orgnac and the Cèze. These erosion surfaces have been deeply cut by the combe Soulouse and its tributaries. The network could therefore correspond to a paleo-level of the combe Soulouse. La Barbette is a network typically belonging to a fissure karst.

One of the most remarkable forms is "la grande diaclase" (90 m long, 15 m high at times, 1.5 m average width). This could be later than the active network and be due to the excavation of a tributary of the combe Soulouse (decompression of the massif).

The grotte de la Barbette, once considered one of the jewels of our region for its speleothems, suffered irreparable damage in 1983. Indeed, looters entered the cavity and removed many rare concretions that were there. The last three chambers were the most affected.

From the entrance, a short winding crawl leads us directly into the first chamber (salle du puits). Here, 3 possibilities are open to us:

1) The shaft, of fine dimensions, inclined at the end, allows reaching the lowest point of the cavity at elevation 36 m. No continuation is possible at this point. 2 spits placed at the top allow a jumar rigging of this 30-metre vertical. Note that a handline would nevertheless be desirable to facilitate access to the start of the shaft. On the right, at the back of the chamber, a narrow fault leads to a succession of small side passages introducing into a chaotic chamber. a passage on the left leads to the grande diaclase; progression becomes delicate here. Unreliable holds and rockfalls make this place particularly dangerous. It would be desirable to use a handline. The grande diaclase develops over about 90 metres, it can reach more than 10 metres in height and its average width is about 1.5 metre. a set of collapsed blocks would seem to stop progression.

2) If one now goes around the shaft on the right, one will be able to notice a small window in the wall on the right at about 2 metres from the floor. It is through there that one can access the réseau de la Grande Diaclase. a series of narrow and somewhat labyrinthine passages lead, after a few tens of metres of crawling, to a chamber of fine dimensions (10 to 15 metres in average diameter).

3) Opposite the entrance, after having completely gone around the shaft, a climb up through blocks leads to the laminoir. This one, about 40 metres long, is relatively narrow and leads to the rest of the network. a succession of 3 chambers of fine dimensions, broadly parallel, connected to each other by narrow passages, form the essential part of this network, labyrinthine in places.