Grotte Émergence du Papetier

A sump marks the end of the visit about forty metres from the entrance. It is about twenty metres long and begins with a flooded shaft of 7 M. At the bottom of the shaft, after a few metres horizontally, the sump rises and emerges in a small pool of water. The gallery is small (about 1.5 M in diameter). The second sump is slightly shorter than the previous one and also less deep (about 2 M). Beyond, the gallery turns somewhat into a fairly narrow meander. The third sump presents a flooded gallery of tubular form that descends gently by successive steps; after about sixty metres, the break in slope begins more distinctly and a small slide, very narrow, opens at -15 M onto a low point of the sump, where the floor is covered with gravel. The continuation, clearly visible, rises in a chimney-fissure, beyond the limit of light; at -7 M the gallery plunges almost vertically again, and at -23 M the passage is choked with gravel and appears difficult to negotiate. The 5.3 seems roughly straight and oriented along an important fissure axis.

The distribution and direction of underground flows remain unknown in the southern border of the Causse de Gramat, as indeed in the whole central zone; the hypotheses put forward are therefore open to question. Monsieur Séronien-Vivien saw in the Papetier a possible spring of the gouffre de l'Aussure (Caniac). For our part, we suggest that in the Célé valley, only the Emergence of the Ressel at Marcilhac is of sufficient size to form the outlet of some of the great pits of the Brauhnie. The igue de Cuzals at Sauliac, recently explored, could well be dependent on the Papetier; our recent dives at the Fontaine de la Pescalerie (Cabrerets) seem to show that a possible relationship should not be sought in that direction. The igue de Cuzals therefore probably depends on the catchment area of one of the following springs: Grotte d'Anglanat (Sauliac), currently explored over about 300 M, of which 150 M are sumps, stopped at a constriction; Grotte du Papetier; Source de Tapiès (Sauliac), this spring presents a constriction, at the bottom of the capture shaft (about -3 M), which we did not pass, with diving gear removed, yet the continuation appears penetrable; Emergence de Lamerlie (Sauliac) which we dived over 300 M, in a passage of small dimensions and terribly muddy. The Papetier seems to be a relatively young cavity in the process of formation; given the small size of the galleries, one should doubtless not hope for a great extension upstream.

It seems that the Capdenac group was the first to take an interest in this sump. One of the divers had the luck to pass this obstacle. The gallery located beyond was apparently not reconnoitred by the S.C. de Capdenac. On 17 April 1979, P. Degouve of the S.C. Dijon, assisted by B. Lebihan and M. Verlhac, reached a few metres further on a second sump which he passed; the progression in the meander that follows is arduous but of short duration: pas plus (no more than) 50 M. On 4 August 1979, during the E.F.S.S. diving course, we attempted the third sump over 90 M (J.L. Caries, P. Laureau); after only a few metres, the roof rises, raising for a moment the hope of a sump the length of the previous ones, but it plunges again immediately and this time definitively. This low point marks the end of our dive of 4 August. A few days later, during the F.F.E.S.S.M. summer camp, P. Penez (accompanied by M. Verlhac) continued the exploration and ascended the fissure to -7 M. No orientation was taken in these sumps. During a future dive we plan to survey this flooded zone in order to have an idea of the drained basin.

The water is so clear that the bottom is distinctly visible; unfortunately this emerald water tends to become turbid quickly. Would a flood be likely to clear the passage at -23 M?