l'avenc d'Ordal

Cavity known since time immemorial by the people of the region. There are documents from the 14th and 15th centuries stating that for years it had been a hideout for thieves.

The first speleological mention is that made by N. Font i Sagué in an article in La comarca del Noya (August 1892) in an article: “Una excursió a vol d'ocell gairebé a dins de casa”, where he recounts the visit to the cavity accompanied by the Mir Capella brothers of Can Guineu, from Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. What is not clear is whether this excursion took place that summer of 1892 or, perhaps, the previous year, when they went to la Cova d'Ordal. An anecdote, in the writing, Font says that on coming out they made a cigarette. So, at 17 or 18 years old Font i Sagué was already a smoker!.

But the curious thing is that in La Renaixensa – Diari de Catalunya of late October 1897, Font publishes an article: “Sota Terra. Escursió espeleològica a las serras de ca'n Ros” (sic) in which he says that in September he had gone with en Marc Mir to the pit and to l'Espirall de l'Avenc (of this Espirall he says it is a hole half a metre in diameter and two deep plus a short and narrow gallery, we do not know what it could be). He gives an account as if that were the first time he went there. At some point in the article he cites it as Avenc de Can Ros. All very strange. But it is even more so if we take into account that at that time he begins to publish his Catàlech Espeleològich de Catalunya (1897), giving a very scanty reference, despite having visited it, he says: Subirats. 187) – L'AVENCH – Cavitat de grans dimensions situada en la propietat de can Ros. Son fons està tapat pels esfondraments.

From then on it is mentioned in all later catalogues, but without providing concrete data.

It is not until 17 December 1972 that members of the SIE and the GEP (Barcelona) visit it, survey it and publish a complete record. Unfortunately, they use the horrifying toponymy of the cartography of the time and catalogue it as Cova La Beng.

At the end of September 2013, members of the EC Gràcia and GE Badalona visit the cavity, redoing the survey and observe a dig at the final stretch that leads to a small chamber and a passage that becomes impenetrable immediately. The day after posting the note (August 2014), en Josep Pastor comments that he and his colleague Javi Bernabé (GES Garraf) have been the authors of the dig and that they are still working on it.