Scialet du Trou Qui Souffle

Behind the gate at the entrance of the Trou Qui Souffle, a 7-metre pit (P7) leads to a ladder. A descending meander leads to a P30, followed by 3 other small pits or steps (P5, R5, P6). The Salle de la Vire is at -100. A P12 and a P11 follow one another down to -155 m. The Galerie de la Condensation leads to the Puits Cigale, bypassed by a meander climbing to the left which becomes a wet, slippery, clayey crawl. The crawls have calcite floors giving them the appearance of a rolling mill. A P6 in a traverse is bypassed by a handline, above the Galerie de l’Anastomose followed for 50 metres. A small opening at floor level gives access to the méandre François, deeper, cut by numerous pits and steps. It opens into a larger, steeply sloping gallery (R4 then a fixed knotted rope in 2026), which is exited by a P6 passing through the Urgonian. The meander, interspersed with half a dozen pits and steps as well as handlines, opens onto a P11 on a spider line descending into the Conciergerie at -225 m. At the top of the chamber, on the right, a short ramping over large collapsed strata leads to the Galerie François; a fixed downclimb descends the Pas du Loup towards the spacious and chaotic gallery. A gallery on the left avoids the Galerie des Marmites; a vast collapse is bypassed on the right towards a fine gallery pierced with Marmites up to a P5 reascending equipped. At the top, a gallery on the right 1 metre high (cairn) leads, 50 metres further on, to the crossing of a scree cone opening into the Salle du Soupirail, which leads to the large Salle Hydrokarst. At the bottom right of this, the rope reascends to the Saints de Glace (P11). At the top, a penstock then a slippery slide reascending to the left, the Ascenseur, precede the stream towards the exit (about 400 metres, P3, P6, P4, P4, P9, P11).

The crawls of the réseau du Pont d’Arc have calcite floors giving them the appearance of a rolling mill.

At the base of the P11, at -155 m, you must not continue descending into the active stream but follow the draught on the right, the start of the Galerie de la Condensation. An active stream pours down as a shower into the gallery: this is the cascade Tonton. The passage of one or two pools where you have to crawl in 10 cm of water is very unpleasant. At the top of the Ascenseur, you go back up the stream that leads towards the exit.

Classic Trou Qui Souffle → Saints de Glace through-trip via the Galerie François. Except in special cases, the reascending ropes in the Saints de Glace are not in place: enquire beforehand, rig the Saints de Glace with fixed equipment the day before (see https://grottocenter.org/ui/entrances/21#rigging-25) or consider two crossing teams also rigging the Trou Qui Souffle with fixed equipment. From the entrance of the Trou Qui Souffle to the Salle Hydrokarst, all the handlines needed for the through-trip are fixed (in 2026) and the route is fully equipped with belay chains; if in doubt, follow the draught. Behind the gate at the entrance, descend the P7, the only one without a belay chain, then follow a descending meander. A long handline leads to the P30, followed by 3 other small pits or steps (P5, R5, P6). Cross the Salle de la Vire (-100) to the belay chain, which avoids rigging the handline and offers a direct descent of 15 m; continue towards the bottom of the chamber to the next meander. At the base of the P11 (-155 m), follow the draught on the right: start of the Galerie de la Condensation. From this point on, the through-trip is well marked with arrows on reflective backing. The Galerie de la Condensation continues to the Puits Cigale, which must not be reached: it is bypassed by a meander climbing to the left, which becomes a wet, slippery and clayey crawl allowing the end of the réseau du Pont d’Arc to be reached. Continue following the markings; this relatively long passage offers a guaranteed “sliding on the ice floe” effect. Once this long clayey crawl is passed, a handline allows a P6 in a traverse to be bypassed and you arrive above the Galerie de l’Anastomose, followed for 50 metres. At floor level, feel the draught through a small opening which must be taken (do not take the crawl 10 metres before) to reach the méandre François. Climb to the top of the Conciergerie following the catadioptres, then on the right, a short ramping over large collapsed strata leads to the Galerie François. Avoid the Galerie des Marmites by taking a gallery on the left (arrow). At the top of the P5, continue for a few tens of metres and take a gallery starting on the right, 1 metre high (cairn). At the top of the rope of the Saints de Glace, follow a penstock, then a slippery slide reascending to the left: the Ascenseur.