Rescues
The AER has taken part in an important number of rescues in the region for the last fifteen years. Sometimes they were just mere
delays and unfortunately other times they had dramatic results. Cantabria is, by most, the community with the largest number of
visitors in the country, concentrated in few areas : The Picos de Europa, the Asón Valleys and the surroundings.
Therefore, it's also the community with the biggest number of accidents.
See the reports of the Cántabra Federation of Speleology:
FERNANDEZ (V.) - 1994
Incidents and mobilizations for
caving rescues in Cantabria.
Boletín Cántabro de Espeleología, 11, p.7 - 16.
FERNANDEZ (V.) - 1996
Rescues and prevention.
Updated until 1995
Subterránea, 5, p.54 - 55.
LOPEZ (E.) - 1996
Cantabria Cave Rescue Organisation. Moral report 1995
Boletín Cántabro de Espeleología, 12, p.137 - 139.
FERNANDEZ (V.) - 1996
Updated accidents and mobilizations: 1975 - 1995
Boletín Cántabro de Espeleología, 12, p.141 - 146.
To collaborate in prevention, there are two things to do the information of climatic conditions and the difficulty,
and the conservation of the installations. It's just an opinion, but we think that having the equipment in a bad state doesn't
avoid the cave from being visited, but it makes the cave a very dangerous place.
A sample of it has been, until recently, the
Tonio-Cayuela System, the busiest one and with the worst equipment.
Other people believe that to equip the traverses gives way to the fact that every time more people and less prepared dare to do it.
It's always the some debate but we think that it's better to minimize the risks.
 Go back to the beginning
Equipment of traverses
From 1992 until nowadays, the equipment of permanent material has
been done, to be able to do the traverse of the following systems:
In all these cases, we have changed the anchors for more modern and safer ones, although they already had better or worse (always worse) material
to do the traverse in double rope. In the case of Cueto Pot, if we didn't leave it permanent, the meeting points were pathetic in the
pitch of 302 m. In Caballos and Tonio Pot, we have taken away the old material, rotten ropes, slings, hangers, etc. It would be very
useful that each group took away all the previous garbage, instead
of adding some more to the one we already
have :-)
Go back to the beginning
Explorations
Most of them in Ramales and surroundings, although only the recent ones are described:
- Hornijo Mountain Mass
Several years of work in this vas area have given as a result 130 smaller caves ,
among which we want to mention the
Ventana Pot -272 m.
- The Morterón - 440 m. ( Hoyo Salzoso )
An intense reexploration, in which the height above sea level has been extended with reference to the previous one (-369 m.) with another pitch of 28 m. Several new ways have been explored, in one of which the height above sea level is approximately of
-440 m. It includes the survey (36k).
- The Hoyo Salzoso sinking creek - 505 m. ( Tomasín Pot )
Unblockings with explosives
of one of the entrances and a complete reexploration without any results.
- Cuadrangular Pitch -224 m. ( Castín Pitch )
Unblocking at the bottom, with small prolongation's in the maximum
height above sea level which need more unblocking works.
- Garma Ciega - Cellagua - Mazo Chico System
-825 m
Continuing the climbing of the group of Geológicas, at the height above sea level -800 m., survey of 500 meter of new
galleries and new climbing.
Above this System, see the news explorations by SCP.
- Sombrero Pot (Chapeau)
An exploration of 1.500 m. of pitches and galleries, has taken us to the height above sea level approximately of -350 m. and also to the union
with the Garma Ciega System, which has already got four entrances and there's a perspective of joining to the Mortero of Astrana
System.
- Arañonera System -1.179 m.
August '96, a simulacrum of campaign with lots of rain!. Two attacks to the way Mili-KK at the height above see level -1.050
with reference to the month S-1. Entrance by the A-31 with two bivouacs each one. In the first, an unexpected flooding in the
drainpipe obliges us to draw back urgently. In the second, we continue the climbing to -1.000 m. but the levels of water prevent us
from going on and completing the survey. Attempts in collaboration
with the Gràcia Caving Club (ECG, Barcelona).
- Some History
Electronic version of published works about Torcas Humizas,
Mur Cave, Covalanas, Covanegra, Cullalvera, La Haza and Sotarriza.
- Hunter Cave
Explorations in new Soba cave, with 1.020 meter of development
and 90 meter of unevenness.
- Day-Book
The chronologic register about activities from AER members.
Go back to the beginning
Unblockings
Nowadays, we are using a system based on a gas drill, a manual hammer and in line detonators.
It works out perfectly, it's very efficient, fast, cheap and clean (without gases ). It was previously used in Italy and also by some
groups from Bilbao.
After using it for three years, it's the best system we're tried,
and we include it here to share experiences with these who want to
use it or even with these who have already used it.
Go back to the beginning
Photography
It is not a course of haw to take underground pictures, since after 15 years, we are starting to think that we'll never learn. We'll
just show our images or these that are all over the web. On the links page, you'll find the directions of these pictures that don't
belong to us. Here are some samples for you to evaluate their
interest.
In each group, you'll find a small catalogue on which
to choose the one you want to see at its real size
- The Gallery of the AER
- Our own virtual exposition, divided in four pages and a total
of 16 pictures. Take a look at it you have got a fast connection
and try the images to see them at their real size.
- The Virtual Cave
- Good pictures of formation, done by Dave Bunnell
- Lechuguilla
- From the Lechuguilla Cave. In their Web ( Lechuguilla Photo Map )
they include a map which we haven't put because of its size (141k)
- Good Earth
- Few but good pictures of caves, geology, etc., work by Djuna Bewley
- Grupo Pierre Martin de Espeleologia
- Pictures of some Brazilian caves, by Roberto Rodrigues
- Action Photographics
- Splendids, work by Gavin Newman
- Cupp-Coutunn Karst Cave System
- Pictures of minerals, work by Vladimir A. Maltsev
- L'Europe Souterraine
- Good pictures by Philippe Axell
- More People Have Been To The Moon
- Cave diving pictures, by Steve Thomas
- Jamarski klub Zeleznicar
- Pictures of some Slovenian caves, by Peter Gedei
- The Asón Valley
- Some views of one of the most visited valleys. The access to
the pictures is direct, without a previous catalogue.
- Río Munio System
- Several representative pictures, from the article of the
traverse. The access to the
pictures is direct, without a previous catalogue (125 k).
- Cueto-Coventosa-Cuvera System
- Several representative pictures, from the article of the
traverse.
- Torcas Humizas
and Cullalvera Cave
- Several representative pictures, from the article of the
traverse.
-
Reports
- The links with this symbol contain information based
exclusively on pictures
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- Women
- Pictures of women trying stalagmite
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Go back to the beginning
Speleoturism
We not only take pert in unfruitful prospections, explorations without result, inhuman harrowness,
timeless surveys and timeless equipment for everybody to be safe when visiting the caves. But in order to give strength to ourselves
we also spend some time doing traverses and visiting the classic great caves.
- In Cantabria:
- In other regions:
- Grallera del Turbón (T.1) - Cueva de Santa Elena (Arañonera)
- Cova del Serrat del Vent
- Bujerín - Cueva de Alba
- Gruta helada de Casteret ( Yes, also is traverse )
- Armiñako - Lamiñen (Sistema Laminetako)
- Cueva de Mina Europa - Torca de Artekona
- In the country of Martel and Casteret:
- Gouffre Berger -1.278 m.
- Réseau Jean Bernard -1.602 m.
- Gouffre Lonnée Peyret -800 m.
- Bonheur - Bramabiau ( the first traverse of history)
- Bassaburuko Leizea - Túnel de la Verna ( Piedra de San Martín)
- Grotte du Pas d'Estrech - La Cabane
- Trou du Glaz - Grotte du Guiers Mort ( Dent de Crolles )
- Gouffre du Burtetch - Grotte du Riusec
- Gouffre de la Henne-Morte - Grotte des Commingeois
- Trou Mile - Grotte de Pèneblanque
- Gouffre Bernard - Gouffre du Pont de Gerbaut
- Gouffre des Pyrenois - Grotte de Pèneblanque
- Gouffre Michelle - Gouffre du Pont de Gerbaut
- L.7 - Rivière souterraine de Siech
- Le Mas d'Azil
Go back to the beginning
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION