Updated 19th February 1999; 8th January 2000; 26th October 2001; 9th November 2003; 23rd November 2004; 27th October 2007; 7th January 2011; 23rd February 2017
The entrance is a sink 15m west of the car park at the head of the road in Cubija. A very strong draught normally blows out of the entrance. Before 1993 the cave had been incompletely pushed and was described has having a couple of rope climbs and crawling leading to a draughting, tight passage, pushed to a 4m pitch into a chamber with no exit. In 1993 the cave was linked with Torca del Regaton (892) which in turn was linked with Torca del Mostajo (071) in 1994 to give a 14.4km length. El Cubio provides a much less technical entrance series to the main passages in the Cubija (North Vega) System.
A squeeze down between boulders leads to a rift with large amounts of flood debris. The narrow rift continues for 15m to a junction. Continuing straight ahead a low crawl goes up through a stal gap under overhanging rubble. A low stream passage continues to a bedding and occasional avens and chambers, filled with cobbles and a narrow 4m pitch. Several small passages lead off from the chamber but none draught significantly. The best bet here is a narrow canyon that gets too tight a short way in, left of the junction.
A short section of passage, left at the base of the entrance climb enters a draughting crawl leading to the head of a 3m pitch. This drops over large blocks, which don't quite touch the floor, into No Exit Chamber. There may be a passage to push opposite the pitch. Two large blocks form a small entrance to a crawl roofed with blocks. Routes through the honey combed, sandy limestone with sharp corners and bends enter a larger section with a small exit. This leads to a short section of washed limestone tube with clear pools in the floor and eventually to the head of a 4m pitch which lands in a small chamber with two ways out. The non-active section leads to a small crawl into a canal which enters a narrow squeeze and crawl to the top of the aven in the wet route. The active route is low, wet and tight at the far end and finishes at a pitch after the aven. The final 6m pitch drops to the ramp near Lassie's Last Stand in Torca del Regaton.
The hole climbed over after the connection pitch leads to a very small stream passage which may yield to a lump hammer.
There is also a sand and pebble dig with a slight draught over Lassie's Last Stand.
References: Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; Smith P, 1981b (survey); Corrin J, 1983c; anon., 1993b (logbook); material in file; Corrin J, 1994a (survey); Corrin Juan, 1995b (survey); García José León, 1997 (survey and photo); Corrin Juan, 2001a; Corrin Juan, 2003c; Corrin Juan and Smith Peter, 2007; León García José, 2010 (survey). See Regaton
Entrance picture : yes
Underground picture(s): entrance series 1 entrance series 2
Detailed Survey :
| 1981 | known cave | low res | high res |
| 1981 | known cave on an area map | low res | high res |
| 2017 | included in the Cubija System survey | ||
Line Survey :
On area survey : Cubija System - line survey
Survex file : stand alone (Amended magnetic declination December 2013 to align with Eur79 grid and coordinates altered to fit ETRS89 datum, April 2014.)
on North Vega System file - download
Passage direction rose diagram: Sistema de Cubija (North Vega System) 1/7/2018
