3494: Regato, Cueva de
San Antonio 30T 445649 4801058 (Datum: ETRS89. Accuracy code: G) Altitude 92m
Length 279m Depth 14m
Area position : Site entrance in context : Logbook search

Updated 4th July, 17th October 2011; 26th September 2014; 18th November 2017; 20th September 2019

   There are two entrances to this small maze system which is 300m away to the southwest from Cueva Laberinto.

   The entrance leads to a small chamber. To the right a narrow rift leads down into what could be called the 'main chamber'. Straight on a passage, not quite a hands and knees crawl, leads to a junction with a narrow way on straight ahead and left turn. These meet up at the other side of a pillar in a small chamber with several choked inlets.
   Continuing ahead, a short descent past a block leads to a low continuation which soon closes down. Back at the pillar, a right turn through a narrow passage leads almost immediately to a narrow passage parallel to the original. Straight ahead is a small maze area of passages leading to a rift with a voice connection to the Main Chamber. Turning left to follow the draught leads via a short leftwards dog leg to a pitch into a chamber. The roof of the chamber is about 2 metres higher than the top of the pitch. At the bottom of the pitch the rift-like chamber continues in the line of the entrance passage to a climb up to a chamber at roof level. A narrow rift to the right has been voice-connected to further passages described later. Back at the bottom of the pitch a right turn leads to cross rifts and holes in the floor which all appear to close down.
   Half-way down the rift-like chamber a climb through an eye-hole enters a roomy parallel passage which closes down in both directions. Opposite the eye-hole, across the rift-like chamber a remnant vadose passage not in character with the rest of the cave quickly leads back into more typical passage with the high roof and holes in the floor sloping down through loose fill. It is along this passage that a voice connection at roof level has been established with the high-level chamber described earlier. An easy climb up of about 2 metres leads to narrow continuation passage with holes in the floor to a lower level. One of the holes was descended to a floor with no clear way on. The higher narrow passage ends at a cross joint. A tight low flat-out crawl to the right has been followed for some 10 to 20 metres but not surveyed.
   In August 2014, the flat out crawl "at the lowest level" was pushed but becomes too low at shingle banks. There is a steady draught at this point and a very small person might get through.

Main Chamber Area
   Returning to the entrance area a climb down a narrow rift leads to the "main chamber", around 8m to 10m high with three ways off, described in a clockwise direction.
   Turning left leads past a draughting dig and over blocks to a further draughting dig. A rift high on the left wall is the probable connection to the maze like passages above.
   The second passage is a climb up straight ahead, immediately on the left is a narrow rift connecting back into the main chamber, a hole in the floor of this rift has been pushed down to a small draughting cross rift which is also visible from holes in the floor of the climb and may reward further attention. Continuing to the top of the climb the passage leads off to the right past a squeeze and a small connection to the third passage left branch below, ahead ends in a small chamber. A hole in the floor of this passage drops into a grotto which is the connection to the end of Regato 2 (below).
   The third passage in the main chamber is a slope up under a large stal boss to the right as you enter the chamber. The passage splits three ways, the left hand branch is two short climbs into the upper passage. The passage straight ahead ends at a 4m pitch which becomes to tight and the right hand branch is a short climb to passages below the entrance which become too low.
   Above the stal boss is a climb to a further passage which ends in a low area near the entrance.

Regato 2 Area
   Dropping through the connection hole in the small chamber at the end of the second passage in the Main Chamber area enters a grotto, with small but pretty formations. At the far end of the grotto an old leather glove was found. An obvious passage on the far side of the chamber is a crawl leading down a short slope to a junction. To the left a passage meanders for a few metres before closing down and has been used to dump spoil. Below you at the junction a drop into a dig has reached a narrow rift. Ahead is a slope, with a small hole to a passage which quickly closes down in one direction and leads to the second entrance in the other.

In August 2011, "bits" were finished off, the survey updated and photos taken. In October 2017, a number of new holes to the west and north were documented. (See 4613; 4614; 4615; 4616; 4617; 4618; 4619; 4620; 4621; 4622; 4623; 4630; 4631; 4632; 4633; 4634; 4637; and 4638.

   In August 2019, further investigations concluded that, (i) there was a total choke to the south, (ii) the stream at the base of the 8m hole can't be dug and (iii) no single source for the strong draught could be found.

Reference: anon., 2011b (Easter logbook); anon., 2011d (summer logbook); anon., 2014c (summer logbook); anon., 2017d (autumn logbook); anon., 2019d (summer logbook)
Entrance picture: yes
Underground pictures : yes
Video :
Detailed Survey : yes (ongoing) : final (2011)
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file : yes (Amended magnetic declination December 2013 to align with Eur79 grid and coordinates altered to fit ETRS89 datum, April 2014.)
on Hornedo / San Antonio area survey (Amended magnetic declination December 2013 to align with Eur79 grid and coordinates altered to fit ETRS89 datum, April 2014.)

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