4112: Cuesta de la Encina, Cueva de la (Eucaliptal, Cueva del)
Navajeda 30T 444788 4800702 (Datum: ETRS89. Accuracy code: G) Altitude 166m
Length 229m Depth 9m (Vertical range: 12m)
Area position : Site entrance in context : Logbook search : A Google search for this site (Cuesta de la Encina, Cueva de la+Eucaliptal+Navajeda)

Updated 24th May 2015; 13th, 19th February, 7th, 9th May, 28th October 2016; 3rd May 2024

   A cave with extensive archaeological deposits, summarily documented in Ruiz Cobo J and Muñoz Fernández E, 2013. It has two entrances and was investigated and surveyed by GEIS. Some remains have been carbon dated. The north entrance was partially altered when the cave was used as an air raid shelter during the Civil War. The grid reference above is for the northwest entrance; the southern entrance is at 30T 0444783 4800679 altitude 164m. The cave was resurveyed after Easter 2015.

Site 4397 is between the two entrances. It was reported by Pete Smith (March 2024) that, "Since we surveyed the cave in 2016, a track made presumably for logging has broken the roof of the SE entrance and destroyed about the first 4 or 5m of the cave." (The surveyed length above has not been altered)

   A walk-in entrance (at the northwest of the cave) passes under a small shaft to the surface and, after 20m, reaches a steep calcite slope down into an impressive chamber, about 10m high. There is a possible passage seen high up on the east wall and also closer on the north wall. At floor level, a hole drops into a small chamber with a tight slot. A crawl to the north closes in.
   The main way out of the chamber is a walk up into a crawl that soon connects with another parallel passage. To the right, a walk up a slope emerges on the surface at the second entrance. Just back from here, a crawl on the north side ends at a window onto the first entrance passage. To the left, a short climb over boulders meets a turn to the south. After 15m of crawling, a junction is met. Further crawling ahead enters an increasingly well decorated (and constricted) area with the current end being a very low continuation that would require much digging. Back at the junction, a rift passage has easy climbs which enter a chamber with tall columns.
    Beyond is a small hole to an enlargement which may have been passed by others. The route was enlarged at Easter 2016 when it was discovered that the floor was false and, after a hole had been knocked through, that there was a metre drop to a solid floor. The route over the top was enlarged enough to allow one of the team through into a wider and lower passage, with plenty of stal. After 15m it reaches a surface run-in with roots and a drippy aven. The extension was surveyed (L=18m) and photographed in August 2016.

Reference: Ruiz Cobo J and Muñoz Fernández E, 2013; anon., 2015a (January, February logbook); anon., 2015b (Easter logbook); anon., 2016b (Easter logbook); anon., 2016c (summer logbook); anon., 2024b (Easter logbook)
Entrance pictures : SE entrance after destruction of 4 or 5m
Underground pictures : 2015 and 2016
Video : Exploration and survey, May 2015 (YouTube) : constriction to southern entrance, Easter 2016 (YouTube): enlarging constriction, Easter 2016 (YouTube)
Detailed survey : scan (GEIS) : resurvey May 2015 : complete survey, August 2016
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file : yes

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