site 4732

4732: Decepción, Torca la (bottom entrance)
La Secada 30T 453011 4798395 (Datum: ETRS89. Accuracy code: G) Altitude 232m
Length included in the 4 Valleys System (See 0107, Hoyuca)
Area position : Site entrance in context : Resources : Logbook search

Updated 27th September, 12th December 2018; 3rd March, 23rd August 2020; 23rd September 2021; 23rd May 2023; 7th January, 3rd May 2024

  Another entrance into site 0252 first noticed from inside the latter cave, located by subphones then excavated to provide an easier / closer entrance to a dig in 0252. See site 0252 for more pictures and the detailed surveys.
   In the summer 2018, a possible short pitch was found unnecessary when a nearby crawl reached the base. The draughting dig at the end was also excavated and thought to be well worth continuing.
   Three trips in February 2020 working at the dig reached a rift and 15m of easy passage. A drop down in the rift was enlarged and the open c30m pitch was dropped into a lower series in the summer 2021.
   The drop is split into three: p7, p27 to a boulder then p6 to a climb down to an area of avens. These must bring in a lot of water in wet weather. Downslope, the passage enlarges (5m wide) at a T-junction then enters a tight, wet, draughting crawl which has been pushed with wetsuit hood. Upstream at the T-junction finishes at a wall of fill.
  The cave was pushed through the wet tight crawl in August 2022 and joined to the Four Valleys System in 2 places. A full description follows.

The system was re-rigged with stainless steel bolts in April 2023. See Easter 2023 logbook, page 57 which could, of course, be superceded.

RIGGING (21/2/2024 - Simon Cornhill)
Small Slam: 60m rope, 6 x maillons, 1x krab (short deviation sling left on)
Grand Slam: 51m rope, 4 x maillons.

In the summer 2023 and subsequently, most of the trips used Decepción as a "back door" through to Hoyuca to further investigate the Trident Passages area and resurvey from Armageddon to Trident via Duckham's Sump. Extensions off Vienna Coup are mentioned below.

January 2024: Both Small Slam and Grand Slam pitches are detackled. Left rigged at the end of the Easter 2024 expedition? There are no logbook entries after 6/4/2024.

Original site description: Diane Arthurs, James Carlisle and Simon Cornhill (September 2022, since updated by various MCP cavers)

Entrance Series
   The strongly draughting 4732 entrance to Torca la Decepción immediately passes a hole down on the right leading to the original 0252 entrance. A short, flat out section gains a fossil remnant chamber. A dugout section past a pile of stacked deads leads to the head of a 35m pitch Small Slam. This starts off with a Y-hang in the top of a narrow, blasted rift. A few metres below, a single bolt rebelay drops to a ledge over a 27m shaft from which two bolts high in the ceiling can be used for a Y-hang. The pitch lands in a rift and a further bolt around the corner can be used for a rebelay for the last 6m or so. Six hangers and a 50m rope is sufficient to descend the pitch.
    Part way down the first "Small Slam" pitch, a hole on the opposite wall was investigated at Easter 2024. The opening enters a small aven closed at top with a drop below joining the main pitch about 10m down. Lots of eroded stal make it clear that this area is an old passage that has been re-excavated locally by water. A small flat out passage only a few cms high may bring in water from the NE in flood. Opposite this is an area of cobbles and mud and what looks like a possible old passage infilled with this mixture. There are no prospects in this small area. [Phil Papard]
    Following the rift downstream from the bottom of the pitch reaches a heavily calcited section blocking progress. The way on is at floor level through a low and tight section, the 322/1/6 Super Duck. This was originally half full of water, but was drained from the far side after being pushed for the first time. It is possible that wet weather may restore it to its former glory. In a wet period in December 2023, some time was spent digging the floor of the Super Duck, where a dribble "had been upgraded to a stream".
    Beyond the 322/1/6 Super Duck is Stepping Stone Passage, a prolonged flat out thrutch which is awkward with tackle. Eventually, the going eases as several avens are met. Here, the draughts reunite in a short tube with a notable draught, starting off with a crawl under a boulder in the stream. Immediately beyond is an impressively decorated gallery ending at a 2m climb down into a large chamber.
    The chamber is dominated by a deep rift in the floor. This is the 35m Grand Slam pitch, rigged by traversing along the left-hand wall of the chamber behind straws. A short traverse and Y-hang give a straight drop down the magnificent shaft, which can be rigged with a 50m rope and 3 hangers. At the bottom of the pitch, a large stream passage, Vienna Coup, is met.

Upstream - BTM Series
    Upstream from the bottom of Grand Slam soon splits into several passages at station 179.
Right at station 179, straddling an inlet, West Passage can be followed for around 70m passing an oxbow on the right to where following the water becomes torturous. A 2m climb up here enters a hands and knees crawling passage for 25m through a squeeze into a small grotto containing fine formations. A rift continues ending in an enlargement where the stream is met again. Upstream under a calcite slope, flat out in the water 6m ahead can be seen, but is too low.
   Back at station 179, climbing up 2m, to the left a sandy Bat Inlet continues straddling the dry walls above a streamway trench in the floor, clambering over a couple of fallen boulders continuing for approximately 30m before reaching a junction. Right meanders for a short distance before closing down in a calcited drippy aven. Just before the aven, space can be seen through a too tight hole, possibly another aven as an echo can be heard. The left-hand branch soon reduces to a crawl then opens up into a small aven. Dropping down again, a further crawl leads to a drippy aven where small bones were found on the right. The pool from the aven flows down the slope and meets a second stream in the passage ahead, both converging and heading to a low passage on the left which looks to continue low in water, unexplored.
    Back at the small aven continuing upstream, the passage passes a small inlet on the right-hand side then opens up into an aven. A continuation on the left climbs a steep slope of calcited boulders into a further aven that may be possible to free climb up calcited ledges.
    Ahead at station 179, a 2m climb up, passing a blind ramp on the right, enters a nice walking passage. A small inlet on the right is passed which ends after 30m being too tight after a stal grill. Following the main way on two more inlets close to each other on the left are passed: the first is narrow with a long shallow pool and emerges up a short wriggle and crawl not far up the second inlet, which starts from the main passage at station 222. Continuing up the second inlet for 30m the water comes out of a low passage Pig Trotter Crawl which becomes too tight after 30m.
    Continuing past Pig Trotter Crawl a section of beautiful white calcite encrusted mud floor is encountered. Passing a 16m aven on the left is the start of Aven Alley which quickly reaches a window and a climb down into the base of another 16m aven. Climbing 4m up the north wall of this aven a crawl drops down into the base of a 28m aven, where a sketchy 4m climb gains a low wide area of break down with two holes in the floor needing a lump hammer to progress. Also on the North wall of the 16m aven another 4m climb up, short passage and a 4m climb down needing a hand line enters a larger 34m aven, climbing steeply up an even bigger 35m aven is met where climbing gear will be necessary to ascend a large choke. A small passage continues up a 4m climb finishing at the base of a final 15m aven.
    Back in the main upstream passage at station 222 and heading into Mushroom Valley Way an oxbow on the left is the easiest route. After this a small inlet on the right soon opens up into a 12m drippy aven. A boulder choke on the left wall is too tight, but a 2m climb up a rift on the right leads to another aven and a hole down which drops into a trickle of water 2m below with no way on.
    Back in the main Mushroom Valley Way passing a ramp on the right which chokes up and a cracked mud floor ends in a grand 28m aven. A 7m climb up reaches a parallel 21m aven.

Downstream Vienna Coup
   Downstream from the bottom of Grand Slam pitch, a large stream passage, Vienna Coup is easy going with a strong draught, and can be followed for a couple of hundred metres until it turns sharply to the right at a calcited rift. A large space can be seen at the top of the rift and the climb up looks relatively easy, assessed April 2023 as requiring gear. (There is an inlet on the right hand wall near the start of downstream Vienna Coup which isn't marked on the survey.) At the end of July 2023, a bolt climb was made "just before the deep pool in Vienna Coup to reach a fairly large chamber 11m up". There may be something another 11m higher up, so a return with a drill is required. Also in Vienna Coup, at station 41, an unnamed inlet was surveyed for 142m in August 2023. This inlet is described as being tight in places and very muddy with the best leads around the clean-washed aven - "but there is nothing terribly obvious / exciting left." (See survey on 0252 page.)
   At the end of the rift, a 2m climb down over a very deep pool gains a large chamber, The Griffins' Club. This section of the cave runs over the top of Shrimp Bone Inlet in Cueva Hoyuca, which is approximately 20m below. A large passage at the north east of The Griffins' Club was entered in April 2023. This was pushed under an aven into a network of thrutchy tunnels eventually descending down a rift to a squeeze into the junction just before Hideous Hog. Technically, this is a short cut, but practically, it's much easier the other way. This "short cut" was surveyed as batch 0252-23-02, length 61m.
   Beyond The Griffins' Club, the main streamway continues in fine style, passing several side passages along the way. The first of these is Intrafinesse Passage, entered by scaling a calcite slope on the left (see below for further details). The next side passage is a significant inlet on the right. This can be followed for 200m to an extremely well decorated chamber, Hideous Hog. Halfway along passes through The Vice, a squeeze between stal. At the back of this chamber, an extremely dubious climb over overhanging boulders reaches a further chamber Crustacean Way with draughting holes in the floor. By the lefthand wall an 8m pitch can be rigged down the largest hole off boulders using a large and medium sling with 15m rope. This drops into a hading rift, a 2m climb down a large hole at the bottom the pitch immediately meets a stream, which is Shrimpbone Inlet and the connection to Hoyuca. To the left and downstream is a pleasant 5-minute walk to emerge into the impressive Rocky Horror in Hoyuca.
   Back in Crustacean Way, at the back of the chamber is a climb up into a narrow streamway, which soon splits into smaller passages. Following the only passable way on eventually reaches a 15m aven with an uninviting passage, The Trump Promotion Prevention Duck, leading from its base.
   Back in the main Vienna Coup streamway, another (smaller) inlet enters soon afterwards from the same side. This was surveyed as batch 0252-23-01, April 2023, and, after 18m, comes to a complete end in a small aven. Soon after this a mud bank fills the passage directly ahead. A slippy climb up to the right here reaches The Bermuda Bowl, an awe-inspiring 90m aven.
   The main route on is to the left of the mud bank, which drops through a small tube back into the main stream, now with much-reduced dimensions. Eventually, another inlet enters on the right at a pool. This can be followed for 100m or so to an aven at the top of a tricky climb up. Before this, there is a high level, parallel rift. The two "?" on the survey are connected through a crawl in the stream. (See Easter 2024 survey annotations on the 0252 page.)
   Beyond the junction, the main passage increases rapidly in size (with roof tubes that require bolts to climb) until a further junction, Morton's Fork, is reached. Upstream from Morton's Fork is Intrafinesse Passage, which soon narrows at stream level, necessitating a climb up onto wide sandy ledges above. Several small passages are passed on the right. These have not been forced to a conclusion. The main passage ends at a squeeze through stal with a howling draught, The Winkle, beyond which a climb down rejoins the main streamway at The Griffins.
   At the northeast corner of the Morton's Fork chamber, a "pile of mud" could be excavated to enter a tight but clean-washed chimney
   Downstream from Morton's Fork continues as Rectifying The Count, a very wide passage, reminiscent of an underground beach. A climb up in this section reaches a large passage over boulders, which may require a rope to push further. Investigated in March 2024, the large, bouldery, very high rift passage has numerous connections down to the stream passage. There is also a small parallel rift.
   Rectifying The Count eventually ends as End of the World Way where the stream sinks under a boulder choke. Just to the east, the small passage with a "?" was investigated (March 2024) and found to be a climb up a mud slope to what looks to be a large space beyond. This will require bolting to access. The end of End of the World Way is directly beneath Armageddon in Hoyuca. A dug crawl, 20m back on the right in the passage, leads up into the boulder choke where an excavated hole (care) and a steep clamber up squeezing past a boulder, emerges into the immense passage of Armageddon. Left up a short slope, under some massive boulders and then down quickly leads to the top of Judgement Pitch, which is marked by an ancient coiled up rusty ladder.

Easter 2024 survey annotations can be seen on site 0252

References: anon., 2018b (Easter logbook); anon., 2018c (summer logbook); anon., 2018d (autumn logbook); anon., 2020a (January, February logbook); anon., 2020c (Spring, summer logbook); anon., 2021c (summer logbook); Scaife C, 2022; anon., 2023b (Easter logbook); anon., 2023e (Christmas logbook); anon., 2024b (Easter logbook)
Entrance pictures : April 2018
Underground pictures : April 2018 : August 2018 : February 2020 : summer 2021
Summer 2022 : 360° photos in 4732 entrance chamber (JC) (help notes) 1 2 3 4 5 6 : by Alisdair Smith 10th, 12th, 13th August :
by Diane Arthurs 12th August : by Diane Arthurs 13th August : by Diane Arthurs -Hoyuca through trip, 16th August : by Diane Arthurs 20th, 22nd, 23rd August : by Chris Scaife 4th April 2023 : summer 2023
Video : April 2018 (YouTube) : summer 2021 (YouTube) : 10/8/22 Grand Slam Discovery :
Video 1 of 3: 12th and 13th August, 2022: Rigging "Grand Slam" and exploring north to reach Cueva Hoyuca - almost!
Video 2 of 3: 16th August, 2022: The through-trip from Riaño to Disappointment Pot - after excavating a route through Armageddon.
Video 3 of 3: 20th, 22nd and 23rd August, 2022: Mainly exploring up inlets, finding avens and dropping into Shrimp Bone Inlet.
Detailed surveys : See 0252
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex files : See 0252