5089: Dos Árboles, Cueva de los
S Vega 30T 451771 4794755 (Datum: ETRS89. Accuracy code: A) Altitude 423m
Length 50m Depth 5m
Area position : Site entrance in context : Logbook search

Updated 19th February, 21st May, 6th October 2022

  A narrow animal path at two closely-growing trees separates this site from 5090, just below. When vegetation is cleared it is possible to see between planks into a small enlargement with a drop in the floor and a crawl heading off. The top level was explored in February 2022.
   A slide down over soil enters a crouching area where a roomy crawl goes into the hill with very narrow trench in the floor. The roof crawl continues over the trench around bends until a slight enlargement is reached where it is possible to turn around. This is about 20m from the entrance and the crawl appears to be choked just past two groups of stal. There was no draught with the outside temperature at about cave temperature.
   The trench is up to 5m deep and the lower levels were explored in July 2022 and the small extensions added as grade 1 additions to the 22m survey.

The following description of the lower levels is by Andrew Northall:
   Shortly before the top crawl calcite blockage, the rift widens and allows a climb down to the base. Another climb down/up is located near to the entrance.
    At the lower level, a crawl bypasses the calcite blockage above and the rift opens up very briefly to walking passage with a low level, tight, muddy/sandy dig seen at th e base of the right hand wall. Another few metres of varied caving leads to a small rift chamber with a mud floor and a flowstone blockage preventing any further progress in this direction away from the entrance.
    Continuing along the base of the rift in the opposite direction, towards the entrance, is a mix of walking and crawling before an approx 4 metre climb down is met. At the base of this climb, a cross-rift enters at a right angle to the main entrance rift. Some animal bones were found at the base of this cross-rift chamber. The cross-rift continues in both directions, although one is too tight and would require (a small amount of) capping to access a crawl which is slightly ascending (inlet?).
    The opposite direction is significantly larger and opens up to be the largest chamber in the cave, approximately 5-6 metres high and 2 metres across. A one metre climb up overlooks this chamber with no way down, or a sideways crawl below the climb gains access to the lower level. In the lower level, an inlet is seen to enter from above at a sharp angle, and a small aven is filled with calcite. An descending passage is seen in the floor to continue back towards, downwards, and under the entrance rift, but this is largely choked with mud and would require a significant amount of capping. Presumably this is where the water went, at one point.
    There was no draught at any point in this cave.

   It appears that the cave heads "downstream", and further inspection of depressions just uphill to the southeast may be productive, e.g. site 4682.

Reference: anon., 2021c (summer logbook); anon., 2022a (January, February logbook); anon., 2022b (Easter logbook); anon., 2022c (summer logbook)
Entrance pictures : August 2021, February 2022
Underground pictures : February 2022 : July 2022
Video : August 2021 : February 2022 : Complete high level,April 2022 : Lower levels exploration, video notes, July 2022
Detailed survey : April 2022 : July 2022
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file : April, July 2022

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