Expedition Name (& Club): Matienzo 2008

Destination country: Spain
Region:

Lat: 43.3148 Long: -3.5851 Elevation: 0 m
MEF funding: none

Leader: Juan Corrin

Brief Expedition objectives:

List a short summary of the main Expedition objectives.

Continued cave exploration, survey, photo, etc and surface prospecting within our 96sq km area.

How can the GPF support your Expedition?:

Please explain the aspects of the trip which make it eligible for Ghar Parau funding.

This summer expedition is one of a number that will occur during 2008. In particular, Easter is likely to see >200 man-days of cave exploration. Costs are based on an average 20 people for 4 weeks. As always, at this date, exact numbers and personnel are not known. Between 20 and 40 cavers are expected and turn up every year. Of these, some 10 - 20% would be new to caving abroad. Spanish and Danish cavers were involved on a number of occasions in recent years; we expect the same participation this year.

Detailed description of objectives:

Give a more detailed account of the purpose of the trip, including any particular known caves you intend to visit, specific areas where you will explore for new cave, and scientific experiments you will attempt.

Numbers correspond to numbers on the attached area map 1. Continue exploration in the Sistema de los Cuatro Valles. 2. Continue exploration in the Sistema de Cubija: Torcón de la Calleja Rebollo, Torca de Mostajo and Torca de Regaton aiming to link with Cobadal. 3. Pushing above and to the west of Cueva de Bollón; exciting possibilities of extending the Four Valleys System west towards the Cubija and Cobadal systems. 4. Pushing in the Sumidero de Cobadal to possibly link with the Cubija and Four Valleys Systems. 5: Continued exploration in Cueva del Torno at Fresnedo 6. Continue exploration in Cueva de Fresnedo 2. 7. Exploration of open entrances on Mullir and other areas. (Over 240 unexplored sites to investigate). 8. Pushing in Cueva Vallina, S Vega System and other sites above the expected area of connection. 9. Continue training of younger team members in expedition caving skills. 10. Continue investigation of "new" 6.5sqkm in permit area to W of Alisas. All caves mentioned have going leads.

Previous work in this area:

Give details of any previous work in this area by your own and other teams. Include references to reports and articles published on the area, and the names of any local cavers or academics with whom you have discussed the Expedition.

We're the major explorers. Some references: Cuadernos II, VIII, IX-X; Matienzo 74; Matienzo 75; MUSS Journals 8, 9, 10; Articles in Caves & Caving 8 11 14 18 22 26 32 35 41 44 49 55 58 63 66 70 75 79 83 87 89; Speleology 2, 3 & 5. Trans 8.1 and article in 10.3; articles about the explorations and archaeology in Spanish journals by Peter Smith. Most recent major overview in Spanish is in Actas del V Congresso Español de Espeleología (1990), pp345 - 355 (Federación Española de Espeleología). Annual summaries published with Federación Cántabra de Espeleología. A major work is Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Smith Peter et al, 2001. The Archaeology of the Matienzo Depression, North Spain. In BAR International Series 975, 224 pages. La Cueva de Cofresnedo en el Valle de Matienzo, a 198 page colour book summarising a 6 year archaeological project by the same authors, was published 3 years ago by the Cantabrian Government. Expedition reports for 2004, 2005, 2006 have appeared in recent Speleology issues. The 2007 report is with Erin Lynch. A "complete" history & cave descriptions are at www.matienzo.org.uk.