Application for Grant Aid

Submitted on: 17 Dec 2020


Expedition details (GPF2021a-001)

Expedition Name (& Club): Matienzo 2021 (Matienzo Cave Project)
Destination country: Spain
Region: Cantabria, Matienzo
Lat: 43.3262 Long: -3.5870 Elevation: 793 m
MEF funding: none

Leader: Mr. Philip Papard
Total cavers: 20
Cavers ≤25 yrs old: 1
Cavers 25-35 yrs old: 3
UK/nonUK cavers: 19/1
Eligible for grant aid: 19
Alex Pitcher nominations: 0
Expedition dates: 20th Mar 2021 - 21st Aug 2021
Duration (days): 154
Man-days in field: 700 Man-days travelling: 90
Brief Expedition objectives:

List a short summary of the main Expedition objectives.

Note expedition main dates are Easter and Summer amounting to some 45 days, plus some work at other times by small groups (not included in figures above), but Easter will be subject to any Covid-19 restrictions still then in place. To continue pushing caves and finds made in 2019 and the limited work in 2020 including: diving and pushing dry far reaches of Fuente Auanaz; Diving sump 6 and beyond in Cueva Valline with aim to link to Cueva Renada (currently each at about 35km); Extending the Four Valley system (currently 67km) and trying to link to Cueva del Torno (5.5km); Exploring the west side of Monte Llusa (new area to expedition which had only limited work in 2020); generally pushing, digging and surveying caves in the expedition area. In addition work will continue on hydrological mapping, bat research, and entomology project. As normal we will coach new young members in expedition surveying and prospecting, they can then apply elsewhere.
How can the GPF support your Expedition?:

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

The vast majority (90%+) of expedition members are British and with over 60 caves expected to visit in 2021 this means the grant benefits a large number of British caves from different clubs and UK caving regions. The benefit of younger and new expedition members gaining experience in expedition surveying and the safety aspects is of benefit to UK caving in general and many have in the past taken these skills to expeditions elsewhere in the world. Any grant money will go towards equipment including, rope, drills/hangers; water mapping OBA, rescue medical materials, and surveying and processing (PC replacement) equipment and to pay for use of our temporary office in the back of the restaurant in the local bar. Members pay for their own travel and accommodation costs. Given we did not have our 60yrs of exploration event in 2020 we expect more people to attend in the summer when we may hold some presentations etc, but only cavers doing exploration work are listed above.
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.

The objectives for Matienzo 2021 will be dynamic in the sense we have some primary objectives, but detailed work will depend on what is found and to a certain extend weather conditions. The primary objectives are:
• To continue the exploration and mapping of Monte Llusa that lies to the north of what was the limit of our area prior to 2019. In 2019 we had the eastern half of this area and in 2020 we have applied and got access to the whole area (i.e. adding the western half that lies in a different municipal area) in the western area where a number of sites were also noted including one resurgence cave that was explored a short way and has good potential. The area is heavily wooded with undergrowth making access difficult especially in the summer, but we now have a significant number of sites to investigate found by: on-foot exploration; arial photographs and drone mapping.
• Pushing site 0252 which was extensively dug in late 2019 and in 2020 to get to a tight drop that was opened up and explored to a further wide open pitch of some 20m+ deep that was not explored due to lack of back-up cavers and left for Easter 2021 - this site This cave is situated above Cueva Hoyuca (0107)
and could intersect higher levels we believe should exist, even if not a connection would give an easier access to the far reaches of this system where leads have not been fully pushed.
• Pushing the Four Valleys System following the link to Cueva-Cubío del Llanío in particular: towards Cueva del Torno; and in the Trident series from Cueva de Carcavuezo where a shorter route to this area was found rather than the 6hr one way trip (in 2019 when the team went to the free dive to reach this area but it was too flooded to attempt). The team plans to use our SubPhones (underground location phones developed by Ron Taylor) to correct any survey errors and also try to establish a better connection with the main part of Carcavuezo.

• Pushing both the main upstream sump and the open passages and avens at the end of Sarah Jean Inlet in Fuente Aguanaz. In 2019 over 1.1km of new cave was found and surveyed in this cave with open leads left. The work requires diving through 5 relatively short sumps over a distance of some 2km

• Pushing and survey work in El Cubillon where over 0.5km of new passage was found beyond a short sump (now a duck) but where time prevented a full exploration and pushing due to being found at the end of the 2019 expedition.

• Continuing the work in Torca Concada at both the active and fossil ends now we know they deviate away from each other. The active route was extensively pushed in 2020 mainly but our French colleagues working with us (UK members of the team could not travel due to Covid issues) and is now over 400m long and to over 125m deep. The fossil route it a prime objective as this could not be looked in 2020. This site could be key as it is in the area were Cueva Reñada should extend to the stream passage from Cueva Vallina

• Continuing resurveying as needed to update the old paper surveys of the South Vega and the Four Valley systems (over 100km between the two systems). As part of our work to document the area more water tracing will be carried out to explore the limits of the Fuente Aguanaz drainage and as well as check possible links in other systems. This work is weather dependent i.e. needed sufficient water flows.

• In addition to above diving will take place at other key sites, including: logistically complicated dives in Cueva Vallina (due to length of carry and length and depth of sumps) at the main downstream sump 6; Cueva de Lolo where a short sump lead to a small blockage into open passage in 2016 that could not be pushed in the last two years due to illness; and continuing pushing Fridge Door cave past the entrance sump, we will also be trying to link this cave to Cueva Espada by digging out the choked connecting passage (we know water flows via this route)

• In addition to above, new and identified but not pushed sites in the permit area will be explored and smaller caves checked out for prospects (over 5,000 sites are now listed and recorded) - it is too extensive to go into all the possible objectives here.
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.

The main way our work is made available is via our very extensive web-site where all our work is recorded with open access to our surveys, testing records and finds. This site is a model for ready and easy availability of information on all our work and finds and is available to all. In addition, the Expedition has given support to scientific work including paleoclimate studies being undertaken by Lancaster university.

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 5 years ago by the Cantabrian Government. The full colour, dual language book "Matienzo: 50 Years of Speleology" (ISBN: 978-0-9566045-0-7) was published in August 2010 and a new second volume dealing with the last 10yrs to mark 60yrs of work in Matienzo has just been published in December 2020, and a copy will be sent to BCRA etc.
Attached is our limited 2020 report in English. Due to Covid-19 problems we did have a significant expedition in 2020 and hence no report was automatically sent to GPF.

Expedition Finances

Travel

Travel plans:
Note cavers list above is only of 20 of those coming - exact numbers and names of others will not be confirmed until later, partly due to possible restrictions over Easter travel.
All will travel under their own arrangements, most by ferry with own cars from UK, plus flights to Bilbo and hire car. Costs below are estimates only as each person travelling will have different costs etc and a number will travel more than once i.e., Summer and Easter and possibly also at other times.


# from UK: 44 Travel costs breakdown (for personnel leaving from the UK):
Total costs from UK: £20,000 Ferry with car to Spain and return with up to 3 occupants - 14 x £750
Flights from Manchester to Bilbao and return - 24 x £250 (incl park at aiport.
Car hire costs 10 x £350

# from outside UK: 4 Travel costs breakdown (for personnel leaving from the UK):
Total costs from outside UK: £2,250 Flight Hongkong to Bilbao via Madrid - £600 plus car hire £350
2 persons travel Denmark to Matienzo by Car - £900 incl tolls
1 person from USA (details of flight not yet known) est £400
(of above only one is British (from Hongkong)

Travel total: £22,250 Travel p.p. from UK: £454
Travel p.p. from outside UK: £562

Subsistence

Total: £996 Comments:
Subsistence p.p.: £21 Cavers provide own meals either cooking, local Bar or restaurant - at local Bar Set meals are 15€ (£14 say £16 with Breakfast - About 800 man-days on site or travelling = about £12,800 Camping and other accommodation - £3500 (note several members have accommodation in area and these are at nil cost to expedition)

Gear

Total: £2,215 Comments:
Gear p.p.: £46 A lot of equipment to be used is from previous years of on loan from members so does not appear in the costs. Below is new and replacement gear only.
Replacement of first aid kits, rescue equipment (ID and pulleys) - £250
Sundres for surveying - paper, waterproof cases, pads etc - £100
Snappers etc to remove rock - £210
Equipment to make safe two entrances (Plastic drainage tube, acro props, scaffolding, concrete, and Stainless re-bar - £500
Bags for tackle at £25 each x5 - £125
Hangers and bolt

Special 1

Total: £700 Comments:
Special 1 p.p.: £15 Extra equipment for cave radios (SubPhones) so they also work on "earth return" - £100
New PC equipment for surveying work etc - £600

Special 2

Total: £500 Comments:
Special 2 p.p.: £10 Hire of room at back of restaurant for expedition office £200 for both Summer (5 weeks) and Easter (3-4 weeks)
Exped Total: £26,661 Exped cost p.p. travelling from UK: £545
Exped cost p.p. travelling from outside UK: £653
Mean Exped cost per person: £555

Other Funding

Total: £0 Comments:
No direct funding - but support from members re loan of equipment (ie not included above) including surveying equipment and all members pay own way etc.
Total shortfall: £26,661 Mean shortfall per person: £555

Referees and Report

Please give the names, addresses and phone numbers of two suitably qualified people whom the Committee can contact. You should ensure that they are aware of the objectives of your trip, and that you have their permission for the Committee to contact them.

Referee 1: Prof. John Gunn
Affiliation: Birmingham University

Reason: John has been to Matienzo as part of a research workshop organised by Lancaster University and is fully aware of the work of the expedition, the area and the quality of our work.

Permission obtained?: Yes
Referee 2: Mr. Nick Williams
Affiliation: Conformance Ltd

Reason: Nick is aware of the work the Matienzo expedition does as well as the benefit of having an easy to get to (both with respect of timing and location) expedition open to all that can then feed in skills to UK cavers who may then go further afield.

Permission obtained?: Yes

Expedition report author: Phil Papard