Application for Grant Aid

Submitted on: 27 Feb 2022


Expedition details (GPF2022a-005)

Expedition Name (& Club): Ario Expedition 2022 (Various (BEC, CDG, OUCC))
Destination country: Spain
Region: Picos de Europa
Lat: 43.2531 Long: -4.9126 Elevation: 1352 m
MEF funding: none

Leader: Mr. Chris Jewell
Total cavers: 17
Cavers ≤25 yrs old: 3
Cavers 25-35 yrs old: 0
UK/nonUK cavers: 10/7
Eligible for grant aid: 10
Alex Pitcher nominations: 0
Expedition dates: 30th Jul 2022 - 27th Aug 2022
Duration (days): 29
Man-days in field: 420 Man-days travelling: 60
Brief Expedition objectives:

List a short summary of the main Expedition objectives.

Two objectives:

Sima Cabeza Muxa. In 1988 this sump was dived by Rick Stanton to a depth of 33m. The cave contains the largest stream way in the area and the water here is believed to drain to Cueva Culiembro in the Cares Gorge. The end of Sima Cabeza Muxa and Culiembro are about 1500m apart with a height difference of about 200m. We will plan on re-rigging Cabeza Muxa to facilitate continued diving exploration in the downstream sump.

C4, Torca del Regallon, a pleasant, very vertical 600m+ deep cave that is a part of the Verdelluenga system. This is the now famed cave featured in the Ario Dream film, that has now been connected to the iconic 2/7 aka Jultayu cave. In 2017 the upstream waterfall was successfully climbed and led to numerous amazing big passages all with open leads. The cave was left rigged when the ACP was last there in 2018 with various very exciting leads left wide open for pushing.
How can the GPF support your Expedition?:

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

To support the purchase of equipment to enable both of these caves to be rigged and explored.
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.

Sima Cabeza Muxa
Exploration of the Sima Cabeza Muxa watercourse could provide an important connection between two major deep caves in the area. This would allow a fuller understanding of the hydrological connections and drainage in the region. In turn this will support and enable future exploration efforts in the area as part of the multi-generational effort to map and understand the cave systems of the Ario plateau.

Objectives:
- The connection of Sima Cabeza Muxa to Asopladeru La Texa

- To rig Sima Cabeza Muxa and transport sufficient diving equipment to enable the exploration of the downstream sump explored by Rick Stanton in 1988.

- Diving operations to include the use of closed-circuit rebreathers in anticipation of deep or extended dive times.

- If the Sima Cabeza Muxa sump can be passed to open air filled passage, sufficient equipment to be transported to enable progress downstream towards Asopladeru La Texa.

C4
The focus of the 2015-2017 expeditions was Torca del Regallon (C4), which was first
explored in 1996 and 1997 and which drops into a major streamway – Underground Overdrive, now connected
to the upstream continuation of the master cave found in 2/7. Upstream C4 has split into a number of
passages, chambers and avens, many of which are ongoing and should allow a connection with F64 as well as
other potholes feeding into the upstream end of the system. With several ongoing passages, much work remains to be done in upstream C4.

- A climb up a massive flowstone wall leads to a window overlooking a massive chamber, with the sump chamber visible down to the right, some 50-60m lower down. A huge aven and inlet could be seen entering
ahead, which looks to take the draught, and may possibly be the lower end of 27/9 or some other
pothole entering from above.

- Tinkle Tankle continued as an involved section of draughting passage through rifts and chambers to a waterfall. This passage is heading north into blank space and is still ongoing.

- Not too far up the ‘F64 inlet’ a very small aven was noted during the 2016 explorations (which becomes a waterfall during wet conditions), which was climbed in 2017 to gain a short section of clean-washed streamway to an estimated 30m high aven. This was climbed for around 25m, and is still going with a large black space beckoning from above.

- The huge aven entering Sanctuary chamber was climbed in 2017 for around 75m, but two inlets remain to be
entered. The first of these is located several metres above the highest point reached by the bolt
climb. The second is a significant waterfall, which will require a traverse to reach it, most likely from a
point 40-50m up the main bolt climb.
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.

OUCC expeditions to Ario plateau since the 1960s. Expedition reports here.
http://www.oucc.org.uk/expeditions/expeditions-spain.htm
C4 last explored in 2017 by members of this same team.

Previous diving expedition to Cabeza Muxa reported in BCRA Caves and Caving 44 (summer 1989)
"Probing the depths of the Picos Phreas, diving in the Picos de Cornion" - Chris Danilewicz
Cave Diving Group Newsletter 92 July 89 - dive reports by Rick Stanton

Expedition Finances

Travel

Travel plans:
Driving from the UK and either taking the Ferry to Santander or driving down through France. Some team members may fly to Northern Spain and hire cars.
Costs were calculated on a team of 30 people over the duration of the 4 weeks of the expedition with 15 people on site at any one time. This would represent 420 person days.


# from UK: 25 Travel costs breakdown (for personnel leaving from the UK):
Total costs from UK: £9,943 Channel crossing return approx £350
Mileage approx 1,100 miles. 45mpg = 24.4 gallons@ £6.67 per gallon = £162.7 per journey. Tolls = £60. Return journey = £445.50
Total = £795.50 for a car with two passengers so £397.75 pp

# from outside UK: 5 Travel costs breakdown (for personnel leaving from the UK):
Total costs from outside UK: £3,500 Flights from outside the UK approx £450
Car hire for two weeks approx £250

Travel total: £13,443 Travel p.p. from UK: £397
Travel p.p. from outside UK: £700

Subsistence

Total: £12,600 Comments:
Subsistence p.p.: £420 Accommodation and food in refugio = 35 EUR
£30 per day for 420 person days

Gear

Total: £2,862 Comments:
Gear p.p.: £95 1200m rope = £1,458
140 mallions = £470
140 hangers = £529
150 SS 8mm bolts = £405

Special 1

Total: £1,000 Comments:
Special 1 p.p.: £33 5 x £100 for donkeys to porter gear up to Ario plateau
5 x £100 for donkeys to take gear down from Ario plateau
Exped Total: £29,905 Exped cost p.p. travelling from UK: £945
Exped cost p.p. travelling from outside UK: £1,248
Mean Exped cost per person: £996

Other Funding

Total: £0 Comments:
Total shortfall: £29,905 Mean shortfall per person: £996

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: Mr. Rick Stanton
Affiliation: CDG

Reason: Diver who last explored the Cabeza Muxa terminal sump

Permission obtained?: Yes
Referee 2: Mr. Tony Seddon
Affiliation: OUCC and CDG

Reason: Expedition caver who has been part of numerous Ario expeditions.

Permission obtained?: Yes

Expedition report author: Chris Jewell