5 minute read
A Magical Region in France
A Magical Region in France
Text Irena Kosowska
Photos Audrey Cudel
This area is the cradle of French cave diving, a paradise for cave divers. There are about 30 dive sites in this area, not always easily accessible, but certainly worth visiting.
Among such a number of diving sites, each cave diver will find something for themselves – from broad passages, huge corridors or wells, to tight, narrow passages and molings; from visibility comparable to that of the Red Sea to the vibe of ominous flooded mines or forts.
To reach most places, we have to exercise patience and be fit. Not only is the way to water demanding, often requiring overcoming considerable distances through fields, thickets, or dealing with dry parts of caves and transporting equipment through low corridors at great distances, but also while diving we have to go fight the current of the stream or swim towards the entrance up the river. In some places, it's good to know the rope techniques – especially for transporting equipment.
FONTAINE DE SAINT GEORGE Montvalent, Lot
The karst cave is located near the village of Montvalent. At the distance of about 10 meters from the entrance to the cave, the corridor takes the shape of a low, but wide, steeply sloping passage. After reaching a depth of about 30 metres, the corridor gets shallow and at the same time much wider. The ground in the cave is mostly sludgy, with rocks just here and there.
Geographic coordinates: N44,53367, E1,37137
SOURCE DE LA FINOU Montvalent, Lot
The karst is located on private premisses, and finding it might pose some difficulties. A way through the dry bed of a stream leads us to the entrance lake. The lake is very small and shallow, and at its bottom there is a small entrance to the cave. The corridor falls steeply to the depth of about 30 meters. To reach the main passage we have to overcome a narrowing. However, the passage itself is spacious and stretches horizontally at a maximum depth of 33 meters.
FONTAINE DU TRUFFE Lacave, Lot
The entrance to the cave leads through a small lake, with a narrowing at the bottom, but it is possible for divers to pass through it with a gear on their back. The cave has two siphons, both 12–14 meters deep. Fantastic visibility prevailing in a much tighter, second siphon, often enables taking beautiful pictures.
Geographic coordinates: N44,49495 E1,33042
SOURCE DE LANDENOUSE Cadrieu, Lot
The entrance at the outflow of the Landenouse stream is unusual, taking the form of a large rectangular well. The descent down the ladder is about 5 meters and to lower the equipment it is good to use the rope techniques. The entrance to the cave itself leads through a rather narrow gap in the bottom of the well, and a wide passage starts at a depth of 12 meters. With each meter passed the passage lowers and widens, and the meandering corridor gets shallow reaching a depth of about 10 meters, just to drop down again to 30 meters.
Geographic coordinates: N44,29263 E1,51939
The cave is located on private premisses and the latest news is that diving there has been forbidden.
GOUFFRE DE LANTOUY Saint Jean de Laur, Lot
A cave seemingly "easy", but sometimes very treacherous. The entrance is located in a small lake at the depth of about 8 meters. The passage descends steeply, low and wide, and the silt-gravel floor causes quick loss of visibility when the water is stirred. Especially below the 25th meter we encounter narrowings, with quicksand, where it's very easy to lose visibility. The maximum depth of the corridor is 50 meters, but it is necessary to be well prepared for diving due to frequently occurring strong current or reverse current turbulence.
TROU MADAME Cenevieres, Lot
The direction towards the cave is marked on the clearing – a large stone with an arrow and a path next to it. This path leads to the cave entrance. From the stone you have to go through the forest and along the bottom of the stream some 200 m slightly upwards. A huge entrance of the cave will be visible. The beginning of the first siphon is at a distance of about 50 meters inside the cave. The corridor is wide but very low, so it causes some transport problems. The water is usually very transparent. The maximum depth of the cave is 17 meters.
Geographic coordinates: N44,27120 E1,45110
EMERGENCE DU RESSEL Marcilhac-sur-Cele, Lot
The opening of the cave is located at the bottom of the river, about 50 meters up the river from the place of entering the water. The entrance to the cave is large, as is the corridor for the first 150 meters. At 170th metre the cave diverges, the main passage running straight leads to the deep part, while the main corridor stays shallow, at a depth of about 12 meters. In the main corridor, on 22nd metre, we find a huge well, whose depth increases with each threshold reaching the corridor at the 50th metre and extending to a depth of 80 meters. The shallower corridor ends with a vertical gap that connects to the main passage at a depth of 24 meters.
Geographic coordinates: N44,33713 E1,46327
GOUFFRE DE CABOUY Rocamadour, Lot
A large Caboua karst, in which a path to the water leads through the bushes, is a heavily overgrown lake with steeply falling walls. The entrance to the cave is a huge opening at about 20th metre. The passage descends steeply to a depth of about 33 meters; a big corridor with huge spaces gives the opportunity to admire huge boulders on the floor. The average depth of the corridor is about
20 meters. About 900 meters from the entrance we reach the Gouffre de Poumayssen opening.
GOUFFRE DE POUMAYSSEN Rocamadour, Lot
A path leading to a rock wall runs from the Cabouy karst east. At the foot of this wall there is a small lake. It's Poumayssen. The entrance lake is actually a hole in the ceiling of the cave. If we go down from here, we will reach the Caboua karst. If we go up – we will see that the depth is a dozen or so meters, and the cave slowly gets deeper, up to about 20 meters. The passage will be still wide. The Cabouy/ Poumayssem system is at least 2 km long.
The location and logistics of dive sites is often not obvious, so it is best to go with a good, experienced guide for the first time.
It's a good idea to choose Gramat for the base, because most caves are located within a radius of 20–30 km from this place. There is no problem with access to equipment or gas filling.
Apart from diving, it is worth visiting other beautiful places in the region, such as the town in the rock – Rocamadour, or taste French wine and cheese.
Anyone who has dived once in the caves of the Lot region will definitely want to return there.
Sources:
https://cave-diving.pl/ http://www.lotcavediving.eu Andrew Ward, Underwater Guide to the Lot & Dordogne France
