UKC

British ex-pat John Arran describes an unusual first ascent close to his home in the Ariege, South West France...

"I now was blessed with a great view into the magnificent open cavern but cursed with no clear way of continuing the descent. The ground below was home to the cave's ample mouth, from which it was clear that a route could be made entirely inside the cave, naturally lit by the huge 'window' in which I was marooned, and finishing at the 'skylight' opening I'd just failed to find. There was no climbable way off the bridge and no possible anchor to use for another abseil."

Read more

In reply to UKC Articles:

Cool. Does it stay dry in the rain or does the cave seep?

In reply to Aigen:

John says in the article:

"Le Trog is climbable all year round. The underground temperature here is steady at around 12ºC and, while the cave itself is open and will be affected by outside temperatures, it should feel relatively cool in summer and relatively warm in winter. The only genuinely limiting factor is seepage; most times there should be little or no damp to contend with but if the weather has been particularly wet over the previous month or so it will take quite a while for the seepage to dry up. A bright day will help find your way at the start but isn't essential, especially with a headtorch; indeed the adventure that is Le Trog can be ideal for when a rainy day arrives after a settled spell."

Cheers,

Jack

In reply to Aigen:
Never any direct rain and mostly no seepage either but easier parts of the 2nd and 3rd pitches will seep after any prolonged bad weather - most likely in winter or spring when there's more water in the ground already, then they will take quite a while to dry.

edit: thanks Jack!

In reply to UKC Articles:

I remember it well - seared into my brain. When John invited me to partake in the 1st Ascent (as belay bunny - and I refused to even consider the top pitch) he failed to point out that although he had bolted the line he hadn't yet cleaned it. As a hardened veteran of many a Venuzwalain epic he was fine, as a pussycat used to clean grit and bolted Kalimnian limestone I found the whole thing a bit fraught!

Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

You'll be pleased to know it cleaned up well Chris ... but by the time I went back to do it again a few months later it was back to its 'characterful' self!

In reply to john arran:

We could do it again next week - you got a 100m rope?


Chris

:-p

In reply to UKC Articles:

Some caver will probably come along and do it in a pair or welllies

In reply to UKC Articles:

Does anyone know of any comparable routes elsewhere? I can't believe there aren't any multi-pitch cave routes out there but I can't think of any that aren't up a single cave entrance.

In reply to john arran:

Great route! Really enjoyed the 2nd ascent with John, Matt, Ellie and Steve. Though I'm not sure I've ever crimped on mud so much as when leading the first pitch. Gains quality and stability in the top 2 pitches.

In reply to john arran:

This looked cool:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67036

In reply to john arran:

Parle at Sierra de Toix in Costa Blanca comes to mind. Not quite as subterranean due to being open to the sea but in a cavern nonetheless.

Parle (6a+)

In reply to john arran:

Surely this is the equivalent of cave bouldering compared to the Glowacz Sharma route.....


youtube.com/watch?v=In6J9-UfzN4&

Steve