035 Cueva del Arenal
Seldesuto VN49309513 Alt. 220m Length 408m  Vertical range -5m +28m

Updated 30th August 1998; 17th December 1999; 15th May 2000; 21st January 2001

The entrance lies at the top of a normally dry stream bed. Climb up to three entrances below a cliff face. The outer two holes soon choke, although the left hand hole goes in "a fair way, and draughts". The middle entrance can emit a strong draught from its sizeable ellipse. The obvious route ends at a solid, draughting boulder choke.

A climb up an aven to the right (laddered from the top), just before the main choke, reaches a short, low passage to a draughting, high, but very narrow joint - the site that the Tortosa cavers started working at in 1995. In 1998 further enlargement was carried out to where a small caver could see boulders ahead. In the summer of 1999, the breakthrough came after enlarging and excavating an unstable area which is now propped up and held together with polyurethane foam.

An upward squeeze enters the Foam Dome, a 30 x 20m chamber with formations. A 15m pitch has been dropped on the western side and beyond, a climb down in a draughting area leads to extensions, surveyed at Easter 2000. The high level calcited area in the Foam Dome was also pushed through to small extensions at Easter 2000. The Foam Dome appears to come close to the base of the first pitch in shaft 491.

The crawl to the left at the entrance pool also leads to draughting digging sites in boulders with much potential. The digging was abandoned by the main excavators in 1987 and was re-excavated in 1989, where the left hand series ended at impenetrable fissures. The boulder in the right hand tube was demolished and lead to a boulder choke which draughted very strongly.

There are two avens on the left of the main passage - have these been climbed?

According to Quin (BU pp59-62), in his magnetic susceptibility studies, sediments from Arenal show similar k values to sediments in Cueva del Comellante (040), indicating that the sites may have had (or have) a common morphogenic agent and are connected.

Directly above the cave is a large depression with a digging site which may repay attention. (Easter 98).

References: Fernández Gutiérrez et al, 1966; anon., 1975b (logbook); Kendal Caving Club and Manchester University Speleological Society, 1975; Mills L D J, 1981; Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; anon., 1981 (logbook); Corrin J, 1983c; anon., 1983b (logbook); Cawthorne B, 1984; anon., 1984 (logbook); Cawthorne Bob, 1985b; anon., 1986 (logbook); material in file; anon., 1987 (logbook); Cawthorne B and Neill A, 1990; Corrin J and Knights S, 1988; Cawthorne Bob et al, 1988; anon., 1989 (logbook); anon., 1991 (logbook); Neill Ali, 1991; anon., 1992b (logbook); Cawthorne B, 1992; Corrin J and Quin A, 1992; Quin A, 1993b (survey); anon., 1995a (Easter logbook); anon., 1995c (logbook); Quin Andrew, 1995 (survey); anon., 1998a (Easter logbook); anon., 1998d (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1999; anon., 1999c (logbook); anon., 2000b (Easter logbook); Corrin Juan, 2000
Entrance picture : yes
Underground picture(s): Just inside entrance   entrance pool  entrance pool  entrance arch
passage beyond entrance pool generator 1   2  
fractured wall   pitch up 1  2  3  4  
passage to lower level digs  1  2  Lower level tubes 1  2  3
 Catalan Drag Queen Rift 1   2   foamed boulders   Into the Foam Dome
Foam Dome 1  2  3  4    roof shoring    foamed boulders 1  2  3
 digging 1  2
Detailed Survey : 1:1000 (old)  1:1000 (new - 1999)
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file :