122 Cueva de Suviejo (Cueva de Solviejo)
Secadura VP54870012 Alt. 183m Length 3500m (includes Torca del Rayo de Sol (123)) Depth 111m

Updated 19th February 1999; 3rd, 22nd February 2001

A gentle walk down through the entrance leads after 25m to the head of a 20m pitch from a ledge on the right. The landing is in a large chamber on a slope of boulders and from this point all routes radiate. Downhill, the floor levels out and chokes with some possible climbs above.

The way to the bottom of the pot is on the right of the top of the slope, and is down through a hole with a short greasy climb to the head of the Greasy Slope Pitch. At the base of this 20m, laddered slope, the only exit leads to a lofty chamber via a couple of short climbs over boulders. The passage type then changes completely as it swings back on itself and heads towards the entrance for 150m. This rift ends at a 4m pitch and a 7m climb into the sandy Campsite Chamber.

The main route then reverses direction again and passes underneath the previous rift to a 6m rope pitch. By heading north for 100 m, the head of Pool Pitch is reached. This is an impressive, circular 20m deep pitch with water falling in from the opposite side. The small outlet passage drops down a 4m pitch and then the final 20m pitch which ends the cave at a miserable and final sump.

Chocolate Crunch Series leads off in the southerly direction from the base of the rope pitch. The phreatic half tube gradually changes to the classical keyhole shape. Turning left at a junction after some 200m leads to some low crawls, while to the right the top of a hading rift is reached which drops into Torca del Rayo de Sol via a 20m pitch.

Back at the Campsite, a short passage to the right leads to two huge avens while straight ahead is a a hading rift which ends at an aven. To the left is a large passage that divides after 100m with both branches soon choking.

At the head of the boulder slope in the entrance chamber there are three greasy calcite climbs. The right hand climb leads into Misty Passage - 200m of well decorated passage containing an 18m pitch followed by a 17m pitch into the chamber at the base of the Greasy Slope. The middle climb leads to a veranda that overlooks the same chamber, while the left hand climb leads into a completely different series.

At the top, an impressive tunnel leads to boulders which rise up to Brain Cell Hall which contains a large, skirtable pit. A few metres further, on the far side of the pit, is a climb down in the boulder chaos which leads to the base of the pit and a 180m long passage that contains three shafts which are presumably the avens seen off the Campsite. By continuing northwest from Brain Cell Hall under a large and cracked roof slab, and past two small grottos on the right, access is gained to Quick Trip Passage. This is mostly walking for 400m to the head of an 18m pitch which drops into a small stream.

Upstream the passage is too low but contains white cave axellids?? - Terry?. A climb leads to a calcited traverse back to the streamway. An interesting WC constriction leads to more streamway and a difficult 5m climb up a waterfall to a passage which is mainly crawling. A calcited squeeze is the only obstacle to reach a large aven, massively encrusted with moonmilk after about 300m. The streamway continues low beyond.

On the right of Quick Trip Passage it is possible to climb up to a parallel high level passage that contains some fine formations and cracked mud floors.

The cave is an archaeological site with pottery and possible schematic-abstract paintings found beyond the exposed ledge above the 20m entrance pitch. The black marks are described and discussed in El Arte Esquemático-Abstracto de Matienzo y sus alrededores (Smith Peter, 1998b) and Muñoz Emilio et al, 1995.

A Spanish-found discovery is a short cut to the Campsite area. Following the ramp down below the entrance pitch, a group of stal is seen on the left hand wall. A climb up the wall gains a rift just beyond the stal and a traverse meets the vertical 21m pitch at the end of the rift. A rebelay is 3m down. The landing is in passage just a stroll from the Campsite and is a much shorter and pleasanter route than the one used in 1978.

A resurvey of the cave has been started and there some apparent discrepancies which need investigating.

References: anon., 1977b (logbook); anon., 1978 (logbook); Corrin J et al, 1978 (survey and photo); anon., 1979 (logbook); Mills L D J, 1981; Mills L D J and Waltham A C, 1981 (photo); Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; Manchester University Speleological Society, 1982 (survey and photo); material in file; GEISC/R and CAEAP, 1986 (survey and photo); anon., 1987 (logbook); Corrin J and Knights S, 1988; Munoz Fernandez E et al, 1987; Fernández V, ?; Corrin J, 1992b (survey); Corrin J and Quin A, 1992 (survey); Corrin J, 1993 (survey); Corrin J, 1994b (survey); Muñoz Emilio et al, 1995; Smith Peter, 1998b (survey); García José León, 1997 (survey and photo)
Entrance picture :
Underground picture(s): formations  helictites

Scanned slides from the 1978 explorations by Frank Addis. Click to enlarge.

entrance pitch	daylight across main chamber	lower main chamber gours
boulder slope  main chamber	Spanish campsite	passage below campsite
passage below campsite	passage below campsite
double stal column		Quick Trip Passage
Quick Trip Passage	Quick Trip Passage	Quick Trip Passage
Quick Trip Passage	Quick Trip Passage	QTP: entrance to high level
helictites	stal chambers	stal chambers

Detailed Survey :
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file :