243 Cubio de Cubija (El Cubio)
Cubija VN50189701 Alt. 268m
Length (incl. in the North Vega System at the end of 1998 is 17922m).
Depth 118m to deep point in Regaton.

Updated 19th February 1999; 8th January 2000

The entrance is a sink 15m west of the car park in Cubija. A very strong draught blows out of the entrance. Before 1993 the cave had been incompletely pushed and was described has having a couple of rope climbs and crawling leading to a draughting, tight passage, pushed to a 4m pitch into a chamber with no exit. In 1993 the cave was linked with Torca del Regaton (892) which in turn was linked with Torca del Mostajo (071) in 1994 to give a 14.4km length. El Cubio provides a much less technical entrance series to the main passages in the North Vega System.

A squeeze down between boulders leads to a rift with large amounts of flood debris. The narrow rift continues for 15m to a junction. Continuing straight ahead a low crawl goes up through a stal gap under overhanging rubble. A low stream passage continues to a bedding and occasional avens and chambers, filled with cobbles and a narrow 4m pitch. Several small passages lead off from the chamber but none draught significantly. The best bet here is a narrow canyon that gets too tight a short way in, left of the junction.

A short section of passage, left at the base of the entrance climb enters a draughting crawl leading to the head of a 3m pitch. This drops over large blocks, which don't quite touch the floor, into No Exit Chamber. There may be a passage to push opposite the pitch. Two large blocks form a small entrance to a crawl roofed with blocks. Routes through the honey combed, sandy limestone with sharp corners and bends enter a larger section with a small exit. This leads to a short section of washed limestone tube with clear pools in the floor and eventually to the head of a 4m pitch which lands in a small chamber with two ways out. The non-active section leads to a small crawl into a canal which enters a narrow squeeze and crawl to the top of the aven in the wet route. The active route is low, wet and tight at the far end and finishes at a pitch after the aven. The final 6m pitch drops to the ramp near Lassie's Last Stand in Torca del Regaton.

The hole climbed over after the connection pitch leads to a very small stream passage which may yield to a lump hammer.

There is also a sand and pebble dig with a slight draught over Lassie's Last Stand.

References: Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; Smith P, 1981b (survey); Corrin J, 1983c; anon., 1993b (logbook); material in file; Corrin J, 1994a (survey); Corrin Juan, 1995b (survey); García José León, 1997 (survey and photo). See Regaton
Entrance picture : yes
Underground picture(s): entrance series 1   entrance series 2
Detailed Survey :
Line Survey :
On area survey : North Vega System - line survey
Survex file :