774 Cueva de la Morenuca
Cubija VN5019(0)9714(8) Alt. 290m Length included in the Cubija System: 17922m

Updated 13 February 1998; 19th February 1999; 17th September 2000

A strongly draughting hole on the north-east side of the dry stream bed. The first crawl breaks out in a larger passage, with a roof tube on the left-hand side. The passage continues to a squeeze into a larger chamber. Another squeeze ends in a final small chamber. This has been dug to a drop into a very tight rift. The rift was excavated and extended in the summer of 1995 and connected into the Sistema de Cubija during the Easter 1996 expedition.

Squeezing down through the dig, a very awkward bend in the rift must be negotiated before a narrow canyon gains the top of a 16m pitch into a large chamber (20 x 30m). Back under the base of the pitch, an ascending rift eventually chokes and this appears to be an active sink for the streambed above. Most of the water sinking in the chamber flows away down between the boulders and can be followed underneath before it gets too tight.

The larger of the two passages at the eastern end of the chamber contains a fine mud floor but eventually closes down in an area of boulders which draughts but looks choked. A small passage on the right hand side near here may possibly go further but needs digging. A low passage, also at this end, chokes but a small hole in the floor connects with a 30m pitch, accessed via a small tube nearby.

The 30m pitch lands on a sloping rubble floor that chokes at the bottom. At the top of the slope, a tight rift leads to a 7m pitch that lands in a small chamber. This draughts, but a dig would be needed to gain the passage / pitch beyond.

In the southern wall a climb up gains a calcited area which drops through a hole with a slippery calcite surround and descends a draughty 12m pitch followed by a 6m drop to a chamber with several ways out.

Leaving the chamber, a tube at head height in the left wall may be entered and after a very short distance, a small aven is entered half way up. Continuing on the other side the crawl is regained and, after 20m, there is a junction containing a pit. This is the first pitch of the Stair Rod Connection to Torca del Regaton. Pitches of 5m (best laddered) and 13m (small tube to rebelay, descend to ledge with bolt for long deviation, then down flowstone to a chamber). From here, a 3m climb up on the right leads to a 2m climb down, a crawl to a 4m ladder pitch (long belay) into the GT Series in Regaton.

Traversing over the pit, a T-junction is reached with a low crawl to the left and a calcite choke to the right. Both draught well and the sandy crawl would make an easy dig with the possibility of an alternative and easier connection with the Hedgehog Crawl area in Torca de Mostajo (071). The left hand branch of the junction terminates at a calcite filled chamber with a too-tight rift at one end.

The main way on is at the bottom of Bad Bolt Pitch and past the above series in what appears to be its continuation, Magic Carpet Passage. A small tube is entered which continues for about 200m with only a few features to interrupt what is mainly low crawling. An awkward fixed rope traverse over an 8m pit (which has a very tight rift dig at its base) must be negotiated before a junction is eventually reached. The right hand side contains a small chamber with the only possible way out being a too tight pitch at its base. Entering the crawl to the left of the junction, an oxbow is passed and a hole is seen in the floor which leads to a too tight, steeply descending, meandering rift. Eventually the crawl breaks out into a narrow rift that is best traversed at roof height. At its far end, a long piece of suspended floor (The Magic Carpet) must be crawled over before the crawl is regained. (The false floor is quite thin and it is recommended that only one person at a time crosses it).

Gradually the crawl transforms into a more comfortable nature and a junction is reached. The right hand side passes up through a low ramp of sand into a narrow, ascending rift which ends at an 8m muddy pitch into an aven. (A 3m climb up near the base of this pitch enters the rest of the cave).

The left hand side enters a very low dug sand crawl and emerges into a complex area of cave passage incompletely explored, Shangri-La.

Immediately left, a passage with a fine collection of stal at its start continues before the roof height lowers and eventually ends at a small chamber after several very low sandy digs. Just before this, a boulder choke on the right may be entered. No way on here has been located. However, continuing to the right, the cave contains many deep shafts, the first of which needs a bolt traverse into a passage (?) on the other side. One pit has been dropped: Lamp Black Pitch is a 10 + 26m drop into a muddy chamber with a passage which ends in a body-sized, ascending, muddy tube. A T-junction is seen ahead and the draught blows in.

Following the right hand wall past the climb down into the aven with the muddy pitch and traversing around a shaft edge, an area of anastomoses is reached. A small passage on the left gains a bouldery chamber with several pits, all undescended, and a sandy passage which leads to a steep sand slope on the edge of a pit. (This is the other side of one viewed from the anastomoses area and may be the best shaft for a connection with Torca del Regaton (site 892). At the top of the slope, a passage ends at breakdown and two parallel rifts which close down.

Climbing up a pebble and sand slope on the right hand side near here, a passage is entered that soon drops into a more roomy chamber containing a 3m high, lone column. Two passages on the left may be entered but soon apparently close down in chambers and more deep pits. Continuing from here for 100m down a comfortably sized passage, a junction is reached. To the right a chamber is entered that contains a large stal flow and two 30m+ deep pits, both undescended. Continuing left of the junction, with the draught, a small boulder choke is reached after 40m that would dig. Twenty metres before this a small tube in the right hand wall quickly leads to an awkward 2m climb down that is near the Italian Pitch in Torca de Mostajo (071). The boulder choke near here connects with the one in Morenuca and, if dug, would bypass the 2m climb which needs combined tactics or a fixed rope to usually negotiate.

Reference: pers comm., (P Smith); material in file anon., 1995c (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1995a; anon., 1996a (Easter logbook); anon., 1996b (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1997a; Corrin Juan, 1997b; anon., 1997b (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1998 (photo); anon., 1998a (Easter logbook); García José León, 1997 (survey and photo); Corrin Juan, 1997c; anon., 2000c (Summer logbook)
Entrance picture : yes
Underground picture(s): entrance series crawl?  strange formations  breakdown  squeeze  cracked mud floor  cracked mud floor chamber?  solitary stal  tunnel  anastomoses  formations 1 formations 2  junction 
Detailed Survey : 1:1000
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file :