1471 Torca de Papá Noel
South Vega VN5089(5)9502(7) Altitude 445m Length 2250m Depth 225m

Updated 17th September 2000; 22nd February 2001

The cave, which is very close to joining with the South Vega System, can be divided into a complex upper level and a lower level containing large passages and chokes.

Upper Levels

The entrance is in a very small depression that contains an excavated squeeze under the rocks that cover the top of the first pitch. Care must be taken as the top of the shaft is loose and is encountered immediately after wriggling under the entrance slabs. The 20m pitch initially past two ledges and then lands on a sloping, rubble strewn floor containing several animal skeletons. (There is one thread for rigging next to the entrance and one bolt opposite, with a second on the underside of the largest rock covering the shaft, with a rebelay bolt about 6m down). Descending the entrance pitch, an obvious upper level is seen which may be reached by climbing either end of the slope that the entrance shaft lands in - down the slope is easiest.

.The "upper chamber" at the foot of the entrance pitch contains much calcite with no apparent way on.

At the down slope end, the second pitch descends down through a small channel cut into a hading rift which is awkward in places and is difficult to rig cleanly. Above, evidence of larger passages breaking down are seen but have not yet been climbed into. Care must be taken at the end of the rift after about 40m as the water disappears down a large drop. The way on is to crawl around to the left and carefully descend a slippery slope to part way up a 30m long calcite ramp - care should once again be taken up and down and a rope is recommended.

At the top of the ramp there is a broken pitch of about 15m which is the way on to the Lower Levels. A loose climb up the left wall above the pitch gains the 20m wide Incredible Chamber. The chamber appears to be formed on the hading rift seen below the entrance. At the top, a boulder choke is reached which, after a climb, is at the same level as the base of the entrance pitch. Although several chambers have been entered no obvious way on can be found.

A small hole in the right hand wall part way up leads to a 10m drop into another large chamber containing a passage on the far wall to the right hand side that connects to Disco Max. Down the slope, an awkward squeeze leads to a climb down and short traverse that needs protection, e.g. a long sling, followed by a 23m pitch down. The pitch bottom has a fallen slab and a 5m drop (belay to slab) that leads to a narrow meandering passage that needs pushing.

Descending the long calcite slope, a sandstone bed is observed in the roof and a squeeze over a fallen sandstone block enters a small phreatic passage. This soon leads to a 6m easy pitch into a clean washed chamber - this level may also be reached further back via a small crawl and an awkward climb down. The chamber leads to a number of pits. On the left a route down has been rigged, Teamwork Pot (p17). Just before this pitch a climb up to a window is followed by a traverse over a shaft into a passage that ends at a pit that needs descending.

At the foot of Teamwork Pot, climbs down enter a chamber at the foot of the pits in the clean washed chamber. From here a narrow, meandering stream passage is followed downstream with climbs up to higher levels giving the best route. Just before a narrow section dropping back to the stream, a climb up on the left enters a dry canyon passage. To the left, the passage contains false floors and ends at an undescended shaft where water can be heard. To the right, the canyon ends at an undescended pitch of about 20m with a possible continuation opposite.

Lower Levels

The easiest way down is by the 15m broken pitch. This leads into a narrow passage that soon enters a larger one. On the left is a handline climb up stal covered slopes that connect to Disco Max in the Upper Levels. To the right, a roomy fossil canyon descends with a number of obstacles. These include a block best negotiated as a 5m ladder pitch and a steep chute and traverse, where a 30m line is recommended. Just beyond, the canyon opens into the impressive Plaza de Concorde, entered by a 32m pitch (45m rope required). This lands on the top of a huge fallen block, from which a boulder / choke has been followed steeply down for 100m to enter large, ongoing passages.

At the top of the block, at the southern corner of the chamber, is a wet pitch not fully descended (Tumbling Dice), that may connect to a chamber further down the boulder slope. At the north east corner a short pitch leads down to a slope of blocks to the head of an undescended 30m+ pitch that appears to be broken by ledges. Water can be heard. Traversing over the pitch, a small amount of water is met. The passage soon divides at a gour pool - the left branch is over 100m long and is still going small; the right branch requires a rope and is unentered.

The route down the boulders in the Plaza de Concorde starts in a gully just behind the large cairn at the foot of the 32m pitch. The route is marked by cairns. About 50m down, a route off to the right leads to pitches into a choked passage (Paper Plane Passage). To the left leads to Belcher's Slab, a 30m pitch that finishes at a 5m drop rebelayed off a huge chockstone.

To the left at the foot is a chamber with an inlet and climbs up not yet pushed. To the right, a complex route between boulders (marked with cairns) ends at a steep slope down into the level of large passages. These are followed with a good draught to a sand slope down onto an undescended pitch, and back up to a chamber, The Rodeo. Here is a 20m undescended pot on the right and a passage on the left leading to possible climbs. The route continues to a large chamber, Alimony Hall. Beyond is Brown Sugar, where the roof drops down to a sand choke.

In Alimony Hall, a slope up to the right leads to a corner where choked passages lead off to the right. Just beyond, a series of small passages lead on the right to Snow Bat Passage. The main passage continues with gypsum formations and "snow drifts" to an area of chokes and small tubes.

Snow Bat Passage is a crawl over gypsum snow that can be bypassed by a high level route. These join at a complex, well decorated area that is apparently very close to the Coffin Levels in Torca de Azpilicueta (333). The main route on passes over much snow and through a short crawl to a larger phreatic tube, BBQ at Saucepan Street. This passes various undescended pitches to end at a choke

Reference: anon., 2000b (Easter logbook); anon., 2000c (Summer logbook)
Entrance picture: yes
Underground picture(s): Digital photos by Peter Eagan. Click to enlarge.

Belcher's Slab	Base of Belcher's Slab	Start of big passage
Start of big passage	Looking towards Brown Sugar	Climb up to Brown Sugar
Entrance to Brown Sugar	Entrance to Brown Sugar	Entrance to Brown Sugar
Entrance to Brown Sugar	Brown Sugar	Window to Poppadom Passage
Poppadom Passage	Snow in Poppadom Passage	Poppadom Passage
Poppadom Passage	Start of the Maze	Start of the Maze
Start of the Maze	Snow Bat Passage	Snow Bat Passage
Oxbow in the Maze	Main route thro' Maze

Slide photos by Peter Eagan. Click to enlarge

entrance pitch	second pitch	second pitch
ramp below 2nd pitch	p15 down to lower series	before p32
boss near base of p15

Detailed survey: 1:1000 from end of summer 2000 (200kb file)
Line survey:
On area survey:
Survex file: