| The South Wales Caving Club Expedition to The Franche Comte ( The Jura and the Doubs ) 23rd July to 6th August 2005 Franche-Comté is the name given to the vast area of woodland which lies to the north of the French Alps in Eastern France , and stretches southward along the Swiss border for 250km , from Vosges to the Jura . The region is divided into four different départements , the Haute-Saône , Doubs , Jura and Territoire de Belfort , the first three of which all contain important cave systems . The Franche-Comte is brimming with sites of outstanding natural beauty , including Alpine meadows , lakes , cirques , waterfalls , thick forest and some of the most beautiful rivers in France . Glaciation , high rainfall and copious Spring snowmelt has encouraged plentiful erosion on the predominant Jurassic limestone landscape , resulting in a full range of karst features , including of course , several thousand cave systems . Where is it ? ... As you can probably appreciate from the map extract , the area is quite a large one . It nestles up against the Franco Swiss border immediately east of Dijon . We will be based roughly in the middle in a picturesque little town called Ornans which is located on the D67 about 20km south of Besancon . The area is probably best reached using the Dover - Calais or Folkstone - Calais crossings . A route is available which cuts south east around Reims and Dijon which negates the need to get tangled up with Paris . An alternative more elongated route swings up into Belgium and down across Luxembourg to drop back into France at Nancy . The auto routes are all free of toll on this route but it does take a little longer . A little about the local geology . . . . . The region can be divided into three major zones , the Mountains , the Plateau Ridges and the Lowlands . The mountains are located in the east and follow a NE-SW axis along the Swiss border . They are quite small mountains for the area , the highest peak being Cret de la Neige , at 1718m high . A few Alpine style shaft systems can be explored in this zone . Parallel with the mountains lies an extensive series of Plateau Ridges , which range in height from 900m to 400m , stepping down gradually from East to West . These gently undulating agricultural regions , are home to the majority of the caves ( including most of the major systems ) , particularly around the spectacular river gorges separating the ridges . The final region , the lowlands , occupies the north of the region , but includes only a few notable caves , formed in isolated ridges . The waters drain North-West from the eastern mountains to the Saone valley . To get there they have to cross the plateau ridges , for which there are only two possible options , via Cluses ( narrow gorges cutting through the ridges ) or via caves , which is why the majority of cave systems are found within the Plateau Ridges region . The whole region has been subject to quite severe folding and faulting , and this has had a powerful effect on cave development . Underground drainage is predominantly directed along the axis of the folds . Since the dip is generally shallow , underground streams can travel very large distances and the separation from sinks to resurgence can be considerable ( the longest positive trace is from Seignes de Passonfontaine to Source du Maine , a distance of 28km over a vertical range of nearly 500m ) . However , the narrow widths of the synclinal folds acts as a limit on overall catchment areas and consequently many major systems consist of single streamways , albeit of great length . The resurgences are often large and impressive , but almost invariably flooded for a considerable distance . The feeders to these Collecteurs are predominantly vertical , simple shaft systems , of not very great depth ( commonly between 100m and 300m ) . Most peter out in mud chokes and impenetrable cracks , but a few utilise tectonic fractures to connect directly into the Collecteurs . There are probably many more of these , hidden beneath a blanket of alluvium . A third type of cave passage is found in ancient , fossil remnants , located in the higher beds . Due to the relative youth of the Jurassic formation , these are quite scarce , but typically feature large , dry tunnels , often adorned with huge , muddy formations . So what are the caves like ? . . . . . . . The caves of the Franche-Comte are generally simple in plan , with a series of vertical Dales like pots feeding long , linear streamways . This is partly due to the geology and partly due to the relative youth of the Jurassic formations . The caves are commonly wet , muddy and well-decorated , often with large formations . Jurassic limestone can be thinly-bedded and brittle , so care should be taken when climbing or traversing . The weather is generally sunny , but punctuated by sudden and severe thunderstorms . This can create real problems , for the water tends to flash through the caves very quickly . Pitch heads should be rigged as far out of potential flood water as possible and long trips into streamways are best timed to avoid the late afternoons . The vast majority of caves in the Franche-Comte are prone to flooding of one degree or another , so it is best to take some food and survival kit on most trips . On the plus side , the water is likely to drop as fast as it rises , so a few hours wait will normally allow for a safe exit . Choice of personal kit can also be difficult . Many of the dry caves can be very warm , requiring only the lightest of clothing . On the other hand , the wet caves often require full wetsuits . Over 5000 caves have been mapped , the majority of which are horizontal systems . Approximately 100 caves exceed 1km , 50 exceed 2km , and no less than 15 exceed 5km in length . No very deep caves exist , but of the vertical systems , three exceed 300m in vertical range , and more than 50 exceed 100m . The region is equally famous for cave diving and includes some of the most extensive submerged networks in Europe . Here is a short list of the sort of thing available . . . . . Reseau de la Verneau Traverse ( Bief-Boussets to Baudin ) - 9km long , 345m deep . One of the classic French through trips . Big stream , very flood-prone . 12 hour + trip . 4th longest cave in France ( 30km ) . In same class as PSM , Dent de Crolles , Diau , Felix Trombe i. e about as good as it gets . Includes pitches up and down and a 5m free-diveable sump ( do n't worry , can be bypassed ) . Grotte de Chauveroche - 6 km to sump with lots of swimming ( 204 pools ! ! ! ) . Then 6 km back out . Julian Walford , who found Claonaite and Pollballiny reckons it 's the best stream cave he 's ever done . A wet-suit trip . Another French classic . Hard . Gouffre de Pourpeville - 9 km long . Entrance pitches drop into big well-decorated galleries . La Borne Aux Cassots - 15 km horizontal cave with good formations . Combination lock . Part streamway , part big pretty stuff . Gouffre de Granges-Mathieu - 25m pitch to bizarre gate ( climb over ) then lots of pretty passage to fantastically decorated final chamber . Gouffre de la Baume St Anne - Basically a big 85m deep daylight shaft much like Alum Pot . Not much else ( much like Alum Pot ) . The Dutch think it 's fab . Gouffre de Montaigu - Deepest cave in area . Impressive pitches . Gouffre de Vauvougier - Sporting . Over 200 meters deep , its pits and meanders provide numerous surprises . No pretties or big passages though . 10 hr+ hard trips . Baume de la Faviere - Basically Vertical to - 229 metres Caborne de Menouille - Through trip from Gouffre du Cernon possible - but very polluted . Vertical round trip possible from resurgence , including 60m shaft . Gouffre du Mont Ratey - Superb cave . Beautiful and deep but very flood prone . Grotte du Cul de Vau - 4 km long . Underground river . Lots of swimming . . which should be enough to keep everyone going for a while . Plus - Via Ferrata adjacent to Verneau resurgence . Camping ... The campsite is booked ! We have reserved 8 pitches in the area of the site that projects out to the west ( look for 14B on the map ) . Mr Clipstone kindly carried out a reconnaissance of the site and informs us that these are the best ones with a good deal of shade and nice flat pitches . The site itself had been recommended by several well respected cavers and to boot it turns out that the Wessex mega trip this year ( 50 plus attendees ) used the same site . The url for the site is http://www.lechanet.com / . It seems to be a very tidy site with loads of amenities including ' Le Snack Bar ' and of course La Piscine . Camping on the site gives you complimentary access to the Piscine Municipal which is a few hundred metres up the road . Money , Money Money . . . Until we get a better idea of numbers we have only reserved 8 pitches . We are working on the basis that people may want to share pitches and hence reduce the cost . If you would like to reserve a complete pitch then would you be so good as to forward a cheque for £ 40.00 . If you would like to share a pitch would you please forward a cheque for £ 20.00 . Cheques should be made payable to ' Cantabria Expeditions ' Pitches will obviously go on a first come first served basis . If numbers require further pitch reservations I will make these reservations as and when it becomes obvious that we need them . I 'm not guaranteeing that we will get more pitches but it sounds like the area where the Wessex camped ( northernmost triangle ) is pretty open plan and although quite steep and devoid of shade will probably accommodate last minute bookings . One or two of the families have booked the mobil home accommodation available on the site ( no prizes for guessing who ! ) . If you would like to reserve one of these do let me know or speak to the campsite direct . Any further questions answered free of charge on 01202 743632 or thesydney AT btinternet . c om or gary AT dorsetland . c o. u k Gary Vaughan , The Sydney , 6 Frankland Crescent , Poole , Dorset BH14 9PX This page is © 2004-5 South Wales Caving Club . Last updated 25 August 2005 22:00 Contact the webmasters Site map Website history Opinions expressed on the Website are not necessarily those of the Club , Author or Webmasters - or anyone else ! |