048 Cueva-Cubio de la Reñada
South Vega VN50459577 Alt. 180m (lower of the two bottom entrances)
Traverse length, included in South Vega System (31451m - Easter 2007). Vertical range approx 317m.

Updated 30th August 1998; 19th February 1999; 3rd June 2000; 23rd February, 4th March, 7th October, 26th October 2001; 20th, 28th January, 8th April , 8th June, 24th October 2002; 19th May, 13th October, 8th November 2003; 8th October 2005; 1st February, 30th September 2006; 6th May, 28th October, 17th November 2007; 29th September, 27th October, 15th November 2008; 3rd May 2009

The following account is not complete.

The two bottom entrances into the magnificent South Vega System, although the track leading to the entrance has an impressive sign with the correct cave name but completely the wrong survey! The South Vega System consists of the linked caves of Cueva-Cubio de la Reñada, Torca de Coterón (264), Torca de Azpilicueta (333), site 675,  site 1338,  Torca de Papá Noel (1471) and Torca de Vera Negra (Torca de la Cabaña) (036). Site 388 may also be a future connection - through Cabaña. The water seen in these caves is all presumed to flow to Cueva del Comellantes (040). The height difference between top (site 675) and bottom entrances is 307m but the system depth is 317m as there is some lower level passage in Reñada. Although the cave passage accounts appearing under each heading are somewhat arbitrary it is convenient to keep the descriptions separate for historical and ease-of-access reasons.

In very wet weather the Reñada entrance sumps at The Blowhole and the wet crawl. The latter low point was seen to flood in August 1996 after a few hours of moderate rain, requiring a large party to pass through on their backs. The Blowhole was passable. At Easter 2009, the crawl was sumped trapping 4 people for 6 hours. The flooding is a local, rapid response feature where a small stream rises and falls quickly. During this incident, the lakes in the entrance were only thigh deep and the blow hole was open - ie "regional" water levels were "moderate".

The lower of the two bottom entrances is a strongly draughting hole in the trees, 5m above the track. A large, marble plaque on the left is dedicated to Giles Barker who died in Torca de Azpilicueta in August 1992.

The hole leads, via old, phreatic, walking-size passage to a junction. Straight on ends very close to Cueva del Comellantes (040) while to the right a passage slopes down to the base of a steep boulder slope, at the top of which is the upper of the Reñada entrances. Down to the right of the boulder slope is a periodic lake and just beyond, the Blowhole. A complex series of muddy calcite climbs then lead to a pitch of 5m and almost immediately the second pitch of 8m and a sloping third pitch of 15m. These can all be bypassed by a single rope climb and a short, low crawl over rocks. A low, wet and strongly draughting crawl then enlarges as it reaches a boulder and calcite slope. By keeping to the right Stuffed Monk Gallery is entered.

Stuffed Monk Gallery is the route to Azpilicueta and hence to Cueva-Cubio de la Reñada 2. Its 300m length is large and mainly easy walking. Numerous side passages have been pushed and some surveying in this area remains to be done. Descriptions of SMP bits. 1982,1983 etc.

In 1995, one of the avens in the roof of Stuffed Monk Gallery, 30m before it enters Sanatogen Passage, was bolted and climbed over a number of trips for about 100m to link with Torca de Vera Negra (Torca de la Cabaña) (036). This is described in the Cabaña section.

Sanatogen Passage heads south from Stuffed Monk Passage and entry is made into it under the eastern wall of the smaller passage leading to the most westerly avens. Sanatogen Passage description.

In 1992 a more complete resurvey of Sanatogen was started and a full description of the route needs writing up, including the 1993 extensions down pitches into a streamway with pools and the passage which almost links with At the Opera via a chamber with a slippery climb up a rift. A passage on the right hand side of Sanatogen Passage goes to a loose breakdown area of about 50m which does not seem to have been pushed.

In 1994, a 14m pitch in Sanatogen Passage descended into The Grovel where 75m of "tight and horrible" thrutch were surveyed. This goes off from station 259.

Just beyond where Blood Alley peters out, Anastomoses Hall comes in from the right. A walk to the right, under the fine anastomoses, reaches a short climb to the base of a tall rift, now called Astronomoses Aven. This was tackled in the summer of 2006 after Hanging Death Chamber was discovered in Torca de Papá Noel, some 40m above and to the west. (Photographs here). At the end of the second trip the top of the draughting rift was reached at a height of 70m and altitude 270m, with various alcoves investigated, e.g. at +30m in the southern end a sand-filled passage goes up to a small passage with no draught. A network of draughting tubes was investigated at the top and a better pitch to the base of the aven rigged.
At the top, a sloping tube can be followed to a small chamber with a 3m laddered pitch to a short, bouldery, descending passage leading to a junction. Following the left hand branch leads to the base of a large, dripping aven between 40 - 60m high. At the far end, at the base of the aven, some small passage can be entered but this degenerates into spongework. The right hand passage leads to 2 holes in the floor, the first of which terminates 10m down; the second - with a good echo and dripping - was pushed to a sizeable chamber leading to a complicated tube system and a boulder choke with a strong draught. This area was connected with  Papá Noel, not near to Hanging Death Chamber, but in the roof near to Floorless Chamber at an altitude of about 240m. The latter passages - Out of This World - are very well decorated with good helictites. The total length of new passage surveyed from the base of Astronomoses Aven to the Papá Noel link was 358m.

Route through to Cueva-Cubio de la Reñada 2 via Giga Hall needed.

Downstream of the pitch into Giga Hall leads to the impressive 20m diameter sump 1 pool and chamber. Upstream 200m of large vadose canyon (The Rub-a-Dub-Dubs) can be followed. The stream emerges from a passage on the left which sumps after 60m. This was dived in August 2002 in a large, continuing, unsurveyed  passage heading west for about 100m.

A high level series can be entered on the same line as the vadose trench, by climbing up a boulder slope. A 10m wide breakdown passage ends in boulders while a 1.5m diameter tube in the left hand wall gives access to an unsurveyed phreatic maze in which an unexplored 20m aven is seen with passages leading off at various levels.

Back at the boulder slope, a 3m climb to the south enters another maze of phreatic passages which have been surveyed for 125m to a 20m undescended pit. This is thought to be the aven seen in the first maze.

There are two possible upstream sumps. One in the lake itself and a second at the start of the active streamway. (NEIL'S BIT above).

Near the start of Stuffed Monk Gallery, on the left, a large passage runs into the top of Blood Alley.

To the left is a veritable maze of sand and calcite-floored passages. To the right, above Blood Alley, is the main way on. (The whole of Blood Alley is endowed with fine orange and red pool formations. The fewer visits to this section, the better, as mud on boots is being washed into the pools and covering the crystals. In October 2008, photographs were taken showing the possible obliteration of the formations. It may be possible to clean both the floor and the pools.)

One hundred metres after Blood Alley, the passage splits - the right hand branch enters Anastomosis Hall with its deep phreatic pocketing and fine helictites and the left branches unite in False Floor Chamber where a thin layer of calcite can give way under foot. Passages in Anastomosis area ....

Breakdown Chamber also has some new surveyed sections (1995) which need tying in. In 1996 the choke area was revisited, but one explorer slipped with a boulder, requiring an 11 hour rescue. The choke was again visited in 1997 and a bolt route started below the East Wanders area in Torca de la Cabaña. The Australia Series in site 1332 appears to be very close above Breakdown Chamber.

A short distance beyond this chamber, a crawl on the left is the start of Squirrel's Passage which joins the main stream after a 6m climb down. A visit in 2005 noted a strong flow downstream from the Moat of Doom although water levels were low.

Upstream a sump is met after 20m while downstream the passage continues as a series of swims and cascades to a sump after about 500m?? In 2005 the same visit to this area described blue pools (one of which is at least 20m deep and requires diving) and the need for wet suits.

Just beyond Breakdown Chamber a sump is met at the bottom of a slope. This was dived to open passage at Easter 2009 and the data needs tying in with the main line, although the surveyed dive length has been included in the SVS traverse length. At the far point, faint contact was made with the sherpas. The dive log is found here.

The main route continues over holes in the floor to Castle Hall. (The Castle Hall "?" is a 9m climb which appears to slope up with a rift going off). A delicate climb down over boulders leads (after meeting the small stream presumed to come from Torca de Coterón) to a huge sloping rift. The streamway in Castle Hall is the Moat of Doom, surveyed during the summer 2002. Down to the left Gallery of the Dead contains a hole in the wall which leads after 30m to the base of the 70m pitch in from Torca de Coterón. The Gallery loops round to join the ramp just before Ghost Lake. On the ramp, a short side passage needs surveying.

Ghost Lake has 60m of swimming or walking that lead to Mega Hall - a large, boulder-floored chamber and then, straightforwardly to the main, large river passage which ends at the downstream end of Sump 1 after 120m. The sump descends to 8m and is 30m long, emerging in Cueva-Cubio de la Reñada 2. The Ghost Lake to sump 1 section was resurveyed in 2001 and about 135m of "new" passage was added this requires a description. At Christmas 2001, passage found in November on the true left just before Bootlace Passage was surveyed to give another 113m. This was described as a "pitch / aven inlet some 30m+ high and may be worth bolting. In the large chamber beyond there may be a route over boulders to glory (could require scaffolding)". This Itchy Crutch area was subsequently dropped into down a 138m pitch from Torca de Papá Noel in the summer of 2003.

Bootlace Passage is entered via a 5m pitch and starts as a high rift passage on the left of the main route between Ghost Lake and Mega Hall. A climb through boulders enters a large chamber with boulder climbs of 60m vertical which could still be pushed??? The rift passage ends at a 17m pitch into Two Sumps Chamber with water rising and sinking in sumps.

In 1997 Fred Winstanley dived the sump at the end of the flood overflow passage. The passage slopes down over rubble and, at 7m depth enters a rift passage which continues for some 60m to a junction. Left here leads to 70m of rising passage which surfaces. After 60m the passage enters the main route near Ghost Lake. The passage to the right at the junction seems to be the main way on. It would be easier to kit up from the main chamber rather than at the bottom of Two Sumps Chamber. The total length of sump passage is about 180m and is called Busman's Holiday.

Opposite the Two Sumps Chamber pitch head is a black hole which is the route through to Torca de Coterón. A tricky traverse on the right ends at a bolt where a ladder can be dropped down onto boulders. The route is then straightforward in typical breakdown style with the odd side passage. Two hundred and fifty metres from the traverse a dangerous dig enters a more complex area. To the right, chossy passages and chambers close in under 300m of limestone; to the left, dusty passage heads north to a junction, then east to a narrow passage rising up to join the Candy Floss Series in Torca de Coterón.

By continuing north at the junction, an incompletely explored maze and more dry passages lead to a chamber with a pitch and a one bolt climb to : Rest of account from 1984-1985 needed here.

Bootlace links with Frank's Passage 1987

Notenboom in Research on the Groundwater Fauna of Spain: List of Stations and First Results (Notenboom J and Meijers I, 1985) gives a list of fauna, collected from the river and from a pool at the start of Crowbar Passage: Pseudoniphargus, Haploginglymus, Echinogammarus/Gammarus, Cantabroniscus, Cyclopoidea, Prosobranchia/Hydrobioidea, Pulmonata / Basommatophora, Insecta, Oligochaeta, Asellidae and Turbellaria.

References: Fernández Gutiérrez et al, 1966 (survey); anon., 1974b (logbook); Cope J, 1974; anon., 1974a (survey and photo); Cox G, 1973; Fernández Gutiérrez J C, 1975; anon., 1975b (logbook); Kendal Caving Club and Manchester University Speleological Society, 1975 (survey and photo); anon., 1977b (logbook); Manchester University Speleological Society, 1982 (survey); anon., 1980a (logbook); Corrin J et al, 1981b; Corrin J, 1980; Mills L D J, 1981; Mills L D J and Waltham A C, 1981 (survey and photo); Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; anon., 1981 (logbook); Corrin J et al, 1981a (survey); Corrin J, 1981 (survey); anon., 1982 (logbook); Addis F, 1982 (survey); Corrin J, 1983c (photo); anon., 1983b (logbook); Corrin J, 1983b (survey); anon., 1984 (logbook); Cawthorne Bob, 1985b; Cawthorne B, 1985a; Barrington P and Hanson D, 1984; Corrin J, 1983a (survey); anon., 1985b (logbook); Corrin J, 1986 (survey); anon., 1986 (logbook); Corrin J, 1987; material in file; anon., 1987 (logbook); anon., 1988 (logbook); Notenboom J and Meijers I, 1985; Corrin J and Knights S, 1988; anon., 1989 (logbook); Corrin J, 1992a (survey); Cawthorne B, 1992; Corrin J, 1992b (survey); anon., 1993b (logbook); Neill Alasdair and Jackson Keith, 1993; Cawthorne R, 1993; Corrin J, 1994a; Corrin Juan, 1995b; anon., 1994b (logbook); Neill A, 1994; Corrin J, 1994b (survey and photo); Fernández Acebo Virgilio, 1995; anon., 1995a (Easter logbook); anon., 1995c (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1995a; anon., 1996b (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1997a (survey); Corrin Juan, 1997b; anon., 1997b (logbook); Corrin Juan, 1998; Fernández Ortega F, Valls Uriol and Maria del Carmen, 1998 (photo); anon., 1998d (logbook); García José León, 1997 (survey); Corrin Juan, 1997c; anon., 1999c (logbook); anon., 2001c (Summer logbook)anon., 2001c (Summer logbook); Corrin Juan, 2001a; anon., 2002a (Easter logbook); anon., 2002b (summer logbook); anon., 2003b (Easter logbook); Corrin Juan, 2003a; Corrin Juan, 2003b (photo); anon., 2003c (summer logbook); Corrin Juan, 2003c; Corrin Juan, 2005; anon., 2005b (Easter & summer logbook); Corrin Juan, 2006a; anon., 2006d (summer logbook); Corrin Juan, 2007; Corrin Juan and Smith Peter, 2007 (photo); anon., 2008f (autumn logbook); anon., 2009a (Easter logbook)
Many references in Azpilicueta also refer to 048.
Entrance pictures : marble plaque  entrance
Underground picture(s): Stuffed Monk Gallery  Entrance passage   Near Stuffed Monk

Pictures from near Eagle Passage and the Blow Hole (autumn 2008)
Pictures showing the obliteration with mud of the Blood Alley formations and other issues (autumn 2008 and pictures from the 1970's)
Pictures from the summer, 2008 by Mandy Fu and Mike Topsom
Pictures from the 2006 explorations up Astronomoses Aven through to Floorless Chamber in Papá Noel

Digital pictures in the entrance passages of Reñada
by Andy Morse with members of the
International Society for Spelaeological Art (ISSA) .

Digital pictures in Reñada by Jonas Binladen
C1 Near Stuffed Monk
C2 The Danish team at the Blowhole
C3, D1-3 Wet crawl
E1 The lake before the blowhole
E2, E3 Stuffed Monk

	1	2	3
A
B
C
D
E

Digital pictures of the Moat of Doom, below Castle Hall by Pete Smith
A1-B2: rim features in running water
B2, C1 Michael Hale (Slug) in the downstream sump
C2, C3 Andy Quin in the Moat of Doom

	1	2	3
A
B
C

Scanned slides from John Forder. Click to enlarge.
A 1: Juan Corrin in Blood Alley. 2: Joe Turner in deep mud near the entrance. 3: Stuffed Monk Gallery.
B 1: Joe Turner in the entrance passage. 2: Stuffed Monk Gallery.

	1	2	3
A
B

Scanned slides by Frank Addis taken in 1977. Click to enlarge.
A 1: Entrance series. 2: Entrance series. 3: Entrance series.
B 1: Entrance series 2: Blood Alley crystal pool 3: Stuffed Monk
C 1: Pretties in Stuffed Monk. 2: Pretties in Stuffed Monk. 3: Pretties in Stuffed Monk.
D 1: Pretties in Stuffed Monk. 2: Pretties in Stuffed Monk. 3:Pretties in Stuffed Monk.
E 1: Tackle carrying over boulders. 2: The Ramp. 3: Ghost Lake.
F 1: Sump 1. 2: Sump 1.

	1	2	3
A
B
C
D
E
F

Scanned slides by Frank Addis taken in 1980 (A1,A2) and 1982. Click to enlarge.
A 1: Sump. 2: Sump. 3: Squirrel Wood, Pete Smith and ? in Squirrel's Passage.
B 1: Squirrel Wood, Pete Smith in Squirrel's Passage. 2: Anastomoses Hall. 3: Blood Alley.
C 1: Blood Alley. 2: Blood Alley. 3: Formations in Eagle Passage.
D 1: Red curtain in Eagle Passage.

	1	2	3
A
B
C
D

Detailed Surveys :

1965	known cave	low res	high res
1975	Reñada 2	low res	high res
1981	Bootlace Passage	low res	high res
1981	known cave (simplified)	low res	high res
1982	photo 1982 SVS 1:2000 survey	low res
from rescue site	simplified Azpilicueta, Reñada, Coteron	low res	high res

Video: (by Juan Corrin with Jenny Corrin, Michael Finegan, Katie Mason)
Blowhole 1  2  Orange crystal pool  Red stal floor   Red stal   Red stal at Eagle Passage  Calcite slope
Combined video, photo presentation of the Astronomoses Aven extensions (26Mb download)
Line Survey:
On area survey : South Vega System line survey
Survex file : download South Vega System  standalone survey