1338 Shaft
South Vega VN5095(7)9513(1) Alt. 426m Length 618m  Depth 196m (Length now included in the South Vega System)

Updated 17th December 1999; 14th May, 17th September 2000; 26th April, 21st October 2001; 1st February 2006; 28th October 2007; 7th January 2011

This site is a fenced shaft with 2 openings and a tree. The lower entrance is a scramble down to the top of a 16m pitch (belay 8mm stud and tree). The pitch slopes down to a pot / deviation off a stud on the opposite wall. At the foot, a route to Santi's Grotto crosses an undescended drop that may be traversed to where a junction leads to 2 short choked passages.

From the foot of the pitch a slope drops down past a hole on the right, and past a low opening on the right onto Centipede Pot, to an aven and a tight draughting inlet which needs hammering to proceed.

Centipede Pot is a 13m broken pitch rigged for ladders. At the foot, a passage runs up-dip and quickly chokes.

The way on from Centipede Pot is a grovel over white mud to the top of Dog's Bollocks Pot (p27, rigged from bolt and wire around stal; beware loose blocks at the top; rebelay at -9m). A traverse above Dog's Bollocks Pot becomes wide, but this can be seen from the head of Spice Pot.

At the foot of Dog's Bollocks Pot traversing above the stream passes an aven then reaches the top of The Spice Pot (p54m). This pitch is narrow at the top and has rebelays at -10m and -20m. At the foot, an inlet passage leads to some climbs pushed by the Catalans and downstream has been explored about 20m to where it continues narrow.

Several large openings can be seen in the north wall of the shaft. Swinging off 8m above the floor into the obvious window enters a large passage. A rope is recommended for a traverse on the right hand wall, beyond which the passage (20m high and 10m wide) contains numerous holes in the floor. After 50m a drop is reached where a traverse on the right hand wall reaches a 20m pitch into a huge chamber containing a stalagmite 10 - 15m high (The Sentinel).

The best way to enter Sentinel Chamber is to drop the first hole on the traverse, rigged from the traverse plus a deviation from a large block over the pitch head. The next pitch is rigged from a large Y hang on opposite walls with a deviation (left in place) just below the top. This pitch passes a ledge which gives access to the Sentinel Chamber, or it can be followed into Opportunity Knocks Pitch which passes below boulders and becomes small. From the ledge a short passage leads to a bouldery climb up to The Sentinel.

At Easter 2001, a hole in the floor of Sentinel Chamber was descended to an immature streamway at -172m (altitude 254m) and The Detackled Series was also descended near the "end". The cave was described as "wide open and still going".

In the summer the cave was linked to Torca de Coteron (site 264). In Sentinel Chamber, two ways passed on the right lead down to a large rift directly below The Sentinel. (Both require rigging from naturals and meet at a drop to the head of a short pitch into a rift). The rift starts as a scramble down boulders to a ledge and a sloping pitch, Coco Pot, to the 81 Depths in Coteron. A bolted traverse about halfway down (on the left wall looking down) leads to the second Coteron connection, near to the Edge of the Universe and the head of the first pitch in the 81 Depths.
At the foot of Coco Pot, two very small outlets remain to be pushed - one carries water and draughts, but a jammed block bars the way. Climbs above the floor area lead to the 17m pitch in the 81 Depths and a short, tight sandy rift.

The Sentinel Chamber is being pushed with a bolt traverse to fully explore at the higher levels.

Reference: anon., 1998d (logbook); anon., 1999c (logbook); anon., 2000b (Easter logbook); anon., 2000c (Summer logbook); Corrin Juan, 2001 (photos); anon., 2001a (Easter logbook); anon., 2001c (Summer logbook); Corrin Juan, 2003a (photo); Corrin Juan, 2005; Corrin Juan and Smith Peter, 2007; León García José, 2010 (line survey section and photos)
Entrance picture: yes
Underground picture(s): Digital photos of Peter Eagan in 1338 by Phil Papard. Click to enlarge.

Digital photos by Peter Eagan taken summer 2001. Click to enlarge.

Entrance slope	Top of 1st p	Top of 1st p
Dev'tion 1st p	base of 1st p	Rift above Centi- pede Pot
Rift above Centi- pede Pot	Crawl / slope above Centi- pede Pot	Crawl / slope above Centi- pede Pot
Crawl / slope above Centi- pede Pot	Rubble slope Centi- pede Pot	Rubble slope Centi- pede Pot
Base of Centi- pede Pot	Looking towards Dogs Bollocks Pot	Looking towards Dogs Bollocks Pot
Pitch Head Dogs Bollocks Pot	Looking down Dogs Bollocks Pot	Climb up to narrow rift
Looking along narrow rift	Top of Spice Pot	Top of Spice Pot
Top of Spice Pot	Top of Spice Pot	Top of Spice Pot
Top of Spice Pot	Start of Main Passage	The Sentinel
The Sentinel	Below The Sentinel	Pitch into Sentinel Chamber
Pitch into Sentinel Chamber	Looking up first part of pitch to Sentinel Chamber	Main passage near traverse
Main passage near traverse	Main passage near traverse	Looking back along main passage
Looking down Centi- pede Pot

Detailed survey: 1:1000 (pre-2001)  1:1000 with Coteron connection pdf file
Line survey:
On area survey:
Survex file: yes
Passage direction rose diagram (Patrick Warren): South Vega System