Hey everyone,

I'm trying to gather some info about caving regions around Europe to organize an abroad trip this summer with Dublin City University Caving Club.

We went to Vercors in France 3 years ago, thinking we knew what the area had to offer but realized when we got there that we didn't really have a clue. We might consider going back this summer if we can get some good (and modern) resources. The book we used was quite dated and caused us problems.

Any suggestions on other good regions in Europe are also very welcome. I've heard good things about Slovakia, Croatia, Italy, Ardeche and Pyrenees but of course we can go elsewhere. Has anyone run trips to these places before?

We're looking for relatively deep and extensive caves if that helps! Enough caving for about 10 days.

Thanks in advance

That seems quite a large topic and I've not been caving abroad but some sites that might interest you.

R?seau de la Dent de Crolles, Chartreuse (Braemoor)

Speleo Vercors (club site)

SC Avalon - 25 trips in Belgium

France

- Doubs / vercors / Causes ==> sportive caving with lots of SRT. Especially in the vercors and Causes you find deep caves 
- Aude / Herault ==> beautiful caves with lots of aragonite. But you need to get in contact with local clubs to get permits
- PSM ==> deep and cold.  More info on the arsip website  (http://arsip.fr/) . You can get permits for several (through) trips

I can strongly recommend Chartreuse, in particularly the R?seau de la Dent de Crolles mentioned above. It's in a beautiful area, with some
fantastic holiday caving of all grades. In particular, this 60+ km system has a number of long pull-through trips equipped with traverse lines and chain belays.

Leclused said:

France

- Doubs / vercors / Causes ==> sportive caving with lots of SRT. Especially in the vercors and Causes you find deep caves 
- Aude / Herault ==> beautiful caves with lots of aragonite. But you need to get in contact with local clubs to get permits
- PSM ==> deep and cold.  More info on the arsip website  (http://arsip.fr/) . You can get permits for several (through) trips

Click to expand...

Some excellent rigging info for caves in the doubs can be found here https://www.speleo-doubs.com/infosPratiques/brochage.php

Would add my 2c to those suggesting

- Dent de Crolles (Chartreuse): A variety of trips to cover most abilities, from nice pull through trips, to shorter trips in muiltiple entrances. good surveys.
- Pierre St Martin (Pyrenees): deep, and a serious undertaking.
- Reseau Felix Trombe/Coume Ouarn?de  (Pyrenees):  Multiple entrances providing a variety of day trips, again easy enough to find something for most abilities. The pull through trip is long, wet, and requires careful route finding, and pre-rigging at both ends.

GoneCaving said:

Dent de Crolles (Chartreuse): A variety of trips to cover most abilities, from nice pull through trips, to shorter trips in muiltiple entrances. good surveys.

Click to expand...

One of the pull-through trips includes the descent of a permanently rigged 145 m shaft. The route is used for commercial caving.

Another great trip is the Verneau through trip.

The following clip gives a good idea of the the trip : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9nVEekRpUA

a trip write-up in English : http://www.rrcpc.org.uk/newsletters/NL_V38_N4_A5.htm

A french article from spelunca : http://www.csr-bfc.fr/rc_images/Verneau%20SPELUNCA%20148_def.pdf

For this trip you also need to ask a permit, all information can be found in the following document :

http://www.speleo-doubs.com/actualite/fichier/dossier_verneau_2015_CDS25.pdf

langcliffe said:

One of the pull-through trips includes the descent of a permanently rigged 145 m shaft. The route is used for commercial caving.

Click to expand...

Nice! That's a more recent discovery than my last trip there (far too long ago! 2001?) I've only done the usual trade routes (Glaz->Guiers, P40->Glaz, Glaz->Chevalier).

GoneCaving said:

langcliffe said:

One of the pull-through trips includes the descent of a permanently rigged 145 m shaft. The route is used for commercial caving.

Click to expand...

Nice! That's a more recent discovery than my last trip there (far too long ago! 2001?) I've only done the usual trade routes (Glaz->Guiers, P40->Glaz, Glaz->Chevalier).

Click to expand...

There are eleven entrances now - one of which is only 175?m from and 40?m below the summit that has links through to both Annette / Chevalier, and to the Trou du Glaz which it enters above P36.

langcliffe said:

There are eleven entrances now - one of which is only 175?m from and 40?m below the summit that has links through to both Annette / Chevalier, and to the Trou du Glaz which it enters above P36.

Click to expand...

If I were a dentist I'd say the tooth was beyond saving!