Gouffre Tasurinchi - Chartreuse

langcliffe

Well-known member
This is a heads-up for anyone considering a caving holiday in Chartreuse.

Many of will know from Darne's and Tordjman's "? Travers le Karst" that a 305 metre-deep through trip has been possible between Gouffre Tasurinchi and Guiers Vif for the past 30 years. This involves the descent of a dozen pitches, exiting from one of the most dramatic cave entrances in France. However, the rigging arrangements for a pull-through have been dubious.

I have just found out (somewhat belatedly) that the route was rebolted specifically for pull-throughs in 2010, now making it an ideal trip for anybody who is caving in Chartreuse. Anybody who has caved in the Dent de Crolles system in the last few years will know just how good the French are at equipping their pull-throughs.  Details are available in Spelunca 157.

Sorry moderators - wrong place! Can you move it, please


[info]Done[/info]
 

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
Wow, thanks for that link, also worth following it for the "Under the Ice Article" just amazing. If anyone thinks the beautiful rich blues in some of those shots are filters, I've been around and underneath glacier ice, although nothing near as impressive as the article! and it really can be that blue
 

Loki

Active member
I?m pretty sure I?ve done that thru trip pre-pull thru anchors with Mr B years ago. Amazing exit but grotty in parts on the pitches if it?s the one I?m thinking of.
 

langcliffe

Well-known member
Fjell said:
Have you done it?

No -I have only been to the entrance! A French group has offered to take me through in June, which is why I have been looking again at what information is available. I have avoided it in the past, because it's a fairly committing trip when relying on what one believes will be dodgy belays.

Loki said:
I?m pretty sure I?ve done that thru trip pre-pull thru anchors with Mr B years ago. Amazing exit but grotty in parts on the pitches if it?s the one I?m thinking of.

That sounds like it may have been the Grotte des Masques - Mort Ru traverse. The entrances of Masque and Tasurinchi are just 700 metres apart and on the same path, but they enter totally separate systems. Before 1860 they were actually in different countries!

The Masque through trip does have some loose pitches. The final 30-metre pitch enters through the roof of a huge chamber,. The route down from the Mort Ru involves a very steep, pathless descent of 300 metres through the forest to the floor of the cirque. Does that sound familiar?
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
langcliffe said:
mrodoc said:
A trip made possible by our very own CDG!

There are no sumps on the route between the entrances of Guiers Vif and Gouffre Tasurinchi.

Unless I am imagining it the Guiers Vif was some years ago a cave diving site that ended in a cascade eventually climbed by Andy Goddard of the CDG.  A dry route was then eventually found to the surface above and back to the entrance. Unless perhaps I am thinking of a another French cave! I was given a survey of the find but it is in the attic! A quick internet search confirmed the CDG visits without mentioning the find that cracked it open. I am sure somebody who reads the forum will recall the story. Unless most people who read it are under 30!
 

langcliffe

Well-known member
mrodoc said:
langcliffe said:
mrodoc said:
A trip made possible by our very own CDG!

There are no sumps on the route between the entrances of Guiers Vif and Gouffre Tasurinchi.

Unless I am imagining it the Guiers Vif was some years ago a cave diving site that ended in a cascade eventually climbed by Andy Goddard of the CDG.  A dry route was then eventually found to the surface above and back to the entrance. Unless perhaps I am thinking of a another French cave! I was given a survey of the find but it is in the attic! A quick internet search confirmed the CDG visits without mentioning the find that cracked it open. I am sure somebody who reads the forum will recall the story. Unless most people who read it are under 30!

There are two river systems in the Guiers Vif.

In the 1970s Whernside Manor explored the Trou des Flammes way up the Aulp du Seuil synclinal valley to the south. The CDG pushed the main sump in Guiers Vif, and the connection was eventually made between the two. I am unsure of the precise details, but that is the basic story. There is no dry route between Trou des Flammes and the Guiers Vif.

There is a big loop in the Guiers Vif entrance series, with the two passages joining in Cascade Chamber. From here, the main passage descends to the main sump. At an obvious bend in the left-hand branch of the loop is a small draughting hole through frost shattered shingle, shored up by a bin. This leads into a long river passage, the Rivi?re Pierre Chevalier, that goes to the north for about 700 metres. The Gouffre Tasurinchi drops into this near the upstream end.
 

langcliffe

Well-known member
This is the nearest I have to a survey of the complete system. The cave passages are depicted as dark lines. The Trou du Flammes can be seen at the south end of the valley, and Tasurinchi to the north-east of the Guiers Vif. The former is in the pasture, and the latter is in the forest.

guiersvif.jpg
 

langcliffe

Well-known member
mrodoc said:
Thanks for the explanation. I wonder if the river passage is a more recent find?

The connection between Guiers Vif and Trou du Flammes was made in 1992 (by a team which included members of the CDG).

The Rivi?re Pierre Chevalier was discovered, also in 1992, from Gouffre Tasurinchi, and it was connected with the Guiers Vif  in 1993.
 

Loki

Active member
mrodoc said:
langcliffe said:
mrodoc said:
A trip made possible by our very own CDG!

There are no sumps on the route between the entrances of Guiers Vif and Gouffre Tasurinchi.
I?ve had it confirmed.- it was the tas-vif we did.

Unless I am imagining it the Guiers Vif was some years ago a cave diving site that ended in a cascade eventually climbed by Andy Goddard of the CDG.  A dry route was then eventually found to the surface above and back to the entrance. Unless perhaps I am thinking of a another French cave! I was given a survey of the find but it is in the attic! A quick internet search confirmed the CDG visits without mentioning the find that cracked it open. I am sure somebody who reads the forum will recall the story. Unless most people who read it are under 30!
 
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