A trip which was nearly two years in the planning came together this month. A group of nine of us flew over to France for a long weekend to explore the further reaches of the Grotte de Pene Blanque. The plan was to spend 4 days (3 nights) underground, camping a good few hours into the cave so that we could make a trip to the far end of the system and have plenty of time to take photographs. This also solved any accommodation problems, and saved the weight of carrying tents. The trip was a great success, and we were amazed by the cave formations which we found. We had no idea the cave contained such stuff, so it was a real surprise. Here are a few highlights.
The great Blanc de Blanc column. This extends a further 60m or more down a shaft behind the column.
A large crystal pool in a room with a completely crystal floor.
The caver here is standing by the entrance to this amazing room
A wider view of the chamber with the crystal pool in the foreground
On the third day we went exploring in another part of the cave and found these hair raising cable traverses over gaping black chasms. The floor is about 60m down!
The caver here is standing by the entrance to this amazing room
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