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24-02-08: Nordic skiing at Chaud Clapier

23-02-08: Skiing at Rousset

22-02-08: Belvedere (walk)

21-02-08: Raqueting at Col de la Chou (walk)

19-02-08: Raqueting to Scialet Combeau (winter walk on high plateau)

18-02-08: Skiing at Font d’Urle

17-02-08: Skiing at Rousset

16-02-08: Skiing at Rousset

07/08 New Years Eve/Day: Grand Party!

20/10 – 02/11: Unofficial working week at the Ecole

24-08-07: Arete de Gerbier (Cote 2000 to Villard) (walk)

23-08-07:  Bolting project: Scialet Combeau

22-08-07:  Bolting project: Scialet Combeau

19-08-07: Cretes de Font d’Urle (walk)

18-08-07:  Bolting project: Scialet Combeau

14-08-07: Serre Plume (walk)

13-08-07:  Bolting project: Scialet Combeau

12-08-07: Roc du Toulou (walk)

11-08-07: Bolting project: Scialet Combeau

3rd to 10th July: Various walks

10/20 June: Fifth working week at the Ecole

10/18 May: Unofficial working week at the Ecole

12th to 21st Feb ’07: Skiing

06/07 New Years Eve/Day: Grand Party!

22-08-06: Grotte de Gournier stream way to start of traverses (photo trip)

21-08-06: Via Ferrata du Chironne

20-08-06: Mountain biking on from Cote 2000

19-08-06: La Siva (walk)

18-08-06: Pas de Oeille (walk)

17-08-06: Balcon du Bourne (walk)

15-08-06: Walk from refuge to Roche du Playnet and return to Correncon (two day walk)

14-08-06: Walk to Cabane de Carrette (refuge on high plateau)

10-07-06: Roche des Arnauds (walk)

09-07-06: Cote 2000 (walk)

08-07-06: Font d’Urle (walk)17/27 June: Fourth working week at the Ecole

17/26 May: Unofficial working week at the Ecole

7th to 14th Feb ’06: Skiing

05/06 New Years Eve/Day: Grand Party!

27-11-05: Raqueting at Font d’Urle in the snow (walk)

26-11-05: La Chapelle in the snow (walk)

26-08-05: Scialet des Chuats II

24-08-05: Locate entrance to Chuats II (walk)

23-08-05: Scialet Michellier

19-08-05: Via Ferrata du Chironne

15-08-05: Port du Diablo (walk)

13-08-05: Prospecting at Font d’Urle (walk)

18/28 June: Third working week at the Ecole

21-05-05: Locate entrance of Trou des Ancienne (walk)

5th to 12th Feb ’05: Skiing

04/05 New Years Eve/Day: Grand Party!

19-08-04: Recce to Cabane de Carrette (walk)

15-08-04: Roche des Arnauds (walk)

12-08-04: Scialet d’La Jarjatte

19/30 June: Second working week at the Ecole

14-02-04: Skiing at Rousset

13:02-04: Skiing on the Moucherolle

11-02-04: Skiing at Rousset

10-02-04: Skiing at Font d’Urle

08-02-04: Skiing at Rousset

03/04 New Years Eve/Day: Grand Party!

25-08-03: Grotte de Gournier (photo trip)

19-08-03: Ecole to belvedere (walk)

21/30 June: First working week at the Ecole

23-06-03: SCV Pryke-Jones created

14-02-03: Skiing at Rousset

13-02-03: Skiing at Font d’Urle

12-02-03: Skiing on the Moucherolle

10-02-03: Skiing at Rousset

02/03 New Years Eve/Day: Grand Party!

26-08-02: Scialet Graille (photo trip)

20-08-02: Scialet Des Drayes (photo trip)

15-08-02: Roche des Arnauds (walk)

08-03-02: Skiing at Rousset

07-03-02: Skiing on the Moucherolle

06-03-02: Skiing at Font d’Urle

04-03-02: Skiing at Rousset

20-08-01: Grotte de la Luirre (Amont '52 series)

18-08-01: Scialet Des Drayes (photo trip)

16-08-01: Pot du Loup (photo trip)

15-08-01: Scialet Graille (photo trip)

14-08-01: Pot du Loup

31-08-00: Grotte de Gournier (PF50 photo trip)

28-08-00: Scialet Chassillon

23-08-00: Grand Veymont bivvi (walk)

13-08-99: Scialet Graille (photo trip)

11-08-99: Scialet Des Drayes (photo trip)

09-08-99: Scialet Cloches (photo trip)

08-08-99: Scialet Fee Anglais

06-08-99: Scialet Michellier

05-08-99: Walk to locate Scialet Chassillon

03-08-99: Pot du Loup (photo trip)

27-08-98: Gouffre Berger

25-08-98: Grand Moucherolle (walk)

05-08-98: Scialet Des Drayes

28-07-98: l'Antre de Venus (photo trip)

25-07-98: Walk to locate Scialet Jean Bruno

12-08-97: Scialet Jouflous

08-08-97: Scialet Trou Spinette

06-08-97: l'Antre de Venus (photo trip)

06-08-97: Grotte de Gournier

03-08-97: l'Antre de Venus

02-08-97: Scialet Graille

30-07-97: Grand Moucherolle (walk)

27-07-97: Walk to locate Scialet Trou Spinette

27-07-97: Walk to locate Scialet Trou Jesus

11-08-96: Scialet Graille

09-08-96: Scialet Michelliere

08-08-96: Grotte de Gournier

06-08-96: Grotte de Berger

04-08-96: Trou de l'Aygue (through trip)

02-08-96: Trou de l'Aygue (through trip)

30-07-96: Scialet Michelliere

22-08-95: Grotte d'Sables

08-08-94: Moulin Marquis (canyon)

06-08-94: Grotte de Gournier

05-08-94: Ecouge (canyon)04-08-94: Trou de l'Aygue (through trip)

31-07-94: Trou de l'Aygue (E2 SRT trip to stream)

28-07-94: Trou de l'Aygue (bottom entrance to pitches)

26-07-94: Scialet l'Appel

28-07-93: Ecouge (canyon)

26-07-93: Scialet Malaterre

23-07-94: Grotte de Gournier

30-07-92: Scialet l'Appel

29-07-92: Scialet Graille

24-07-92: Scialet Neuf

22-07-92: Scialet Grand Astrance

21-07-92: Gour Favot

20-07-92: Scialet l'Appel

04-06-92: Glaciere de Carri

03-06-92: Scialet Malaterre

02-06-92: Grotte du Goullois

01-06-92: Scialet Neuf

31-05-92: Grotte de Gournier

30-05-92: Scialet de la Seppe

18-08-91: Scialet l'Appel

17-08-91: Ecouge (canyon)

16-08-91: Scialet Cloches

15-08-91: Grotte de la Ture

14-08-91: Prospecting at Font d'Url

03-08-90: Grotte d'Anna

03-08-90: Glaciere Font d'Urle

02-08-90: Grotte de la Luire

29-07-90: Scialet Trisou

28-08-89: Grotte de Gournier

27-08-89: Gour Fumant

25-08-89: Grotte de Gournier

24-08-89: Scialet de Malaterre

21-08-89: Grotte de Gournier

14-08-89: Scialet Vincens

13-08-89: Glaciere de Carri

28-07-88: Scialet de Malaterre

26-07-89: Grotte de Bournillon

25-07-88: Grotte de Gournier

24-07-88: Glaciere de Carri .

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Vercors Caving - An Overview

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The Vercors became popular with UK cavers following the outrageous British expeditions to the Gouffre Berger in the early '60's led by Ken Pierce. The more discerning cavers realised that there was a truly beautiful and secret corner of France beyond the Sornin plateau. Word has spread slowly ever since.

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Generally, caving in the Vercors is (due to the geology) split into regions. In the north east (from the Moucherolle up to the Sornin Plateau) the caves are very deep and demanding. They are also extremely weather dependant, and due to extremes of weather (it can be too hot to approach them in summer, and too risky to descend them in unsettled weather) are generally descended by local cavers in the depths of winter, when the ski infrastructure is used to aid access. In the north west (Autrans and Meaudre areas) there are many fine systems, few could be described though as "holiday caving". (Holiday caving; caves that can be completed in a day without adopting multi day "siege" tactics or requiring long approach walks).   

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In the south, the Herbouillty Plateau contains many caves of varying depth and difficulty and is the subject of a guide book of it's own (now sadly long out of print).  The area bordering the Vernaison  river valley contains many caves of varying difficulty, including the impressive Luire system, just south of St. Agnan, which resurges at the Bournillon (the largest cave entrance in Europe). In the south west can be found Scialet Michelierre (near Vassieux) and further west still on the Font d'Urle plateau are numerous excellent caves including Scialet II des Chuats, now over 42k long which also resurges at the Bournillon.  Generally, the caves of the southern Vercors are more suitable to "holiday caving". 

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Published Information on Vercors Caving;

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Given the number of caves in this region (in excess of 3,000 of various descriptions and development) it is frustrating to find so little published information on them. Long out of print are;

 

Grottes and Scialets du Vercors;  "the Bible" published in two parts (1978 and 1979) these listed the complete inventory of Vercors caves when they were published. The books are now extremely rare, although photocopies of them appear from time to time. The inventory is maintained by the annual "Scialet" (for the north of the Vercors) and "LSD" (Les Speleo Dromois) for the south.

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Also out of print are;

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Connaissance et Decouverte du Vercors Souterrain (Herbouilly area 1978)

Paysages du Vercors Souterraine (1981)

Moucherolle Souterraine (1988)

Speleo dans le Vercors (tomes 1 & 2 Edisud 1997 & 1999) are the most recently published guide books which contain accurate descriptions of a selection of classic Vercors caves, although both books are now difficult to find.

Caves of the Vercors by Des Marshall contains useful information on access, but as essentially a transcription of a much earlier French guide book, which was acknowledged to have many inaccuracies, should not be considered definitive in its descriptions.

Premiers pas Sous Terre (Didier Richard) lists caves suitable for novices and children butb is now long out of print.

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Expe (at Pont en Royans) stock some back issues of both Scialet and LSD.

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Some suggestions for a first time visit would be;

Grotte de Gournier; (requires a dinghy to cross the entrance lake) two trips, one to admire the enormous fossil passages and formations, the other to explore the active upstream system.

Scialet Mallaterre; a 400ft deep shaft of two 200ft pitches from a bridge across the entrance.

Scialet l'Appel; a superb active river system, reached via an entertaining fossil entrance series. 

Scialet Cloches; an easy ice cave with impressive ice formations if the previous winter has been hard.

Grotte du Berger; an easy afternoon trip in a horizontal system reached via an interesting walk on the side of a big cliff.

Scialet Graille; an easy trip into an impressive series of chambers containing staggering stal columns - take a camera.

Scialet Michellier; A fine series of pitches leading into an impressive fossil series, which is still being explored by local cavers. Care; the formations (calcite and mud)  in the main passage are beautiful and very fragile.

Trou Spinette; An impressive vertical system that provides superb caving down to -291m, after which it's character changes significantly (total depth 460m)

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The only caving shop in the area is Expe just outside Pont en Royans (good bars) Follow the D518 out of Pont in the direction of St. Marcellin and before going up hill, take the D531 to the left and Expe is on a small trading estate a couple of k's further on, on the right.

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Warning; All active caves in the Vercors are weather dependant and water levels within the caves react very quickly to rain. The catchment area for these caves is MASSIVE, so please be aware of local weather forecasts (the local Tourist Information office provides accurate weather forecasts - if you can read French!) Always remember that you are in a foreign country. The language is different and the Speleo Secours (French cave rescue) is not around the corner at Clapham!

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