002 Cueva del Coverón
Ozana 30T 0454211 4793775 Altitude 270m Length 3230m
("Historical" position: VN54319378 Alt. 300m)

Updated 19th February 1999; 12th May, 12th November 2002; 4th, 26th November 2003; 18th January 2004; 30th October 2007; 7th January 2008; 5th January, 5th November 2011

A complicated cave of great variety. The entrance "amphitheatre" has a number of small caves at the back, at least one of which provides a straight 30m drop to the main tunnel. The main entrance is a sloppy slope down into a sloping chamber that provides the focus to the cave. The first (and much small second) sloping exits on the right provides access to a long series of phreatic domes, Tree Gallery. The apparent end is bypassed by a squeeze at roof level possibly reached up a 7m long tree trunk. Further squeezes lead to a continuation of the domes, a division of the ways and two chokes.

Just back from the junction a rift descends to a three ways junction, one passage containing a long pool. At the far end of the entrance chamber a rift on a rock slope provides entry to Nuts Passage, a series of tubes and phreatic chambers.

The main way on is down through a squeeze on the left of the entrance chamber. Large phreatic chambers soon close down to the right and straight ahead, while to the left a 5m climb leads to the head of a 20m pitch. At the base of the pitch is the complicated Mini Maze, the route on being a tight squeeze to walking passage which runs to the top of a 17m pitch. This drops straight into the vadose section of the cave. Upstream leads to a 4m climb and drop down over a barrier. The next obstacle is a 16m high climb over greasy calcite where, near the top, pitons are useful. A 12m pitch back to the stream follows immediately. The passage then continues for 200m to a tortuous route in rotten rock until it becomes too tight.

Downstream the cave passes the odd obstacle in a mainly narrow streamway to end after a couple of hundred metres at a calcite choke.

Several flints were found by C.A.E.A.P. in 1989 in the rock shelters around the entrance, and fragments of human skull on the entrance slope. A photo of the medieval vase is to be found in Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Smith Peter, 2003, page 41.

The cave has been extended by the AEC Lobetum, adding about 730m to the length. The San Mateo series off Tree Gallery is shown here.
Valero Enrique y Soriano Ángel, 2007 has the length as 3200m and a depth of 75m. The same publication also has an area map showing the following sites: Rio Seco, Cueva Brazada, Torca de Blas, Cueva de La Pila, Cueva de Coquisera and Cueva del Coverón.

With the 2009 discovery of Torca CEZ by the AEC Lobetum, lower down in the Hoya de Mortiro, a new system looks to be close to linking with Coverón.

References: Fernández Gutiérrez et al, 1966; anon., 1975b (logbook); Kendal Caving Club and Manchester University Speleological Society, 1975 (survey and photo); anon., 1975a; Manchester University Speleological Society, 1982 (survey); Mills L D J, 1981; Mills L D J and Waltham A C, 1981 (survey); Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; material in file; anon., 1988 (logbook); anon., 1993a (survey); Corrin J, 1994b (survey); García José León, 1997 (survey); Corrin Juan, 1997c; anon., 2000e; Ruiz Cobo Jesús and Smith Peter, 2003; Valero Enrique y Soriano Ángel, 2007 (survey); León García José, 2010 (survey and photos)
Entrance picture : yes
Underground picture(s): Entrance slope and Tree Gallery 2008
Detailed Survey : 1975 high res   1975 low res   Tree Gallery extension
Tree Gallery extension - San Mateo (anon., 1993a; AEC Lobetum) high res  low res
Line Survey: coordinates taken from paper survey (z-coords will be way out)
On area survey : line survey with partial Torca CEZ line survey
Survex file :
Passage direction rose diagram (Patrick Warren): yes