Resurgence
Émergence du Ressel (river entrance)
The only documented entrance to the Ressel, a submerged porch in the bed of the river Célé about 1 km upstream of Marcilhac-sur-Célé, entered after a short wade or swim from the bank.
Divers kit up on the river bank beside the D41 and walk down to the Célé, then wade or swim upstream to the entrance, which the FFS fiche places about 60 m upstream of the access paths. A Dutch site guide describes rock steps down to the water and about 35 m of wading.
The first section is the part most visiting divers see: a gravel slope under a wide porch leads down to about 10 m, into a broad gallery with a floor of fallen rock slabs. About 120 m in, the passage splits into two galleries that rejoin at the head of a shaft roughly 270 m from the entrance. Divernet describes the entrance zone as busy with training classes.
The shaft drops in steps to about 30 m and then 45 m, with a slope continuing to about 55 m in a large gallery; beyond this the deep part of sump 1 begins.
The environment
Clear spring water below a layer of river water near the entrance; wide, low bedding-plane galleries with large fallen slabs, many erosion scallops on the walls, and a stepped shaft leading to deeper passage.
Conditions
Typical values only. Flow and visibility depend on recent rain; a Dutch site guide warns that the entrance may be unreachable after heavy rain.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
Facilities
Roadside parking and steps down to the river. InDEPTH (2021) mentions a large car park with a toilet building; the older FFS fiche says toilets are in the village.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (12)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| At about 3 m depth the silty river water gives way to clear spring water at the entrance porch. | Verified | [1] |
| A gravel slope under the porch descends to about 10 m, and the gallery keeps that depth and size for the first 80 m. | Verified | [1] |
| The passage splits about 120 m from the entrance and the two galleries rejoin at the shaft about 270 m in; the shaft descends in steps to -30 m, then -45 m, with a slope to -55 m. | Verified | [1] |
| Water temperature is given as about 14 °C. | Reported | [2] |
| Typical visibility is given as 10 to 20 m. | Reported | [2] |
| The entrance may be inaccessible after heavy rain, with considerable flow after rainfall. | Reported | [2] |
| The FFS fiche reports a sign reminding divers to leave the place clean and that toilets are in the village; divers kit up at the roadside verge.Fiche undated. | Verified | [1] |
| Access is listed as free with no permit required. | Reported | [2] |
| InDEPTH describes a large parking area with a building that has a toilet, about 100 m from the entry point.The FFS fiche says the toilets are in the village. | Sources conflict | [3] |
| A Dutch site guide describes the site as for experienced cave divers only.Guide's recommendation, not an official requirement. | Reported | [2] |
| Coordinates are published as N 44°33'43" E 1°46'19" (FFS) and N 44.562100 E 1.771862 (The Cave To Be). | Verified | [1] [5] |
| Coordinates are published as N 44°33'43" E 1°46'19" (FFS) and N 44.562100 E 1.771862 (The Cave To Be). | Verified | [1] [5] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction