Resurgence
Source du Marchepied
A resurgence on the Célé downstream of Marcilhac-sur-Célé, opened by British divers in 2002 after heavy digging. Three sumps lead to a choke 1,338 m from the entrance; the FFS fiche states that diving is prohibited pending access works.
The Marchepied was fully blocked until summer 2002, when a Cave Diving Group team led by Clive Stell dug open the entrance and dived the first sump. Later teams re-opened the partly collapsed entrance, shored it up and resurveyed it, and in 2008 Rick Stanton passed a gravel squeeze at 65 m in the third sump, ending at a boulder choke at 57 m.
The FFS fiche describes three sumps: S1 of 510 m (max -17 m), a short S2 of 28 m, and S3 of 668 m reaching -69 m. The air-filled passages between sumps are described as containing high carbon dioxide and low oxygen. The fiche also states that access was being reorganised and that dives were prohibited until the works were complete; no later update was found.
The environment
A tight entrance suited to side-mounted cylinders, opening into a winding first sump; dry sections between sumps have foul air according to the FFS fiche.
Conditions
Air-filled passages between the sumps are reported to have high CO2 and an oxygen deficit.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (8)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In summer 2002 a CDG team (Clive Stell, Tim Chapman, Marcel Hattemann, Martina Maier) dug open the entrance and reached the start of the third sump about 670 m in. | Verified | [1] |
| The cave extends 1,338 m from the entrance, of which 1,208 m are flooded, ending at an impassable boulder choke at 57 m depth. | Verified | [1] |
| The third sump reaches a maximum depth of 69 m beyond a gravel squeeze at 65 m, passed by Rick Stanton in 2008. | Verified | [1] |
| The dry passages between sumps contain a high concentration of CO2 and a notable oxygen deficit. | Verified | [1] |
| Access is being developed and organised, and dives are prohibited until the works are complete.Notice undated on the fiche; current status could not be confirmed. | May be out of date | [1] |
| The resurgence is located near N 44.54 E 1.77 (area level; a provider publishes precise coordinates). | Verified | [2] |
| The resurgence is located near N 44.54 E 1.77 (area level). | Verified | [2] |
| Dives are prohibited until access works are complete.Undated notice on the FFS fiche. | May be out of date | [1] |
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