Höhlensystem
Source de Saint-Sauveur
Maximum depth reached by Xavier Méniscus in August 2014 according to Subaqua n°257. The FFS fiche's history stops in 2004 at -133 m and describes the main gallery to about -90 m.
A deep resurgence pool near Calès that feeds the Ouysse. Its flooded gallery descends past 100 m within a few hundred metres, and a 2014 exploration reached 195 m. In 2006 the Lot département restricted diving to the pool after rockfall.
Saint-Sauveur is a broad resurgence pool in the valley below Calès, reached by a farm track from the Rocamadour–Couzou area. It is one of the springs that feed the Ouysse, which flows on to the Dordogne.
In the middle of the basin, at about 15 m, a sand-and-cobble-covered fissure drops abruptly to a restriction (a narrow passage that limits progress) at 24 m, about 60 m from the start. Beyond it the gallery widens and descends steadily, reaching about 45 m at 150 m and 68 m at 200 m, then continues as a large passage around 70 to 90 m deep with several routes and an air bell at 550 m, according to the FFS fiche.
The cave has a long and sometimes tragic exploration history. Divers first entered it in 1954; Eric and Francis Le Guen stopped at 78 m in 1980; Xavier Goyet died returning from a deep exploration dive in 1986; and through the 2000s British and French divers pushed the terminus beyond 120 m. Subaqua reported in 2014 that Xavier Méniscus extended the end by 150 m to a maximum depth of 195 m on a 13-hour dive.
On 26 June 2006 the Conseil général du Lot wrote that recent rockfall at the restriction made any exploration of the underground network dangerous, and restricted cave diving temporarily to the pool area, with exploration beyond strictly prohibited. The sources consulted do not say whether or when that restriction was lifted.
Wasser, Strömung und Überflutung
The spring feeds the Ouysse, a tributary of the Dordogne. The deep gallery lies far below the spring outlet, so most of the passage is a deep phreatic tube.
Warum es wichtig ist
One of France's deepest explored resurgences, reached to 195 m in 2014 according to the FFESSM's magazine.
Kartierungs- und Erkundungsgeschichte
| 1954 | Y. Dufour and Guy de Lavaur dive the cave. [1] |
| 1980-07-29 | Eric and Francis Le Guen stop at 78 m, 350 m from the entrance. [1] |
| 1986 | Xavier Goyet dies returning from a deep exploration dive. [1] |
| 2001 | Rick Stanton finds a window in the former terminal dead end and descends to 103 m (610 m). [1] |
| 2004-08 | A further 70 m is added at around 120 m depth, stopping at 133 m with the way on open. [1] |
| 2006-06-26 | The Conseil général du Lot temporarily restricts diving to the pool after rockfall at the restriction. [2] |
| 2014-08-16 | Xavier Méniscus extends the terminus by 150 m to a maximum depth of 195 m on a 13-hour dive. [3] |
Zugänge und Tauchplätze
One entrance, the resurgence pool. Under the 2006 restriction only the pool area may be dived.
Zur Orientierung, nicht zur Navigation. Hohle Punkte sind ungefähre Angaben.
Alle Angaben auf dieser Seite mit Quellennachweis (9)
| Angabe | Status | Quelle |
|---|---|---|
| In August 2014 Xavier Méniscus pushed the terminus 150 m further, to a maximum depth of 195 m, spending 24 minutes below 180 m. | Verifiziert | [3] |
| A fissure in the middle of the basin at -15 m drops to a restriction at -24 m about 60 m from the start; the gallery reaches -45 m at 150 m and -68 m at 200 m. | Verifiziert | [1] |
| The Saint-Sauveur spring at Calès feeds the Ouysse, which flows into the Dordogne. | Verifiziert | [3] |
| Exploration milestones: 1954 first dives; 1980 Le Guen brothers to -78 m; 1986 death of Xavier Goyet; 2001 Stanton to -103 m; 2004 terminus at -133 m. | Verifiziert | [1] |
| On 26 June 2006 the Conseil général du Lot temporarily restricted cave diving at Saint-Sauveur to the pool and strictly prohibited exploration of the underground network, citing recent rockfall at the restriction.Newest official access document found is from 2006; exploration dives were reported in 2014, so the current regime is unclear. | Möglicherweise veraltet | [2] |
| In 2005 diving was tolerated on condition that each dive and its safe end were reported to the SDIS du Lot via 112, one vehicle per group at the end of the track, and the gate kept closed.Superseded by the 2006 restriction. | Möglicherweise veraltet | [1] |
| Diving is limited to the pool sector and exploration of the network is prohibited under the 2006 restriction. | Möglicherweise veraltet | [2] |
| Area-level position near N 44.79 E 1.57; a provider publishes the exact point. | Verifiziert | [4] |
| Area-level position near N 44.79 E 1.57. | Verifiziert | [4] |
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