A Cavers Guide to Lava Tubes of Lanzarote
Compiled by Carmen Smith
Cavers Guide to Lava Tubes of Lanzarote
Credits. Other Javier Trujillo Joyce Norton Designed by Carmen Smith Hayley Clark Pete Martin Photography Carmen Smith Hugh Penney Chris Binding Paul Stilman Pete Martin
Introduction
Having family who live in Lanzarote, I've always been a regular traveller to the Island.
Several years ago I started caving there, initially inspired by information from Ed Waters and later Javier Trujillo — one of the local cavers.
Chris and I often get requests from UK cavers going to Lanzarote, for the information to go caving.
Thus the inspiration for this guide was born.
We hope you enjoy it, please spread the word, it is free to download
Carmen and Chris
Front Cover Cueva de los Verdes show cave. Back Page Lava formations of Lanzarote Insert Carmen in the Covon /Chifletera connection squeeze Above Lakes of Los Lagos
Artwork courtesy Pete Martin. Lava Benches on the Gentes to Puerta Falsa through trip.
CuevaCueva LasLas BreñasBreñas
Cueva las Breñas is situated on the Follow the string to guide you outskirts of the village of Las through this network of less than Breñas on the west of the Island. generous sized passages.
It consists of 950m of small, stoop- ing, flat out, thrutching lava tube. Its finest features are its variety of passage morphology as seen from Knee and elbow pads, helmets and the pictures. plenty of water are recommended.
Las Breñas GPS Coordinates UTM/UPS WGS84 0616113 3200535 Covón/ChifleteraCovón/Chifletera
Cueva Covón is Located on the west side of the island ,30 minutes walk along the coast path from the old fishing village of El Golfo.
It is accessed from the sea cliffs and lies 300m within the national park boundary.
Covón can be done as a through trip to Chifletera which lies approx 350m inland, however the connection squeeze makes it an impossibility for all but the slighter cavers out there.
The Chifletera section of the cave is so short, its not considered worth doing as a trip in its own right, hence the more popular Covón is generally done as a 2 way journey.
Description
Leaving the sun-lit main entrance chamber, into some sizeable walking pas- sage, you soon meet a large scale boulder choke. Stick to the left.
Continue to follow the obvious way on.
Eventually the passage drops to a low flat out sandy crawl.
Either continue along the crawl, (approx 30m) keeping an eye out above you until you can stand and find yourself in a trench in a chamber, or just before the sandy crawl, to your left , is a man made boulder pile allow- ing you access through a high level window into same passage above.
Both routes eventually join. It is worth the journey up these “awkward to negotiate passages” as the features in the chambers above are quite stunning.
The way through to Chifletera is back into the trench, at the end of the crawl, following the draft into the 2ft long restriction.
A further 20m of low crawly passage after this obstacle eventually brings you out into the more roomier passages of Chifletera and 40m from daylight.
Alternatively, if you wish to avoid the squeeze and flat out crawls, the way out is back the way you came. GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 Covón 0613960 3208133 Chifletera 0614207 3208037 Paso/EsqueletoPaso/Esqueleto
Cueva del Paso is located on the west side of the island , 30 minutes walk along the coast path from the old fishing village of El Golfo. You enter here to do the through trip to Esqueleto.
It lies approx 100m inside the national park boundary and is accessed from a non de- script, impossible to locate, depression, about 300m inland from the cliffs. GPS is thoroughly recommended.
Description
The low stooping entrance, quickly opens out to steeply descending passage that spiral down with a few tricky climbs, before the final 10ft drop into the top of some fine smooth walled lava flow passage.
Follow the obvious way on. Little help is needed with this cave as a very noticeable draft accompanies you through the cave.
Eventually, after negotiating some low stoops and small boulder crawl, you will pop out into a stunning daylight passage that exits about 10m up a cliff face with views of the sea.
Confident climbers could free climb out to the coast, alternatively 3 rusting bolts could give you the option to pull through abseil down the cliff.
The easiest option as ever is to just reverse your steps back out the cave.
GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 Esqueleto 0614258 3207919 (Via Cueva del Paso) Turn left into a a perfectly formed circular tube, Cueva Las Naturalista and easy walking passage. The cave opens up ahead ,with a daylight window on your left. (Las Palomas) UTM/UPS WGS 84 0630861 3210177 Almost immediately after you come across the first Interesting lava tube formation. A pillar re- Las Palomas is situated between the villages of mains in the middle of the passage giving the ef- Masdache and La Vaguetta, fect of two huge cats eyes seen in the photo here. It is approx 1640m long with 2 entrances. Keep an eye out for the stunning helictites in the Many interesting lava formations exist in this cave, ceiling. from types of floor, to helictite lava drips.It is also a through trip.
As you enter the cave,go downslope and to the right (or far side)At ground level, you are immediately greeted with a left or right option. Continue as far as you are comfortable along this passage and look out for many of the lava drips, helictities and calcium sulphate formations on the way. Also take time to look at some of the patterns in the roof and floor, they are really quite stunning.
When you’ve had enough the way out is back to the daylight exit you passed earlier.
An easy clamber out of the jameos, and a quick look around to get your bearings, walk back across the lava field to the road, and your car.
More easy walking passage ,followed by a series of roof col- lapses leaves you clambering over boulders for a short distance, before returning to easy walking passage.
Another large pillar gives the cave the effect of having a large roundabout with many ways off. There is only one genuine con- tinuation. Continue ahead, you will see the daylight from the exit, how- ever shortly before this behind the boulder collapse, there is an easy to miss right hand branch taking you to some more spec- tacular easy walking passage. . However, it should be noted that the cave temperature lies around 20°C, and the atmosphere is very humid. Though the passages are large, much of Monte Corona lava Tube System the system is floored by boulder ensuring strenuous boulder hopping pro- gress Therefore fluid loss is an issue and plenty of water should be taken Below is an Extract taken from “Caving on The Holiday Isle Of Lanzarote by Hayley Clark and Ed Waters underground.
Though the cave is essentially The Monte Corona Lava Tube System linear with no side passages of note, in many parts there are mul- This system surely ranks as one of the world’s classic tiple levels present. Though not volcanic cave systems. It is nearly unique in provid- providing any special route finding ing an almost uninterrupted underground route right problems, this should be borne in from the vent to the end of the lava flow. The tube is mind when planning a visit. It is formed in the flows originating from an eruption of also unknown whether all of the Monte Corona (“Crown Mountain”) some 3,000-4,500 upper level sections have been years ago. fully explored, as they would re- quire scaling or aid climbing equipment to reach in places.
The system is made up of large to enormous passages, liberally In many places there are scattered with boulders and a notable small white forma- ubiquitous coating of white dust tions. These can either that seems to get thicker the fur- appear crystalline or as ther down flow one goes. “cotton wool”. The exact Exploration is relatively easy, the nature of this secondary only major obstacles being the mineralisation is unknown, pitches in Jameo los Prendes but it is likely to be gypsum and Cueva los Lagos and the based and may be at least boulder choke between Jameo partially formed by microbial Gente and Jameo Puerta Falsa. action.
There are 4 main trips of Interest to Cavers these are.
Jameo de Prendes (Arriba) to Jameo de la Gente Jameo de la Gente to Puerta Falsa Puerta Falsa to the back of Los Verdes Show cave Los Lagos. Prendes To Gentes
As a through trip Length 1170m
Starting at the top of the Monte Corona lava tube system, pre rig the exit climb from the Prendes entrance with a 10m ladder, and 25m rope. (which will serve as a long belay for the ladder and as a lifeline.)
Then enter at the Gentes entrance and continue up flow until at the top of a 30ft scramble you reach the 7m pitch rigged for pull-through. Take a 20m rope.
Pull through the rope, and after about 50m of further caving you will reach the bottom of the ladder in the Prendes entrance.
As a two way trip
No tackle required. Start at the Gentes entrance and head up flow (left) . Descend down the fixed wooden ladder with missing rungs. Continue up flow until you reach the top of thepull through pitch. Turn around and head back the way you came.
GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 Jameos Prendes 0649259 3228427 Gentes to Puerta Falsa
As a through trip Length 1165m
Enter the jameo de la Gentes and head down flow. (to the right) Follow the main passage down until you reach a boulder collapse.
At the first boulder collapse take the small stooping tunnel around the collapse to the left hand side.
Continue on, and at the 2nd collapse take the small hole in the floor on the right hand side, to bypass this obstruction.
On exiting the bypass look to your left as you regain larger passage, and sign the log book left for visitors to the cave.
Continue down flow until you reach the exit of Puerta Falsa.
The walk back to collect your car is just over 1 mile if you use the roads.
An alternative, should you have GPS, is to walk in a direct line back to the Gentes entrance, passing the 3 impressive jameos which make up the Jameos Cumplidos.
GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 Jameo de la Gente 0649671 3227528 As a two way trip Length 800m
Enter at Puerta Falsa and go down- Puerta Falsa / Verdes flow. (to the right)
The passage starts as double level before rejoining back to a single level.
After approx 400m the passage is fenced signifying the start of the Las Verdes Show cave.
GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 Puerta Falsa 0650653 3227151 Length 791m Cueva Los Lagos Entrance Climb Either free climb around the far side and climb down (v.diff) or rig the 6m pitch using a variety of naturals and bolt belays.
The cave immediately opens out into large canyon style passage, the height varies between 15-20m high and 3-8m wide. The passage undulates, with lots of clambering up and down boulder piles.
Eventually The passage drops steeply and the 1st swimmable lake develops on the left hand side of the passage. (Approx 40m long)
The dry route continues by climbing up the right hand wall and in through a boulder ruckle. be- fore entering a perfectly circular tube that heads down towards another traverse on the right hand side of the passage over the far end of the 1st lake
Continue ahead and slip through a narrowing to reach the beginning of the 2nd,and more signifi- cant lake.
For non swimmers, At low tide there is a ledge that remains dry on the left hand side which can be followed to the far corner, allowing a glimpse of the next flooded chamber.
For the more adventurous swimmers or soft ,inflatable boaters, there is the option to carry on along the entire length of the lake until you can go no further. Be on the look out for sharp under- water rocks that may snag and burst the unsuspecting vinyl boat!!!
Glimpse of the next flooded chamber End of First lake looking back
GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 Los Lagos 0651853 3226501 CuevaCueva dede loslos VerdesVerdes
Cueva de los Verdes (Spanish for "Greens' cave", because in the past its owners were the "Verdes" family) is a lava tube located in the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands (Spain).
The cave is a protected area of the Canary Islands. The cave was created around 3,000 years ago from a volcanic eruption in La Corona. An enormous lava stream flowed over the Malpaís de la Corona. For a long time, the lava stream flowed which left the top part to become a cave.
In about 20 spots, the cover of the cave collapsed and formed. Cueva de los Verdes is formed from parts of the volcanic soils and extends from 1 km to 6 kilometres of old lava streams. The Opening Hours: streams were once the second longest in the world. Daily from 10am to 18pm.
Last Trip: 17pm. In earlier centuries, inhabitants throughout Lanzarote hid in this cave to protect themselves from pirates. 8 Euros P/P
JameoJameo deldel AguaAgua
Jameos Del Agua, is part of the Atlantida volcanic cave system formed by the erup- tions of the Corona volcano about three to four thousand years ago.
The word 'Jameo' refers to a volcanic cave with a collapsed roof, of which there are many in this part of Lanzarote.
The Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique has helped to create this spectacle, where these natural 'jameos' have been turned into an Auditorium, Swimming pool, Gardens Opening hours: and Restaurants, while still blending into the surrounding volcanic landscape. Jameos del Agua was the first of the local government's Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism Daytime 10:00 to 18:30 hrs. and first opened its doors to the public in 1966, though the centre has seen near- Nights: Tuesday & Saturday Coutesy Peter Gerstbach - Wikipedia Courtesy InsideLanzarote.com continuous additions and refurbishments since that time. from 19:00 to 02:00 hrs.
CuevaCueva CanalCanal dede PicoPico PartidoPartido Pico Partido GPS UTM/UPS WGS 84 0624827 3209939
Neighbours to Sima de Tinguatón, look for the arrow near the base of small cra- ter that Sima de Tinguatón lies in.
Follow the markers and cairns, that guide you across Aa Aa lava fields to the scar seen in the picture.
Pico Partido arrow. Start of route There is very little to this cave, however there are some interesting lava forma- over malpais to entrance GPS UTM/ tion both above and below the ground UPS WGS 84 0625263 3210936 SimaSima dede TinguatónTinguatón (( deldel Diablo)Diablo)
Sima de Tinguatón (Cueva del Diablo) Is one of a group of 6 volcanic vent holes lying in the crater of Volcan Nuevo, just south of route 67 between Tinguatón and Montanas del Fuego.
Its is the deepest of the six, approx 95m in depth, and purely an SRT trip. Las Naturalistas (Las Palomas) 4 Cueva Los Verdes (Showcave) Park Entrance Here Footpath To cave (at 1st car passing point going downhill)
Exit Sima Tinguatón
Los Lagos e Lanzarote 5 Jameos Cumplidos c 1 Cave Locations Puerta Falsa d 2 Chifletera Cueva Covón
Jameo de la Gente Esqueleto 4 1 b Paso 2
3 Park
Jameo Prende (Arriba) Park Monte Corona Lava Tube System Here a Las Breñas a b c d Las Brenas 3 5 e Above Helictites in Las Naturalista - Ed Waters Inset Gypsum Rose - Ed Waters. Las Naturalistas Inset Left Calcite formations in Esqueleto -Chris Binding