AVEN CLUB VALETTOIS

PHILIPPINES 1997. (02/02/97 au 02/03/97)

The AVEN CLUB VALETTOIS persists. It is the sixth time that a team of french speleologists have visited and shared the discovery of caves and gulfs in the Philippines . G.FERRET, C. FERRON, F. MERCEUR and M. PAUL have joined forces with their comrade Philippine speleologist Roméo A. OTOM for renewed explorations of a Cape on the island of SAMAR where the A.C.V. has already explored several of the main cavities in the archipelago. SULPAN CABALIGHUTAN (3985m, +85, -36), SULPAN NAPOTE (2389m, +36, -32), SULPAN MALEHO (4700m, +14, -29).

The objective for 97 is a an area noticed on card that seems to swallow three rivers. The first problem consists of ascending the Gandarato River up to the city of MATUGUINAO. Strong rains brutally increase its force. Our hosts confirm the existence of the immense porch in which the river disappears. But the weather report and the behavior of our "guides" incite us to play it safe and to withdraw to an other zone that we know already well. We make our way to CALBAYOG to look at a résurgence (GINOGOAN) that delivers us 600 gallery meters with a fossil floor exploited for the guano. Then, we return to MATALUD, where our old friend Gaudeen indicates to us several vertical cavities of the BORABOD. Its giant orifice, invaded by the vegetation, opens on a well of 40 meters depth. Large galleries, ducks, concretions, blind fish . Siphon! 700 meters are surveyed. During one exploration, F. MERCEUR falls. Injuries include a broken ankle and a beautiful pizza bruise on the thigh. Rest forced for all the team. (It rains. )

Other small potholes (- 60m ) without development are visited around MATALUD. On the 9th of February, 3 Italian speleologists rejoin us: Guido ROSSI, Gianni GUIDOTTI and Paolo CARRARA. However there are no more large systems to explore around MATALUD: A beautiful gallery (CABALIGHUTAN -AN), a sink (KABUGAO), and a small underground river (TAWASAN - Stop on nothing! ) are explored. A reconaissance is undertaken on the other bank of the Blanca Aurora river to villages of Himay up to Tumugbun. We find there sinks and résurgences impenetrable as well as two small caves. The time presses us and no large cavity in view! We decide to tempt our chance more to the North-east to the city of CALAPI. We discover an immense strewn Poljé of chalky hills. Each hill has its own cave. Each cave has been ruined by the robbers of Calcite. Everything that could be broken is. Often, broken concretions are lying on the spot. We visit several galleries (MAYDANA, MALONOY 1 & 2) as well as a short but picturesque traverse (N'GA CAVE - The open cave) over by the river that drains the poljé. On the 26 February, the homeland beckoned us. Our Italian friends continue without us and explore again a beautiful sink in mountains situated between CALAPI and TUMUGBUN.

Speleological results in terms of major cavesare not so good for this sixth publishing -but a beautiful harvest of white and blind fish - and especially a great pleasure to meet our Philippine friends and to share our adventures with our transalpine colleagues.Thanks to Martin for his help to translate this text.