Parque Natural de Urkiola · Ayuntamiento de Abadiño

Potholing in Urkiola

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Degree of difficulty: Medium

Risk: Medium-high

It is a half natural and half artificial cavity, as the result of mining activities, but instead of having a damaging effect, those changes give the cave a very special atmosphere, which is an amazing and fascinating mixture due to the remains of the structures that are still to be found there, which combined to the predominant darkness creates a gloomy but captivating effect.

How to get there:

From Abadiño’s Barrio de Sagasta, take the path to Axpe. You will come to a crossroad that is at the highest point, which is also halfway along the path. Turn off to the right until you reach a small clearing, where cars can be left. Now take the path to Larrano. Just after you have left the valley and gone up a steep ramp, you will reach a resting place from where you can see the small entrance, in the Alluitz walls, about 100 m above you and 60 m to the East. Take the small path through the undergrowth to the entrance, even though it sometimes disappears between the grass.

Description:

Once in the entrance, put the 12-metre entry ramp in place and go down to a large room. There, you have two options: you can either choose to go down a small 15-metre sinkhole to the top of the last sinkhole, or go along the mining gallery that comes out in the same place. We recommend the second option.

After going down the small mining tunnels, you will reach another room lit by tiny window Go down a small 3-metre sinkhole that will take you to a cave-in that is 10 metres wide and 30 metres deep, where you can see some mining galleries and some old wooden structures. After putting a small 3-metre handrail in place on the left-hand side, go along a mining gallery to the last sinkhole.

This is just under 12 metres long and will bring you to a downward sloping room that is the meeting point for various mining galleries. One of the galleries is particularly wide and very regular in shape. This gallery is often flooded.

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