Parque Natural de Urkiola · Ayuntamiento de Abadiño

Potholing in Urkiola

Askondo

Degree of difficulty: Low

Risk: Low

For many years and according to the known catalogues, this was the largest cavity in the area until Jentikoba and other cavities over a kilometre long were explored. It is an easy and roomy cave, which gradually narrows to a rather tight point that leads on to the low passageway at the end. This cave is very well-known as relics of the extinct cave bear, Ursus Sapeleus, has been found there. Some of the remains are now at Mañaria’s Sea Museum.

How to get there:

From the San Lorenzo Chapel at Urkuleta, take the track that goes up to the abandoned Aperribai quarry. Continue a little further and when you reach a house, turn right and it is just a few metres from the cave mouth, which was partially destroyed by the quarrying in the past.

Description:

Once inside, you will find yourself in a room that is over 10 metres high and with flowstones on its right wall. Go up the steep ramp and set off along the winding route. You will soon come to the “Moon Gallery”, whose name comes from the depressions or carters in the floor, which recall a lunar landscape. It is not very high and it is difficulty going for a few metres.

You will then reach another beautiful gallery, called the "Gallery of the Rimstone Pools, whose name reflects the abundance of these formations or natural dams. During period of high rainfall, they bubble over with water, which creates a truly unusual scene.

The last stage is along a steep but short crawl gallery, with a small 7-metre sinkhole with a small amount of water to the left. Continue along the low gallery which gradually gets lower and lower. Even though it is seven metres wide, it is impossible to get right along it as it goes down to only 30 centimetres.

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