Camp Chamois rd International Exploration Camp at the Grotte des Chamois (Castellet-lès-Sausses, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France) From 10 to 21 August 2011 Organization Association CRESPE: Philippe Audra, Jean-Claude Nobécourt & Jean-Yves Bigot EuroSpeleo Projects FSE

2 – Team 2011 Philippe Audra Olivier Sausse Donald Accorsi Dider Cailhol Philippe Bertochio José Leroy Johan Jouve Alain Staebler Bruno Arfib Cathy Frison Jean-Yves Bigot Philippe Mauzet Laurent Cadilhac Xavier Cailhol Jean-Claude Nobécourt Philippe Bertochio

Peter Zentay Alexey Kopchinskiy Agnes Hajnal Bernhard Köppen 3 – Team 2011 Ernst Fischer Ana Demšar Laura Sanna Zoltan Zentay Jo De Waele Gabriella Koltai Thomas ExelAndrej Drevenšek Matthew Covington Alvaro Ramirez Erik Agrell Matija Perne Barbara Wielander

4 – A Real International Aspect Of The Camp

The daily schedule allows to know what is happened during the camp and exposes the activity period of everyone. 5 – Planning

Today, it's the longest cave of the Southern Alps The Chamois Cave is located in the south of France. 6 – Location

7 – Diving Upstream Sump Part of the team in front of the Aurent refuge. The diving team ready to go to upstream sump: from left to right and downwards: Alvaro Ramirez, Philippe Bertochio (diver), Matija Perne. Down, Johan Jouve, Matthew Covington.

Xavier Cailhol in front of the Fantasmes Entrance, in a confortable seated position above the Pasqueirets Canyon Many people are in the Pasqueirets Canyon where an attempt of communication will be made between the Fantasmes Team and the Pingouins Team located inside the Chamois Cave. 8 – Pasqueirets Canyon

9 – Pasqueirets Canyon With a special phone named Nicola, Donald Accorsi is calling the Pingouins Team in the Chamois Cave. Everything is all right. The waves cross through the rock mass without trouble.

10 – Pasqueirets Canyon In the Pingouins Gallery, the magnetic emitter antenna (UGPS) is spread (frame). The experiment can begin. Hello, The Penguins? Here the Earth! Can you hear me? The aim is to precisely determine the distance separating Fantasmes Entrance from Pingouins Gallery where footprints of animal have been found

11 – Fantasmes Hole The calculated distance is 40 m; we know the Fantasmes length (20 m), and we can say there is still about twenty meters to dig... At the Fantasmes Entrance, Donald Accorsi is ready to measure the distance between him and the frame of antenna (UGPS) located inside.

Another one more box of stones! 12 – Pasqueirets Canyon Before to be back to the refuge!

During this time, Donald Accorsi, Didier Cailhol and Jean-Yves Bigot takes some pictures in the large galleries of Valette Highway. We decide to climb in the ascending series of Valette Highway: Olivier Sausse and Xavier Cailhol go to Sulfuric Meander. Another team, Philippe Audra and Matija Perne, will climb in the réseau – Valette Highway

Different profiles in the galleries of Valette Highway. 14 – Valette Highway

– Valette Highway Valette Highway is the continuation of the large and long Hormones Gallery.

Speleothems in Valette Highway Canyon. 16 – Valette Highway Driphole in silt.

17 – Valette Highway Sediments composed of sand and sandstone pebbles.

18 – Valette Highway Cross section filled by sediments. Valette Highway is the continuation of Hormones Gallery, but the difference between both galleries are the original wall features, better preserved in Valette Highway.

Didier Cailhol is in a narrow passage opened at the terminus of Italian cavers – Valette Highway

20 – Downstream Sump The breathing equipment must be checked because it can be damaged during the transport Philippe Bertochio is preparing to dive the downstream sump.

Philippe upload on his back the breathing equipment. The preparing is slow: nothing must be forgotten. 21 – Downstream Sump

Writing tablet used to note data during the diving. On the way back, Philippe gives his precious data to Barbara: the downstream sump is 100 m long for 14 m deep – Downstream Sump

23 – Diving Team The diver is satisfied: the sump has been crossed while it's rare to emerge post sump so close to the spring. Part of diving team. Alain Staebler Barbara Wielander Thomas Exel Philippe Bertochio – Diving Team

Barbara Wielander Alain Staebler Ernst Fischer Philippe Bertochio and Thomas Exel. The team very happy to be back. 23 – Diving Team

At the refuge, Barbara is entering data in the computer and the topographic transfer can start – Transfer Cross-section Downstream sump

Ana Demšar is frying something and Catherine Frison is getting dinner ready. 26 – Dinner is served guys!

The dinner is ready and served at a table outside. What a wonderful place compared to wet Shadock Gallery, isn't it? Alain Staebler and Catherine Frison are cocking rice or pasta. 27 – Dinner is served guys!

28 – Photo & Video What is the plan? Photo and video 3D for Hungarian girls. Agnes Hajnal and Gabriella Koltai are ready to go.

Alain Staebler, Alexey Kopchinskiy and Jean-Yves Bigot decide to follow climbing on the top of Réseau 13 in Valette Highway. Alain takes some crabs and a heavy driller. 29 – Climbing in Réseau 13

Alexey Kopchinskiy secures Alain Staebler in a difficult step towards the top of the shaft. Stuffed with driller, Alain begins climbing – Climbing in Réseau 13

Alain Staebler is drilling to put the spits and to install the ropes. Alexey follows him with the gear – Climbing in Réseau 13

Down below, Alain is installing the rope in the shaft (P11) after climbing. Alexey is observing a geological fault allowing the development of shafts series. 32 – Climbing in Réseau 13

Together, they reach the base of new shaft very vertical (about +230 m) : the « puits des Pépites ». But they have to stop here : they need a special gear and equipment to continue the artificial climbing A nugget (pyrite fool's gold) in the shaft called « puits des Pépites ». 33 – Climbing in Réseau 13

+ 283 m At the end of the camp, the ultimate point will reach m 34 – Climbing in Valette Highway

35 – Abuse While others work hard at Aurent Village, José has a great time in cave entrance... Jean-Claude Nobécourt is bringing something to eat

Matthew Covington, Ernst Fischer and Thomas Exel continue the survey in the Thénardier Gallery, Ernst takes very good pictures with his LED light. 36 – Survey in Thénardier Gallery

– Thénardier Gallery Gypsum speleothems growing on the sandstone pebble. Another mineral can be identified in this very dry gallery: mirabilite.

On the surface, near the Chamois entrance, an international team (Andrej Drevenšek, Philippe Mauzet, Zoltan Zentay, José Leroy and Alain Staebler) decides to open a new entrance towards the réseau du Champagne. 38 – Rolling Stones Entrance The big stones are rolling along the rock slide and the work is easy.

Rolling Stones Entrance Réseau du Champagne 39 – Rolling Stones Entrance The work begun the day before by Johan Jouve continues, and about 10 cubic meters are removed. But there is no entrance, no gallery... And yet, the réseau du Champagne is so close

– Exploration-surveying An exploration-surveying team (Barbara Wielander, Alain Staebler, Erik Agrell, Andrej Drevenšek and Matija Perne) goes to the Onze Heures Gallery. They have to explore a shaft in réseau du Champagne. Unfortunatly, the continuation is already known. But all galleries are surveyed and the stations marked.

Philippe Mauzet, Ernst Fischer Alexey Kopchinskiy and Jean-Yves Bigot attemp to do a discharge measurement of Coulomp Spring by a dilution method. 41 – Discharge measurement... While Jean-Claude Nobécourt, located downstream, is measuring the conductivity of water.

Invisible cave entrance. On the path leading to Pasqueirets site, Alexey Kopchinskiy find a new cave entrance (Invisible Cave) located 5 m under the path. It's probably an old conduit connected to réseau des Griffes of Chamois Cave but the distance is still 50 m, according to Donald Accorsi measurements – Invisible Cave

The confortable refuge of Aurent allows the good mood in the team. 43 – Good Mood And Conviviality Matthew Covington has brought his Kentucky mandolin and sings his own songs

The team will go until Claude Shaft through the Wet Shadocks Series. A visit of Chamois Cave is organized for people of Castellet-lès-Sausses. 44 – Doors Open Day

The group in the Divers' Hall Despite the wet series (pumped sumps) everybody enjoyed. Philippe Mauzet Guy Coquin Jacques Loriot Karine Mayen Alain Staebler 45 – Doors Open Day

The know-how is put for collaborative tasks (surveying, climbing, digging, transit, etc.). This organization makes the team successful. 46 – Everyone to his trade

The caving values do not differ from trekking values and respect the nature and environment 47 – The Surroundings Of The Cave

48 – The End The End The Aurent Village about 1911 (Aurent museum collection)