Torca del Carlista (English: Carlista Cavern) is a large

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cavern found in Cantabria,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, approximately from the city of

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. The entrance, up the slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains, is only a single metre (3 feet) wide. The entry passage descends some vertically in a narrow chimney before opening up into the cavern's main gallery. Some long and wide, the total surface area of the cavern exceeds 20 acres, or . The main chamber is the fifth-largest underground chamber in the world, with a ceiling that reaches at its highest point.

History

The name Torca del Carlista likely comes from nearby Carlista Peak, a mountain named for the Spanish

Carlist Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimists (disambiguation), Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbon dynasty ...

movement. Carlists supported Don Carlos, Count of Molina, as successor to the Spanish throne, and were opposed by Royalists. Local legend has it that an unnamed Carlist threw himself to death rather than surrender to the Royalists, and suggests that the cave was named for him. The first attempt to enter the case was made in 1957 by

cavers Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

from the Grupo Espeleológico Vizcaino (GEV). The cave was first successfully explored in 1958 by a team of Spanish speleologists from Grupos Universitarios de Montaña (GUM). Access is presently restricted to experienced cavers only.

Geology

The central gallery of the cave is called the GEV Grand Hall, in honor of the GEV cavers who first explored it. The two other galleries are named Iradier and Aranzadi. Based on similar formations found in both, it is speculated that nearby Pozalagua Cave was a part of Torca del Carlista now separated by fallen rock.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Caves of Cantabria Limestone caves