 We
crossed over the border into Switzerland, via the winter ski resorts of
Metabief and Mont d'Or, reaching an altitude of 1400m. We descended down
the other side through a breathtaking landscape of limestone mountains
which clearly showed the folded layers of sediment which had once been
the floor of an ancient ocean. We drove to the quiet little industrial
town of Vallorbe, which had grown wealthy in the 19th and early 20th centuries
from railways and iron works. The town today is famous for its showcave.
The river Orbe
flows through the town, rising in a densely wooded valley that is now a
nature reserve. The river's source was a mystery until the 1960's. It emerged
from a sometimes ferocious resurgence deep in the valley with no sign of
where it came from. Divers had examined the spring but had not made much
progress until a diver in 1962 managed to pass the few hundred metres of
the first sump to emerge into a series of chambers, sumps and passages
which is still being explored today. It took twelve years for a new artificial
entrance to be cut through the rock which is the public entrance today
but the tiny hole where the first divers entered can still be seen. The
above photo is by the Vallorbe Tourist Board and shows one of the pools
which surfaces off the main passage.
|
Introduction
Cote d'Or Jura Switzerland Order Book |
 The
cave is fed by the lake a couple of hundred metres higher up. Unlike the
glacial fed sumps in the mountains which are extremely cold and clear,
the water here varies with the condition of the lake. In summer it has
a greenish hue and is comparitively warm. In the spring, when the snows
are thawing, the cave resurges ferociously and the entire head of the valley
is filled with spray from it. |
|
 The
cave itself is fairly accessible and it is possible to drive almost to
the entrance however it is very popular with tourists and it is best to
drop equipment here and then park out of the way. |
|
 Getting
kitted up at the cave before the dive |
|
 Being
spat out after the dive!
The sump, or at least the part of the cave which the owners will alllow you to dive, is a few hundred metres long, is generally massive and about -25m at its deepest. Swimming in is pleasant despite the flow coming against you provided you think about your position. Coming out is done in half the time, letting the water carry you along the line without hardly having to move. |