I LOVE caves, and always try to visit at least one during every trip. Having previously burnt my rock shows in the acidic water caves in Pays Basque, nearly broken an ankle in Nerja because I was wearing flipflops and almost frozen to death in the Ardèche, I was fully prepared for the Gouffre de Proumeyssac with stout walking shoes and a big woolly jumper!
Like most caves, photography is forbidden which is a shame as it was beautiful. Normally I would ignore this silly rule, but as the groups are relatively small and the guide stays with you, it was impossible this time.
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I have never seen calcium rock pools before and the water is a very pale opaque turquoise colour. This cave is also unique for a couple of other reasons. Firstly, you can choose to either walk in via the tunnel, or descent in a nacelle which is a tiny 4 person cage that is lowered down from the original point of entry which is the hole in the ground above. I was fascinated by this but there was no way in the world I would have been brave enough to try it!
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Secondly, there were object everywhere that had been left in the cave to calcify and later sell in the gift shop. Apparently it takes several months for the calcite crystals to form so between times they store them in the cave in rows and rows on tables. The main table itself was originally wooden but over several years has become so petrified that it is now indistinguishable from the stalactites and stalagmites all around.
The visit includes two sound and light shows and it was great fun to experience this with a group of school children of about 7/8 years old who immediately started making ghost noises once the lights went down, immediately followed by the stern ‘sshhhh!’ of their teachers!
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I have never seen calcium rock pools before and the water is a very pale opaque turquoise colour. This cave is also unique for a couple of other reasons. Firstly, you can choose to either walk in via the tunnel, or descent in a nacelle which is a tiny 4 person cage that is lowered down from the original point of entry which is the hole in the ground above. I was fascinated by this but there was no way in the world I would have been brave enough to try it!
.jpg)
Secondly, there were object everywhere that had been left in the cave to calcify and later sell in the gift shop. Apparently it takes several months for the calcite crystals to form so between times they store them in the cave in rows and rows on tables. The main table itself was originally wooden but over several years has become so petrified that it is now indistinguishable from the stalactites and stalagmites all around.
The visit includes two sound and light shows and it was great fun to experience this with a group of school children of about 7/8 years old who immediately started making ghost noises once the lights went down, immediately followed by the stern ‘sshhhh!’ of their teachers!
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