Grotte de Clamouse

In 1947 the Martel Prize for Speleology was awarded to the Speleo Club of Montpelier for the discovery and exploration in 1945 of a new underground river in the Hérault Gorge, called the Grotte de Clamouse. The source of the river is the Causse de Larzac, it eventually resurges as a beautiful spring in the middle of the wild groves of Hérault, close to Guilhen le Désert.

Today, speleologists are not the only ones who can enjoy the wonders of Clamouse, for it has been opened to the public. Because of the rarity and richness of the formations, Clamouse is a contender for the title of "Subterranean Capital of the World". The present day tourist route by-passes the difficult path taken by the early explorers, and leads directly into the "Sand Hall". This is one of the largest chambers in the cave. The route takes a semi-circular tour through the "Red Niagara Room" and the "Subterranean Canyon", both of which are profusely adorned with stalactite formations. The passage narrows and one passes a splendid array of aragonite crystals and beneath a veritable forest of straw stalactites about 2 m long. The pathway climbs up to the Sale du Chaos - a massive boulder chamber, eventually the tourist reappears in daylight via a man-made tunnel.

Text by Tony Oldham (2003). Based on an article in The British Caver Vol 58 1972 by Tony Oldham. With kind permission.