Friouato (Grotte-gouffre de) [Kef Friouato] [Kehf Friwato]
34.104301,-4.072568
Location
Djebel Messaoud, Middle Atlas, Taza province, Bab Boudir village; Coordinates: X=622,3 Y=390,25 (map 1:50,000 Taza). Better Coordinates: X=622,313 Y=390,295 (Merchich Lambert Nord) Alt. 1,450 m.
Description
General description
Also called "Gouffre de Friouato". Formed in Lias limestones. The course of the river is blocked by two sumps that have been dived to reach a terminus at a boulder choke in the western extension of the cave. Kef Friouato is located near Rhar Chiker (see above). Profile, plan and overview map taken from Camus & Lamouroux (1981). Length according to Cahzuac (1988). In recent years, the entrance section of Kef Friouato was fitted with simple means to facilitate guided touristic trips. An entry fee is collected from visitors who can obtain a photocopy of the profile of the cave's entrance section.
Documents
Bibliography 12/03/2020- * Mehdi Idrissi, 11 mars 2020, "Fermée depuis 2016, la grotte de Friouato bientôt accessible" in lesecho.ma: leseco.ma/fermee-depuis-2016-la-grotte-de-friouato… * ? : www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/fr/features/a…
History
Explored by the SC Taza 1930-1931, then by Casteret (1934). Bottomed by the SC Taza in 1948 (Camus & Lamouroux 1981) who found an underground river at about -230 m. Continued by the Société Spéléologique du Maroc (SSM 1953, map) in 1949, Camus & Lamouroux (1981) and the Italian “Maroc ‘82” expedition (Dambrosi & Sello (1983).
La grotte de Friwato (ou Friouato) a été exploré par le Français Norbert CASTERET dans les années 30. Depuis 1932, le village a travaillé à équiper la grotte, creusant une entrée à l'explosif pour garantir un accès facile aux visiteurs, ainsi que des escaliers en béton qui jalonnent le premier kilomètre, et un système d'éclairage de secours.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7 | Chiker 1 (Kehf) | 3865 | 146 |
| 4.0 | El Sao (Kef) | 220 | |
| 11.3 | Nahal-Tikhoubaï | 310 | |
| 22.9 | Chara (Rivière de) | 7650 | 10 |
| 45.5 | El Ghare (Kehf) | 1072 | |
| 177.2 | Chameau (Grotte du) | 1155 | |
| 296.2 | Nerja (Cueva de) | ||
| 316.6 | Boquete de Zafarraya (Cueva del) | ||
| 376.3 | Abraham, Sima de [SA-104] | 257 | 54 |