N'Taouya (Ifri)

Michael Laumanns - 29/11/2015

Co-ordinates: E 006°27,2'; N 31°52.9% (map 1:50,000 Zaouyat-Ahancal). Alt. 1,710 m. Also called “ifri N’Taouya”. Ifri N'hamed N’Taouia develops just 20 m below the surface of the plateau. A number of ascending avens were positively identified with boulder-choked sinkholes on the surface. The cave starts with fine boating passage, interrupted by a boulder cone with a cascade, until a sump is reached. The Société Spéléologique du Maroc (SSM 1953) explored 1,400 m in 1950, Length brought to 2,400 m (1980) and to 3,600 m in 1981 by British cavers from the Westminster Speleological Group (Hart 1982) by pushing the wet leads. Further exploration by Spanish speleologists (Escola I Boada 1986). Biospeleological results from this cave were published by Deuve & Queimnec (1994). Description according to (Camus & Lamouroux 1981). Survey, showing 2,400 m, taken from Hart (1981).