Ardèche · about 5 km from Aubenas

Baume de Chabanne

Max depth25 m
CertificationFull cave
Water temperature≈ 12–13 °Cestimated, no reports yet
SpecialSidemount

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Very high water: the river at this cave is higher than on 93% of the days in the past year.

At such a level springs are often murky, and some caves close. Check locally whether diving is possible. This notice comes from the river gauge (Ardèche, Vallon) and goes away by itself when the water drops.

Status: Open
Visibility: probably poorFlow Ardèche, Vallon: 175 m³/s · Very high water · rising
Water temperature: 12–13 °C, depending on the season
Local reports: Ardèche Caves Conditions ↗
Rain, next 3 days: 11 Wed4.5 mm14°/17°12 Thu49.4 mm14°/16°13 Fri6.2 mm7°/13°

Report visibility and temperature

How was the visibility in the cave? Report it

poor visibility5–10 mgood visibility

Date of your diveSign in to report the visibility

This is about the visibility inside the cave, not in the head pool or the open water at the entrance.

TemperatureDate of your diveSign in to report the temperature

Report what your dive computer showed in the cave. Only the number of reports, the temperatures and the latest date are public.

Sources: Hub'Eau (Vigicrues) and MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Updated daily.

The dive

After S1 you reach a tall passage (5–10 m), with a 5 m ladder (fixed rungs since 2023) and a 3 m climb.

Bat maternity colony just before S1: Grottocenter/CDS 07 ask visitors to avoid the cave from April to September.

Source: Grottocenter via grottomap.org – Chabannes (Baume de) ↗Source: plongeesout.ffspeleo.fr – Baume de la Chabannes ↗

Floods damage the fixed ladders and ropes beyond S1 — check them or bring your own.

Source: plongeesout.ffspeleo.fr – Baume de la Chabannes ↗

Profile and sections

After S1 you reach a tall passage (5–10 m), with a 5 m ladder (fixed rungs since 2023) and a 3 m climb. Then come two boulder chokes (one rigged), a wet duck (a short breath-hold) and a 35 m high chimney; from there it is about 500 m more to S2. The water was heavily loaded with sediment during the 2002 survey.

The cave is the highest overflow outlet of the Louyre–Eyrolle system. Clubs still visit (2017 monitoring probe, 2023).

Depth and profile: S1 140–150 m / -9 · approx. 800 m of dry cave · S2 360 m / -25 (1979 terminus at an impassable squeeze) · development >1,010 m, 435 m flooded
Configuration: S1 is roomy (about 6 m wide): any configuration. Beyond S1 everything has to be carried up ladders and through boulder chokes; light sidemount is then the practical choice.
DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate): S1 is short (about 140 m) and followed by dry cave: a scooter gains nothing.

Who can dive where

CaveAt least Full cave
Whole caveConfigurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
Whole caveGoes down to 25 m (trimix or deco may be needed) · doesn't decide who may dive

Dry sections / haulingDepends on water level or swell

This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.

Cave map

plongeesout.ffspeleo.fr – survey (FFS) ↗

How to get there

10 x 12 m portal on the left bank of the Louyre. From the Saint-Privat–Lussas road (park at the information board) descend about 150 m on a path. Then a few tens of metres of roomy passage to S1.

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Around Baume de Chabanne

FillsNo fill station known nearby

Where to sleepAround Aubenas on Booking.com ↗

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Other sites6 within 25 km

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