Doubs and Jura · about 4 km from Vallorbe (CH)
Résurgence de l'Orbe (Grottes de Vallorbe)
- Max depth55 m
- CertificationFull cave
- Water temperature≈ 4–13 °Cestimated, no reports yet
Diving and fills
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Fills nearby
- Fill stationplongee.ch (Puidoux/Rivaz, Zwitserland)Air, nitrox, heliox, trimix, O₂ and helium; 200 and 300 bar outletsRoute ↗
- Fill stationDiveStation (Neuchâtel, Zwitserland)Air, nitrox and trimix up to 300 bar; nitrox and trimix only during opening hours. O₂: ask.Route ↗
What it looks like
Initiation Plongée Spéléo Vallorbe LE FILME Plongée spéléo, Grottes de Vallorbe 775m Cave diving in Vallorbe - December 2016 Cave Diving Vallorbe
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Videos and posts
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Initiation Plongée Spéléo Vallorbe LE FILME Plongée spéléo, Grottes de Vallorbe 775m Cave diving in Vallorbe - December 2016 Cave Diving Vallorbe
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Grottes de Vallorbe
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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
At low water in 2018 visibility was good, with current on the way out. Behind the first sump lies the dry show cave; upstream, after over 600 m of fossil gallery, comes the Siphon des Marmites.
Profile and sections
At low water in 2018 visibility was good, with current on the way out. Behind the first sump lies the dry show cave; upstream, after over 600 m of fossil gallery, comes the Siphon des Marmites.
This is the resurgence of the Orbe, fed by losses from the Lac de Joux and Lac Brenet. Discharge runs from ~2 m³/s at low water to 80 m³/s in flood. The first dive was in 1893; Swiss cave divers (SSS, GLPS) later explored it systematically.
- Depth and profile
- S1 from the resurgence: large flooded chamber at ~120 m; -25 m at ~140 m from the entrance (1962) · Siphon du Désespoir passed at more than -55 m in 1990 · network >30 km (2017)
- Configuration
- No data on restrictions in S1. Cold water (4–13 °C): drysuit.
- DPV: DPV possible (estimate)
- Large flooded chamber and a long network, but no source on scooter use; the deep parts lie beyond dry sections.
Who can dive where
- At least Full cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 55 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
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.
How to get there
In Switzerland. Park at the main Grottes de Vallorbe car park next to the La Dernier power station; driving to the spring is banned (fines possible). Kit up partly at the car park and take your gear to the spring on foot or with a cart; the cart stays at the staff car park during the dive. Kit down ~150 m downstream after the dive. There is a gauge at the spring; at higher water you climb out along chains (2018 report).
Around Résurgence de l'Orbe (Grottes de Vallorbe)
Fills2 fill stations · nearest 40 km
plongee.ch (Puidoux/Rivaz, Zwitserland)
Route du Verney 18, 1070 Puidoux, Switzerland
Air, nitrox, heliox, trimix, O₂ and helium; 200 and 300 bar outlets
Mon–Fri 9:00–12:00 and 13:30–18:30, Sat 9:00–16:00; air station 24/7 for subscribers
Dive shop in Puidoux (Rivaz); one of the most complete gas lists in the area. Air-station subscription CHF 180 a year (couple CHF 290); air CHF 6–12 per cylinder, +CHF 2 for 300 bar. Walk-in trimix fills for visitors: ask.
DiveStation (Neuchâtel, Zwitserland)
Route de la Pierre-à-Mazel 4, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Air, nitrox and trimix up to 300 bar; nitrox and trimix only during opening hours. O₂: ask.
Tue–Fri 9:00–12:00 and 13:30–18:30, Sat 9:00–16:00; air station 24/7 (subscription: ask)
Dive shop with a fill station; formerly the Neuchâtel branch of plongee.ch. The nearest known trimix address. CCR supplies (sorb) and walk-in fills for visitors: ask.
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