Exploration of the cave of Meandres de Sal (salt meanders) by members of Espeleo Club de Gràcia. The mining in second half of century XX changed the scenario of Cardona. Galleries were mined into the salt mountain. The salt residues were thrown on the valley and they blocked the water flow. The risky hydrologic balance was disturbed. As a result, the water suddenly opened new channels, a new endo-karst process into the salt environment broke out. The new endo-karst combines previous mine galleries now reshaped by water and new channels.
The research of Espeleo Club de Gràcia has reported and outlined the new born endo-carst into the salt mountain in Cardona. In addition to the cave of Meandres de Sal, 4300 m length and therefore the longest one in Bages district, this new carst includes the cave of El Riu (the river), a salt water lake beneath the surface and the cave of Rierol Salat (salt stream), the last one into the old dumpfill.
[photos Ferran Cardona / Espeleo Club de Gràcia]