Grotte de Lombrives

Grotte de Lombrives or Lombrives Cave is a large natural cavern located in Ornolac-Ussat-les-Bains, at the eastern edge of the Pyrénées Ariégeoises Natural Regional Park, in the Ariège department of Occitanie, in southwestern France [1]. The cave has a length of 8 km [1]. It is located inside a limestone mountain named Cap de la Lesse between the Vicdessos and Ariège valley [1]. There are three caves in this mountain, Niaux and Sabart in the Vicdessos valley, Lombrives in the Ariège valley [1]. All three caves together are 14 km long, but while it is obvious that they belong to the same system, only the caves of Niaux and Lombrives are connected; neither is connected with Sabart [1]. The caves are found on two main levels, the upper level around 650 m above sea level and the lower level around 550 m, which are the main stages of cave development [1].