The Ghar Parau Foundation

A 100% voluntary-based charity providing grant-aid assistance for British caving expeditions to all corners of the world.

Photo: Sunbeams in Doline 1 Hang Son Doong, Vietnam. (Ryan Deboodt)

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About us

The Ghar Parau Foundation is a 100% voluntary-based charity. Through the management of an investment fund, the GPF provides grant aid to British caving expeditions, in particular those that include an element of innovative exploration or scientific study.

Since 2007, the GPF has awarded £143,750 to 217 expeditions travelling to 48 different countries.

We are also particularly keen to encourage young cavers into expedition caving. Over the last 17 years, the GPF has additionally awarded 105 individual grants to cavers going on their first foreign expedition.

Photo: Alum Pot, Yorkshire Dales, UK (Mark Burkey)

Torca del Regallon

December 24, 2015December 10, 2023

2015: In 2015, the Ario Caves Project focused their efforts on Torca del Regallon (also known as C4) last visited in 1997. Major leads explored included a sump at around 600m depth thought to connect with upstream 2/7, and a 15m waterfall marking the upstream limit of the master streamway and heading into blank space.

Matienzo 2015

December 24, 2015October 21, 2023

2015: During a busy 2015, 50 cavers helped survey 10 km of passage in Matienzo caves, 5.5 km of which were new, and with open leads left for 2016. Water tracing at Cueva Valline showed a potential link between Valline and Reñada, with work started on connecting the two (700m new cave).

Read more on the expanding cave systems … Continue Reading >Matienzo 2015

There and Back Again

September 20, 2015October 21, 2023

2015: Eight members of the Imperial College Caving Club went to the Takaka Hills in New Zealand. The expedition found new passage deep in an already discovered cave (Ed’s Cellar) as well as finding several new caves (Weta than Ever, Black Helix and Red Dog/Dead Rogue) in the Canaan Downs region.

Read more on their discoveries … Continue Reading >There and Back Again

Migovec : Pushing the Southern Reaches

October 21, 2014December 10, 2023

The 2014 Expedition to Slovenia celebrated 40 years of exploration by the Slovene caving club, as well as two decades of joint efforts to extend Sistem Migovec. This year saw the discovery of another sump at -967m, and a major breakthrough in the southernmost part of the system.

Culiembrio connected

May 7, 2012October 21, 2023

In 1981, Xitu in northern Spain became the first cave to be extended below 1000 metres by British cavers before it finally ended at a sump.

Nearly 20 years later, a GPF-supported expedition returned to the area to try and find a connection by diving the resurgence, Cueva Culiembro.

Read more on what happened. … Continue Reading >Culiembrio connected

Diving under an icefield

May 6, 2012October 21, 2023

Castleguard Cave is Canada’s longest known cave and is renowned world-wide as the premier example of a cave which extends beneath an active icefield.

Over the course of two grueling expeditions an 845m sump was finally passed, opening up a whole new cave system beyond.

Learn more about the diving success. … Continue Reading >Diving under an icefield