The Gouffre Berger
"First -1000 meters underground"For cavers, the Berger chasm is like Everest... a myth. The cave's fame stems from the fact that it is the first in the world where cavers have reached the mythical depth of -1,000 meters.
From 1954 to 1963, it was even the deepest known chasm in the world. To this day, the network continues to expand with new discoveries.
The beginning of the story 1947 The sassenage vats
The story begins here, with no other objective than to discover the origin of the water that comes out of the vats at Sassenage near Grenoble. It’s an unplanned story that unfolds from unpredictable success to hoped-for success, and still doesn’t stop.
1953 - The discovery Depth reached -350 m
1954 - World record broken at -740 then -904 m
The team got organized and new members joined the original team. During the summer of 1954, and again in the autumn, the explorations broke the world record twice. The news was reported in numerous newspapers and magazines, where they were described as the “vacation cavers”.
1955 - New world record set at -985 m
1955 – New world record set at -985 metres
In 1955, the team expanded again to mount a larger expedition. It lasted 218 hours (9 days) and descended to -985 meters. The expedition stopped at the Ouragan shaft, overlooking the mythical -1,000 m mark.
It’s only a postponement.
1956 - 1st minus 1000 underground World record at -1122 m
An international Himalayan-style organization was set up to “prove” the reality of records that some foreigners had doubts about. After 380 hours underground (over 15 days) for the top team, the expedition reached the terminal siphon at -1,122 m.
The Fromagère network The story continues
Further research led to new entries. These included “La Fromagère” from 1966 onwards, with the aim of finding a departure point higher than that of Le Berger, which would set a new record if it were joined. The cavers came up against a siphon crossed by diving in 1990. An obstinate team finally succeeded in reaching the junction “on foot” at the end of December 2024.
The Sassenage vat network Never finished
It all began at the vats, but the story continues with new passages. Dive attempts to cross the siphons from below were unsuccessful, and the ascent to the Saint Nizier plateau continues.
The discoveries are less than 300 metres from the plateau.
The Etoile Sardine network under exploration
Since 2019, a new network named “l’Etoile Sardine”, located at the level of the large 27-meter waterfall at -900 m, is being explored. This is an earlier fossil network that already exceeds 3.5 Km.
The Berger network Will the story end?
Since 1957, numerous expeditions have been made to cross successive siphons, leading to new progressions and “firsts” in secondary networks. To this day, the Berger’s junction with the Sassenage caves remains a dream come true for all cavers.
The Berger is eternal.
Photos : Collection Jean Lavigne, Jo Berger, Georges Marry, Daniel Lavigne, Alex Lopez, Guy Prouin, Patrice Roth, Robbie Shone
