Grotte de la Draye Blanche


Useful Information

Location: In La-Chapelle-En-Vercors, Royans, Vercors.
Open: APR to JUN daily 10-17.
JUL to AUG daily 10-18.
SEP to NOV daily 10-17.
[2011]
Fee: Adults EUR 8, Children (3-18) EUR 5.50.
Groups (+): Adults EUR 6, Children (3-18) EUR 4.50.
[2011]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave
Light: LightIncandescent
Dimension: T=10 °C.
Guided tours: D=60 min.
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: Grotte de la Draye Blanche, Les Croix, 26420 La Chapelle en Vercors. Tel: +33-475-482496, Fax: +33-475-481268. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History

1918 discovered by Fabien Rey.
1970 opened to the public.
1990 palaeontologic site discovered by workers during renovations.

Description

The Grotte de la Draye Blanche (Cave of the White Draperies) was discovered by Fabien Rey. Rey was a strange guy, he had different views on many things, so he lived outside the village in a hut with his 30 dogs. One way to earn his living was poaching, and one day on a hunt his dog fell into a scialet, scialet is the local dialect term for daylight shaft. He immediately used his single rope and descended into the daylight shaft to look for his dog. He found a passage leaving at the ground of the shaft, and after he had brought back his dog, he entered the daylight shaft again to explore the passage. His only equipment was the rope and a candle for light. And he discovered a cavern 100 m long and 30 m wide. The first time he actually saw his discovery was 50 years later, he was in his eighties, when the cave was opened as a show cave.

The cave was modernized in 1990, an artificial tunnel was dug to make the tours easier. The workers were surprised when thy discovered a heap of bones. All together a pile of 15,000 bones of bison, cave bear, wolf, and eagle was discovered. A total of 45 species was identified by palaeontologists.

The Parc Préhistorique (prehistoric park) at the cave is actually an open air exhibition with life size models of extinct animals. This exhibit has little to do with the cave, the animals on display are not the ones which were discovered in the bone heap. This part a sort of theme park, we guess it is intended for children.