This is the best of the many books by Norbert Casteret, prolific author and undoubtedly the most famous of speleologists. Through his evocative writings, which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, he has introduced countless readers to the wonders of caves and the adventure of caving. Here are Casteret's firsthand accounts of adventure and archaeological discovery in the caves of the Pyrenees, on the border of France and Spain.
Ten Years Under the Earth ranges from "The Story of a Raindrop" (concerning the slow growth of cave features) to "An Ice World below Ground: The Grotte Casteret," from "The Phantom Hands of Gargas" (about ritual mutilation practiced by ancient man) to "The Deepest Abyss in France, the Gouffre Martel." Here is a wealth of firsthand archeological and caving lore, for the beginner as well as for the experienced caver and caving enthusiast.
This volume contains the essential parts of two successive books by Norbert Casteret: Dix Ans Sous Terre, which was honored by the French Academy, and Au Fond des Gouffres.