Photo : --wollewoox (Diskussion) / Wikimedia Commons (Copyrighted free use)
Le Cul du Cerf
The Cul du Cerf is a remarkable karst feature of the Haute-Marne plateaus. Opened in Upper Jurassic limestone, the funnel is one of the most enigmatic and spectacular natural curiosities of the département. The rocky cirque, brilliant white with ochre patches and a few rare dried shrubs, closes the valley in striking contrast with the green surroundings.
Almost circular, the ravine opens to the south and is 200 metres wide and 65 metres deep, with slopes of more than 45 degrees. At the bottom, cluttered with scree rich in marine fossils, is the entrance to the chasm, the upper and seasonal source of the Manoise, which then plunges more than 70 metres below the dry surface. It is a resurgence draining much of the water that seeps through the permeable plateau of Leurville and Trampot, with no permanent flow.
