The 50 years of Gruppo Speleologico CAI Bolzaneto: 1956 - 2006

A few years later, in 1961, thanks to the favourable opinion of the President, at the time Giorgio Agnoletto, it's decided by the board of directors the adhesion to the Sottosezione of CAI (Alpine Club of Italy) of Bolzaneto.

The discovery of the cave Scogli Neri, on Bric Tampa (Savona), in March 1965, ends well the first decade.

In 1966 takes place the first of several divisions: in 15 years at least some like ten groups are formed by former members of Group Bolzaneto. During the second half of the '60s the activity is less explorative oriented and it's more centered to the organization of expeditions to the deepest Italian abysses, with a wide emphasis on the city press.
Among the others we can remember: Revel Abyss in Tuscany, the buco del Castello at Roncobello, the Spluga della Preta on Prealpi venete…
From the technical point of view in those years the Group is in the van of techniques, and lead to the introduction and the development, in Italy, of the progression technique of only rope.

In 1971 the Group organizes the first Speleology Course, that is still being held nowadays.

In 1977 the Group organizes one of the first experiments of permanence in temporay isolation inside Antro del Corchia (Tuscany) with medical control thanks to the collaboration of a medical-psychiatric team.
Around the late ’70s the Group discovers and explores a new abyss, called "B3", on Alpi Apuane. In the same period some African expeditions are organized, firstly in Algeria, then in Morocco.

The beginning of the '80s marks a crisis period: almost suddenly most of the "old" members, for various reasons, abandon the Group and leaves few young people that have to start from nothing. The little group left starts again to "beat" the Apuane and Marguareis with explorative intents; the discovery of new caves, among which the Faraone abyss in Apuane and Ferragosto abyss on Marguareis, gives the incentive to organize the first summer camps.

In 1984 the group, riconsolidated by that time, organizes the first official Italian expedition in Romania, under the sponsoship of Romania and Italian governmets. The difference from the previous expeditions stands in the fact of having the main goal of improving the techncal knowledge of Romania speleology allowing it to confront itself with the Western one that was way more evolved.
Since 1985 starts a long exploration activity on Alpi Apuane with the exploration, in collaboration with other Italian and foreign Groups, of the Fate cave (Tuscany). In this same period the René Clergue abyss(-260 m) is discovered in the Apuane Alps.
In 1988 the Groups takes part to the national operation - named “Corno d’Aquilio”- of cleaning the Spluga della Preta, in Veneto.

Towards the mid ’90s it is orgaized the meteorological monitoring in the Grotta di Iso at Isoverde (cadastre number: Li 12) developing the IDRA project, and the biomonitoring of Quaratica cave (La Spezia).
In 1995 a complete geological and geomorphological survey is done in the Scogli Neri cave with an internal camp of 8 days.
Some summer camps on Marguareis are organized and they lead to the exploration of Ferragosto abyss till the depth of more than 500 metres and the discovery on new important abysses such as "Sisifo" and "C100". In the following years the speleodiving activity start again with explorations of several siphons, in particular in the Conche cave with the xploration and survey of the longest siphon in Liguria.
In collaboration with some Ligurian speleological groups, in the year 2000, a new entrance is discovered (called "Ombelico" - belly button) of the "Labassa" cave, on Marguareis, an important contribution to the reasearch of the conjunction with the Karstic complex of Piaggia Bella, that would lead to a system of about 40 km of development that would become the most extended in Italy.

The following year sees the discovery of a new cave in the Apuane Alps (called "Buca Do It!"), connected in 2005 with the Fate cave, already explored by the Group in the '80s. The explorative streghts of the Groups are still focused on this exploration.

In occasion of the 50th annyversary of the Group in 2006, the Group wanted to celebrate the event organizing the 6th Speleological Ligurian Congress and the First Speleological Cinematographic Show with the aim to promote the hypogean activity and underline the incredible fascination and attraction.