6 NOVEMBER 2005

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Return to Doline Entrance

Tony and Bruce got a lift to the nearby 'Doline' entrance that was visible from the road that passes the showcave (Shen Nong Gong). The driver was extremely irrate at something when instructed to take us a short way up the road. Later enquiry revealed that he had been told off for overfishing the lake/paddy field outside the showcave and owned by the cave company. Fortunately nothing to do with us.

We descended the short staggered pitch into the streambed at the bottom of the rift. In order to stay dry for longer, we decided to survey from the pitch downstream and join up with our last survey point in the wet part of the cave. Before too long, we were neck deep in water at "Clingon Corner"


Clingon Corner - narrow and deep


Tony H climbs the waterfall pitch


and crawling in water further beyond. On our return, we met up with Professor "Yellow" (Huang) and Zheng who had returned to the cave to inspect the formations in the rift above the stream and get some water samples. They pointed the way up to the higher level and proceeded to survey from the nearest station. The upper level climbed fairly steeply before descending back down towards the streambed a short way along. Tony spotted a large white cave spider here.

Returning past "The Rat Run" we were surprised to seen the pair still at the bottom of the pitch. Bruce carried on past upstream for 60m and to a conclusion whilst Tony gave some basic instruction on SRT to our Chinese friends who had forgotten how to rig their harnesses. We surveyed the upstream passage which was a dormitory for about 30 bats and then picked up the drill and rope bag from the foot of the pitch to de-rig as we surveyed out.


The Bat Roost

In the fields outside a man from the village was preparing to leave with a yoke ladden with rice bails at either end. Bruce swapped loads with himfor a bit of fun and carried the heavier more uncomfortable load up the path to the village where a celebratory photo was taken. A invitation to eat in the farmhouse was politely declined and the pair walked back 20mins along the road to the showcave after a successful day.


Farmer and Bruce swap loads


Drying pumpkins

Eddie spent the day climbing the overgrown hill behind the showcave. There was no obvious path an his objective was abandoned. Bruce had arranged to meet up with him outside the showcave at about 1pm, but this turned out to be about 4pm. As promised though Bruce raced down to the end of the showcave passage with Eddie to knock off a few hundred metres survey and get a feel for the potential caving for the next day