14
OCTOBER
2006
OCTOBER
2006
|
14 OCTOBER 2006 |
Recce of Teng Long Dong Area
Breakfast at 8am. Bruce had been working on the computer till late and was the
last to get to the table, needing a few Nescafe ready mixes to join the land
of the living. Afterwards, it was a struggle to unpack and organise all the
equipment packed in containers and tubs that were still stuffed in our bags.
Ged negotiated with some builders next door to establish a tackle room that
conveniently adjoined the small carpark at the front of the hotel and would
prevent us traipsing mud into the posh foyer, lifts and rooms. The tackle itself
had been sent to a government hotel compound across town with the van driver
who had brought it all the way from Guilin by road. This would need moving to
where we could use it! Several requests were made as to when we were going to
be ready and the team were mobilised as soon as possible. The main objective
of the day was to visit as many of the entrances to Teng Long Dong as possible.
We had to get a clear picture of the system before the second wave of cavers
arrived in a week's time. It could be that some entrances would require ropes
to gain access and others may involve long walk-ins for example. Over the next
few days we hoped to establish a list of fruitful sites that our second larger
team could get stuck into straight away.
We all left together with a minibus and two Pajeros and as decided the previous
evening headed past the showcave river sink to Xiang Shui Dong (Loud Cave).
This was right by the roadside and was a small vegetated doline with the roaring
white-water river from the main sink racing through below. We GPS'd the entrance
and
Mr Hou our guide above the boiling waters of Xiang Shui Dong
picked our way down a very steep soil slope above the 25m pitch into the torrent
below. A stout tree bough reached out over the hole which would provide a clear
rope hang for a descent to the river. Our next call along the "North Circular"
road above the cave system was Long Gu Dong (Dragon Bone Cave). Again not far
from the road, this small entrance emitted a strong and cold draught that was
very welcome considering the warmth of the day. A little way inside, a large
60m pitch was reached and the rotten bolt holes of the Belgian expedition 30
years before were found. A little further along this track, we dropped off the
road and walked through a field of tall dead maize plants whose crop had long
been harvested, towards another walk-in entrance beneath 4 trees (Da Tiankang)
Long bamboos being loaded onto a cart near Da Tiankang
We returned to the juction where we had branched off to the last two caves and
headed east. We were soon unable to proceed any further, meeting a team of roadworkers
concreting the road. We about-turned and headed back to the showcave restaurant
for another excellent meal that was particulary spicy. Pickled ginger and sun-dried
red chillies seem very popular in this area.
Heading back into town and out on the "South Circular" we aimed our
sights on Hei Dong (Black Cave) Resurgence where the main river emerges from
the Teng Long Cave system. A narrow bumpy track reached a farmhouse and we started
walking downhill into the valley below. It was going to be a long way and we
had already lost time. Splitting into 2 groups, we sent Harvey and Tony to GPS,
photo and assess the entrance whilst Ged, Bruce, Eddie and Niu drove back toward
Lichuan, branching off right to get to Yen He Dong (Milk Way Cave). The road
climbed up past tobacco fields before descending a hairpin bend section where
we parked up. The path led towards a dramatic limestone cliff hill. We followed
a clever set of steps built into a natural rift in the cliff to get down to
the
This farmer's family has been the sole occupants of this locale for generations
next field. Below this field, we noted a short 100m section of the muddy Qi
Jiang river that welled up from the obscurred and flooded cave system below
before sinking again.
The underground river we hope to access elsewhere emerges and sinks in this
fluctuating pool
There were no entrances above the waterline but the tide mark and vegetation
suggested the water rose about 15m above its current level. Also leaving the
farmer's field here was a short section of through-cave that headed back towards
the car, although somewhat lower (Chuang Dong). A little further along we descended
into a large dry riverbed that emerged from the Yen He Dong entrance and when
flowing passed over a contorted bedding in the direction of Bei Dong whose entrance
liffs were just visible several hundred metres away.
Yen He Dong flows out into this bedrock river bed in the wet season
We returned to the
cars and backtracked to the main road. Our final stop for the day was Ba Kuai
Dong (Eight Field Cave) that we had spotted on a geological maps and looked
like a significant river sink that might join the Teng long Dong system. After
treking through farmers fields for a kilometer or so, a small dry streambed
directed us towards a small sink which had signs of backing up (mud and flood
dedris on its outer walls). This was only 25m long and juvenile. A disappointing
result.
We returned to the hotel for dinner and met up with Tony & Harvey who had
returned some time earlier after a 2hr trek to the end resurgence and back.
The large cave waters had unfortunately prevented them surveying from their
GPS fix to the cave dripline
