Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Below aquaduct a few hundred meters west of Fei Hu Dong, behind Wang Jia Shan village.

Yang Jiao-Li Gang Dong is a sink to resurgence through trip with two known entrances, and a third presumed entrance, Li Gang Dong, which is a pair of 1m diameter holes which open onto a ~15m pitch down to what looks like dry, flat passage. 50 m away, the upper Li Gang Tian Keng entrance is at the base of a 10m diameter collapse where a small stream of runoff from nearby paddy fields sinks. A dry climb down over boulders to one side gains passage which immediately leads to the top of a boulder choke. A further climb down through boulders leads to a short section of tall canyon passage with a small stream, ending at a junction. To the left the canyon continues as dry walking passage with an ascending floor. This is well placed to connect to the Li Gang Dong entrance. To the right there is a cross-rift where the stream drops down a hole in the floor. A few meters on in the cross-rift a small, body-sized hole down provides a thrutchy alternative to climbing down with the water. At the bottom of the climb, a hole through boulders leads to unexplored black space, but the way on is a crawl in the streamway. After 35m the crawl enlarges slightly and a dry, unexplored crawl enters on the right. Continuing ahead, the passage soon becomes a more comfortable stooping height. After 20m there is a low flood outlet on the left, and a further 30m on the stream passage intersects a ~15m tall canyon passage running N-S. The canyon has climbs up in both directions which look interesting, but were not pushed (handline needed). The stream passage continues westward as a crawl then stoop with occasional low oxbows. On the right a small inlet enters over a ledge with rat turds, through a squeeze that was not pushed (black space seen beyond). A final dry crawl goes off on the left and seepage from the aquaduct enters through numerous cracks on the right shortly before the 2.5m high, 1.5m wide resurgence entrance is reached.

Throughout the cave there were signs of large rats as well as lots of hay/grass flood debris. One centipede was seen. Locals say the water level doesn't increase much in the rainy season.

EML 2004.03.25

Wang Hui Feng