Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Entrance section and first junction
(FIXME: this section needs passage names) The main entrance is a small canyon to the left of a pit with a stream sink. A path to the left of the pit leads to a walking size passage. This quickly opens up to large passage. Follow the miner's steps steeply down on the left. At the bottom of this entrance slope is the first junction, just before a small wall, with three ways on.
The first way off at this first junction is on the left and leads up to initially sizeable passage but this soon closes down and loops back round on itself.
The second route at the first junction goes right and splits within 40m. Dropping down into a small canyon leads eventually to the main paleo passage, following a small stream all the way with several leads off to the left and the right [QM B]. Traversing over this canyon leads to a second, parallel canyon. Upstream has not been followed [QM B] (maybe leads to the entrance pit?) but downstream follows a small stream which eventually meets with the first canyon. Partway along this second canyon a cross rift leads up on the right to a series of fine nitrate pits, water courses and a large, stone-built platform before ending in a crawl into a walking size stream channel, not yet pushed [QM A]. Left at this cross rift has not been pushed [QM A].

Second Junction
The third (and the most obvious) route at the first junction passes through a wall and past several nitrate pits in 5m wide, easy walking passage. A left lead loops back in to before the wall and a right passage loops back in further up the main route. Eventually the main route arrives at a complex second junction. Left, steeply down to a stream, has not been pushed [QM A], and neither has the first right [QM B]. The second right at the second junction leads down through boulders into very high rift which can be followed at a high level or at the bottom of the rift. There appear to be large leads leading off at ceiling level here but climbing into them on the crumbly rock appears precarious [QM B]. Dropping down at floor level follows a small stream in narrow walking passage which roofs over and then pops out into the main paleo passage about 100m upstream of where the other two canyons (described above from the first junction) join. The largest route at the second junction leads ahead, continuing along spacious passage. The main stream drops steeply through boulders and breakdown. There might be a way through the breakdown, but it does not look promising [QM C].

Straight ahead at Second junction
The main passage has been surveyed for around 350m and was left in wide open canyon [QM A]. A series of leads go off from the right and left along this passage [QM B]. The passage is varied, including easy walking along a stream and short clambers through breakdown.

Paleo passage and second and third entrances / Mud Dominoes
Two entrances in close proximity lead down boulder breakdown to the downstream end of the paleo passage. There are various leads near the entrances (see plan) [QM B]. The stream sinks to the right and can be followed some distance through boulders. Upstream the passage is large with huge boulders but a miner's path allows for relatively easy walking. The two canyon passages described above enter from the left, the first entering near a large nitrate pit and the second around 100m upstream, near another nitrate pit. A trickle of water enters from high on the left - a point which can be reached by climbing around a devious route along the right and then the left wall of the passage. There may be a lead up a climb in the roof here [QM C]. Shortly upstream from where the second canyon enters, a large mud floor has an interesting mud sculpture. The plates of dried mud have been removed and carefully stacked into a line like fallen dominoes to create an outline rather like a Chinese character or a butterfly. The scale of the passage beyond this point is difficult to appreciate because it is huge (50m wide) with enormous boulders blocking view of the far side. Unfortunately the passage soon ends in boulder breakdown. A small, drafting stream enters from the most northern extent of the passage [QM B] and there are two tight leads high up on the left [QM C].

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