Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Near road running south from Tianxing.

20m diameter collapse feature in hillside narrows immediately to a sloping 10m diameter shaft. A path skirts the W side of the shaft to a small passage where a dam facilitates water collection. After 5 meters the passage lowers to a crawl over cobbles. Further exploration here would involve crawling in the trickle that feeds the water supply.

On the east side a path goes down the shaft. Locals have obviously been down without aids, but a handline is advisable. 2 thrubolts in a large boulder provide a y-hang for the slippery 18m descent to a large, rubbled floor chamber. Fresh rockfall and a 'hanging death' ceiling indicate the entrance is still in the process of collapsing. To the N the rubble pile slopes down, ending in a crawl under the western wall, while 2 inaccessible inlets enter the chamber from above. The most northerly looks promising, with decent sized passage going off, but reaching it will require a 5m bolt climb. S in the main chamber both the fill and the ceiling descend more steeply, quickly pinching to a stoop followed by a climb up (5m handline recommended) into crawling passage. Ahead a well-decorated low crawl has not been pushed. To the right the crawl continues for some distance before finally breaking out into a sort section of walking passage and then a 4m high, 3m wide chamber. 4m back from the chamber a crawl going off to the left immediately becomes too tight. In the chamber, a 3m climb up (good holds, but very vertical) heading back over the crawl was not pushed. Ahead there are two options: a climb up over friable rock to gain a further 15m of crawl to a window onto the main chamber, or a slope down to a crawl and then squeeze back into the main chamber.

2001 logbook, 2003 drjc, eml