Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Walk up valley NE of Tongzi, hack off to the right (E) at the walled terraces around 2.5km up the valley. Entrance is in a shakehole around 150m up slope.

Entrance

Small, wet entrance around 3m in diameter in a shallow shakehole. This enlarges immediately inside with a rift visible heading off. The rift is oriented approximately north-south and initially drops approx. 30 meters as a series of two pitches with several rebelays and directionals. At the bottom of the rift, a short offset leads to a third pitch of approximately 10m with one rebelay and a directional. A tricky downclimb then leads to a westward-trending low, wet crawlway that varies between hands/knees and flat-out belly crawl. After a couple of 90-degree turns, the passage eases to a low canyon for approximately 50m before opening up to the head of a 15 meter pitch. This pitch head currently (April 2007) is rigged with a dubious backup bolt in a flake that should be replaced on the next trip. A small trickle-stream flows from a aven at the bottom of the pitch and joins the entrance stream. The passage once again degenerates to a low tight canyon with clear evidence of occasional flooding during wet conditions despite the low volume of dry-season flow. This canyon continues for 30 meters to an 11m pitch. A short climbdown at the bottom of the pitch gives access to another low, twisty gravel/cobble streamway that occasionally requires crawling through pools. A 6th pitch is reached after approximately 50 meters, and represents the crux of the cave at the time of this writing. The pitchhead requires a very tight squeeze though a 30-degree angled slot while on rope leading to a rebelay 2 meters below. From the rebelay, an additional 7 meter vertical drop leads to a drippy room with the now familiar narrow stream canyon heading off to the north. After a couple dozen meters a 7th pitch is reached that sports an awkward traverse/approach to the main rig point around the corner to the left. At this point the stream has downcut into an inpenetratable lower level, and the pitch is therefore devoid of flowing water. The bottom of the 11m pitch leads to a section of very narrow tall canyon heading to the west for 35m until the floor drops out requiring a 5 meter rope drop. This pitch leads immediately to a nice cylindrical 21m pitch that has not yet been descended. An apparent canyon leads off the bottom of the shaft along with the cave stream. The stream appears to have picked up volume in the last 100 meters of cave while it was not visible in the lower level. Rigging the pitch should be straight forward using bolts. Passage character appears to be getting better and the strong draft is encouraging.