Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Désolé pas de descriptif disponible....

Heading out of Huolu towards Wulong, at the head of the first major valley, go up the dirt road to Xujia Village. In the village, continue past the school and walk downhill for 30 minutes; bear left contouring around a valley and then head uphill slightly past several cones. The road descend steeply to Yakou village. Go through a farmhouse, then follow a small path uphill and to the left. The cave entrance is filled with rocks.

2m wide by 1.5m tall horizontal entrance leads to short section of stooping passage ending at a 3-way junction. Doubling back there is a climb up to an unexplored high lead, bolts needed [QM B]. Ahead, the passage splits with a 4m climb down and a higher walking passage probably connect [QM C]. The way on is via the climb down, past rat faeces to a further muddy 3m climb down to a chamber. A stoop under a section of lowered ceiling reveals the full extent of the chamber. It is FIXME in diameter with a breakdown floor which slopes up to the FIXME. In the upper half of the chamber, the breakdown is covered by flowstone and 0.5-4m tall stals. Fragments of broken speleothems are calcited to the floor in several places. There are numerous curtains. A thin layer of guano supports abundant cave life: crickets (white), pill bugs, springtails (antennae 2x body length), millipedes (white), spiders, snails (long shells), etc. The cave is well worth a return for cave photography and biological inventory.

Erin Lynch

Pat Kambesis

Duncan Collis