Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

From Houping, take the main road east past a farmhouse and down to a corner with a stream crossing the road. Just before this point, a narrow track heads off from the road, next to an aqueduct on the left, passing a highly distinctive narrow 3m high rock visible from the road. This path heads up on the left of the stream. Cross the stream at a small ford onto another path which heads up steeply to a col. Here, join the main path over the col and up the valley. Cross the small stream using a stone slab (the 49H-H1-12 Hou Shui path heads off on the right from here). Continue up the main path which climbs up steeply over a ridge. Around 50m after the top of the ridge, take the small path on the right past a small stream which soon turns sharp right to backtrack down a narrow, muddy canyon. Beyond the canyon, head up steeply on the left. At the junction, take the more minor left and continue up. This soons drop down to a small, terraced valley. Take the indistinct path on the right which bends round to the left and soon comes to the entrance, which usually will be drafting out cold air.

Jenga

15m wide entrance in wooded area slopes down to 40m wide area of massive collapse and boulders. To the right 40m wide passage Tetris goes off to the NE. On the left hand wall there is a high lead [QM C]. The main passage trends to the south with a trench on the right which descends to the sound of water [QM A]. The passage rises and descends over boulders of various sizes many several meters accross some covered in popcorn. At various places water can be heard through the boulders. On the western side of the passage there is a 10m pit into a junction of two meanders [QM A], a bolt climb [QM B], and Scrabble. On the east there is a rift heading towards Tetris [QM B]. Very soon daylight from the second entrance can be seen; this appears to be higher than the first. At the second entrance, in the SW corner, evidence of human activity can be seen in the form of walling. There is no evidence of a path at this entrance. The horizontal stratigraphy in the walls is an interesting feature. Many bats were seen at sunset.

Cluedo

A streamway exits Jenga under boulders at the southern terminus. The cave here once might have continued, but now is collapsed by the valley outside. The water sumps through a narrow boulder choke, after a small skylight entrance. This lead was pushed as far as possible.

Tetris

This is a major trunk passage averaging 45m wide and 15-20m high. Many of the larger blocks in the passage are between 5 - 15m to a side. The passage trends upwards, to a high boulder pile, on which is survey station M80. A surface GPS track indicates that the ceiling here could be less than 10m thick. Tetris turns north to run parallel with Jenga. This section has some very big blocks, our torches picked out a formidable block spanning the passage, We surveyed up the west wall. The passage turns back to the east away from

Jenga. The miner's path leads to a climb down on the right into Serendipity and, immediately above this climb is the walking passage start to Cast of Thousands. The main passage continue north up a huge boulder pile. Right leads to a tight inlet. Left drops down a climb. Ahead is an entrance which has not been used as there is an awkward climb over a boulder block. On the right, a small passage underneath wriggles between huge, fallen boulders and comes out at an entrance in a large doline which can be exited to a path home.

Leisure Suit Larry

This is wide, gently meandering stream passage with a pronounced ceiling meander and a narrow floor canyon. The corridor follows weak strata down a steady 10deg. The first stalactites seen in the cave are located here. The last signs of human activity are lost. The weak strata ends in a boulder and mud choke.

Hopscotch

After new water comes in, the passage cuts through an old fossil corridor. Stalactites and stalacmites are evident; these have since been submerged. Stooping height passage enlarges, then splits, with an upper continuation unpushed [QM B]. Following the stream, pools are crossed and then the passage changes character to a vertical meander, with possible high-level leads [QM C]. An awkward bridging climb down avoids a deep pool. A cross-rift enters up a climb on the right [QM A]. The passage continues descending at a shallow angle (5deg), with a strong draught. The rift narrows and sometimes it is necessary to climb up to higher levels to fit through. A deep pool can be passed by climbing high on the left wall or by a bridging climb at stream level. A high rift on the left brings in a small inlet and leads into Bingo.

After a canal section there is a confused breakdown chamber before the rift continues with a final canal and then ends in a sump. The water probably resurges close to here.

Bingo

From the main downstream passage, the inlet rapidly widens and reaches a junction at a large, fallen boulder. From here, heading right passes a nitrate pit and a short section of large passage before the entrance pops out. There is the sound of running water nearby (which has been GPS logged) which is flowing from small resurgences in a canyon. This is likely to be the water from the downstream sump in Hopscotch. Turning left at the large, fallen boulder, drop down a 2m climb to an inlet. Following this narrow rift upstream heads up some small waterfalls to reach a pool with a 2m climb up a waterfall where the survey ends. The passage continues beyond [QM A].

Serendipity

The passage heads down a climb with miner's steps then heads south east directly away from Tetris, initially with a beautiful stretch of meander with a pebble floor. A wider section follows, with several nitrate pits. Some water enters from the north [QM A]. The streamway turns abruptly south down initially walking passage but this soon closes down and reaches a small sump after around 40m. A miner's trail and the draught carries straight on along a short section of horizontal, earthy passage which drops into a major streamway down a short miner's rock pile. Upstream is Mahjong.

Cast of Thousands

This high-level route runs around 20-30m above the full length of Serendipity. It starts directly above the climb down to Serendipity. Initially easy walking, it soon narrows to a tight, high rift with one thrutch over popcorn before changing character to a complex area of stooping, wide bedding plane with miner's paths and a seat. The passage ends at a drop overlooking the climb down at the end of Serendipity where it joins the main stream passage with Mahjong.

Mahjong

Upstream from the end of Serendipity heads north then northwest in 25m wide passage trending upwards. The huge boulders make it difficult to appreciate the passage dimensions. A stream is audible but is initially not visible, being around 8m below the level of the boulders. After around 70m there is a massive junction. Left is the continuation of Mahjong whilst straight ahead up the streamway is Connect4. The miner's path starts on the left wall of Mahjong but at this major junction crosses to continue along the right wall (as well as backtracking along this wall to head into Connect4. The large Mahjong passage turns more northerly. From here, light from the entrance is visible and a large passage branches off on the left and heads up over monster fallen ceiling boulders parallel to the main passage with nitrate pits in the drop below. The main Mahjong passage continues, still large and strewn with huge boulders, but it is quite easy to negotiate along the miner's path. This weaves its way cleverly up flat rocks, along noses of giant flakes, teeters over ledges on the right wall and across rock wall bridges. The passage starts to head upwards more steeply in the final 100m before the entrance. The exit is somewhat ignominious: follow the left wall then emerge via a scrabble between boulders into a large doline filled with lush vegetation. From here, heading steeply up on the right (north-east) soon brings you to a good path. Heading right, this quickly joins a major path which heads back to the main entrance.

Connect4

Heading upstream from the Mahjong junction, Connect4 continues as 20m wide passage heading up steeply with huge boulders on the floor and the streamway far below. It turns right and drops down to meet the streamway for 50m before a further boulder pile is reached. This is passed most easily along the right wall, up to a viewpoint in front of a massive rat's nest to a 5m drop overlooking large passage mostly filled with monster boulders and hence difficult to negotiate. From this viewpoint, backtrack around 5m along the right wall to a climb down. Once down, climb down immediately again to reach the streamway (a cairn marks this point). Follow this beneath boulders until it is impassable, then climb up and follow the right wall. Climb down again to the stream (two cairns here), noting your route for the return (!) then climb up on the left wall. This immediately reaches a junction with a large inlet coming in on the left. This inlet continues for around 200m in easy walking passage with mud banks until it reaches an area with huge, dropped ceiling blocks with several possible [QM C] leads through the boulders at the end. The main route continues ahead - drop down to the stream by taking the easy slither down the left wall to reach the end of the boulder piles of Connect4 and the start of Daleks.

Daleks

From the final boulder pile of Connect4 the passage is an attractive, easy-walking streamway for around 400m, gradually diminishing in size. Several pools contain leeches, albino tadpoles and larvae. A large inlet comes in from a 3m climb on the left [QM A] where the passage turns sharply right. A small inlet on the left shortly afterwards appears much less promising [QM C]. The survey ends shortly afterwards, around 20m after a large pool which is the first obstacle that needs to be carefully traversed in this entire section.

Snakes and Ladders

Snakes and Ladders heads west, circumventing the boulder and mud choke at the end of Leisure Suit Larry. The passage here is characterised by a high meander, getting into shorter radius bends with a few steep down-climbs. A few small side feeds from the northwest start to congregate. Eventually the corridor turns east and the stream is lost under the southeastern wall. Shortly thereafter a couple of large waterfalls enter from the roof [QM B].

Scrabble

A maze of narrow meanders heading off west. Ends in either impossibly tight meanders or boulder chokes.