Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

The road northward from Jiang Kou passes along the eastern side of the Wu Jiang valley. After 7km the road turns right to the Mae Chong Ba polje occupied by paddy fields. A path leads from the head of the polje and contours along the Wu Jiang valley before climbing steeply for 300m through dense vegetation to the entrance.

A small entrance arch leads to a a short 2 metre drop. A short section of 3 metre wide standing height passage ends at an awkward climb directly onto 5 metre rope climb. Much of the passage below is filled with fallen boulders. Clambering over blocks to the south-west leads to a slippery traverse to some columns beyond which is no way on. A scratching and squeaking noise lead to the discovery of a rats nest amongst rock in this area leading the cave to be named Xu Chao Dong (Rats Nest Cave).

Two ways on were found to the lower section of the cave one being a 10 metre pitch, the other being an easy climb, this being found after rigging the pitch. An impressively sized sloping chamber occupies the remainder of the cave much of which is filled with huge calcited blocks. The chamber slopes to the south-west, but descent over and through stacked boulders ends in a blank wall. The way on would appear to be beneath, but various routes tried through boulders were unsuccessful.

Xu Chao Dong appears to be an isolated remnant passage of what would have been a major drainage system. It is essentially a large chamber split into two levels by boulder falls. A strong entrance draught indicated the possibility of some extent to the cave, but the presence of the rats nest points towards there being another smaller entrance higher up the hillside. Other caves indicated by the locals at similar heights seem to suggest that there are many such examples of these remnants.