Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Near path to left of valley leading down below Qi Keng Dong, just above stream bed by edge of small tobacco field at start of thick vegetation which hides the 10m diameter entrance. Leave path to right just before some sloping slabs of bare rock on left of path as it ascends.

Ø 48H-I12-4: Dà Kēng (Big Shaft)

Depth: 775 Length: 4274 Plan: 3626

Warning: In wet weather climbs beyond The Ferryman may become impassable. Wetsuits and buoyancy aids are essential for swims, but too hot for traverses. Because of the wind and water, hypothermia is a concern when pushing Topless Rift .

Location: UTM: 0784688 3235181 Altitude: 1077

Near path to left of valley leading down below Qikeng Dòng, just above stream bed by edge of small tobacco field at start of thick vegetation which hides the 10m diameter entrance. Leave path to right just before some sloping slabs of bare rock on left of path as it ascends.

Description: Dà Kēng’s entrance shaft is 284m deep. It begins as a 15m wide shaft in vegetation, best rigged from the north. Traverse over loose earth and foliage to a tree-belay on the western lip. At this point the shaft widens significantly, with a 20m flat-roofed undercut on the eastern side. Two large calcite mounds can be seen on a ledge below this undercut and there is a possible lead at the far corner of the ledge. Continuing down, the rope is rigged past light vegetation to a 5m wide ledge covered with organic debris while an unexplored rift enters from the north. A further 30m down, a second sloping ledge is reached. On the far side of the shaft there is a eye- hole onto a boulder-floored passage which may be part of a parallel shaft. Beyond this, the main shaft continues down vertically with numerous rebelays, finally landing on a 20m ledge of sloping rubble which comes to the top of the 215m More Questions Than Answers.

More Questions Than Answers

From a cave formation standpoint, More Questions Than Answers and the entrance shaft are a single impressive 499m shaft, being separated only by wedged boulders that form the floor of the entrance shaft. More Questions Than Answers is rigged with a traverse to a y-hang, a short rebelay to get past the boulders and then a number of longer hangs, both free and against the wall. After 170m a spray-lashed ledge is reached. A further 45m of descent gains the floor.

The Answer

From the bottom of the pitches the base of the shaft curves around as a short section of muddy flat-floored passage where the water sinks. Camp is at the far end. The way on is The Answer, a muddy popcorn covered hole down to a body-sized tube. Thrutching for 5m gains a step down into larger rift passage where a climb down leads to the head of a 9m pitch. The pitch can be free-climbed, but is best rigged with a traverse line off a clump of rocks chocked in the rift to a y-hang off a stal and spit for a free-hang. At the bottom of the pitch the passage is a more comfortable 4 meters wide. Following the rift back the way you came it chokes almost immediately, while ahead the passage narrows to a rift before briefly widening and then degenerating to another short crawl. A step down gains larger passage where two short climbs down lead to the head of a 35m pitch. A boss provides a solid backup to a y-hang rigged off a spit and thru bolt (spit set with WRONG SIZE CONE). Three meters down a thru bolt in calcite provides the main hang. At the top the rope rubs against one of several popcorn covered stal (care not to kick them down), but this is sorted by a rope protector. At -10m the rope lands on a large muddy boss. Below

the boss a small column provides a deviation which eliminates the rub. Recommend re-rigging from the top with a traverse out along the right-hand wall to a free-hang.

The pitch lands in a 4m wide high rift passage with a small stream running between large cobble and mud banks. Doubling back in the rift a short climb up over mud and cobbles gains a brief section of decorated passage (featuring a pool fed by rapid drips onto a white calcite boss) which ends in a calcite choke. The way on is to follow the water downstream to a T-junction where the ceiling comes down and there is a notable increase in draft. To the left (upstream) a crawl leads to a high aven followed by a longer crawl in water to the base of a 15m pitch where the water enters. Passage can be seen going off at the top and all

the draft seems to be coming from this aven. Beyond is a short section of rift to a calcite choke where a 5m climb up gains a small hole that pops out halfway down a 30m? shaft which was not descended.

Downstream at the T-junction is stooping passage with a nice layered-sediment floor which continues for some distance to a windy flat-out crawl. Beyond the passage enlarges first to crawling and then more stooping, finally reaching walking-size at a W-bend. In one corner of the W-bend, there are numerous bat bones. The passage continues slightly larger than before, with a channel between ledges and occasional boulder obstacles. The passage opens out and a low, draughting inlet is passed on the right. After 40m the passage degenerates to a crawl beneath boulders, with an unexplored lead up a climb. The passage slowly enlarges to stooping height, and after 70m, Pretty Inlet is met .

Pretty Inlet

Heading upstream in Pretty Inlet begins with a climb, followed by well-decorated stooping and walking height passage. This goes for 40m to a sharp corner with a choice of ways. The sound of water can be heard through a small hole down, while a 15m climb up ends in the middle of a shaft. Continuing upstream for 10m comes to a climb over boulders, beyond which the passage is considerably smaller. It rapidly degenerates to a calcited crawl which ends at a small rising sump.

Beyond Pretty inlet, the main passage continues to enlarge, passing a wide oxbow with copious amounts of guano and a possible high level lead. After 150m the passage reaches Horse Head Junction .

Horse Head Junction

There are three ways on from Horse Head Junction . To the left Pony Express goes upstream along an inlet. To the right The Ferryman is initially dry but soon becomes the downstream continuation of the main streamway. The stream itself sinks in an impenetrable slot at Horse Head Junction, but it can be followed down a nearby hole in the floor to Wet Pitch .

Wet Pitch

An 8m climb down lands in a small chamber off a 2-3m wide hading rift. After a further sloping climb down the main stream enters. From here the passage hades downwards quite steeply, descending over a series of climbs and a 9m pitch to a final small sump at -668m.

Pony Express

To the left from Horse Head Junction mud-floored walking passage goes for 50m to a shallow pit where a stream enters from above (unexplored). Beyond the walking passage continues for another 50m to an aven and then a T-junction. A stream enters from the left and flows down a rift to the right. The rift is gnarly, tight, and unsurveyed, but runs under the main walking passage to connect to Wet Pitch . Upstream the passage is quite wet, with pools and a number of waterfall climbs. It continues, but has no draught.

The Ferryman

To the right at Horse Head Junction, mud floored walking passage with a ledge high on the left hand side leads to a climb down to a cracked mud floor followed by a waist-deep wade through a pool fed by a trickle down flowstone. It is possible to traverse around the pool, but not easy A climb up on the far side of the pool leads to a short pitch/handline climb down over more formations and gour pools.

Downstream small pitches down flowstone lead to a perched sump, The passage continues along well- decorated fossil rifts until the main stream (now larger than before) enters through boulders. The passage is extremely sporting with climbs down cascades along rifts, and a couple of wet pitches to a series of swims. After these a large fossil passage ends at a junction where the way ahead splits. To the left, walking passage leads to a large column and a pitch followed by 200m of nice walking passage which unfortunately sumps. The other lead, Topless Rift, continues extremely wet with more swims, a big inlet coming down an aven and a small, strongly draughting, climb. This leads to more swimming. Passage continues. The final station is at the top of a boulder climb on a big lump that comes out of the side of the passage (climb around it) and is marked with tape and paint.