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Laurie Sheldon
Photo: Adrian Gregory
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1996 Yangtze Gorges Expedition
Open Passage
Jiang Kou Area
On August 21st Steve, Jack and Laurie and I continued working on Da Dong, while a team went to Mi Dong. Steve and I stayed overnight at a nearby farmhouse and then surveyed on down the cave. Ben and Ali joined us later as we were about to go out, having used up our ropes and carbide. Since they hadn't brought any spare carbide with them, they also had to exit the cave! On the same day, exploration of Mi Dong ceased.
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Photo: Adrian Gregory
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On August 23rd the four of us made quick progress and started rigging down a narrow rift. There was an incredible draught at this point, so we didn't waste time and dropped four pitches in quick succession. At the bottom a large horizontal passage went for only 50m, before another pitch came into view. We had no rope for this and had to go out.
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Photo: Adrian Gregory
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There was some discussion as to whether we would have enough time and fit team members, to get all the ropes out of the caves we were exploring. I was keen to see exploration continue in Da Dong, but we did arrange to derig the other caves. While this derigging was going on, Ben, Ali, Greg and Kev went further into Da Dong, surveying, climbing down and rigging a 15m and 32m pitch. This landed in a passage filled by a canal of deep water.
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Anne Gallagher
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On August 25th Anne, Eoghan and I took 120m of rope into Da Dong in an attempt to get to an end. Dave, Greg, Jack and Laurie went to photograph and finish getting the equipment out of Da Wan Dong. The rest of the team rested in preparation for the final few days caving.
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Passing the canal in Da Dong left us cold and shivering and was followed by some climbs and two short pitches. We came to a bank of gravel in a passage 20m high and 2m wide. 150m from the previous limit, the roof came down and the passage dipped beneath a clear sump of water, 413m below the entrance. There was no time to be disappointed or pleased that the cave had reached some conclusion. We were cold and had to keep moving. We took out the rope we had carried in and derigged the next two big pitches.
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Da Dong was completely derigged the next day by Steve, Ben, Ali, Greg, Kevin, Pete and I. As he was waiting to carry out rope, Ben noticed a high level passage above the draughting rift. 10m below the top of the pitch was a shelf and from the back of this a sandy floored phreatic passage led off. This was followed for 100m, but time had run out even to explore wide open cave passage!
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To be continued....