'World's biggest' cave uncovered

The Sun (UK) ^ | April 30, 2009 | Staff Reporter

[SunkenCiv]

A British caving team believe they've discovered the world's largest cave passage in the heart of the Vietnamese jungle. Measuring 200m high and 150m wide the new cave, called Hang Son Doong -- or Mountain River Cave -- is believed to be almost twice the size of the current record holder Previously unexplored, the team believe Hang Son Doong is larger than the Deer Cave in Sarwark, Malaysia, which is 100m high and 90m wide... Adam Spillane, a member of the 13-man expedition team, said... "Much of the passage width is over 100m but certain sections are over 150m wide... The cave was originally discovered in 1991 by a Vietnamese Jungle man called Ho Khanh from Phong Nha village. Khanh has been a guide for the team in many expeditions to the jungle to explore caves and this year he took a team to the cave which had never been entered before by anyone including local jungle men. This was because the entrance which is small by Vietnamese cave standards (10m high and 30m wide) emitted a frightful wind and noise which was due to a large underground river." The team spent six hours trekking through the jungle to reached the cave. Climbing down into a large chamber, they had to negotiate two underground rivers before reaching the main passage of the Hang Son Doong.

Massive ... the caving team in Hang Son Doong [Barcroft Media]

[gleeaikin]

I have been to Mammoth Cave and it is impressive. Actually, I looked at pictures at the front but did not pay to go in, but rather went to a rear entrance for research on a historical novel I am doing. Of course, Virginia and West Virginia have a number of interesting and picturesque caves.

I am wondering if archeologists will be allowed to search for possible ancient remains in this and other Vietnamese caves.

[kaboom]

I must say that Carlsbad makes VA’s Luray Caverns look like a storage nook. I was extremely impressed by it, even with the long drive from anywhere to reach it.

[Steve Van Doorn]

this is cool thanks

[Dustbunny]

Neat !

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BP2! Interesting, but of course, a tall tale. There's probably a hole there, and it could be quite deep, but I'm sure it doesn't restore dead animals to life. :')

the claim that he had discovered that it was in excess of 15 miles (24 kilometers) deep, a figure he is said to have reached after spooling out 18 reels of 20 lb test fishing line, tied end on end, into the hole. Waters claims that he attached a “triangular, one-pound, standard lead fishing weight” to the end of the fishing line. (Note, however, that the fishing weight plus the weight of 18 spools of ~5000-foot monofilament fishing line might well exceed the tensile strength of the line.)

There's a great deep hole somewhere in Mexico, it's been known since before Cortez, not a very big opening, but indefinite bottom, probably miles deep. Some years back it was rumored to be a disposal spot for the Mexican criminals' victims' bodies.

[Carlucci]

I have been to:

Mammoth Cave in KY
Meramac Caverns in MO
Marvel Caves in MO (part of Silver Dollar City)
Fantastic Caverns in MO
Innerspace in TX
Natural Bridge Caverns in TX
Sonora Caverns in TX
Wonderworld Cave in TX (the worst of them all)
Carlsbad Caverns in NM

They are all really great except for Wonderworld cave, which was formed by an earthquake and didn’t have any formations.

Mammoth is the longest, and has a lot of different tours. You would have to spend all day or maybe several days to see it all.

At Carlsbad, we didn’t get to see everything, but this cave system is the most amazing. Be sure to stay for the bat flight at nightfall.

We make a point in including a cave on our annual road trip. This year we’re heading to Disneyworld, so we’ll be trying Florida Caverns State Park.

[SunkenCiv]

Obviously the old belief is true — one sense (sight) is gone, the others (such as humor) are enhanced. ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Caves are something that fascinate me from a distance, mostly. I like the idea of a giant unexplored cave more than actually going and exploring it myself. :’) My experience has (mostly) been limited to Ruby Falls Cavern outside of Chattanooga. ;’)

[cripplecreek]

[no “blind salamander” jokes, please]

"Spelunker" is a funnier word.

[beebuster2000]

abseiler ping

[cripplecreek]

Had to look that one up.

[beebuster2000]

whats it mean? i just copied the word from the article

[tet68]

Did a lot of Speleogical stuff when I was a teenager,
I could fit through in those days, unexplored was the
name of the game then. I was the first to the top of the
waterfall in Byers but that is past history.
Around that time the Mexican pits were about the deepest
vertical drops. Remember too, going down is easy, climbing up takes leg power, two hour descent 4-6 hour ascent. Keep in mind you might have to change ropes too, several times.
Some of those guys could practically RUN up a rope. Forget
something and it was a loooong trip back.
Member NSS 1965.Dogwood Grotto.

[TheOldLady]

"Waters also alluded to the hole as having a property to resurrect dead animals, this claim arising from a story about an acquaintance who said he threw his dead dog's body into the hole and re-encountered his dog, alive, hunting with someone else, some time later."

How did doggy get out of a 28-mile-deep hole?

[cripplecreek]

It’s Rappelling down a rope.

[SunkenCiv]

Funny how that works, eh? I can barely make it to the fridge and microwave now, it used to be so easy when I was young. Byers cascade?

[BP2]

> "Waters also alluded to the hole as having a property to resurrect dead animals,
> this claim arising from a story about an acquaintance who said he threw his
> dead dog's body into the hole and re-encountered his dog, alive, hunting with
> someone else, some time later."

>>> How did doggy get out of a 28-mile-deep hole?

He had a cape ;)

[tet68]

Yeah, think that’s the same, this water fall was big
though, 40-60’ high, you had to go back down the passage
and chiminy up to the top of the crack then work your way
back up to it, then jump down onto the ledge at the stream level. Nice up there, virgin, cave pearls, gypsum flowers.

I hate to admit it but I did my really stupid thing there once, we had been to the waterfall room and then treked on
but I forgot my carbide pouch, so told the party I would go
back get it and catch up. Bad Idea!!
Got back there and stood up unfortunately I wasn’t quite in
the room yet and my hard hat broke my glasses right in half, had to fish in the water to find them. Finally got one half to stay on my nose and started back to catch up, eventually caught them but that ended the caving for the day, coming out was a nightmare, always carried a spare pair after that.

[AFreeBird]

The only cave I've been in is called Buckner's cave, just west of Bloomington, IN.

But it's not a hiking cave. You got to pay the price, like crawl for about 100 yards (kneepads are essential), and then duck walks, and there are a few squeezes too. And then you come across rooms that could fit a good sized truck stop, complete with big rigs.