Monk Big Chamber Cave [Tham Sing Toh] [CH0054]

ห้วยยาง (TH)
16.572144,101.823941
Length 238m Depth 16m
Grottocenter / carte

Location

The large entrance is located at the base of a distinctive rocky crag about 1km to the south-west of Ban Tham Ngoen, at the western end of the valley. Two paths lead up to the cave, one from the monkÆs house at Tham Nam Lei and the other from near Tham Tec. There are the remains of a brick building just outside the entrance. Martin Ellis - 21/06/2019

Description

Martin Ellis - 21/06/2019

The wide entrance contains a 4m high stone embankment on which the monks have built a bamboo sleeping platform. A ladder helps the descent of the embankment. The initial passage is large, 20m by 20m, with some large stalagmites. Bearing left the roof lowers temporarily before a stoop below a formation into a large chamber with a boulder pile to the right. A low crawl through a mud filled phreatic section leads to a chamber about 1m high, and a further crawl on hands and knees leads into more large passage. This passage occasionally has bad air with a very high CO2 concentration of over 5%. Climbing a mud bank allows the passage to be followed for another 80m to where the roof comes down to meet the floor. A small stream flows between large mud banks and a low crawl was visible at the end, but not accessed due to the dangerously bad air. On a visit in April 2010 there wasn't any bad air, just stuffy. The mud chamber was reached, but the mud bank at the far side was not climbed as the bamboo stakes used as handholds were too rotten.

Topographie

Martin Ellis - 21/06/2019

ELLIS, MARTIN; BARRETT, DAVE (2001) - BCRA Grade 3c/1a

Géologie

Martin Ellis - 21/06/2019

The cave is formed on the axis of an anticline as the dip on the opposite sides of the large chamber is in different directions. This anticline is responsible for the crag above the entrance and the formation of the isolated hill in which Tham Tec is formed.

Documents

Bibliography 21/06/2019
  • BARRETT, DAVE (2001) "Shepton Mallet Caving Club Thailand 2002" expedition application form to Ghar Parau Foundation 6pp ELLIS, MARTIN; BARRETT, DAVE (2001) "Thailand Expedition February 2000 Report" Shepton Mallet Caving Club Journal Series 10 No. 8 pp247-272 ELLIS, MARTIN; KING, STEVE; WATERS, ED; BARRETT, DAVE; FITCH, TERENCE (2002) "Thailand 2002 Expedition Report" Shepton Mallet Caving Club Journal Series 11 No. 1 pp1-29 VOGT, NILS B. (2013) "Temple Caves & Grottoes in Thailand: A Picture-Guide Book" Booksmango, Bangkok ISBN 978-616-222-160-6 214pp
[Topo] Monk Big Chamber Cave 28/04/2019

History

The cave was explored and surveyed by the SMCC in 2000. On a return in 2002 the SMCC were unable to extend the cave due to the high CO2. 2000-02-21 SMCC (D. Barrett, P. Dummer, M. Ellis, H. Jones) 2010-04-21 (M. Ellis, S. Hall, A. Greer, T. Bolger) Martin Ellis - 21/06/2019

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.3Tham Nam Lei [CH00055]2309
0.7Tham Tec - CH0052
0.9Cave CH0107 [CH0107]200
1.1Rock Shelter CH0051 [CH0051]200
1.4Ban Tham Ngoen Resurgence Cave - CH00085
1.5Cave CH0102 [CH 0102]400
1.5Tham Huang Po [Tham Ban Ngoem] [Tham Wam Bo] [Grotte de la Source] [CH0007]2505
1.5Cave CH0006 - CH000630
1.7Cave CH0005 - CH0005