Monk Big Chamber Cave [Tham Sing Toh] [CH0054]
16.572144,101.823941
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.
Description
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
ELLIS, MARTIN; BARRETT, DAVE (2001) - BCRA Grade 3c/1a
Géologie
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
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | Tham Nam Lei [CH00055] | 230 | 9 |
| 0.7 | Tham Tec - CH0052 | ||
| 0.9 | Cave CH0107 [CH0107] | 20 | 0 |
| 1.1 | Rock Shelter CH0051 [CH0051] | 20 | 0 |
| 1.4 | Ban Tham Ngoen Resurgence Cave - CH0008 | 5 | |
| 1.5 | Cave CH0102 [CH 0102] | 40 | 0 |
| 1.5 | Tham Huang Po [Tham Ban Ngoem] [Tham Wam Bo] [Grotte de la Source] [CH0007] | 250 | 5 |
| 1.5 | Cave CH0006 - CH0006 | 30 | |
| 1.7 | Cave CH0005 - CH0005 |