Kok Mu (Tham)
19.812445,102.100500
Location
-- The cave is located at Ban Xiangmouak near the fresh water reservoir for Luang Prabang and reached by a 30 minute drive from town. It takes another 15 minutes to climb from a karst spring at the base of the Phom Phathoun to almost the top of the mountain. The cave entrance is difficult to locate. It is a 3 by 5 m large and 2 m deep sink in the middle of the forest with no visible path leading to it [5158] Map sheet: E48-001 Methode: GPS
Description
DREYBRODT JOERG informations
History: Explo history: -- 31.12.2003 explored & surveyed to 195 m by German Lao Speleological Project 2003/2004 [5158] Cave description: Citation: Analysis: [5158]: The cave has several small chambers and one larger chamber which are connected by narrow crawls. Daylight is visible in the ceiling of the main chamber. A 3 m wide passage steeply descends at the end of the hall but could not be surveyed due to CO2 in the lowest part. A side passage turns back in the direction of the entrance and ends in mud with leaves - indicating the surface. Tham Kok Mu is decorated with many calcite formations. The local population avoids the cave because of the bad air and the confusing system of small passages and chambers >> survey >> shown in map [8525]: only fauna records (Jäger 2018): Systaria luangprabang spec. nov. Type material: LAOS: Luang Prabang Province: Holotype: female, SSW of Luang Prabang, Ban Mok (Xiangmouak), Tham Kok Mu (Pigsty Cave), 19°48'44.8''N, 102°6'1.8''E, 333 m elevation, in limestone cave, 195 m long, 29 m deep, H. Steiner leg. by hand, 30.12.2003, 083/04 (SMF). Equipment: CO2 in the lowest part of the passage at the end of the hall (Dreybrodt & Laumanns 2005) [5158] Remarks:Date 30.12.2003 References: [4846]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. 2003: Der unbekannte Norden von Laos - Ergebnisse eines Erkundungsprojekts. Mitt. Verb. Dt. Höhlen- und Karstforsch. 49 (2): 38-41. [4847]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. 2003: Northern Laos Christmas 2002. Expedition to Muang Ngoy & Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Unpublished Report, 20pp. [5158]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2005: The unknown North of Laos (Karst and Caves of the Provinces Luang Phrabang and Luang Nam Tha). Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 16. 105 pp & Annex. [5493]: Zillig, W. 2005: Laos 2003-04. URL: www.student.kuleuven.ac.be/~s0167070/expeditions/l… [8525]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2010: The Unknown North of Laos (Part 3 - 2009-2010: Karst and Caves of the Provinces Houaphan and Oudomxay). - Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 38. 94 pp + Annex. Jäger, P. 2018: On the genus Systaria (Araneae: Clubionidae) in Southeast Asia: new species from caves and forests. Zootaxa 4504 (4): 524–544.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | Dok Boa (Tham) | 0 | |
| 0.3 | Luang (Tham) | 0 | |
| 7.1 | Din (Tham) | 0 | |
| 7.4 | Tatkeh (Tham) | 0 | |
| 7.4 | Tatkeh 2 (Tham) | 0 | |
| 7.4 | Tatkeh 3 (Tham) | 0 | |
| 9.3 | Phousi (Tham) | 0 | |
| 9.4 | Pha (Tham) | 0 | |
| 9.4 | Bomisue (Tham) | 0 |