PARWAN VALLEY (Cave in the upper)

چاریکار (ولسوالی چاریکار - AF)
35.072200,69.231900
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

LORD (1838: 530) reported an approximately 3 km long subterranean water course, complete with sink (insurgence) and resurgence (a penetrable river cave?) from the crystalline and fossiliferous limestones (note 1) in the Salang river valley: The upper part of the valley of Parwán [note 2] is characterised by numerous and large natural cavities [note 3], in one of which the water of the valley is engulphed [sic!] and does not re-appear for a distance of two miles. SITUATION: From the break in the hills which gives passage to the Ghorband from the south-west and the Panjshir from the north-east there strikes off one well-known route across the backbone of the Hindu Kush, which is marked near the southern foot of the mountains by the ancient town of Parwan … Consequently, the pass which bears north from that point is often called Parwan. The head of the pass was known as Sar Alang [now: Salang], so that it figures in geographical records under this name also [note 4], whilst the local nam acquired for it in the course of surveying in 1883 was Bajgah [note 5] (HOLDICH 1910: 413-414).LORD (1838: 530) reported an approximately 3 km long subterranean water course, complete with sink (insurgence) and resurgence (a penetrable river cave?) from the crystalline and fossiliferous limestones (note 1) in the Salang river valley: The upper part of the valley of Parwán [note 2] is characterised by numerous and large natural cavities [note 3], in one of which the water of the valley is engulphed [sic!] and does not re-appear for a distance of two miles. SITUATION: From the break in the hills which gives passage to the Ghorband from the south-west and the Panjshir from the north-east there strikes off one well-known route across the backbone of the Hindu Kush, which is marked near the southern foot of the mountains by the ancient town of Parwan … Consequently, the pass which bears north from that point is often called Parwan. The head of the pass was known as Sar Alang [now: Salang], so that it figures in geographical records under this name also [note 4], whilst the local namLORD (1838: 530) reported an approximately 3 km long subterranean water course, complete with sink (insurgence) and resurgence (a penetrable river cave?) from the crystalline and fossiliferous limestones (note 1) in the Salang river valley: The upper part of the valley of Parwán [note 2] is characterised by numerous and large natural cavities [note 3], in one of which the water of the valley is engulphed [sic!] and does not re-appear for a distance of two miles. SITUATION: From the break in the hills which gives passage to the Ghorband from the south-west and the Panjshir from the north-east there strikes off one well-known route across the backbone of the Hindu Kush, which is marked near the southern foot of the mountains by the ancient town of Parwan … Consequently, the pass which bears north from that point is often called Parwan. The head of the pass was known as Sar Alang [now: Salang], so that it figures in geographical records under this name also [note 4], whilst the local nam acquired for it in the course of surveying in 1883 was Bajgah [note 5] (HOLDICH 1910: 413-414).

Documents

Bibliography 06/01/2018
  • Lord, B P 1838.

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1837 October / November: Dr. B. P. LORD (1838: 530) and Lieutenant Robert Leech of the Bombay Engineers, with Lieutenant John Wood of the Indian Navy, left Kabul in the middle of October 1837 on an expedition into the plains of Koh Daman the passes of the Hindukush leading into Badakshan (HOLDICH 1910 reproduced 2002: 412). LORD (1838: 530) recorded numerous and large natural cavities from the upper part of the Parwan Valley or Sar Alang (Salang). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
4.9BAHLOUL, Djebel-os Siraj (Grotte)
8.2GOLBAHAR (Idries Shah 1986) (Caves near)
10.0Agrabad Karst Spring
12.0Bagram Cave System
12.6Mahmud Hanafi Ghazi (Cave of)
13.2SAFED DARBAGH (Cave at)
20.1Ab Bar Amara (Ghar)
20.1Kaftar Khana
20.6P. K. 103.2, Salang (Grotte du)