Tham Khrop [Tham Khrob] [Tham Khao Klop] [CH0027]
16.383756,101.486178
Location
This cave is very visible, high in the cliff face, and was well-known to the guides as Tham Khrop. (The cave which is named "Tham Khrop" in the 1988 French report is not this cave, but is Tham Pha Khrop). From the Lam Chi camp used by the 1989 expedition head east. Before coming to the cliff line go straight up the slope through bamboo for 400m of ascent. The 80m wide and 50m high entrance is visible from the valley floor below, from the unforested grassy area beside the Lam Chi river.
Description
From the entrance ascend a huge collapse slope of boulders and guano to the highest point and face outwards. Immediately to the right a series of short pitches descend to a calcite choke. 50m down the slope, under the west wall, a 3m climb leads into a passage. An ascent to the right leads up the boulders into a large chamber, while straight ahead leads to the same chamber via a lower route. In the northwest corner of the chamber is a descending series of short climbable pitches which eventually become too tight. Above this a route leads around the west side of the chamber back to its entrance. From the southwest corner a high level passage leads to a small entrance. 50m down the east side of the main archway a small passage leads off to two small entrances.
Topographie
CHECKLEY, DAVE; HURD, SHELIA; CHAPMAN, PHIL; JONES, HOWARD; WILLIS, DICK (n.d. [1989])
Fauna
Chaerephon plicata (Buchannan, 1800) (Chordata, Mammalia, Chiroptera, Molossidae) (Yenbutra and Felton 1986)
Documents
[Topo] Tham Khrop 28/04/2019Bibliography 19/06/2019
- CHECKLEY, DAVE; HURD, SHELIA; CHAPMAN, PHIL; JONES, HOWARD; WILLIS, DICK (n.d. [1989]) "Caves of the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, North-East Thailand" Unpublished report DUNKLEY, JOHN ROBERT (1995) "The Caves of Thailand" Speleological Research Council, Sydney ISBN 0-9589253-9-9 124pp YENBUTRA, S.; FELTON, H. (1986) "Bat Species and Their Distribution in Thailand According to the Collections in TISTR and SMF" in FELTON, H. (ED.) "Contributions to the Knowledge of the Bats of Thailand" Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt Vol. 87 pp9-45
History
Although well known locally and a bat collection site, the 1989 British expedition was the first visit by cavers.