Tham Pu Loop - KK0003

Length 292m Depth 14m
Grottocenter / carte

Location

The cave opens behind the big Buddha statue, a short distance above the level of the col and 30m from the H201 road. Martin Ellis - 29/09/2019

Description

Martin Ellis - 29/09/2019

Just inside the entrance some steps lead down to the right. Passing through a low section leads to a second chamber which can be ascended to rejoin the concrete path. This path doubles back on itself and crosses a concrete ledge to a short ascent through stal to a point where a ladder drops down into a chamber. The top of this chamber links with the path, near to the entrance. This final chamber is about 10 m in diameter and drops down to a pool of water. This water was occasionally used by the monks. Near the entrance there is a Buddha carved into the wall and there are several other small shrines. This may be the same cave as Tham Pu (KK0050).

Topographie

Martin Ellis - 29/09/2019

SMCC February 2012 - Grade UISv2 6-3-BF Ellis, Martin (2015a)

Fauna

Martin Ellis - 29/09/2019

Scolopendra dehaani Brandt, 1840 (Arthropoda, Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae) (Siriwut et al. 2016) Orthriophis taeniurus (Cope 1861) (Chordata, Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae) (Deharveng and et al. 1988)

Documents

Bibliography 29/09/2019
[Topo] Tham Pu Loop 30/04/2019

History

An old legend is that the cave has the ghost of a big hunter and Thais blow their car horns when passing the col as protection against bad spirits. The famous meditation monk Ajarn Lee visited this cave in 1956. In 1987 the abbot and the snakes he handled were a local curiosity, but 2008 there was no indication that monks still used the cave and no cave racer snakes have been seen. 2008-03-21 M.Ellis, P. Collett 2009-04-25 M. Ellis, T. Bolger 2012-02-26 M. Ellis, P. Collett, S. Hall 2019-05-14 T. Bolger, M. Ellis Martin Ellis - 29/09/2019

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.1Tham Nen Boi - KK000424718
0.7Tham Pu - KK0050
0.9Tham Pha Phuang 2 - KK000223010
2.6Tham Chatuburaphan Khuha - LO0114
3.0Tham Pha Phuang 1 - KK000114530
3.5Tham Pha Ya Nakharat - KK000766882
3.8Tham Lai Taeng - KK0033500
4.9Tham Niam - KK0025
6.4Tham Khiri Banphot - KK0067100