Dangedkol-Chiningkrikol

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A vaulted, north-west facing insurgence cave entrance (18 m wide, 12 m high), which takes the entire flow of the Danged River throughout the year, leads to a mostly spacious, meandering stream cave, which drains towards the south-west and south and eventually resurges at the subterranean estuary of –>Chiningkrikol, thus forming a true tunnel cave. SITUATION: In the Chibanda - Danged area and at a walking distance of about 1h15 (about 2.7 km in a direct line on a bearing of 025°) from the Asakgre Imandura I.B. (Inspection Bungalow). A knowledgeable guide is essential to find in the jungle the insurgence entrance to Dangedkol or the resurgence entrances of –>Chiningkrikol. POSITIONS (WGS84): N25°21'39.0”: E090°31'27.0” (±30 m): circa 220 m asl (H D Gebauer 2002.02.14, GPS Garmin 12) N25°21'40.8”: E090°31'29.1” (±6.9 m): 270 m asl (note 1) N25°21'39.8”: E090°31'30.1” (±6.9 m): circa 260 m asl (note 2) N25°21'37.6”: E090°31'28.5” (GPS based cave survey): 215 m asl (note 3)N25°21'35.3”: E090°30'22.7” (±8 m, unknown offset): 248 m asl (note 4) N25°21'35.3”: E090°31'22.7” (±8 m, unknown offset): 248 m asl (note 5). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: Annie U. Audsley (in JARRATT & AUDSLEY 2002) narrates that Danged was the largest cave which our guides knew of and had an impressive entrance at the base of a cliff which led into a large streamway. Mark, Jorg and I set off down a canyon which branched off the main stream and soon emerged into a vast, square passage, dominated by the -fallen megafreighter- boulder, and increasingly thick with bats. Thousands of them flitted out past us like big furry fairies (or something). We drew and photographed them for the record and continued onward over slimy, smelly boulders and a trickle of stream. Daniel's disembodied voice ahead led us to think that we were coming back round to the main stream but we never met up with the other team who had been stopped in their tracks at the head of two waterfalls which fell into the bt passage. The stream disappeared into what may be ongoing (grovelly) passage and so we climbed up instead into a series of large, round and sparkly chambers but had to turn round before reaching a conclusion. Mark W. Brown (2002.02.09 Mss -Cave log- entry 9/02/02) narrates how he himself, Annie U. Audsley, and Jörg Dreybrodt … took what they thought to be the next side passage, which looped round past a huge breakdown block (7 by 15 by 3 m high), -Fallen Megafreighter- passage and deep pool -Keyhole Beach.- This then passed the waterfalls which stopped Daniel's team and ploughed on south (?) in a large bat covered passage. The team surveyed into a high level -swirl- chamber shortly after the stream sunk into walking sized passage to the right. Both leads ongoing. Cairn built in Swirl Chamber, just after low stoop under scalloped roof. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: Harper, Rob (2008.02.08 Mss: Cave no. 12) had visited the estimated first 80 m of an allegedly anonymous –>AA Cave (Harper 2008) 2a, where he noticed how a large entrance and stunning canyon passage, about 25 by 5 m [possibly high and wide], can be followed 20 m to a junction at a narrowing. Left is a narrow, 3 by 1 m, canyon passage with a small stream which can be followed for 20 m to a choke. Straight ahead a series of short climbs rise for about 20 m to gain 5 m of high level passage, 5 by 3 m, to the lip of a 6 m choked pot. A narrow ledge on the right can be followed to a continuation of the passage up a slippery unprotected slope which was not climbed. Just inside the entrance, a free-climb 2 m up on the right leads to 10 m of well-decorated phreatic passage, 2.5 by 3 m, to a stal choke. CAVE POTENTIAL: Prospects for finding unexplored passage here are pretty good and wide open. Compare the unexplored and not identified –>AA Cave (Harper 2008) 12a. CAVE LIFE: Several tens of kilobats (thousands of bats: Chiroptera, e.g. largish Rhinolophus?, Hipposideros?) produce a substantial amount of guano.t passage. The stream disappeared into what may be ongoing (grovelly) passage and so we climbed up instead into a series of large, round and sparkly chambers but had to turn round before reaching a conclusion. Mark W. Brown (2002.02.09 Mss -Cave log- entry 9/02/02) narrates how he himself, Annie U. Audsley, and Jörg Dreybrodt … took what they thought to be the next side passage, which looped round past a huge breakdown block (7 by 15 by 3 m high), -Fallen Megafreighter- passage and deep pool -Keyhole Beach.- This then passed the waterfalls which stopped Daniel's team and ploughed on south (?) in a large bat covered passage. The team surveyed into a high level -swirl- chamber shortly after the stream sunk into walking sized passage to the right. Both leads ongoing. Cairn built in Swirl Chamber, just after low stoop under scalloped roof. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: Harper, Rob (2008.02.08 Mss: Cave no. 12) had visited the estimated first 80 m of an allegedly anonymous –>AA Cave (Harper 2008) 2a, where he noticed how a large entrance and stunning canyon passage, about 25 by 5 m [possibly high and wide], can be followed 20 m to a junction at a narrowing. Left is a narrow, 3 by 1 m, canyon passage with a small stream which can be followed for 20 m to a choke. Straight ahead a series of short climbs rise for about 20 m to gain 5 m of high level passage, 5 by 3 m, to the lip of a 6 m choked pot. A narrow ledge on the right can be followed to a continuation of the passage up a slippery unprotected slope which was not climbed. Just inside the entrance, a free-climb 2 m up on the right leads to 10 m of well-decorated phreatic passage, 2.5 by 3 m, to a stal choke. CAVE POTENTIAL: Prospects for finding unexplored passage here are pretty good and wide open. Compare the unexplored and not identified –>AA Cave (Harper 2008) 12a. CAVE LIFE: Several tens of kilobats (thousands of bats: Chiroptera, e.g. largish Rhinolophus?, Hipposideros?) produce a substantial amount of guano.