DOCRIANI BAMAK CAVE 1
30.858300,78.808300
Description
The Din Gad (Din River) rises from a glacier cave (in ice) in the snout of the Docriani Bamak (Docriani Glacier). CAVE DESCRIPTION: »At 1988 year the underground river in the Docriani Bamak Glacier teared some meters deeper in its river-bed. The Entrance of the cave formed from the old spring became accessible this way« (SHOPOV 1989: 14). »The Docriani Bamak cave was 20 m wide, 35 m long and up to 10 m high. Its floor was strewed with ice blocks with dimension up to 10 m2 [sic! qua 10 cubic metre?]. A sinkhole [sic! qua: inlet and, perhaps, a ceiling window] with ice icicles was formed in the ceiling of the cave. A stream with discharge 5 l/s flowed from there at 12th o'clock in October 1988. A small lake, 1 m deep, with 5 m2 area was formed between the ice blocks at the bottom of the cave« (SHOPOV 1989: 15). SITUATION: In the glacier snout of the Docriani Bamak (note 1) at the head of the Din Gad (note 2), a stream joining the orographically left (eastern) bank of Bhagirathi River (N30°08': E78°35') from the east. »Alpine meadows and rhododendrons covered valley of the high parts of the Din Gad river. The river teared deeply into the valley and formed lateral valleys. The spring of Din Gad river id placed at the snout of the Docriani Bamak Glacier at approximately 300 m altitude. Docriani Bamak Glacier begins from the foots of two unnamed peaks with altitude 6083 m and 5617 m« (SHOPOV 1989: 14).
NOTE 1: The elevation of 4300 m (SHOPOV 1989: 14) or 14'000 feet (4267.2 m) on the Docriani Bamak is indicated near (±500 m) N30°51'30”: E078°48'30” on the AMS sheet NH44-05 Dehra Dun (U502 series, 1959 edition). NOTE 2: »Din Gad river is left geographycal [sic!] tributary of Bhagirati river. It [the Din Gad] flows into river Bhagirathi at 2200 m altitude, 60 km from the famous holy shrine of Gangotri. Gangotri is placed at 3140 m altitude, 17 km far from the springs of Gang river [Ganga, Ganges River] from the Gangotry [sic!] Glacier at 4140 m altitude« (SHOPOV 1989: 14).
Documents
Bibliography 28/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1988 October: Yavor Y. SHOPOV (1989), D. L. Balabanski, Kl. I. Burin, L. T. Tsankov and V. N. Gurev from the Faculty of Physics (Sofia University, Sofia 1126, Bulgaria) visited not only the Docriani Bamak Glacier Cave (in ice) but also »unusual caves in gneisses« in the same valley of the Din Dad (Garhwal Himal, Central Himalaya).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | DOCRIANI BAMAK CAVE 2 | ||
| 2.1 | DOCRIANI BAMAK CAVE 3 | ||
| 15.8 | BHUMKODAAR | ||
| 15.9 | TAMAKUND CAVE | ||
| 18.3 | GANGOTRI SHELTERS | ||
| 18.7 | BHYRAM, Bhyramghattee (Cave of) | ||
| 18.7 | GAUMUKH, Bhairo Ghati | ||
| 21.9 | VYASA GUFA, Khandakhya | ||
| 27.0 | GAUMUKH |