Kengkong (Tham)

DREYBRODT JOERG informations

Frédéric Urien - 23/06/2024

History:-- The locals know the site well and have excavated bat guano from the cave for processing into gun powder. Inscriptions at the entrance show European names date back to 1938 [5158] Explo history: -- 06.01.2004 explored and surveyed to 373 m by German Lao Speleological Project 2003/2004 [5158] Cave description: Citation: Analysis: [5158]: The cave is a large fossil trunk passage which runs from the SE towards the NW. This is approximately parallel to the Nam Khan River which flows some 300 m below the entrance of Tham Kenkong. The SE section of the cave is richly decorated and ascends to an alcove where the large passage rapidly decreases in size and continues as a narrow crawl full of ants and no air current. The NW section of Tham Kengkong is less decorated but an interesting large, rift-controlled clean gallery with scallops of about 1 m in diameter along both walls - indicating slow water flow in the past. The passage meanders and reaches another entrance in the cliff after about 200 metres. Inscriptions showing European names date back to 1938. The NW section of Tham Kengkong has some large solution pockets in the roof where a number of bats roost >> survey >> shown in map [8525]: only fauna records Equipment: Remarks: References: [4846]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. 2003: Der unbekannte Norden von Laos - Ergebnisse eines Erkundungsprojekts. Mitt. Verb. Dt. Höhlen- und Karstforsch. 49 (2): 38-41. [4847]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. 2003: Northern Laos Christmas 2002. Expedition to Muang Ngoy & Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Unpublished Report, 20pp. [5158]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2005: The unknown North of Laos (Karst and Caves of the Provinces Luang Phrabang and Luang Nam Tha). Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 16. 105 pp & Annex. [5493]: Zillig, W. 2005: Laos 2003-04. URL: www.student.kuleuven.ac.be/~s0167070/expeditions/l… [6097]: Jäger, P. 2007: Spiders of Laos with descriptions of new species (Arachnida: Araneae). - Acta Arachnologica 56 (1): 29-58. [8525]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2010: The Unknown North of Laos (Part 3 - 2009-2010: Karst and Caves of the Provinces Houaphan and Oudomxay). - Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 38. 94 pp + Annex.