THANG GHARA #1

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A vadose cave at a tectonical disturbance (030°/-50°) in folded limestone (local dip circa 195°/-25°) occurs above the western (orographically right) bank of a stream called Dinar Kaur (note 1). The cave, apparently of contemporaneous age with the adjoining valley, seems to originate from mixture corrossion combined with gravitational and abrasional processes supported by fluvial flooding events. SITUATION: The cave lies 195 km along the road (7 to 8 hours with what in 1997 was considered a good 4WD-vehicle) south-west from Quetta at the south-southeast base of the Ras Koh Range of Mountains (N28°50': E065°12'). To reach the cave, travel along the road from Quetta towards Kalat but turn beyond Lak Pass right (west) for Nushki (also: Noshki 29°33'N: 66°01'E, 145 km along the road from Quetta). At Ahmad Wal (N29°25': E065°56' WGS84; some 20 km past / SW from Nushki) turn left (SE), cross the railway line and proceed 124 km (Range Rover speedometer) via Zangiabad, Patkin Chaui and Nauroz Kalat to Kharan Kalat (in short: Kharan; at N28°35': E065°25'). From Kharan (26 km from the cave) drive west towards Kohak (N28°35': E065°05') but take the a turn to the right (approximately north) along a rocky track into the valley of the Dinar Kaur (mouth: N28°45'00”: E065°07'35”). The cave entrance (note 2) is obvious and lies on a hill which Chiltan Adventurers called -Baajjarat- and -Bajarat- (note 3), about 3 km downstream of what they called the village of -Erry Kullag- (note 4). CAVE DESCRIPTION: A north-west facing triangular entrance (up to 10 m wide and 6 m high), at the level of the Dina Kaur riverbed, gives access to a chamber (more than 10 m wide and up to 7 m high) that runs into narrow ends and is characterised by a complex and difficult to survey ceiling where dark rifts obscured by protruding ribs of bend strata layers play a vexing game of hide and seek. A difficult climb up gains a second entrance (15 m above the riverbed) from where a thid entrance (35 m above the riverbed) is seen. The cave floor is covered by sand, partly washed in by the river and partly blown in by wind, which itself covers and buries shattered, angular collapse debris. Bat droppings (guano) indicate some cave life and and soot a certain extend of human use. CAVE LIFE: About 20 to 30 bats (Chiroptera) of two different kinds were seen on 1st November 1997.d entrance (35 m above the riverbed) is seen. The cave floor is covered by sand, partly washed in by the river and partly blown in by wind, which itself covers and buries shattered, angular collapse debris. Bat droppings (guano) indicate some cave life and and soot a certain extend of human use. CAVE LIFE: About 20 to 30 bats (Chiroptera) of two different kinds were seen on 1st November 1997.