I made a quick decision when I called a guy at Oxalis - the only tour agent in Phong Nha, authorised by the local authorities to organise different trekking tours in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. For certain reasons the number of visitors to Sơn Đoòng cave is limited within 224 persons per year, and there is no tour during the flooding season from September to January, so that's why the demand is huge and always mostly fully booked.
Mist sweeps past the hills of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, its 330 square miles
set aside in 2001 to protect one of Asia's largest cave systems.
Calling them, I actually hope to book for 2015. But few days later I was informed that one spot available for this April, someone cancelled in the last minute. The Australian sale director of Oxalis was very kind to put me ahead of other hundred people on the waiting list, he wants to get more Vietnamese to this special trekking tour, I confirmed straight away my participation and the next day I started my preparations: from gathering informations about the cave to even ordering some stuffs from Amazon for my long-week trekking tour.set aside in 2001 to protect one of Asia's largest cave systems.
A giant cave column swagged in flowstone towers over explorers swimming through
the depths of Hang Ken, one of 20 new caves discovered last year in Vietnam.
I found on Youtube some TV programs, stories about the first cavers who involved very much in this fascinating discovery, after Ho Khanh, a local jungle man, first found the entrance to the cave in 1991 but then he had forgotten where it was. In 2009 when he accompanied the British Cave Research team lead by Howard Limbert, an expert-caver from the Northern England, they finally found the cave after many attempts. Howard Limbert has spent most of his time in this area, since 1990s, helping to create the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which now attracts million visitors a year.
A half-mile block of 40-story buildings could fit inside this lit stretch of Hang Son
Doong, which may be the world's biggest subterranean passage.
Doong, which may be the world's biggest subterranean passage.
It took the team and Mr Ho Khanh three expeditions to find Sơn Đoòng cave. This cave was formed 2 to 5 millions years ago, when river water flowing across the limestone burrowed down along a fault, scouring out a giant tunnel beneath the mountains. In places where the limestone was weak, the ceiling collapsed into sinkholes, creating the gigantic skylights. For the team, especially for Howard Limbert, discovering a cave as big as Sơn Đoòng is like finding a previously unknown Mount Everest underground. Using precise laser instruments to measure the cave, the team revealed that Sơn Đoòng is more than 3,2 km long with a continuous passage as wide as 90 m, in some places, over 190 m high.
Going underground, expedition members enter Hang En, a cave tunneled out by the
Rao Thuong River. Dwindling to a series of ponds during the dry months, the river
can rise almost 300 feet (90m) during the flood season, covering the rocks where
cavers stand.
Rao Thuong River. Dwindling to a series of ponds during the dry months, the river
can rise almost 300 feet (90m) during the flood season, covering the rocks where
cavers stand.
Like a petrified waterfall, a cascade of fluted limestone, greened by algae, stops
awestruck cavers in their tracks. They're near the exit of Hang En.
Navigating an algae-skinned maze, expedition organizers Deb and Howard Limbert
lead the way across a sculpted cavescape in Hang Son Đoòng. Ribs form as calcite-
rich water overflows pools.
lead the way across a sculpted cavescape in Hang Son Đoòng. Ribs form as calcite-
rich water overflows pools.
The trickiest challenge for the expedition team was to find a way over the Great
Wall of Vietnam, an overhanging mass of flowstone that blocked the way deep
inside Hang Son Đoòng.
Wall of Vietnam, an overhanging mass of flowstone that blocked the way deep
inside Hang Son Đoòng.
According to the hiking itinerary we will walk along the cave until the Great Wall of Vietnam - the name given by the cavers-experts to a huge 60 m-tall mud wall. Some of cavers in the British team managed to climb up this wall and measured from the bottom of the passage to the ceiling - nearly 200m high. And that's also the end of Sơn Đoòng cave or another entrance to the cave.
In this video we learn how Carsten Peter, the photographer managed to take those amazing shots that you saw in this blog - all his excellent works. Listening to his story, we understand how hard for him to work in this enormous space of this underground world in order to capture the majestic beauty of the caves.
The second video is "Talk Vietnam" with an experienced British caver-researcher, Howard Limbert, who has spent his entire life for the caving research. Together with his wife, Deb Limbert, they first came to Quang Binh (Phong Nha area) in early 1990s, and listening to his quick flashback stories about this so remote site at that time, we appreciate very much his team's great support in creating the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, and as a result of their tremendous efforts, in 2003 the site has been recognised by UNESCO as the Natural World Heritage.
My next post will be my real experience, my own stories, photos and my feelings being in the largest cave in the world. Will see you after my first life-time expedition!
My eyes ball rolling to see the beauty of nature! How much you pay for the whole trip? Amazing!
ReplyDeleteDid you check another posts about this trip on this blog? It was simply indescribable! For more details about the cost, how to apply...please do check this website www.oxalis.com.vn
DeleteYes I did. One word I can describe Awesome! But the cost really ex to me.
DeleteWow such amazing photos! Thanks for sharing your experience.
ReplyDelete