Here is an excerpt from an off-line communication I have had with Bill Mixon. It summarizes some things that might be of more general interest. The reference is DESCENT,
# 194 Feb/Mar 2007, p. 30-32 ----------------------------------------------- We were not actually AT Maio Keng, but close. Besides, I’m long past even thinking about coming back up out of monsters like this. This cave almost (30 m short) connects to the Tianxing Dongxue Xitong (Tianxing Cave System), the deepest and fourth longest presently known in China (1020 m depth with 35,480 m total survey). Chances are good that they will make that connection in the future. You could actually rig this thing as a 491 plus (probably climb up and make it over 500 m) underground free drop. They typically use skinny ropes (because of the weight of larger tackle) so have a bit more stretch than we are used to. A whole bunch of rebellays makes a lot of sense on pitches like these. A neighbor (Da Keng -775 m depth with 4,273 m total survey) has a 519 m entrance drop, but it’s open to the surface and has numerous ledges, not that (that) makes much of a difference to me. We were in a large horizontal cave at the level of the bottom of Maio Keng. The horizontal passages are --- 30-50 m wide and a bit taller. So poorly decorated that you could actually see the bedrock stratigraphy in some places. You tend to get a little jaded caving here. Thanks. The SW Region has asked me to make a presentation at their Winter Technical Meeting in Albuquerque Dec 5, and I will shortly start putting together a presentation. I want to have my facts straight. DirtDoc
