Life and Leisure
Deep impact
By Qi Yuehai (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-18 07:49
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A descent into the Tiankeng sinkholes of Leye county is not for the fainthearted, but it is intensely rewarding. Qi Yuehai reports
The most attractive part of cave exploration is the unknown. Unlike climbers, cave explorers don't know what's ahead and this can make the activity that much more thrilling.
I recently experienced this feeling when I went deep down into the Tiankeng sinkholes of Leye county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Twelve years ago, Leye was a poor and little known hillside county, but in 1999, the first international expedition arrived.
In 2000, another 20-person team explored further and discovered a cluster of previously unknown pits.
It is believed the sinkholes, several hundred meters underground, were formed millions of years ago by some unusual geological movements.
These landforms were dubbed tiankeng, or "naturally formed pits".
In mountainous Leye it often rains in July and the underground lakes swell, making it a dangerous time to explore. Still, I went, as a cameraman for an exploration team, and the rewards were handsome.
As we went up the rough mountainous path in the early morning, we beheld piercing sunlight and drifting clouds that turned the skyline into a huge ink-wash painting.
Not long after breakfast, we reached Dacao Tiankeng and in the valley full of vegetation there was a cliff face that was partially obscured by the reflection of the blinding sun - and a large cave opening.
We found a spot where we could station, anchor and go down to the entrance to the underground river, avoiding a time-consuming passage across the thick forest.
My experienced companion, nicknamed "Octopus", was the first to descend and it wasn't long before his red uniform disappeared from view.
But then a voice came over the walkie-talkie: "I have done it. The rope is OK. Next one, please!"
After two others, it was my turn to descend.
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Stepping carefully to the anchor position, I made a straight fall. It was not the longest route downhill I had experienced but naturally I was a bit nervous about hanging in mid-air.
On the 120-meter cliff descent I discovered it was not barren, as I first thought, but in fact was filled with shrubs, towering trees and rare plant species.
Although I did not see them I was told there were patches of wild orchids and to the eastern side of Daocao Tiankeng, there was a huge national wild orchid reserve.
I tried to descend at an even speed but the gear soon heated up because of friction. The rope, under pressure, twisted and I span around, getting a view of the scenery all around.
It took me just one minute to get down, but it seemed like an hour.
Moving to the entrance of the underground river, I took a quick break and embraced the cold air and mists encircling me.
The first major sight in the sinkhole was "Red Rose Hall", a 300-meter wide, 260-meter high vault close to the underground river. It was full of steam.
It is predicted that in 100 years or so the roof will probably collapse and be fully exposed to the elements.
We had to use a strong torch, but even so it was hard to see anything.
The hall was dry when we entered, but it then began to rain. We tried to spot where the water was coming from and saw some great stalactites shining. There was also a small waterfall with brightly colored stalactites.
I had never experienced such a dynamic and beautiful subterranean world. I was so excited that I forgot it was midnight.
The rich negative ions, oxygen and humid atmosphere kept us awake and excited, but we had to leave for work the next day.
When we landed at the bottom, it was raining outside, but after climbing up to the mouth of the hollow we were greeted by a clear, night sky dotted with twinkling stars.
We enjoyed the cool, night wind and the smell of fresh grass.
Soon the subterranean mysteries were behind us and we took a break, turned off all the lights and just enjoyed the moment, even though we were exhausted.
The article first appeared in Trends Traveler magazine.