Necessary Equipment
A list of gear that you must have on any trip underground. These lists are general guidelines only. Disclaimer

Helmet:
A helmet is the most basic of essentials. Hazards ranging from bumping your head on the ceiling to rocks falling on you can exist in the cave environment. For the majority of wild caving experiences a UIAA certified climbing or caving helmet is recommended. For very basic trips involving no vertical exposure, no overhead hazards, or any other hazards beyond stumbling or walking into a rock a good quality construction hardhat with a chinstrap is acceptable but not prefered.

Headlamp:
At least one helmet mounted headlamp is needed for caving. A good quality lamp is preferred (one that doesn’t fall apart when dropped). There are several good LED headlamps on the market that are reaonably priced.

Backup lights (2+):
At least two backup lights are required. These lights must be able to guide you out of the cave if your primary light fails. Candles are not backups. Light sticks are not backups. Your old flashlight that “sort of works” is not a backup. A backup must be in good condition and be reliable. Preferably one of the lights backups should be helmet mountable. If possible, your backups and primary light should use the same size batteries (AA are the best as they are the most common underground)

Batteries:
Bring at least 3 sets of batteries for your primary light source. If you are using a MSS rental helmet you will need 9 or 12 AA batteries. Also keep in mind that your backups may use different batteries so spare batteries may need to be carried for those.

Footwear:
Sturdy hiking or work boots, preferably with knobby bottoms, are a must. Flat bottom tennis shoes are not appropriate in the cave environment. The cave environment is tough on footwear.

Clothing:
Your clothing will depend on the cave trip you are on (dry cave vs. swimming) and the trip length. In general cotton is not good in caves due to its ability to get and stay wet. In a drier cave some cavers use coveralls over layers of polypro long underwear and wool socks. Other cavers use coveralls made from heavy nylon (similar to backpack fabric) over polypro. Of course, in a wet cave a heavy wetsuit is needed. If you are unsure of clothing talk to the trip leader for personal advice, including if jeans are an ok substitute.

Clothing should be worn in layers. Brisk walking at 47F is very different from prolonged sitting at 47F.

Gloves:
Gloves keep your hands happy. Happy hands are working hands so a good pair of gloves is a must. Many cavers prefer leather, others like rubber. Canvas work gloves are ok but tend to get and stay wet. Absolutely no fuzzy gloves in the cave as these will leave fuzz on everything they touch.

Cave Pack:
Some kind of cave pack is needed to carry spare lights, batteries, water, and snacks. Fanny packs work and are readily available. Gas Mask bags and other over the shoulder military type bags are great. Most cavers end up with some kind of custom cave pack that they like. If your pack has zippers, they won’t last for many trips before the zippers are destroyed.

Large Plastic Trash Bag:
This can be used as an emergency heat tent in cave. It is also useful get used to bring home the dirty clothes. Many cavers stuff it into their helmet where it is out of the way and easily accessed.

Food and Water:
Food is nice while caving but avoid anything with crumbs. Bagals are durable, as are energy bars. Water is a must. Always plan extra food and water in case you are in cave long then planned.

Pee and Poo: (longer trips)
If you are in a longer cave remember a (durable) pee bottle. Some cavers use a dedicated water bottle, others pack light and bring one water/pee bottle and wash when they get home. Either way, be sure the bottle is a wide mouth bottle.

On very long trips (survey, expedition, etc) you may need a poo kit. This consists of a large turkey oven roasting bag (very durable), sheets of paper towels and a couple of zip lock bags to double or triple bag when you are done. A few anti-bacterial wet wipes will keep your hands happy when you are done.

Going Home Clothes:
Your caving clothes will get very dirty. Bring a full change of clothes including shoes and undies. A towel is also nice, as are baby wipes to get the mud off your hands and face after the trip.

Knee and Elbow Pads:
The rocks get hard on knees and elbows so both kinds of pads are recommended. However you can get by just fine with a few minor bruises without them. Hard plastic kneepads will be more misery than none at all so avoid them.

First Aid Kit

Cave Map / Compass

Nice to Have Gear
A list of gear that you might want to bring.

Camera:
Caves are pretty and offer many opportunities for pictures. A friend’s digital camera is recommended. Your cave pack will take a beating and even if you pad the camera, the humidity in the cave may condense inside the camera. Pack your in a zipper sandwich bag to keep it clean(er) and dry. No matter what you do, the lifespan of a camera that is taken underground is short.

After the trip open the camera up (battery compartment, etc) and allow to dry for several days.

Foam butt pad:
Not for comfort, but because for safety as rock is an excellent thermal conductor.
Note: GPS, cell phones, radios do not work underground.

Safe Caving Practices

Although the following list of safe caving practices is meant to help you, there is nothing – And make no mistake about it – nothing that will replace using good common sense. Some items listed below may have already been covered, but it wouldn’t hurt to mention them again. We cannot cover every conceivable situation you may encounter while caving, and additional reading on the subject will benefit you.

- Never go caving alone (a minimum of 3 people on a team).
- Wear a good-quality hard hat with a chin strap and the primary light source attached.
- Carry three sources of light (should one source fail).
- Always leave word as to which cave you will be visiting and your expected time of return, allowing a few hours for any unexpected contingencies.
- Follow the lead of the more experienced caver or the one who knows the cave well. If all your lights fail, sit down and wait on the spot for help to come.
- Avoid jumping. Cave floors are seldom level, and a short jump may result in an injury.
- Practice ropework (vertical caving) under the guidance of an expert before doing any vertical caving.
- Caving is extremely tiring: know your limit, rest frequently, watch for fatigue in others.
If you are uncomfortable with a passage, speak up!!
- Caving is a team activity – we all help each other.
- People with chronic medical conditions need to take that into consideration when deciding to go caving.
- Carry a small first aid kit. A large garbage bag or poncho will make a good heat tent using the heat from one candle or carbide lamp.
- If an immobilizing injury occurs, treat for shock (keep the injured caver warm) and contact the local cave rescue organization.
- Sitting still can cause shivering after a period of time, the first symptom of hypothermia. Get moving, initiate activity.
- The slowest caver sets the pace. Go only as fast as you can be followed, and check on the caver behind you.
- If lost in a cave, panic is your worst enemy. Remain calm, conserve your light, and if you followed the rule about leaving word, you have little to worry about.

** From A Guide To Responsible Caving. Compiled by Adrian (Ed) Sira Distributed free by the National Speleological Society

A team of British cavers recently announced record-breaking news – the discovery in Quang Binh Province of the largest cave in the world.

But the presence of the British team has eclipsed one very important figure in the story – 40-year-old Ho Khanh – a local man and guide for the expedition who says he first found the cave nearly 20 years ago, but lost it again.

Back to the start

Today the forty-year-old farmer mans a tea stall in a village on the edge of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. “I first found the cave 18 years ago, in 1991,” he says.

“I was out collecting firewood near the national park. My family were very poor, so I decided to go deeper into the forest to try and find some aloe. The resin is used to make perfume and it’s very valuable. Not many people went that far into the forest at the time because they were scared of the wild animals.”

After walking for about 20km Khanh says he lost his way. Clouds started gathering in the sky, so he decided to look for shelter.

“I sat down with my back to a huge boulder. Then something strange happened. I heard the sound of a strong wind and running water coming from behind me.”

Khanh went to investigate and found the entrance to an enormous cave, with a wide river flowing out of it.

“I was very surprised. I thought I knew many caves in this region, but this one was so different and seemed to be untouched by man. It was pitch black, but judging by the feeling of the air, I thought I was walking into a huge space. The strong wind blowing felt like something from the underworld.”

With no ropes or lights, Khanh did not venture further into the cave. A day after he’d first set out, he arrived back home.

“I didn’t have any aloe, but in my mind I had the image of a great cave.”

Khanh’s story spread like wildfire, but not everyone believed him.

“I wanted to prove my word, but I couldn’t remember the way to the cave. It was a wild place, with no human tracks.”

Eventually, the story became legend. Khanh quit his dream of becoming rich from aloe and went back to doing his daily chores: collecting fire wood and farming. But he never gave up on the hope that one day he would find the cave again.

All is not lost

It wasn’t until one morning in early winter, 2006, that Khanh’s cave dream was rekindled. A group of cavers from Britain, on a trip to find new caves in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang region, came to ask Khanh for help, as they had heard about his discovery 15 years before.

Khanh agreed to guide the team to find the legendary cave, but after three days in the jungle, Khanh and the team were still at a loss.

“I just couldn’t remember where it was,” he says.

There were some perks. On their expedition, the group did find 11 previously unrecorded caves. The British team even named one of them after the farmer.

“One of my favourite caves that we found on our trip had a lake and many beautiful stalactites that sparkled in the light. We called it Thai Hoa, after my daughter.”

The team returned to the park for two more expeditions, but each time were beaten by the density of the jungle. Finally the cavers gave in and left, asking Khanh to contact them if he found it again.

In a final effort to recover his memory, Khanh headed to the jungle one cold winter’s morning in 2009.

“I stopped by a big boulder. There was the same strong wind, the sound of water running – I knew I’d found the cave at long last. I can’t describe my feelings at the time, I was so overjoyed.”

The team immediately came back to Viet Nam and followed Khanh on a six-hour treck deep into the jungle. On April 14 they found what they were looking for.

Measuring 200m high and 150m wide, the new cave, named Son Doong (Mountain River Cave) by Khanh, is believed to be almost twice the size of the current record holder, Deer Cave in Sarawak Malaysia.

The cave is in Phong Nha-Ke Bang grotto system, which belongs to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. It is a limestone region of 2,000sq.km and borders another limestone area in Hin Nammo in Laos.

According to Adam Spillane, a member of the team, the cave is over 4km long at present but the end of the main passage continues on. The team were unable to go further because of a calcite wall more than 45m high halted their progress.

“Khanh has been a guide for the team for many expeditions in the jungle to explore caves. This year he took the team to a cave which had never been explored before, not even by local people,” Spillane says.

The cave was a thing of overwhelming beauty and grandeur, spokesman for the team, Haward Limbirt says.

“We plan to return to Viet Nam later to complete our expedition of the cave and conduct a full survey,” he says.

Back to normal

After the team returned to Britain, Khanh settled back into his everyday routine.

“I just think about how I’m going to earn enough money to feed my family. I only earn VND800,000 (US$50) per month.”

His discovery has yet to reap financial gains, Khanh says.

“We are still as poor as we were before. Actually, I still haven’t paid off the VND10 million ($550) loan I borrowed ten years ago to develop our farm and animal husbandry.”

Khanh’s obsession with the cave has been hard on his nearest and dearest, his wife Le Thi Nghia says.

“Sometimes I get angry because he just wants to go to the jungle and look at caves, but I understand he is very passionate about it. After all of this, I’m proud of him.”

Nghia says the only thing she asks for is recognition from the Government and the press for what her husband has done for the country.

Source : VietNamNet/VNS – 06/29/2009

Source of Photos: National Geographic

TOUR INFORMATION:
Ha Noi – Dong Hoi – Phong Nha-Ke Bang – Son Doong Cave – Chay Lap – Vinh Moc – Hue
5 days with 3 day trekking & 2 night camping
Grade: Moderate
Head office: Floor 12 Building 45 Nguyen Son street, Long Bien district, Hanoi, Vietnam
Operation office: 367 Ngo Quyen St., Son Tra Dist., Da Nang
Operation office: 108 Le Lai St., Dist. 1, HCMC
Support number: (04) 3 573 8569

Son Dong, a cave belongs to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang grotto system in central Quang Binh Province, has been discovered to be the biggest in the world.

Son Doong cave, discovered by a local 18 years ago, is more than 200 meters wide, 150 meters high, and at least 6.5 kilometers long, though the explorers said they were unable to explore it fully. Bristish explorers have recently discovered that So Dong is much larger than the world’s biggest known cave. The biggest section of Son Dong is five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide, said Howard Limbirt of the British Cave Research Association team searching the area April 10-14, 2009. Son Dong is much larger than Deer Cave in Malaysia, currently considered the world’s largest, an explorer said (Deer is 90 meters wide, 100 meters high and 2 kilometers long). The Son Doong cave has replaced to take pole position as the world’s largest cave.

Itinerary at a glance

Day 1: Dong Hoi Town – Phong Nha Ke Bang NP – En Cave

Day 2: En Cave – Discover Son Doong Cave – return to En Cave

Day 3: Back to Dong Hoi Town

Trip notes

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights

Group size: 10 persons

Depart from: Dong Hoi Town (Quang Binh Province)

End at: Dong Hoi Town (Quang Binh Province)

When: Sep – May

Activities: Caving & Jungle trekking

Grade: Challenging

Transport: Van

Accommodation: 2 night camping

Tour guide: English speaking guide

Support crew: Porters & cook

Meals:

- Day 1: Lunch, Dinner

- Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

- Day 3: Breakfast, Lunch

Food

All meals, which are indicated in the itinerary, are included in the price of this trip. On the trek the support crew will cook meals for us. Since we are far away from the town, the emphasis will be on healthy and nutritious local produce. Please inform us if you have any special dietary requirement.

The camping ground

Our camp for the evening will be in a clearing in (or near) En Cave. You will be provided with twin shared tent & sleeping bag. Hamok can also provided if you preferred.

ATA tour guide

We will provide English speaking tour guide from Dong Hoi. The local tour guide is the one who know the area and the cave well. We will try to arrange Mr. Ho Khanh (the one who discovered Son Doong Cave) to be your local tour guide but that is not a guarantee.

What to bring

Trekking boot, sun block, hat, anti-insect repellent (mosquitos & and leeches are majority), warm clothes for cold weather, rain coat, toiletries, original passport.

Note on client safety

We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reasons, including road and weather conditions or for any other factor which may influence client safety.

Inclusion:

Camping gears

Permission to discover the cave

Transfer two ways from/to Dong Hoi

English speaking guide

Porters & Cook

First-aid kit

Meals as indicated in the itinerary

Drinking water

Entrance fees & sightseeing fees

Exclusion:

Travel insurance

Visa

Hotel in Dong Hoi

Train ticket

Air ticket

Tips for guides & driver

Personal expenses

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Dong Hoi – Phong Nha Ke Bang

08:00   Our tour guide will meet you at your hotel in Dong Hoi and brief the tour plan before we leave for Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park’s core zone to discover Son Doong Cave.

11:30  We reach Doong Village, a secluded village in jungle. We will have picnic lunch in the village. After lunch we begin a trek through jungle toward En Cave (Swallow Cave).

14:00  We reach En Cave, a beautiful cave with over 2km in length and 49m in height. We will explore the cave, taking photo then set our camp near a stream. Our support team will catch fish in the stream to cook our dinner.

18:00  Have dinner and sleep in tent.

Summary

Transfer: Private transfer 3hrs

Activity: Trekking, camping, En Cave discovery

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Local guide: Yes

Support team: Yes

Accommodation: Camping

Day 2: Son Doong Cave Discovery

07:30  Breakfast at the campsite before we begin our 2hr-trek through jungle to Son Doong Cave. Discover a part of the world’s biggest cave.

12:00  Have picnic lunch in the cave

15:00  Leave Son Doong Cave after 5-6hr discoverring inside the cave. We return to En Cave and take a swim in the stream before dinner.

Overnight at the campsite.

Summary

Activity: Trekking, Son Doong Cave Discovery

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Local guide: Yes

Support team: Yes

Accommodation: Camping

Day 3: Son Doong – Dong Hoi

08:30  Breakfast at the campsite before we trek toward Doong Village where we have lunch break before driving back to Dong Hoi Town. Trip ends.

Summary

Transfer: Private transfer 3hrs

Activity: Trekking

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Local guide: Yes

Note on client safety

We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reasons, including road and weather conditions or for any other factor which may influence client safety.

Son Doong cave, discovered by a local 18 years ago, is more than 200 meters wide, 150 meters high, and at least 6.5 kilometers long, though the explorers said they were unable to explore it fully. Bristish explorers have recently discovered that So Doong is much larger than the world’s biggest known cave. The biggest section of Son Doong is five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide, said Howard Limbirt of the British Cave Research Association team searching the area April 10-14, 2009. Son Doong is much larger than Deer Cave in Malaysia, currently considered the world’s largest, an explorer said (Deer is 90 meters wide, 100 meters high and 2 kilometers long). The Son Doong cave has replaced to take pole position as the world’s largest cave.

The Son Doong is situated below another cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang, though its entry passage is very difficult to traverse. The exploration team said they had set foot on just 6.5 kilometers along the cave, as there is a large amount of fast flowing water inside Son Doong. It takes explorers six hours of walking through a 10 kilometer long forest path from Truong Son Highway to reach the mouth of Son Dong cave. The explorer added that the Quang Binh cave has beautiful stalactites and stalagmites that are not seen anywhere else.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang grotto system belongs to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. It is a limestone region of 2,000 square kilometers in Vietnam and borders another limestone area in Hin Nammo in Laos. When describing the newly-discovered cave, the team’s spokesman, Haward Limbirt, said that it was a thing of overwhelming beauty and grandeur. He added that each grotto has its own beauty, but he is impressed by Ca Xai. This cave is near the Vietnam-Laos border. It is very deep and has a big lake inside. Explorers measured the depth of this lake, but they had only 200m of rope and the end didn’t reach the lake bed.

The British team suggested to the local authorities not to develop Son Doong Cave as a tourism site immediately to preserve its natural beauty.

Source from Internet/ Vietnam-beauty

I happened across this link that promised news of the discovery of a massive cave complex in Vietnam.  Let’s just say that Vietnam has just risen sharply on my list of must-see places (not that I’ll get to see every place on that list in my lifetime… but this would be an epic trip).

At first I was a little disappointed because the link lead to small pictures and I couldn’t get the full scope of what was being described, but imbedded in the article was a link to National Geographic with larger pictures, and much more awe.

What, pray tell, do those links lead to?  Why, those links will take you on an adventure.  Recall, if you will, the year 1864 – the year in which Jules Verne‘s book, A Journey to the Center of the Earth was released.  You may recall that that book was filled with tales of wonderous things in the interior of the earth’s crust: underground oceans, forests, prehistoric creatures, and all manner of imaginative phenomena.  Now, imagine if you will, that there was some truth to Verne’s claim.

If you allow yourself to imagine that, then you may discover it in Vietnam’s mammoth Hang Son Doong cave complex: the world’s largest cave, with a cavernous passage large enough to fill a city block of skyscrapers, and replete with a populated underground jungle, a massive underground river (making the cave untraversable in the wet season but a glorious site to behold in the dry), and enough sheer WOW factor to inspire a brand new generation of writers, if these pictures are any indication. 

So head on over to National Geographic for your daily dose of “WOW” and today’s “Tidbits of Inspiration”.  And be sure to check out the Interactive “Path of a River Cave” that maps out the expedition.  I promise you this: you won’t be sorry you did…