Region: China & Tibet

Richard Bayfield with Maxine Bateman, James Bruton, Louise Dugan, Simon Froude, Katie Froude, Ruth Kerry, Martell Linsdell, Alys Mendus, Hugh Penney, Ben Stephens, Jon Wichett & Steve Whitlock plus local contact Liu Hong. (July-August 2005)

This was a follow-up to recent expeditions (including MEF Refs 03/49 & 04/54) to the Zhongdian limestone plateau at 4300m in Yunnan Province which seemed to indicate massive caving potential. In particular they planned to explore many of the high level entrances discovered in 2004, in the hope that they might improve on the previous area's depth record of -120m (in Dawa Dong). Sadly, the area did not fully live up to expectations, but nevertheless, aided by local yak-farmers, the team found some 30 new cave entrances and a massive resurgence of ice cold water that awaits investigation by a team of hot-blooded cave divers.

[For further information see website: www.hongmeigui.net ]