Mulu 2017 Expedition

Final preparations are being made for the 2017 expedition based at Mulu National Park Headquarters and the remote Hidden Valley.
Main objectives are working in the Cave systems under Gunung Api, especially Clearwater Cave (the 8th longest cave in the world at 215km surveyed length).
1) A team to follow leads in the extension to Wonder Cave in the Hidden Valley (found via Conviction Cave in 2015) pushing north into the deepest part of the mountain and a currently blank area for known cave.
2) To continue exploration and surveying in the high level Creedence Series in Clearwater Cave, with good prospects of significant extensions.
3) To connect Clearwater Cave with Racer Cave and Lagang's Cave to the south - potentially adding 15km to Clearwater's length, moving it up the rankings of the world's longest caves.
4) To climb into unexplored passages in the roof of Sarawak Chamber, the world's largest underground chamber (by floor area).
The project is incredibly grateful to it's main sponsors: SpanSet Ltd (for supplying 2km of rope) and Five Ten (for a deal on amphibious Canyoneer footwear) and the Ghar Parau Foundation. (www.gharparau.org.uk)
We will update UKCaving regularly (internet connection willing) from the field.
Mark Brown.
 

Pegasus

Administrator
Staff member
Mulu Caves Project said:
We will update UKCaving regularly (internet connection willing) from the field.
Mark Brown.

Thanks, Mark - much appreciated  (y)

Wishing you all the best for a successful and safe expedition  :)
 

mr conners

Member
(y)
I'm impressed,  and jealous. Good luck to everyone on the team. And I will buy Luke a pint if he stays off the fags for a month.
 

Rob

Well-known member
mr conners said:
... And I will buy Luke a pint if he stays off the fags for a month.
Does that extend to the rest of us who have to put up with him for that month!?!
 

A_Northerner

Active member
Sounds like a lot of potential this year, I'll make sure to keep checking back regularly. I feel like if I blink I'll miss you finding a kilometre of new passage!
 
Thursday 30th March:
10 members of the team have so far made it to Miri (the city closest to Mulu National Park).  Frank P's baggage didn't arrive though, so he is currently whittling a helmet out of bamboo. Supreme Leader is currently arranging the helicopter that will transport the team into the Hidden Valley and allow National Geographic photographer Carsten Peter to get some footage.  Moose and Luke are sorting out equipment at Mulu Park Headquarters and will soon walk into the Hidden valley, to prepare for the helicopter lift.
I have just bought 30kg of chocolate and 250 packets of instant noodles, amongst other things..
Mark B
 
Mulu 2017 Expedition update.
The expedition is now well underway in the field. The food and other shopping was completed in Miri and transported up to Mulu National Park, along with the new equipment that was shipped out from the UK. The helicopter lift into the remote Hidden Valley for part of the team and equipment had a suitable weather window and was successful. The Hidden Valley team are now settled in and camping underground to push the northern extensions of Wonder Cave.
The team exploring the highest level of Clearwater Cave have located the ?High Noon? entrance, which was found from inside the cave in 2014, but no route overland to Park HQ was established.  They missed it the first day (due to arriving at 2pm), but a second day, noon arrival and a Pearson nose for cave did the trick.  This was some achievement, due to the entrance being the size of a dog kennel in a heavily vegetated doline over 600m in diameter. The entrance reduces time taken to reach the northern limit of exploration compared to the previously known routes from up to 12 hours caving down to 5 hours overland. A group will embark on an underground camp via the High Noon entrance tomorrow to push the northern leads.
The Southern Connection team are currently working on the connection between Easter/Racer Cave and Lagangs Cave, based at park headquarters, with the assistance of some bicycles loaned by the park manager, to speed up travel along the 2.5km path to the cave.
The expedition is grateful to Sarawak Forestry Department, Mulu National Park management and staff, Logistics coordinator Veno Enar and team, and sponsors Five Ten, Spanset, Mark Wright Training, and Tex energy.
Mark B
 
The expedition continues apace. The Hidden Valley team have reported many kilometres of new survey in the Wonder Cave extensions. The high level Clearwater team are gently caressing secrets out of the enigmatic Creedence series. The highest point in the system and a point further east than any of the Armistice series has been reached. The Connection team are tantalisingly close to connecting something in the southern area of Gunung Api. Another team have stolen all the chocolate to go and climb avens in Sarawak Chamber.
The National Geographic photographer and journalist are collecting good material, as is the British writer known to this forum.
More updates in a few days, after the next underground camp...
MB
 
Top