Kuching Caving News

KUCHING CAVING NEWS

October 30th 2011 Kuching Caving, at the invitation of the Earl of Cranbrook, spent the weekend surveying a cave at Similajau near Bintulu. Special thanks to Dr Daisy for organising everything. The geology was of particular interest as the limestone was capped with sandstones resulting in spectacular ceiling formations. The survey is still being worked on and there are two passages still left to be studied. If you are interested in visiting this cave (and maybe taking in the beautiful beaches at Similajau National Park let us know. Flights are available from Kuching and KL.

October 7th 2011 Our estimates of how far we traveled into the first cave on the Big Spaces Cool Stream expedition were based on our presumed speed and the time taken. And we were slower than we thought! Frankie and I finally completed the laser centre line survey recently and the distance traveled is just over 1Km. The image on the right shows the plot of the centreline with elevation in colour. The total distance climbed from the stream beneath Batu Raja to the rapids is 150 feet - there is therefore plenty of space for more chambers beneath our usual route.

October 6 2011 The response to our Trip Advisor listing and reviews has been fantastic so much so that there hasn't been much time for news! If you are not sure whether Kuching Caving is for you check out the Trip Advisor reviews here.

October 4 2011 20 local 12 year olds and 13 teachers from SK Parun Suan joined us for a half day of educational caving. To our usual diet of archaeology and geology we added a short talk about biodiversity and conversation before heading off to the caves. Another great bunch of kids (and teachers!) who got into the spirit of the day. Kuching Caving delivered this FREE OF CHARGE as part of our commitment to the community with which we work.

June 12 2011 We listed on Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) in April and last week we had our first booking as a result. Check out Trip Advisor to see what Sarah and Emily (and many others) thought about their caving trip.

June 12 2011 The previous group from The Lodge International School must have enjoyed their caving trip because they sent all their friends! 21 students with 3 teachers spent the day in and around the caves starting with an illustrated lecture on geology (based on the video the eariler group watched but with live demonstrations). They were another great group who put a lot into the day and got a lot out. Thanks to the teaching staff for their help and enthusiasm.

April 14 2011 We have just completed video presentations on geology and archaeology which deliver much more information in the same time than we could when the presentations were simply verbal. They are shown on the Big Spaces, Cool Streams product. We will be working towards translating the commentary into other languages which will be an exciting development for our guests who are not fluent in English. Watch this space!

March 21 2011 Kuching Caving hosted a group of A level students from The Lodge International School. Together with their teacher they completed the full Big Spaces Cool Streams route and watched an extended video based presentation on the geology of the Kuching area. This was the second time that students from the Lodge have enjoyed a day with Kuching Caving. We look forward to hosting another group.

March 18 2011 We can now arrange short term insurance cover for those without. If we organise it we charge RM10 on top of the insurance; alternatively, if you wish to organise it yourself, we will send you the URL.

September 8th 2010 Fourteen members of The Sierra Club of Los Angeles joined Kuching Caving for a full day on the Big Spaces, Cool Streams route. Having arrived from the States only 36 hours before, jet lag and the humidity proved a challenge which was finally overcome on the Cool Streams section! Given that most of our guests were in their 60s with one lady aged 75 this was quite an achievement. Well done the Sierra Club! Tell us your secret!

September 5th 2010 We now have a small number of UK size 11 and 12 boots for those that need them. In Kuching they are about a common as hens teeth!

August 9th 2010 A Relatively large cave in a small mountain not far from Mambong has been explored and surveyed. The largest occupant was a very shy porcupine whose tracks were found throughout the cave.

April 25th 2010
A dinner, hosted by Padawan Municipal Council, was held to welcome Martin Laverty on his return to Kuching. Martin was a member of the 1978 Mulu expedition and led the 1983 OUCC expedition to Taang Raya (Baan). Whilst here Martin and his wife joined a survey expedition to Gua Sireh and a hunt for more caves nearTaang Raya. Three undocumented caves with further potential were found. The first picture shows MPP Municipal Secretary Michael Saweng and Datu Sri Robert Ridu greeting Martin.

March 21st 2010 Another old mine was found to contain the most extensive fossil beds yet seen in the Kuching region. Apart from chert beds, fossil deposits are sparse. In this case a dense deposit of gastropods and a fish bone can be clearly seen. The deposit continues over a considerable distance along the wall of the mine.

February 28th 2010 A successful search for an old gold mine in the Bau area also turned up four cave entrances two of which were connected by a short phreatic passage cave (60m). A cave above the gold mine (and largely destroyed by it) could not be reached. The two other entrances have still to be checked. The mine entrance was occupied by a sleepy cave racer pictured.

February 21st 2010
Gunung Pangga was visited for a day to try and find some of the 10 caves reported to be there in the 1950s. Whilst some have been lost to quarrying we found (with the indispensible help of local guides) one cave system with three entrances high up on the mountain and there are at least 4 more to be visited.

February 18th 2010 Unusually heavy rainfall over the mountain resulted in jets of water squirting out of the wall of the cave a bit like a fancy power shower. Our local guide had never seen anything like it! Our guests on the Big Spaces, Cool Streams tour enjoyed the ride out of the swim cave as the rate of flow made swimming unnecessary! Unusually, the main cave has minimal flooding risk as flood water is routed through an unvisited part of the cave system.

February 7th 2010 Kuching Caving visited Tang Raya for two days on behalf of Padawan Council to photograph the cave and assess its potential as a show cave. With 6 Km of passages and the 25th largest chamber in the world there was plenty to assess. Now you can do the same. 2 day trips sleeping in the insurgents camp deep inside the cave. Email us for details. Note the caver in red in the centre of the picture.

October 30th 2011	Kuching Caving, at the invitation of the Earl of Cranbrook, spent the weekend surveying a cave at Similajau near Bintulu. Special thanks to Dr Daisy for organising everything. The geology was of particular interest as the limestone was capped with sandstones resulting in spectacular ceiling formations. The survey is still being worked on and there are two passages still left to be studied. If you are interested in visiting this cave (and maybe taking in the beautiful beaches at Similajau National Park let us know. Flights are available from Kuching and KL.
October 7th 2011	Our estimates of how far we traveled into the first cave on the Big Spaces Cool Stream expedition were based on our presumed speed and the time taken. And we were slower than we thought! Frankie and I finally completed the laser centre line survey recently and the distance traveled is just over 1Km. The image on the right shows the plot of the centreline with elevation in colour. The total distance climbed from the stream beneath Batu Raja to the rapids is 150 feet - there is therefore plenty of space for more chambers beneath our usual route.

October 6 2011	The response to our Trip Advisor listing and reviews has been fantastic so much so that there hasn't been much time for news! If you are not sure whether Kuching Caving is for you check out the Trip Advisor reviews here.
October 4 2011	20 local 12 year olds and 13 teachers from SK Parun Suan joined us for a half day of educational caving. To our usual diet of archaeology and geology we added a short talk about biodiversity and conversation before heading off to the caves. Another great bunch of kids (and teachers!) who got into the spirit of the day. Kuching Caving delivered this FREE OF CHARGE as part of our commitment to the community with which we work.
June 12 2011	We listed on Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) in April and last week we had our first booking as a result. Check out Trip Advisor to see what Sarah and Emily (and many others) thought about their caving trip.
June 12 2011	The previous group from The Lodge International School must have enjoyed their caving trip because they sent all their friends! 21 students with 3 teachers spent the day in and around the caves starting with an illustrated lecture on geology (based on the video the eariler group watched but with live demonstrations). They were another great group who put a lot into the day and got a lot out. Thanks to the teaching staff for their help and enthusiasm.
April 14 2011	We have just completed video presentations on geology and archaeology which deliver much more information in the same time than we could when the presentations were simply verbal. They are shown on the Big Spaces, Cool Streams product. We will be working towards translating the commentary into other languages which will be an exciting development for our guests who are not fluent in English. Watch this space!
March 21 2011	Kuching Caving hosted a group of A level students from The Lodge International School. Together with their teacher they completed the full Big Spaces Cool Streams route and watched an extended video based presentation on the geology of the Kuching area. This was the second time that students from the Lodge have enjoyed a day with Kuching Caving. We look forward to hosting another group.
March 18 2011	We can now arrange short term insurance cover for those without. If we organise it we charge RM10 on top of the insurance; alternatively, if you wish to organise it yourself, we will send you the URL.
September 8th 2010	Fourteen members of The Sierra Club of Los Angeles joined Kuching Caving for a full day on the Big Spaces, Cool Streams route. Having arrived from the States only 36 hours before, jet lag and the humidity proved a challenge which was finally overcome on the Cool Streams section! Given that most of our guests were in their 60s with one lady aged 75 this was quite an achievement. Well done the Sierra Club! Tell us your secret!
September 5th 2010	We now have a small number of UK size 11 and 12 boots for those that need them. In Kuching they are about a common as hens teeth!
August 9th 2010	A Relatively large cave in a small mountain not far from Mambong has been explored and surveyed. The largest occupant was a very shy porcupine whose tracks were found throughout the cave.
April 25th 2010	A dinner, hosted by Padawan Municipal Council, was held to welcome Martin Laverty on his return to Kuching. Martin was a member of the 1978 Mulu expedition and led the 1983 OUCC expedition to Taang Raya (Baan). Whilst here Martin and his wife joined a survey expedition to Gua Sireh and a hunt for more caves nearTaang Raya. Three undocumented caves with further potential were found. The first picture shows MPP Municipal Secretary Michael Saweng and Datu Sri Robert Ridu greeting Martin.
March 21st 2010	Another old mine was found to contain the most extensive fossil beds yet seen in the Kuching region. Apart from chert beds, fossil deposits are sparse. In this case a dense deposit of gastropods and a fish bone can be clearly seen. The deposit continues over a considerable distance along the wall of the mine.
February 28th 2010	A successful search for an old gold mine in the Bau area also turned up four cave entrances two of which were connected by a short phreatic passage cave (60m). A cave above the gold mine (and largely destroyed by it) could not be reached. The two other entrances have still to be checked. The mine entrance was occupied by a sleepy cave racer pictured.
February 21st 2010	Gunung Pangga was visited for a day to try and find some of the 10 caves reported to be there in the 1950s. Whilst some have been lost to quarrying we found (with the indispensible help of local guides) one cave system with three entrances high up on the mountain and there are at least 4 more to be visited.
February 18th 2010	Unusually heavy rainfall over the mountain resulted in jets of water squirting out of the wall of the cave a bit like a fancy power shower. Our local guide had never seen anything like it! Our guests on the Big Spaces, Cool Streams tour enjoyed the ride out of the swim cave as the rate of flow made swimming unnecessary! Unusually, the main cave has minimal flooding risk as flood water is routed through an unvisited part of the cave system.
February 7th 2010	Kuching Caving visited Tang Raya for two days on behalf of Padawan Council to photograph the cave and assess its potential as a show cave. With 6 Km of passages and the 25th largest chamber in the world there was plenty to assess. Now you can do the same. 2 day trips sleeping in the insurgents camp deep inside the cave. Email us for details. Note the caver in red in the centre of the picture.