- Days: 2
- Difficulty: *****
- Price: 800RMB
Longmen Dong (Dragon's Gate Cave) is a conglomerate cave in Lushan County (near Ya’an), around three hours drive from Chengdu. Part of the cave has been developed into a show-cave and has been opened for tourism; however, there are over 10km of undeveloped passage which make for a good introduction to caving as a sport. Your guide for the trip will be Matt Ryan, a British caver with over ten years of experience. Matt was one of the original team of cavers who mapped the cave in 2003.
Weekday Evening: Preparation
An evening or two before the caving trip we will meet to discuss plans and equipment and talk a little about caving as a sport.
Saturday: Caving Trip
We leave Chengdu at around 9am, travelling to Lushan in time for lunch. After lunch we will enter the showcave and establish camp inside the cave plus have a quick look at some of the developed parts of the cave. We will then leave the cave again and head overland to a second, smaller (and well hidden!) entrance. This connects to the showcave after around eight hours of caving. The caving is never technically difficult, although it is also rarely easy. There are exposed climbs and traverses as well as small sections, slippery floors and difficult route finding. Endurance is required and you will be bruised and tired by the end of the trip! Rope is required for abseil descent in two places. You will be belayed on a second rope if necessary.
Sunday: Return to Chengdu
With no sunlight to wake us we will sleep late from the previous days exertions and will leave the cave in time for lunch, returning to Chengdu mid-afternoon. Depending on the time of year and the weather it is possible to arrange a rafting trip near the cave for the afternoon.
Price
Our trips are tailor made and depend on the size of the group and time of the year, however we are typically able to offer this trip for small groups at around 800 RMB per person. This includes transport, most of the required equipment, and food for the duration of the trip. Note that group size is usually limited to five clients and a guide for this trip.
Equipment
The price includes:
- Food and water for the duration of the trip
- Transport to and from the cave
- Tents, sleeping bags and ground mats
- Cotton overalls
- Helmet and light
- Rope and abseil equipment
You will need to supply:
- Old clothes which you will probably damage. These should have long sleeves and legs, should not restrict your movement and should retain their warmth when wet. The temperature in the cave is around 15 C. A tracksuit is a good choice.
- Suitable footwear. A pair of good quality comfortable wellies with a good grip is a good choice as are old walking boots (which you WILL damage). A cheap choice which works well is a pair of canvas “liberation shoes” (解放鞋).
- A change of clothes.
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