Mulu Caves 2007

The Mulu Caves 2007 expedition has recently completed its work. Based at Camp 5 in the Melinau Gorge a team of sixteen British cavers, with the close support of National Park staff and local porters, carried out exploration in Southern Benarat and Northern Api. A total of 25.8kms of cave were explored and surveyed and the total length of the Clearwater Cave System was extended to 151.4 km confirming its current status as 10th longest cave in the world.

The main areas of work were Moon Cave north of the Melinau river and Whiterock to the south.

Moon Cave

At the end of the 2005 expedition two important leads had been left unexplored. It was hoped that these would lead to a higher level of passages and possibly the large open entrance high in the cliff opposite Camp 5. In fact this was not to be, all upward progress was thwarted and the elusive upper series remains for future explorers.

A concentrated effort, which required a small amount of digging to pass a draughting boulder choke, established a connection with Cobweb Cave. This now provides a link between Benarat Caverns, Moon Cave and Cobweb Cave which makes the Cobweb Cave System 50.5km long, the second longest cave in the Park and currently fiftieth longest cave in the world.

The total length of passages explored within Moon Cave was 3.7km.

Whiterock Cave

At the end of the 2005 expedition numerous large passages had been left unexplored. As in 2005, Whiterock Cave never ceases to amaze the seasoned Mulu veteran and 2007 was to be no exception. The complexity of the cave provided a feast of exploration. A major lead heading north was explored and found to end 373m from Camp 5 in a mass of calcite and boulders. Unfortunately no entrance was found and there was no sign of drafts, swifts, or other signs that access to the surface would be possible. This area proved to be very remote and an extremely arduous trip for the exploration team. A subsequent trip discovered another passage 60m above this which almost duplicated the alignment of the lower passage and ended 360m from Camp 5 in similar calcite and boulders.

A great deal of new passages were discovered in the central areas of the cave with passages infilling blank areas.

The total length of passages explored in Whiterock Cave was 21.9km.

Melinau Gorge

Various expeditions have spent time exploring the footslopes of Api in the Melinau Gorge with limited success. Most discoveries have consisted of minor caves which are associated with marginal drainage. No large fossil passages have been explored. During previous expeditions surveys have been produced but these have never been correctly positioned such that subsequent expeditions are never certain whether their discoveries are new or whether an earlier expedition has been there before. This expedition went some way to tie in the known entrances by surveying the surface track to the major features of Bat Cave and Shelter Cave.