EuroSpeleo 2016
Crocs, cocks and karst - caving adventures in East Timor
Oral|Mr Pete Talling
Abstract
East Timor has a troubled past, and potential for major cave systems. After being invaded by Indonesia in 1975, it gained independence in 1999 after a bitter struggle. It has large areas of unexplored karst, some crashed helicopters, and is now opening up for travel. Its biggest river disappears into a large-crocodile filled pool at the foot of the Paitchau Mountains. This talk summarises trials and tribulations of one of the first caving expedition to visit this distinctive country, charting the expedition's fluctuating morale. Initially, the expedition gingerly contemplated the crocodile filled sink, before mapping tasty bat filled caves in the nearby Paitchau Mountains. Following a solid meal of freshly-washed fried possum entrails, the team explored caves that could house 1,000 (rather small) people. Ancestors failed to open caves in the high limestone mountains, where guerrillas had made their last stand. After getting lost on an optimistic short cut, the team arrived at a cave entrance that had been filled in 30 years ago. Morale teetered on the brink. Then on the final day, a hole in the ground was spied. It led down 140m of pitches into large ongoing passages; left with a 60m disto leg into blank space.
More from 2016
Oral|Mr Michael Ross
The Fuchslabyrinth Maze - a speleogenetic obstacle?
Oral|Mr Frank Pearson
Northern Round-up of Cave Exploration and Conservation
Oral|Mr Andy Freem
Search and Discovery of Ogof Marros
Oral|Mrs Alena Gessert
Čertova diera (Devil`s hole) – a part of the Domica-Baradla cave system (Slovakia)
Film|Mr A & A Freem
Caver's Cinema & Video Salon - Tuesday
Oral|Dr Hazel Barton
Amazing Caves: Amazing Microbes
Oral|Mr Michael Laumanns
East and Central Africa - 25 years on a glance. Expeditions to Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Gabon
Oral|Dr Attila Gáti
Poor man's laser scanner, a simple method in 3d cave surveying
Poster|Mr Nigel Steel
Poster: Cave archaeology and Photogrammetry
Oral|Miss Oana Chachula
The benefits a scientific element can bring to a Caving Expedition