Hidden Earth 2017

Cave exploration in Ethiopia & the Cave at the Source of the Nile

60 minute Lecture|Mr Robin Weare

Abstract

Starting with an overview of almost 120 years of cave exploration in Ethiopia from Donaldson-Smith's visit to Sof Omar in 1897 to the joint explorations by British and French teams since 2011 and the formation of Ethiopia's first caving club and finishing with the story of the most recent British expedition …….. an expedition to a previously unknown caving area where we found caves in Churches, caves in rock we couldn’t identify, the largest single cave chamber in Ethiopia, the highest known cave in Africa and, on the final afternoon, The Cave at the Source of the Nile.

Well, to be honest it was the Blue Nile and, although we were told it was the source I think it could certainly be described as a source. To be totally upfront about this; we were about 3,700m up Mount Guna in Ethiopia and at a rising which is the highest feeder of Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile, so maybe the locals are right.