If you have a head for heights . . .

. . . and don't suffer from claustrophobia, you'll love this!

A new cave system has been discovered in China, the main feature of which is a vertical shaft fully 3,100 feet deep! That's not the deepest ever discovered (that honor goes to the Krubera cave system in Georgia, which is over 6,800 feet deep), but it's pretty spectacular nonetheless. Click the pictures for a larger view.






An international team of speleologists has been exploring the cave system for the past few weeks. More pictures and information may be found in the article.

I've explored the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn in South Africa (which are worth seeing, if you're ever in the area), but by the time I was half-a-mile underground, I began to find it rather oppressing and claustrophobic. I prefer fresh air, thank you very much!

(By the way, there's a wonderful post at Dark Roasted Blend on 'Caves: The World Beneath The World'. The photographs are truly spectacular! Highly recommended reading.)

Peter