Mulu 2009 Preliminary Report

23rd March 2009

The prliminary report has now been completed. The final official totals are

New discoveries in Whiterock Cave 2009	24,075
New discoveries in Blackrock Cave for 2009	162
Other finds in Gunung Api	458
Total for Gunung Api 2009	24,695
Total length of Clearwater System	175,664
New discoveries in Gunung Benarat	2,655
Total for 2009	27,350

All figures quoted are in metres and come from the Mulu Caves Project Preliminary report. Figures are rounded.

The report is summarised. The complete report is now available in due course on the Mulu Caves Project web site.

The Mulu Caves 2009 expedition took place from 16th January and 12th March 2009. During the first month eight members took part with fourteen during the second month.

Most of the exploration took place in Whiterock Cave in Northern Api. New finds totalling 24km were surveyed bringing the total surveyed length of the Clearwater System to 175.6km. Some searching of the Melinau Gorge was made to try to find an entrance to the Clearwater System near to Camp 5. Although some small caves were found no connection was made.

The scientific work focussed on dating of the the development of the cave passages. In Gunung Benerat the team exploered a 2553m long cave in the cliffs to the east of Tiger Cave. This is believed to be the oldest passage in Mulu.

In Whiterock the high level leads in the east of the system were explored. The Borderline and Big Issue passages comprised a major high level trunk route between 1954 and Api Chamber. No significant finds were made in the southern end of Gunung Api. In the central area many leads produced useful connections but no significant new routes.

A short length of passage was pushed in Blackrock Cave ending in a draughting choke. During the last few days of the expedition checking of some side passages in the northern area of Whiterock resulted in a connection from ‘1954’ passage down to river level 170m lower. Named 'The Whiterock River’, this was a major find for the expedition, with 3.5km of river explored, representing the continuation of the Clearwater river upstream to its sources close to the Melinau Gorge.Side passages increased the finds here to 5.5km.

A large pitch in Hurricane Hole, the most easterly entrance to the Benerat Cavern System in Gunung benarat was descended 80m to a choke.

All discoveries were surveyed and the data entered into Survex. In addition much work was carried out in the field producing maps using Therion. Plans were drawn up of all new finds before the expedition returned home although much more mapping remains to be done.