Calbiga Langun Cave

Calbiga Langun Cave – Spelunking

Samar Philippines

The sight of thousands of bats swarming out of the cave on their way to work is really inspiring.

The enormous pile of bat guano that you must wade through is not.

My neighbor, Joni Bonifacio, invited me to join a group that was planning to explore the Calbig cave for 3 days last weekend. Calbiga the biggest karst cave in the Philippines and takes a bit of work to get to.

Our original group of 7 whittled down to 3 on the morning of the second day because the conditions were more rugged than some were prepared for. We had 2 porters that returned to the entrance with the extra supplies that we would no longer need and would also guide the 4 back to the starting point.

Joni, Vic and the I decided to push on with light packs. That made us were more nimble and we were able to cover a lot of territory.

A rare blind fish that lives no where else was discovered there in 1987. I was fortunate to get a few shaky photos of this fellow hanging out near the waters edge. The water is very muddy so it was difficult to get the shot because the bank is sloped and you will slip into the river if you get too close.

This fish is completely blind but is very sensitive to any disruption and sinks away, out of view in the muddy water, when it detects your presence.

The white crab is also blind but not as rare as this fish.

We came across a couple of long black snakes that I would like to get a positive id on if there are any serious snake guys out there that will recognize them.

The shape of the head makes me think they might be poisonous, so it would be good to know exactly what one would be up against if they got bit by one.

They are not particularly aggressive but it would be possible to step on one accidentally.

The hike to the cave entrance is a one hour workout on an trail grown over with vines and other plants. The hike out the back end is a two hour uphill hike on a slimy trail so be prepared with good shoes.

Inside the cave itself there are very slippery muddy sections that can not be avoided. Near the far entrance there is a layer 1 to 2 feet deep of bat guano.

There is a massive exodus of bats just before it gets dark in the evening.

Points to consider:

It’s best to move slowly ’till you get accustomed to the slippery surfaces.

There are some steep sections were a safety line will be rigged up because a fall could be fatal.

Some of the calcite stalagmites are breath taking. I am more into the animal and insect life but anyone would appreciate the beauty of these formations.

Tourism is being promoted and there are now lines being installed on poles set in concrete. It ruins the pristine feeling this cave once had, but the more difficult routes will never have these “improvements”.

Water from the pools is used for cooking and drinking but soaps and shampoos and the like are not used in the cave. Imaging making a species of fish extinct just by washing your hair with shampoo. These fish are exceedingly rare.

Toilet waste is also hauled out of the cave. The natural balance in the cave is left as undisturbed as possible. It also would be unfortunate to have your supply of drinking water polluted. Accessibility to water is very limited in some areas.

You can work up a real sweat climbing over the boulders in there so take along dry clothing in a plastic bag so you can change and sleep in reasonable “comfort” instead of wet clothes. Your shoes will be covered with mud the whole time you are down there.

Portable stoves can heat water for soups and coffee. Cheese and crackers are an easy food to take along. Rice and adobo cooked outside is also brought along for the first day.

A tarp is spread out and everyone takes off their shoes before getting on it. You have to take care not to get mud all over everything. A flat spot not under dripping stalactites is selected for the site.

The snakes and bats are not a problem but some people find the fat crickets that live there to be very annoying. They can bite through a bread bag no problem.

A friend with foot oder problems has trouble with these insects biting on his feet because they thought they just found some dead carrion.

Mosquitoes don’t seem live in these caves. Maybe the millions of bats keep them at bay.

LED flashlights and headlamps get long battery life and I like the carbide lamps because they can be restarted easily even if you take a dip under water. I am a big fan of taking 3 extra lights. Candles are used at the camp sites.

Try to be in reasonable condition and have good shoes that are broken in.

Energy foods and chocolates are a good for a quick rush. Try to take a liter water bottle that you can refill when you come across fresh water. Usually a 5 gallon water jug is set up at the camps.

Don’t allow yourself to move too quickly because you will have a better chance of slipping and hurting yourself. Cameras should be waterproof or be protected from moisture somehow. I do not take a wallet but remember that you often wade through rivers so remove it and your cell phone and put in plastic before you venture out.

If you never went on a cave trip before, consider a one day trek first to see what it’s about.

Calbiga Cave

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Cave diving update – Calbiga Cave – Samar – Philippines

Lurodpon Cave

Joni gave me a copy of the Leyte Samar Daily Express that featured a recent cave diving expedition he led into the deep recesses of Calbiga Cave last month (mid August 2009) It was a 3 day adventure.

It was a real job to get all the equipment down there, requiring 12 porters to assist in hauling the gear. There are some very tight restrictions that are difficult to navigate when spelunking to the lower chambers. (the equipment included 12 tanks plus gear)

I have been down there before, to see the  blind fish, but these  scuba divers continued past that pool and went to the end of the cave where the river goes under the wall. The current was very light so the divers descended  down to the water with the aid of climbing ropes and were on their way.

It took a bit of guts, because they were exploring completely new territory and had no idea what lie ahead. The two Americans and one German were certified cave divers with a lot of experience and were prepared to rock and roll. It was not a deep dive , and they only had to drop down 5 meters and then surface in a new chamber that had not been explored before.

The divers report hearing a distant waterfall in the new chamber but did not proceed far enough to actually see it. The sound of a waterfall in a cave is beautiful because the noise is overwhelming the closer you get to it, but you would have to keep in the back of your mind the spooky feeling that there might be no return if you went over one – especially that far back in the cave!

There are many unexplored caves left in Samar to be mapped, but Calbiga is the grand daddy of them all. It’s the largest cave system in the Philippines and possibly the second largest in Asia.

Cave diving is not for beginners – there are just too many things that can go wrong so you have to have intensive training so you will know how to handle the situations that arise.

The three on this dive were all highly experienced cave divers:

Bruce Konefe – American teaching cave diving in Thailand

William Hudson – Alaskan – scuba and cave diving instructor

Thomas Bodis – German – 5 years cave diving

Cave diving in Samar is still in it’s infancy. Experienced cave divers have a lot of opportunity to explore and discover new passageways and chambers that have never been seen before.

Just a word of caution from the dutchpickle – (just a beginner cave explorer) – always consider the weather. Heavy rains will cause the water levels in the cave to rise to the ceiling in some  areas. You would never be able to overcome the current so always think about what you are doing and leave yourself an out and minimize risk. Sometimes you will come across the trunk of a massive tree wedged deep in one of the chambers, several kilometers from any known entrance – and you just have to imaging the force of the water that put it there.

Don’t even consider cave diving unless you really know what you are doing. There will be no one in this part of the world that will be able to bail you out if you run into trouble.

The new discovery was named “Lurodpon”. (have to swim to get there)

Maupay – Beautiful!

Cave Diving