Kuris pit

The internet here has been so slow the last few days that I haven't been able to put up the stories that I would like.  Last night took 1.5 hours just to get one picture up before I gave up.  Tonight things seem a bit better so I am going to try and show some pics from today's adventure at the Kuris Pit entrance to the Black Cave (Simud Putih).

First thing we did was head over to the cave area and pack up all our camera, video and vertical gear.  This entrance leads to a catwalk used by the nesters who collect the bird nests, and we weren't sure what we would find but we were sure there was an 85-meter sheer drop at the lip of the pit.

An awesome butterfly along the trail

We reached the entrance and had a very nice view.  The first part is the protected buffer forest around the caves, which is a bit over 3,000 hectares.  Beyond that are oil palm plantations on most everything except the other steep hills.

A view of lowland Borneo

To get in the entrance, we had to go through the guard hut.  These guys protect the bird nests from thieves.

Nest guards in the kitchen

Just outside there was a hawk-eagle sitting in a tree.  I think it is a Wallace's hawk-eagle

Hawk-eagle hunting

At first, the guard for the entrance we wanted to work in was scared to let us in.  For good reason, as he wasn't aware we were coming and wanted some assurance from his boss that this would be okay.  After a few phone calls by the surface manager on the hill, it was confirmed that we had permits to enter the cave and so the work began.  First up, Guy filming Benjamin as he starts the first laser scan on the entrance.

Wonderful scenery on the surface above the Kuris entrance to Simud Putih

Manfred clipped in and on the lip of the 85-meter drop. Of note, this is where I was clipped in for a long time taking photos of the work

So they brought the scanner to the lip and ran it.

Getting ready to make the map scan

Next up, Don McFarlane forged the way down to the catwalk with a short rappel.  There was a lot going on at this point.  Benjamin was watching the scanner, there was a local with a safety harness attached to a rope to keep an eye on us, the area boss for the entrances in this area was making sure things went well, and then there is Don playing at the top of this big pit

Don, far right, reaches the catwalk

Taking a break as they move the scanner to the catwalk

The guard shack is right at the cave entrance, and all the metal sheeting is so that any thieves would have to make a lot of noise to get in the cave.

So, the scanner is down on the catwalk and they get the scan.

Discussion going on while scanning from the start of the catwalk

And finally, the crazy mappers took the scanner out the catwalk to get a final scan from around the corner and the last part of the cave we hadn't mapped in this area.  Success!

Getting to the final scanning site on a catwalk way above the floor. In this area the catwalk is a series of four-inch wide boards