Wyoming Arts Council

National Geo writer Mark Jenkins discusses the world’s biggest cave Sept. 16 in Cheyenne

Featured News | September 14, 2015

---

From a UW press release:

Adventurer Mark Jenkins will describe his journey to the depths of Earth’s biggest cave Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at the Laramie County Community College Center for Conferences and Institutes Union Pacific Centennial Room 129.

In a University of Wyoming “World To Wyoming” lecture, Jenkins, a National Geographic writer and UW  Department of English faculty member, will discuss “Vietnam Underground: The Viet Cong, Spelunkers and the Biggest Cave on Earth.”

Acknowledged as the Mount Everest of caves, Hang Son Doon is so vast a skyscraper can fit inside. Actually a network of caves created by underground rivers, these caves were used as shelters during the United States’ bombing campaigns in the 1960s. During the past two decades, a team of British cavers has penetrated ever deeper into these gigantic caverns.

Jenkins was invited on an expedition to descend into what is known as the largest cave ever discovered. He says exploring the cave was so treacherous and difficult the team lived underground for nearly 10 days to complete its first descent.

Jenkins will take the audience across Vietnam, culturally and geographically, through its violent history and remarkable recovery, and down into the dark belly of the Earth.

For more information, contact Jean Garrison, director of the Center for Global Studies, at (307) 766-6119 orgarrison@uwyo.edu.

---