GQ MAGAZINE GERMANY 2011

GOLD DIGGER DAZED & CONFUSED APRIL 2011

BY ANTHONY MAULE

THE SON DOONG CAVE VIETNAM

The world’s largest cave passage was discovered deep within a remote Vietnamese jungle. The Son Doong cave measures 262 feet by 262 feet (80 meters by 80 meters) and at least 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) deep, making it the largest single cave passage ever discovered, according to National Geographic News, where the discovery was announced. The previous record holder, Deer Cave in Malaysia, is 300 feet by 300 feet (91 m by 91 m) in parts, but is only about a mile (1.6 km) long.

By contrast, explorers walked 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) into Son Doong, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, before being blocked by seasonal floodwaters—and they think that the passage is even longer. In addition, for a couple of miles Son Doong reaches more than 460-by-460 feet (140-by-140 meters), said Adam Spillane, a member of the British Cave Research Association expedition that explored the massive cavern. Spillane was in the first of two groups to enter the cave. His team followed the passage as far as a 46-foot-high (14-meter-high) wall.

“The second team that went in got flooded out,” he said. “We’re going back next year to climb that wall and explore the cave further.”

AGAINST NATURE

METEORA, GREECE

The Greek word Meteora means “suspended in the air”, and our words meteorite and meteorology come from the same root. The conglomerate rock at Meteora, Greece, has eroded into fantastic peaks upon which medieval monks built monasteries, several of which are still active. The isolated monasteries of Meteora helped keep alive Greek Orthodox religious traditions and Hellenic culture during the turbulent Middle Ages and Ottoman Turk occupation of Greece (1453-1829). In 1988, UNESCO declared Meteora to be a World Heritage Site. It is also only a few hours away from Mount Olympus which is open for hiking and exploration. Good parts of the area to stay in are Kastraki, which is a small town with awesome architecture, cobble streets, and monasteries. Also, the larger town of Kalambaka is recommended.

DIOR AND FURHER KAREL