White Dome Grotto Cave
Anthony Hitchcock and Peter Swart, 1996
Extension: 50m
Introduction
John Meyer records painting the name White Dome Grotto on the 21st February 1924. This cave was known before this date as it is immediately next to Boomslang Cave.
Description
White Dome Grotto was probably named after its dome shaped entrance. It is situated at the base of the cliff less than 10m to the right of the corridor leading up to the Boomslang entrance. Its arch shaped passage leads straight into the mountain for approximately 35m. The first side passage is found 10m into the cave and leads off at right angle for 10m. The passage becomes very narrow, but there is a note on the survey to check this lead. The potential for more passage is limited as the ridge at this level ends after a short distance.
A second right hand branch is found a further 10m on, which extends for another 10m before heading left and closing down after 20m in total.
A further 10m along the main passage turns 90 degrees to the right and slightly left before becoming a T-junction. The top of the T is 20m long and forms the end of the cave.
The main passage widens about 15m from the entrance where it forms a small chamber on its left side. A large stone filled crevice in the ceiling allows water to enter from above. This water flows out of the entrance of the cave.
Survey and Exploration
Anthony Hitchcock and Chris Larkin began the survey of White Dome Grotto and Boomslang Cave on the 28th December 1982. They decided to place them on the same map as they are so close to each other. The survey showed that part of White Dome Grotto lies below Boomslang and this aroused the interest of the surveyors. They looked closely at the entrance of Boomslang Cave and noticed a narrow passage parallel to the corridor that carries water in winter. A short passage leading from the side of the corridor linked with the parallel passage and showed signs of water activity. One of the surveyors squeezed into this crack and found the top of a drainage crack down which water would flow in the winter. The two surveyors managed to talk to each other through the crack from Boomslang to White Dome Grotto proving them to be part of one cave system.
Fauna
Plenty of cave crickets and spiders and probably a lot more bugs in the water that flows in from Boomslang Cave.
Safety
White Dome grotto is a low horizontal cave system bearing little danger to the visitor. There is a small possibility of someone getting stuck in one of the side passages.
See also:
* Boomslang Cave
* Wessels Grotto Cave
