The Mines Of Moria (The Summan) Traditional Cache
The Mines Of Moria (The Summan)
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The Mines of Moria (otherwise known as Batman's delight) is located in a cave in the Summan Area North of Riyadh. Here there are an enormous number of caves (Dahals) in the limestone rock. You need torches, ropes and a method of lowering people into the cave and then hoisting them out again. Beware the bats!
To get to the cave you can use either of the 2 main tarmac routes leading from Riyadh up into the Summan. the first leads you out of Riyadh past the Janadriyah Festival site heading for Majmah. After the end of the KKWRC Wildlife Centre fence a road leads North signposted to Summan. Follow this. There is Petrol near the end. After the road has passed through the main Dahna dunes turn to the East and follow the tracks to the Dahals.
The other route is to follow the new road north from Rumah to Shawiyah again there is petrol near the end of the tarmac.
Be careful - the big holes (Dahals)now have white concrete traffic bollards around the largest of them, presumably to stop the locals dropping in, but there are still many of the caves that can still be driven into by accident.
Once at the site there are 2 holes in the ground which are the entrances to the Caves about 20 yards apart. One is just a small black hole maybe 2 foot across - the other is slightly larger, less deep and you can see the bottom. Use the latter to gain entry to the mines of Moria.
Here is where the special equipment comes in - use ropes and pulleys, or what have you, to lower the intrepid seeker into the hole. He must not be afraid of bats - this hole is full of them. Once at the Bottom go towards the big cave - halfway there on your left you will find the bat cave. Look at the hundreds of bats clinging to the roof and then look down to the floor. here you will find the cache. You then have the more difficult problem of hoisting the seeker out again.
There are many other Dahals worth visiting in the area. Perhaps the best 2 are:
the giant dahal at N26 33.495 E47 10.344 where a cave roof has collapsed leaving an enormous hole with bushes and trees at the bottom (and roosting Eagle Owls on our visit).
Dahal Shawiyah at N26 24.423 E47 15.507 where you can scramble down into the dahal. Straight ahead is an enormous chamber used by the local youth as a club house. To the right is a steeper way leading to a 100 metre passage with Hyena chewed camel bones and a jar with names in it at the end.
Good luck, be careful and good geocaching.
The M&Ms
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