SOH PANG BNIAT 2 (Krem)

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1998.02.16: Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt and Boycott, Antony 'Tony' reconnoitered. 1998.03.14: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Herbert Daniel Gebauer and Raphael Warjri, assisted by Jonas Diengdoh, Badamut Hoojun, Refulgent Kharnaior and Babha Kupar Mawlong spent two hours mapping 128.82 m (-9.75 / +0.00) in the upper level of the cave. 1999.02.22-24: Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt and Tom Chapman, occasionally assisted by Kyrshan Myrthong, Estelle Sandford, Fraser E. Simpson and Mike [W. Michael] Zawada measured a lot of passage length and physically connected the caves Krem Lumshlan, Krem Lumshlan 2 and Krem –>Rong Umsoh to Krem Soh Pang Bniat. 2000.03.03 (Anthony 'Tony' R. Jarratt 2000 Mss: Cave log Meghalaya): »At Lumshlan entrance Tom Chapman and Kate Janossy left us for the downstream passage in Krem Lumshlan 2 (apparently over 190 m of wet grovelling and, part way, a too tight entrance –Lumshlan 3? The rest of us went to the stream passages junction and I took Simon [Simon J. Brooks], Andy [Andrew "Andy" Peter Tyler] and Kirsten [McCullough] to the old wooden ladder from where they commenced the survey of the passage leading up to Bertie's Boudoir. I then joined the others [Fraser Simpson, Lindsay B. Diengdoh, Mark W. Brown] in the Soh Pang Bniat streamway to help them find the way and to assist with the carrying of a 5 m long bamboo pole which they had borrowed from the lime burners as an aid to climbing in Candle Chamber. The route was easily found and the pole just fitted through. In Candle Chamber Mark easily free-climbed up to a ledge and grotto with a small crawl leading on but uninspiring. Meanwhile, below, I had entered the low and wet upstream passage under the left side of the [Candle] Chamber. After c. 8 m grovel I popped up in a superb stream passage (2 by 5 m) and heading off into the distance. I returned to the chamber in time to see Mark decide to come down by traversing round and sliding down the angled bamboo pole on Fraser's suggestion. He had hardly got on it when it doubled up with an agonising creak and he fell about 5 m onto the rocks below. Luckily he had only sustained a cut finger and elbow and a few bruises –though he felt dizzy and shaken up for some time. We then commenced the upstream survey from last year's Y0 station and mapped 200 m+ of excellent, and in places very well decorated passage, until a lowering of the ceiling intimated a change in the nature of the cave. Unfortunately this was for the worse and after about 200 m of sandy or pebbly hands and knees stuff we called it a day in a chamber with several leads –none very inspiring. There must be some 50 ways on in this series so there will be at least another kilometre here, though it will not be a nice place to survey. Simon and team also did well, surveying about 350 m of roomy, bat infested fossil passages: ongoing! A good day's harvesting.« 2000.03.06 (Jarratt 2000 Mss: Cave log Meghalaya): »Simon, Kirsten and Mark … found an ongoing passage off Candle Chamber in Krem Soh Pang Bniat.«2000.03.15: Jarratt (personal correspondence) had the impression that »We are re-programming the lot using Compass« (computer program). 2001.10.11: Jarratt (personal correspondence) arrived at understanding that »Um Soh / Pang Bniat is a bastard« (note 3). 2001.10.29: Jarratt (personal correspondence) decided that »this survey is a bastard.« Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 31/05/2016