KDONG THLOO, Rya, 2nd (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave entrance without identified shape and dimensions, which faces an unexplainable direction, leads to what Dawson (undated 2007.02 Mss) understood to consist of a sports training device that offers exercising the penetration of a low crawling wet passage without identified shape, dimensions or orientation that progresses to large dry passage without explainable shape, dimensions or orientation. Another, second entrance (note 1), once more without identified shape and dimensions, and again facing an unexplainable direction, allows exercising all fours by descending a free climbable shaft 5 m down to squeeze into dry crawling passage. At this stage of mastering challenging obstacles, it suddenly dawns upon the successful penetrator that somehow involved there is a shaft near clearing by fence + pine trees and, having said this, remembers that the cave enters crawl section. ETYMOLOGY: At a first stage of confusion, this cave was believed to be … apparently called Krem Son Pow 2 and ncknamed -Drunken Goldfish Cave- when it was realised that -son pow” was their guide's request for -more money”! It later became Krem Kdong Thloo (JARRATT & DAWSON (2007). Within a year, however, the name of Krem Kdong Thloo was swooped for Krem Kdong Thlu Rya = Cave in the Corner at Rya (Arbenz, t 2008.03.12 Mss -Vocabulary- after Smt Reliance Phyrngap of the staff of three teachers from the Green Hills Upper Primary School at Shnongrim along with Adison Thabah, Shillong). SITUATION: Not only in an unspecified setting but also at an unidentified location and at (in an unknown spatial relation to) the At Dukan Sha chai shop (JARRATT & DAWSON 2007). The GPS position recorded for the cave entrance to the 2nd Krem Kdong Thloo (N25°21'47.5”: E092°33'05.2” WGS84 unspecified precision error): 849 m asl (P. Ludwig 2007.02.25) indicates a spot that lies 406 m in a direct line approximately WSW from the first Krem Kdong Thloo (N25°21'51.5”: E092°33'19.0” (WGS84): without recorded elevtion (M.W. Brown 2007.02.24). APPROACH: Dawson (undated 2007.02 Mss) falls back on dashing drill ground speak and commands to start at Litang tea shop (Elev. 858 m N25°21'37.2” E92°33'13.2”) at base of hill at north east of ridge. Go north across flat valley progressing perpendicular to road on path. After approx. 150 m head north west towards steep sided valley, stay on path. Go through miniature karst towers until you come to 1st vegetation. Here there is a rock on the left and a 2-5m deep gulley on the right filled with boulders. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007.1: Cave entrance is via squeeze in boulders at south west end of gully. Entrance has been widened by breaking away rock. Water is within 2 m of entrance squeeze. Distance to crawl ###### [SEXJES?] = 150 m swimming. Starts L1 R0.3 U0 D0.6 1st wet bit L1-2 R0 U0.4 D0.6 1st dry bit L2.5 R0 U0.6 D1.2 2nd wet bit streamway L3 R2 U1.8 D0.5 canal series L1-6 R1-2 U1-2 D0-5 (Dawson, undated 2007.02 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007.2: Breakdownentrance (unroofing) leads upstream and downstream walking passages. Upstream has some canal passage and a boulder choke has been passed, leading to a continuation. Downstream passes a duck and emerges from Kdong Thloo 1 (may be recorded as San Powl) (Anonymous, perhaps Simon J. Brooks, undated 2006.02 Mss amendment to Dawson, undated 2007.02 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007.3: 350 m of spider-infested small passages, a larger fossil passage and a streamway / canal in a low level cave (JARRATT & DAWSON 2007). CAVE CONTENTS: Dry gravelly mud, rounded in 1st relic series. Old formations [speleothems] coated with thin layer of dessicated mud. Scalloping gets larger towards canal series (modified after Dawson, undated 2007.02 Mss). TACKLE: Dawson (undated 2007.02 Mss) recommends to take buoyancy aid and wetsuit for canal series. PROSPECTS: The cave is considered ongoing in main passage north, parallel to Rubong, straight into hill (Dawson, undated 2007.02 Mss). CAVE LIFE (Dawson, undated 2007.2 Mss): Heteropoda [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.], blind cricket + brown cricket + unspecified bats (Chrioptera). Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) tells me he collected (2008.02.13) in Krem Kdong Thloo near entrance, wet passage, on rock bat guano samples and posted them on 29th February 2008 from Shillong to Prof. Harish C. Gugnani (Delhi) to be tested for fungi.2 Mss): Heteropoda [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.], blind cricket + brown cricket + unspecified bats (Chrioptera). Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) tells me he collected (2008.02.13) in Krem Kdong Thloo near entrance, wet passage, on rock bat guano samples and posted them on 29th February 2008 from Shillong to Prof. Harish C. Gugnani (Delhi) to be tested for fungi.