DIENG JEM (Krem)

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2009.02.21, trip 1: Neil Pacey and Henry Rockcliff recorded a GPS reading for the cave entrance and surveyed 64 m (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss 'I.Furlong 2022.02.25' Krem Dieng Jem / Krem Dienjem 22.2.2009). 2009.02.22, trip 2: Simon J. Brooks, Henry Rockcliff and Neil Pacey had … surveyed some small passages in the [Krem –>Dieng Jem] resurgence that did not connect to the main cave. They then went into the main cave and continued to survey upstream in some fine river passage with several swims. Reaching a chamber, a side passage and many smaller passages were surveyed before exiting the cave. 711 m of passage surveyed (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss: Diary 2009.doc: Sunday 22nd February). S.Brooks, H.Rockcliff, N.Pacey surveyed 711 m mostly in fine river passage (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss 'I.Furlong 2022.02.25' Krem Dieng Jem / Krem Dienjem 22.2.2009). 2010.02.09, trip 3: A relatively small team of only six ridge walkers (Imogen Furlong, Annie U. Audsley, Fraer E. Simpson, Ksan Kupar 'Ronnie' Mawlong, Henry B. Dawson and Angela Arbenz) … surface map the UmKrypong [sic!] river by camp. The river ended upstream at Krem Denjem [sic!]. We also found another entrance further south with the sound of roaring water heard, which may go intro Krem Denjam [sic!]. Walking East, they also found three further small cave entrances (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.09, trip 4: Simon J. Brooks, Hellen Brooke, Sarah Louise Payne and Estelle Sandford surveyed all remaining side passages on NW side of main streamway to their conclusion (313 m) [or abandonment of the survey progress] (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). Estelle Sandford (2010.04.16 Mss: Caves 'n' Corals: 9th February) confirms … an element of faffing, we were soon split up into groups and underground or recceing. My trip was Krem Dieng Jem with Simon, Sarah and Hellie. Surveyed several side passages and got an idea of the routs in there so we could carry on in different directions tomorrow. Arbenz, T (2011.03.27 Mss 'I.Furlong 2022.02.25' Krem Dieng Jem / Krem Dienjem 22.2.2009) confirms that S.Brooks, H.Brooke, S.Payne, E.Sandford surveyed NW-Sidepassages (sic!). 2010.02.09, trip 5: Mark E. Tringham, Christopher 'Chris' Densham, Vinklo Sumi and Vikram Singh Kirola surveyed (242 m) side passages on SE side of main streamway to their [survey's] conclusion, with the exception of one passage which looks highly likely to reconnect to main passage in approx. 20 m. Main passage is ongoing with six ways junction (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). Arbenz, T (2011.03.27 Mss 'I.Furlong 2022.02.25' Krem Dieng Jem / Krem Dienjem 22.2.2009) interprets this as M.Tringham, C.Densham, V.Singh, V.Sumi SE- Sidepassages (literally quoted). 2010.02.10, trip 6: Estelle Sandford, Hellen Brooke, Imogen Furlong and Vikram Singh Kirola continued to survey the main streamway through swims andgours until a climb out led to a connection with Krem Tyngheng at station 232/97 after approx. 500 m (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). Sandford, E (2010.04.16 Mss: Caves 'n' Corals: 10th February) confirms A second day into Krem Dieng Jem exploring the routes off 5 Ways Chamber. Imo, Hellie, Vikram and I followed a stream route and after some interesting swimming / surveying, we found ourselves in Krem Tyngheng, thus already making the big connection and only day two of caving! 2010.02.10, trip 7: Simon J. Brooks, Amulya Prasad Parihar, Bridget Hall and Sarah Louise Payne … went to survey from Five-Way Chamber, left-hand passage back to main stream. They then surveyed dry passages to reach station 70/10 and 70/20 in main streamway (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). Sandford, E (2010.04.16 Mss: Caves 'n' Corals: 11th February) however reports being herself Back into Krem Dieng Jem with Sarah & Leila surveying side passages of the new finds from yesterday. Didn't take camera today so no pics. 2010.02.11, trip 8: Imogen Furlong, Derek Pettiglio and Ksan Kupar 'Ronnie' Mawlong … surveyed a side passage off the main streamway at station 70/37. This became very muddy and Derek pushed through a liquid mud duck to reach a small chamber with no way on. Survey finished at the muddy duck (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February 2010). 2010.02.11, trip 9: Estelle Sandford, a so-called Layla (sic! qua: Leila Esfandiary), and Sarah Louise Payne … checked out and surveyed several side passages. 70/7 was an oxbow that joined 70/7 to 70/9 as dry passage avoiding the wet streamway. 70/25 was a flat out crawl in mud that closed down after less than 20 m into too small passage. 70/26 sumped after a few meters. The next side passage was an outlet also on the left which went just under 30 m to a boulder choke. There are a number of side passage left nearer the top of the 70 series that sill need investigation (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February 2010). 2010.02.11, trip 10: Simon J. Brooks, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara and Erfan Fekri … surveyed connecting side passages from station 70/20 to five way chamber extenstions [or, perhaps: extensions]. They then took photographs in the main river passage (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February 2010). 2010.02.14, trip 11: Simon J. Brooks, Vikrant Shukla and Amulya Prasad Parihar along with Fraser E. Simpson, Phrang Kupar “Teddy” Mawlong and Vikram Singh Kirola took photographs and surveyed an accumulation 125 lengthwise measured metres in the vicinity of the Five-Ways Chamber (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.15, trip 12: Imogen Furlong, Sarah Louise Payne and Karma Choki Bhutia … retook compass readings in the connection passage to correct a survey error (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.15, trp 13: Estelle Sandford, Ksan Kupar 'Ronnie' Mawlong and Prakash C Bishnoi finished exploring side leads. Cave is now finished (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). Sandford, E (2010.04.16 Mss: Caves 'n' Corals: 15th February) narrates how she had successfully penetrated part of Krem Dieng Jem to survey more [unidentified] side passages with Ronnie and Prakash and the other team [eventually gave in to] resurvey the connection. Didn't take camera underground, but [in the evening took away and back home] a few camp fire photos instead. 2010.02.18, trip 14: Bridget E. Hall, David Cooke and Sarah Louise Payne … pushed the main upstream lead in Dienjem, Fee Fi Fo Fum Passage. From station 450/66 they reached station 450/105 where a change in water flow was noted, the team were now following a downstream lead. Several inlets were noted but the main lead followed in a south-westerly direction to 450/143. The passage was now wide open river passage ongoing towads a boulder choke (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.18, trip 15: Derek Pettiglio, one unspecified Mark out of two available (Mark W. Brown, Mark E. Tringham), Hellen Brooke and Andrew 'Andy' Chapman … pushed side passages in the upstream section of Krem Dienjem. Most involved oxbows connecting different parts of the main passage. One passed under an aven with a possible large passage at the top. Andy and Derek pushed a side passage near the current limit of exploration and pushed past two ducks to find [relatively] large avens and a sump (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.18, trip 16: Imogen Furlong, Christopher Densham and one unspecified Tom out of two possible (Thomas Arbenz or Thomas Chapman) … went to explore and survey the maze below the Pala shaft. They continued the series 414 down a few squeezes and over gours into deep water (the birthing canal) which after a short muddy section ended in a low chamber.Chris pushed a flat out duck which connected to Krem Dienjem at 19/77 with 324 m surveyed (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.19, trip 17: Bridget E. Hall, Chris [Christopher] Densham and Prakash Bishnoi … checked out side passage leads at 450/130 and found it looped back to 405/104 at a small boulder choke/ calcite chamber. They then checked leads at 405/136 (surveyed as 511) which ended in a sump, 405/138 which linked through to the lead at [sic! qua: WHAT?] and that's it (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.19, trip 18: David Cooke, Estelle Sandford and Sarah Louise Payne … continued the survey from the southern extremity of the cave (450/143). A breakdown chamber (up to 10m x 100m) was found (Bouldermort Chamber). 143 m surveyed (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). Sandford, E (2010.04.16 Mss: Caves 'n' Corals: 19th February) confirms to find herself Back into Krem Dieng Jem in the upstram section with Sarah and Cookie. Since my last trip in, quite a few more trips had been done and a lot more passage found and surveyed. We started at a swimming section and then climbed up into a dodgy boulder ruckle and chamber which we named Bouldermort! Left loads of ways on for the next day. 2010.02.20, trip 19: Imogen Furlong, Hellen Brooke and Ksan Kupar 'Ronnie' Mawlong … pushed the terminal boulder choke [far upstream limit] at an upper level to reach an aven. They then pushed and surveyed a crawl beneath to break out into more excellent river passage. They surveyed a total of 479 m of passage or, to be precise, of accumulated lengthwise measured distances (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.21, trip 20: Imogen Furlong, David Cooke and Ksan Kupar 'Ronnie' Mawlong … continue the far upstream survey from 458/27. After another 75 m of fine passage a mazy [sic! qua: 'macey' instead of labyrinthine] duck was encountered. Picking up the ide leads on returning a higher level relic passage was found (170 m). The southern end terminated in sandy floored grotto with a beautiful calcite white river. The northern end intersected the previously surveyed aven (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.21, trip 21: Simon J. Brooks, Tom Chapman and Roman Hapka … surveyed the remaining passages in the maze [Pala Shaft Area of Tyngheng] and … side passages between here and the Five-Way Chamber in Krem Diengjem. 279 m of passage surveyed (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.21, trip 22: Alys Mendus, Fraser E. Simpson, Hellen Brooke and Leila Esfandiary … to push the main upstream side passage (Worst kept secret on the camp passage) and surveyed 346 m of mostly swimming or wet passageway … left wide open (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.22, trip 23: 22nd February 2010: Roman Hapka, Peter Ludwig and one Andy Chapman … surveyed 280 m in a sde passage of Krem Dienjem upstream the river. The gallery --size of 1.5 x 3 m-- is still going but the presence of a big colony of bats, who more or less filled the passage, was a sufficient good raison [sic! qua: reason?] to stop further exploration. The gallery is still continuing with a size of 1 x 3 m and a [relatively] small river [without comparison for scale] (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.23: Aside from many people nursing some serious hangovers, today was spent washing, cleaning and sorting out kit, plus ensuring all surveys were inputted onto the computers and drawn up properly. (only a couple of photos - Imo hung over and one of our toilets) (Sandford 2010.04.16 Mss: Caves 'n' Corals: 23rd February). In one final analysis of February 2010, Krem Diengjen [sic!] was extended from 1,327 m in length to 6660 m and connected to Krem Tyngheng and Krem Tyngheng was extended from 12,887 m in length to 14,442 m. This is expressively meant sosay that the total length of the combined Krem Tyngheng / Krem Diengjem System is 21,103 m (Brooks, S J et al. 2010.03.08, 2010.03.12 Overview 2010.doc). An other final analysis interprets the time span 10th to 22nd Feb. 2010 and narrates how undifferentiated various teams [note 11] explored and surveyed the cave on a daily basis to the present length of nearly 6.6 km (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss 'I.Furlong 2022.02.25' Krem Dieng Jem / Krem Dienjem 22.2.2009). 2011 2011.02.09, trip 24: Helen 'Hellie' Brooke, David 'Cookie' Cooke and Barry J. Lawton set off in the TATA truck [note 12], named Marisa, to go to Umkhyrpong [sic! qua: Umkyrpong 25°26'04”N: 92°34'48”E: 782 m], with the intention of going to Krem Diengjem. Unfortunately Marisa [note 13] could not find a way down from the ridge at Kseh because woodcutters had blocked the track with felled trees. The team returned to camp at about 1 pm (Arbenz, T. et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc, 9th February 2011).2011.02.10, trip 25: In a second attempt of being transported to the cave entrance, on this occasion with a motorised vehicle reminiscent of a Jeep, the progress of Helen 'Hellie' Brooke, David 'Cookie' Cooke, Imogen Furlong and Barry J. Lawton was halted by a felled tree near the village of Umkyrpong. Nevertheless, the team resorted to the technique of walking on foot … the rest of the way to the entrance. At the Bat Passage, and upstream lead, they took some photographs of the roost. The bats were identified from the photos by Manuel [Ruedi] as [a species of] Hipposideros, probably Lankadiva. Due to time constraints any further exploration was not possible … (Arbenz, T. et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: Thursday 10th February 2011). 2011.02.15, trip 26: Helen Brooks and Imogen Furlong … headed into Krem Djengem [sic!] … to push the far end of Bat Passage. The passage looked excellent, although there was still a large bat roost in situ. Having prepared anti guanofacemasks [or, more likely, face masks] and psyched up sufficiently, the girls pushed through the bats to the end, where there was an area of muddy breakdown consisting of small boulders and squeezes through which the bats flew at high speed. This together with the dubious stability was enough to proclaim the area finished. A few happy snaps on the way out produced some interesting photos. The disruption to the bats normal routine meant that the return to the entrance had the additional entertainment of bats whizzing around the heads of the girls, although they had become accustomed to their presence by this time (Arbenz, T. et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 15th February 2011, Tuesday). 2011.02.15, trip 27: Hellie and Imo Cookie, Ronnie and Saw also went to Krem Djengem to check out the open leads off Bouldermort. The best lead soon went into a large calcited boulder choke. They spent a while exploring all the options but concluded there was no way through. The passage loped back and connected with the other open lead and the job was done (Arbenz, T. et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 15th February 2011 (Tuesday). In yet an other final analysis, Imogen Furlong, Helen Brooks and David Cooke are said to have finally arrived at firmly believing to have checked the remaining side leads and surveyed Bat End and Bouldermort to termination (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss 'I.Furlong 2022.02.25' Krem Dieng Jem / Krem Dienjem 22.2.2009). Compare 2010.02.15, trip 13. 2013.02.20, trip 28: Simon J Brooks, David 'Cookie' Cooke and Oana Chachula went by Sumo to Kesh [sic! qua: Kseh] and then down track towards Umkrypong [sic! qua: Umkyrpong]. From here the team took an easy walk down the ridge path and across the football field to Krem Diengjem [sic! qua: Krem Dieng Jem]. Spent day adding survey detail to entrance passages and then surveying remaining side passages and loops in the entrance areas [note 14]. 108 m surveyed (Brooks, Simon J in: anonymou Arbenz, T 2013.08.07 Mss: Meghalaya Expedition 2013 Diary: 20th February, Wednesday). 2014.02.04, trip 29: Simon, J Brooks, Henry Rockcliff, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara, Oana Chachula, Tudor Tamsa, Richa Jain and Khlur Mukhim endured a delayed start due to a non-functioning [sic! qua: nonfunctioning] DistoX2 [but eventually] … walked from the camp to Krem Diengjem … Just inside the entrance Henry, Tudor and Richa began surveying … side passages turning off of the main passage. The first passage was an easy crawl and then, after a few metres it bifurcated. To the left was a sediment block and to the right it was a flat out crawl. They went surveying on the way in, noticed beautiful formations and fossils in the rock. They had to go into and out of the water. At times the water level was neck deep and swimming was a good option. In a second passage they crawled a bit, swam a bit. The soil was quite sticky and slippery. Tudor explained about the type of rocks, their colour and what the various ormations are called. They were lucky to see a few shrimps in the water pool, as well as spiders and crickets on the wall. They met Khlur near the main entrance intentionally chasing a small cricket to make it tired before putting it into the bottle. It was an interesting sight to watch (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 4th February, Tuesday). 2014.02.04, trip 30: Simon, J Brooks, Oana Chachula and Cdr. Vijay Chhikara surveyed a couple of high level passages near to the entrance before moving further upstream to check out two more high level passages. Simon climbed up the slope in the more upstream of these and connected it via another passage to the downstream passage, creating a loop. This passage was not surveyed due to its [the survey's?] very unstable nature. Further upstream three more unpushed leads were explored to conclusion. 224 m of passage [sic! qua: survey length] surveyed (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary eghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 4th February, Tuesday). 2014.02.07, trip 31: Henry Rockcliff, Brian D. Kharpran Daly and Bhushan Poshe mastered surveying relatively small cave passages not far from the entrance Some 80 m of aquatic passage was surveyed but the trip was cut short when the DistoX2 was dropped into a pool and flooded. Henry and Brian reccied []sic! qua: had a hurried glance at at a selection of nearby cave passages dubbed] some of the remaining passage and estimated that there was probably several hundred meters [sic! qua: metres] of passage left (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 7th February 2014 Friday). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018