UMSONG QUARRY (Cave in an)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to an unspecified cave or cave passage where gentlemen in search of long ones discovered the existence of an estimated 45 m long cave length (Harper 2001.02.07 Mss: Umsong Quarry Cave; Harper 2002.04.31 Mss -megahlay.doc- entry #21). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what was christened Umsong Quarry Cave either because it lies several kilometres from a place, where stone is or has been extracted, or after an animal pursued by a hunter, hound, predatory mammal, or bird of prey (note 1). SITUATION: The entrance to this cave lies not only in an unknown setting but also in an unspecified location about 2.7 km from an unidentified starting point in one village of Umsong (note 2). APPROACH: To reach the cave entrance from Ishamati (note 3), travel along the road west towards Shella (±250m N25°10'45”: E091°38'20”: 24 m asl WGS84). Approximately 2 km short of Shella, take a road that leads in an unidentified direction to Umsong village (without GPS position) and travel for 2.7 km without direction along a motorable track. Stop at limestone quarries. The cave entrance lies at the base of a relatively large doline (sic!) without identified dimensions, which lies on one or the other opposite side of a road. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Following a sinking stream through boulders leads to a canyon passage (3 m wide and perhaps 10 m high) which runs into a 10 m deep rift / pitch, pit, or shaft that can be descended in case it is rigged with a sling or tether combined with a rope or ladder plus rope. An eyehole at the base of the pitch opens into a parallel, approximately one metre wide rift. PROSPECTS: The cave gives access to a boulder ruckle, which emits a strong air current but was judged very unstable and has not been pushed to a conclusion: Boulder ruckle might be pushed by asmall person with a strong death wish or, to be precise, rather by a skilled by a than by a powerful caver. CAVE CLIMATE: Both Harper (2001.02.07 Mss: Umsong Quarry Cave) and Harper (2002.04.31 Mss -megahlay.doc- entry #21) draw attention to having noticed on 7th February 2001 at an unknown hour a relatively strong draught or air current without identified flow direction. CAVE LIFE: Frog and Heteropoda spiders (Arachnidae: Araneae: conf. Sparassidae: Heteropodina).m N25°10'45”: E091°38'20”: 24 m asl WGS84). Approximately 2 km short of Shella, take a road that leads in an unidentified direction to Umsong village (without GPS position) and travel for 2.7 km without direction along a motorable track. Stop at limestone quarries. The cave entrance lies at the base of a relatively large doline (sic!) without identified dimensions, which lies on one or the other opposite side of a road. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Following a sinking stream through boulders leads to a canyon passage (3 m wide and perhaps 10 m high) which runs into a 10 m deep rift / pitch, pit, or shaft that can be descended in case it is rigged with a sling or tether combined with a rope or ladder plus rope. An eyehole at the base of the pitch opens into a parallel, approximately one metre wide rift. PROSPECTS: The cave gives access to a boulder ruckle, which emits a strong air current but was judged very unstable and has not been pushed to a conclusion: Boulder ruckle might be pushed by am N25°10'45”: E091°38'20”: 24 m asl WGS84). Approximately 2 km short of Shella, take a road that leads in an unidentified direction to Umsong village (without GPS position) and travel for 2.7 km without direction along a motorable track. Stop at limestone quarries. The cave entrance lies at the base of a relatively large doline (sic!) without identified dimensions, which lies on one or the other opposite side of a road. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Following a sinking stream through boulders leads to a canyon passage (3 m wide and perhaps 10 m high) which runs into a 10 m deep rift / pitch, pit, or shaft that can be descended in case it is rigged with a sling or tether combined with a rope or ladder plus rope. An eyehole at the base of the pitch opens into a parallel, approximately one metre wide rift. PROSPECTS: The cave gives access to a boulder ruckle, which emits a strong air current but was judged very unstable and has not been pushed to a conclusion: Boulder ruckle might be pushed by asmall person with a strong death wish or, to be precise, rather by a skilled by a than by a powerful caver. CAVE CLIMATE: Both Harper (2001.02.07 Mss: Umsong Quarry Cave) and Harper (2002.04.31 Mss -megahlay.doc- entry #21) draw attention to having noticed on 7th February 2001 at an unknown hour a relatively strong draught or air current without identified flow direction. CAVE LIFE: Frog and Heteropoda spiders (Arachnidae: Araneae: conf. Sparassidae: Heteropodina).