AM SAPNAR (Krem)

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2014.02.12, trip 1: Tylli Rymbai (pronounced: rambai), then the Lama village headman, and two allegedly nameless subjects (both people familiar with the area) instructed Des McNally and Cdr. Vijay Chhikara how to walk on foot to a horizontal cave named Krem Am Sapnar [sic!]. … Des and Vijay climbed up to … [the cave entrance and commenced] to survey the main passage following the [unspecified air] draught along a 3 m high and 2 m wide [cave] passage with lots of [secondary calcite deposits, including] decorations and flowstone. They passed several junctions. After about 100 m the [visited part of one cave] passage got smaller [to a degree that even] fallen blocks and formations made progress more awkward. Near the end of the [visitable part of the] cave they encountered bats before the passage shape changed into a canyon … [and the only obvious continuation seemed to be] blocked by calcite at 266 m (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday: Krem Am Sapnar). 2014.02.12, trip 2: Henry Rockcliff and Marcel Dikstra accompanied by Khlur Mukhim, went to … Krem Um Mutha. [sic!] … [but] the team had no surveying gear [whereupon] they derigged went back to Um Sapnar [sic!]. They took an easier way back which cut the time down in half to 15 minutes. Um Sapnar [sic!] had little pools of water … (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday; Krem Um Mutha). 2014.02.13, trip 3: Des McNally and Peter Ludwig survey a certain the first side passage at the entrance which, after a calcite squeeze, lead up a well decorated stream (heading upstream) for 80 m to a boulder and calcite blockage. On returning to the entrance we were joined by Vijay and Bhushan to continue to survey side passages on the east (right) side of the main drag. Decorated oxbows were done before a rift led to a low streamway where surveying efforts ended in a calcite bouldr blockage only 5 m from the upstream end of the previous stream (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.13, trip 4: Prof. Ranga Reddy and Shabuddin 'Shabu' Shaik spent time collecting samples [of aquatic cave fauna] in various pools and streams (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14, trip 5: Thomas Arbenz and Jos 'Yoxz' Burgers (note 11) finished side passages east of the Main Passage … [which] soon panned out whereupon Thomas and Jos set up their photo gear (anonymos Arbenz, T in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). 2014.02.14, trip 6: Cdr. Vijay Chhikara, Richa Jain and Bushan Poshe surveyed cave passages to the east whilst Shabuddin 'Shabu' Shaik collected [faunal] samples along the Main passage and acted later as photo model and flash gun operator. … Th Indian team had more side passages to tick off. They managed to survey all of them by pushing the time line a bit over the set limit (Arbenz, T in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018