CHUNA, Khaidong (Krem)

(Saipung - IN)
25.360100,92.512200
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An estimated 10 m wide and 5 m high cave entrance (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss) of unexplainable shape and character faces west (Arbenz, T 2007 cave plan Labit_Khaidong.pdf) and leads to the large shaft / pothole (note 1) and a muddy slope down into a low but wide passage, which is either heading towards south-west (230°) or arriving from this direction, and leads to a shaft with old calcite formations (speleothems). Some 50 m (JARRATT 2006: 15) or 67.45 m (JARRATT 2006: 20) down the entrance shaft intersects a roofed underground desert (JARRATT 2006: 16) where a calcite lined crawl (JARRATT 2006: 15) and a perverse (unnatural), artificially enlarged squeeze (JARRATT 2006: 15, 16) connects to Krem –>Labit (Khaidong), which itself is connected to the cave system of Krem –>Liat Prah. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi verb -shún- means to hate, to be inimical to (SINGH, N 1906: 200) but the Synteng noun -ka chun- (chuna, chuni) seems to correspond to the Khasi loan word -ka shun- and means the lie (SINGH, N 1906: 200) as -shun kpu- is the slaked lime and -shun dewiong- is lime burned with coal or -shun dieng- is lime burned with wood (SINGH, N 1906: 200) while -u mawshun- is the limestone (SINGH, N 1906: 131). SINGH, N (1906: Khasi - English Dictionary) lists none of the imaginable alternate spellings jhuna, joona, juna (or so) with the possible exceptions of the noun -ka jhûm- (vapour), the verb -jhûm- (to evaporate) and, perhaps most intriguing, the name -U Jom- (king of the Hades). So far, I saw the name of Krem Chuna near the village of Khaidong called or spelled as Krem Chuna Arbenz, T (2006.05.21 Mss: Abstracts.xls); Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss: Krem Chuna, Khaidong) Krem Chuni Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss: Krem Chuni); JARRATT (2006: 14, 15, 16); JARRATT & DAWSON (2007) Labbit Chuna JARRATT (2006: 20). The variant Krem Chuni reflects but a shift in tone but Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss: Krem Chuni) mislead with the equation chuni = limestone in Hindi when actually -huna- is lime. SITUATION: At an unspecified location somewhere on the north-western side of the Shnongrim Ridge. APPROACH 2002: From Khaidong village head along road 040° for five minutes and take track down the hill heading 300° to 320° until limestone pinnacles on the left. Head towards pinnacles past Krem Shrieh on left, down past clump of banana trees (Bayley 2002.02.24 Mss). APPROACH 2006: Take a path to the east opposite the top / higher turning for Shnongrim village. Follow this path down to a large depression that is situated to the right (north) of the path. A small path leads into the depression and a large entrance (10 m wide by 5 m high) (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2002: Low stooping passage leads in approx. 30 m to pitch (approx. 4 seconds drop) with old stal in mud floor. Traverse around to right leads to dead end (Bayley 2002.02.24 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.1: Large entrance (10 m by 5 m) leads to a similar sized passage with a sloping mud floo. This soon leads to a 50 m pitch that is heavily calcited. The pitch intersects a (6 m by 5 m) large fossil passage [note 2] at its base. To the south this passage narrows after 20 m to a calcite squeeze that links to Krem Labbit Khaidong (the Liat Prah / Um Im / Labbit System). To the north the fossil passage again narrows after a distance of 10 m where it becomes a crawl that is soon too tight (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.2: Roofed underground desert [is] comprising much of the stupendous cave (JARRATT 2006: 16). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.3: 26.02.06 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, PL 131.21 ¬ 26.02.2006 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, RG 66.66 (JARRATT 2006: 20). PROSPECTS: JARRATT & DAWSON (2007) mention from near the Krem Chuni [sic!] entrance of the Krem Labbit (Khaidong) not only one vomiting out of two bolting Henries but also possible leads The only one of interest led to a dodgy vertical boulder choke with an open, stepped aven above which eithr needs bolting for safety or dropping into from the surface. TACKLE: 80 m rope, 2 long slings, 10 m rope for deviation (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE LIFE: Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss) draws attention to sort of a fox hole while Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss) recorded one small bat [Chiroptera], spiders (Arachnida: conf. Araneae) and JARRATT (2006: 16) narrated how unspecified samples of cave fauna were taken (as a refreshment?) by an unidentified person (no name mentioned).. This soon leads to a 50 m pitch that is heavily calcited. The pitch intersects a (6 m by 5 m) large fossil passage [note 2] at its base. To the south this passage narrows after 20 m to a calcite squeeze that links to Krem Labbit Khaidong (the Liat Prah / Um Im / Labbit System). To the north the fossil passage again narrows after a distance of 10 m where it becomes a crawl that is soon too tight (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.2: Roofed underground desert [is] comprising much of the stupendous cave (JARRATT 2006: 16). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.3: 26.02.06 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, PL 131.21 ¬ 26.02.2006 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, RG 66.66 (JARRATT 2006: 20). PROSPECTS: JARRATT & DAWSON (2007) mention from near the Krem Chuni [sic!] entrance of the Krem Labbit (Khaidong) not only one vomiting out of two bolting Henries but also possible leads The only one of interest led to a dodgy vertical boulder choke with an open, stepped aven above which eithr needs bolting for safety or dropping into from the surface. TACKLE: 80 m rope, 2 long slings, 10 m rope for deviation (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE LIFE: Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss) draws attention to sort of a fox hole while Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss) recorded one small bat [Chiroptera], spiders (Arachnida: conf. Araneae) and JARRATT (2006: 16) narrated how unspecified samples of cave fauna were taken (as a refreshment?) by an unidentified person (no name mentioned).

Documents

Bibliography 06/01/2018

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2002.02.24, trip 1: Following a strong team of guides including Karmel Lyngdoh, Samson Lyngdoh, Wing Pajuh, Batskhem Rupon, Hanli Sukhlain, Skhem Sukhlain and Lynnad Sutnga, it was Martin 'The Lump' Groves and Nicola 'Nicky' Bayley who in company with Babha Kupar 'Dale' Mawlong, their interpreter, successfully visited the cave entrance of Krem Chuna. 2006.02.25, trip 2: Peter Ludwig, Derek Pettiglio and Annie U. Audsley descended the pitch and connected Krem Chuni (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss) to Krem Labbit (Khaidong). JARRATT (2006: 15) reports a team in Krem Chuni pushed the calcite-lined squeeze looked at earlier from the Labbit side. 2006.02.26, trip 3: Peter Ludwig, Annie U. Audsley and Derek Pettiglio (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss) surveyed 131 m. 2006.02.26, trip 4: Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt (2006: 16) and Imogen Furlong came down upon Krem Chuni … and set to work chiselling the tight connection passage to enable mere mortals to pass…Samples of cave fauna were taken and on leaving via the entrance pitches of Krem Labbit [i.e. Krem Labit, Khaidong], some derigging was done. 2006.02.27, trip 4: Annie U. Audsley, Derek Pettiglio and Roger Galloway finished remaining leads (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss), surveyed 66 m of crawl and derigged the cave (JARRATT 2006: 17). 2006 total: Arbenz, T (2006.05.21 Mss: Abstracts.xls): Length 197 m, Vertical: 67.45 m; JARRATT (2006: 20): 197.81 m (131.21 + 66.66). 2006 summer Thomas Arbenz sorted the records of the involved survey teams and forwarded the survey's outlines (Arbenz, T 2007.11.01 Mss personal correspondence) but the cave plan has never been drawn up by the cave encroachers involved: Sport's over when the killing is done. 2007.02.23, trip 5: On the 23rd … in Krem Labbit (Khaidong) Brian C, Kate, the Henries and your scribe [Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt, Brian Cullen, Henry Boswell Dawson, Katharina 'Kate' Janossy and Henry Rockcliff] checked all possible leds near the Krem Chuni entrance including a high level passage which the Henries bolted up to … The only one of interest led to a dodgy vertical boulder choke with an open, stepped aven above which either needs bolting for safety or dropping into from the surface (JARRATT & DAWSON 2007). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.1SOH LEWE (Krem)
0.1NO NAME CAVE, Khaidong (Groves 2002), 2nd (aa -)
0.1SHRIEH, Khaidong (Krem)
0.1SHRIEH, Khaidong 1 (Krem)
0.1SHRIEH, Khaidong 2 (Krem)
0.1SHRIEH, Khaidong 3 (Krem)
0.1JINGTEP 3 (Krem poh)
0.1SHRIEH, Khaidong Uppercliff (Krem)
0.2NO NAME CAVE, Khaidong (Groves 2002), 1st (aa -)