Dikkakol
25.330750,90.600361
Location
POSITION: WGS84 (possibly deceitful precision error allegedly ±13 m) 25°19'50.7”N: 90°36'01.3”E / 25.330750°N: 90.600361°E (Harper R or McManus S 2008.02.10 GPS Garmin Etrex Vista): 209,9 m (Harper R or McManus S 2008.02.10 GPS Garmin Etrex Vista). MAPS: Survey of India sheets: 78-K/SE, 78-K/11 grid square 6 Chibe - Nengkhong. AMS sheet NG46-09. India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 45 F4)
Description
A cave entrance with no specified shape or dimensions, which faces an unspecified direction, represents »a stream sink in boulders at the foot of a waterfall« (Harper 2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol…pdf) and gave the impression of leading to a stream cave passage, which drains a surface stream (without identified name) for more than 1.9 km approximately to the south-east. At one point, which lies at a travelling distance 1035 m down the main passage, an inlet from the east arrives from –>Asakol, the second known entrance to the cave system of Dikkakol - Asakol. ETYMOLOGY: Either Dikkakol or –>Asakol has not only something to do with a »clay pot« but also with »red soil« (note 1). SITUATION: A »local guide [is] essential« to explain the whereabouts of »Dikkakol« (Harper 2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf) as it was understood to lie somewhere »on ridge to North West« of one of the nine distinct Nengkhong villages (note 2) in the vicinity of the confluence (N25°18'13”: E090°36'52” WGS84) of the Chibe River and the Rongdik. According to the of recorded GPS positions, however, the entrances of Dikkakol (note 3) and Asakol (note 4) are 360 m in a direct line apart from each other but at exactly the same altitude (reputedly 209.9 m asl) on two distinct streams at approximate linear distances of 1 km north-west from Nengkhong Sholadugiri (note 5) and 4.3 km north-west from Nengkhong Rangmatma (note 6). CAVE DESCRIPTION: »A stream sink in boulders at the foot of a waterfall. A short scramble down into a low wide chamber (2 by 10 m), whence an active streamway can be followed for approximately 100 m to a sump that can be bypassed by a flat-out crawl over the top. The second entrance from A’Sakol enters on the right after a further 50 or 60 m and from here canals and a streamway continue to 4 m of low duck also with a tight bypass passage over the top. Beyond the duck, a 5 by 3 m large passage punctuated by boulder ruckles, leads to “The Steam Room” (a chamber measuring in one way or another 25 by 15 by 30 m), exited by a 2 m climb down into the continuation of the streamway … for an estimated total of 4 km with no significant obstacles« (Harper 2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf). PROSPECTS: A caving trip on 8th February 2008 was abandoned when this cave was »… left as a wide open continuing passage. Although there are numerous small oxbows, no significant side-passages apart from the A’Sakol entrance were noted« (Harper, R 2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf). CAVE LIFE: On 10th February 2008, Harper, Rob (2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf), H. Harper, S. McManus and Keith Sanderson noticed under inexplicable circumstances the unspecified presence of certain »crabs, bats« (Crustacea, Chiroptera).
NOTE 1: »Clay Pot Cave - Red Soil Cave« (Harper 2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'sakol.pdf) either reflects English translations of the two Garo cave names or represents nicknames or fieldnames for the two cave entrances. NOTE 2: Survey of India sheet 78-K/11 (edition 1973) distinguishes between the villages of Nengkhong … Everest 1830 WGS84 N. Ashagithim N25°17'43”: E090°37'05” N25°17'45”: E090°36'55” N. Chibigiri N25°18'30”: E090°37'00” N25°18'30”: E090°36'50” on the left (orographically northern) bank of the Rongdik River N. Chigitchakgiri N25°17'50”: E090°38'40” N25°17'50”: E090°38'30” N. Dorotading N25°18'00”: E090°36'30” N25°18'00”: E090°36'20” N. Jantagiri N25°18'45”: E090°36'20” N25°18'45”: E090°36'10” N. Matmagitik N25°18'00”: E090°37'55” N25°18'00”: E090°37'45” N. Rangmatma N25°18'15”: E090°36'45” N25°18'15”: E090°36'35” with weekly market on Fridays, on the southern (orographically right) bank of the Rongdik N. Negritugiri N25°18'55”: E090°36'00” N25°18'55”: E090°35'50” N. Sholadugiri N25°19'25”: E090°35'45” N25°19'25”: E090°35'35” NOTE 3: Harper (2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf) recorded for Dikkakol the GPS position »E 90deg 36.021mins. / N 25 deg 19.845mins / WGS84 / 209.9 m Garmin Etrex Vista / 13 m Garmin Etrex Vista / 10-Feb-2008« According to Harper (2009.01.19 cave plan "dikkakol002colour_newcdrA1_revised" e-file) the GPS position of Dikkakol Entrance is N 25 deg. 19.845 mins., E90 deg. 36.021 mins., Accuracy [sic!] 13 m). NOTE 4: Harper (2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf) recorded for A'Sakol the GPS position »N 25 deg 19.695mins; E 90deg 36.159mins., altitude 209.9m with a GPS accuracy [*] of 29 m.« According to Harper (2009.01.19 cave plan "dikkakol002colour_newcdrA1_revised" e-file) the GPS position of A'Sakol Entrance is »N 25 deg. 19.695 mins., E90 deg. 36.159 mins., Accuracy [sic!] 29 m.« * Harper, Rob mistakes the estimated precision error (EPE) of a GPS reading for the accuracy (the agreement between a measurement and the true or correct value) of this measument. Since the true position is not known, the accuracy of a GPS measurement cannot be discussed meaningfully. What the EPE indicates, is one aspect of a GPS readings precision (the repeatability of measurement), namely the uncertainty (the interval around that value such that any repetition of the measurement will produce a new result that lies within this interval) of this peculiar GPS reading's error (the disagreement between a measurement and the true or accepted value). NOTE 5: Nengkhong Sholadugiri N25°19'25”: E090°35'35” (WGS84). NOTE 6: Nengkhong Rangmatma N25°18'15”: E090°36'35” (WGS84), with weekly market on Fridays.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2008.02.10: Guided by Prosanto Marak and several unidentified »local guides« without identified names, Rob Harper, Helen Harper, Stuart McManus and Keith Sanderson visited »Dikkakol - A'Sakol« and »surveyed 1800 m, and explored for an estimated total of 4 km with no significant obstacles« (Harper 2008.02.10 Mss: Dikkakol - A'Sakol.pdf).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4 | ASAKOL | ||
| 0.6 | Sapek Chiring | ||
| 0.6 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 24 chignap | ||
| 0.6 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 24 chiring | ||
| 0.8 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 21 | ||
| 0.8 | DOBHAKOL, Nengkhong Jantagiri | ||
| 1.3 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 25 | ||
| 1.7 | MAKKREKOL, Nengkhong Chibigiri | ||
| 2.1 | DOBHAKOL, Nengkhong Chibigiri |