KHLIEH AM (Krem)

History

NON-EXPLORATION HISTORY: The cave has been known to people familiar with the area since time immemorial for the locals evidently having used a thick piece of bamboo wedged into a crack high up and a knotted rope hanging down between some rocks (Arbenz, T in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday). 2014.02.12: Brian Dermot Kharpran Daly, Elena Buduran, Oana Chachula and Jos 'Yoxz' Burgers paddled by boat but Thomas Arbenz by a suitably inflated one-man only boat to thwart at all costs even the most preliminary exploration of Krem Khlieh Am: Jos sang I wanna have cave on the beach, come on everybody, cave on the beach and at 10.15 they took off. Thomas of course wanted his moment of fun [razzle-dazzle] and went in his Pack Raft, a nice lightweight inflatable flaming red one-man boat. The river is very green and the banks and cliffs a very photographic yellow and done away with as it is all pollution. After five (!) miutes they arrived at the cave, a big crack on the western side of the gorge. They landed and Jos had the first look. The rock is sandstone and easy enough to climb. And with that the impression grew bigger that the crack is a crack in sandstone and, in parts, filled with blocks. Jos 'Yoxz' Burgers, however, climbed further and squeezed himself through one gap to find this way ahead was blocked. Then, a boatmen pointed out that the cave proper is higher up. Jos and Elena climbed higher but could not find the continuation. One of the boatmen joined them from the other side to show the way up to the upper cave entrance. It was not easy climb up as even the locals used a knotted rope hanging down from piece of bamboo wedged into a crack. Thomas decided it was not worth to risk his frame of mind because the cave is a gap and might go somewhere beyond the limits of recreational caving. He paddled to the opposite side and inspected a similar gap. Again no conventional cave was found.The oat brought the team higher upstream and came to a stop at the first rapid. The sloping cliffs were easily climbed, on the western side where a big rock formation hides the bigger outer bend of a dry river bed with medium sized boulders. Here, the boat men tell, the river roars in the wet season. Another boat with three young boys paddling with theirs flip-flops showed up at the rapid. Thomas brought the packraft over the rapid and scouted the river from there to see no cave entrances anywhere, only more sandstone and a 4 m waterfall. The local boys took care of the packraft and brought it back over the dry river bed in no time. Nothing left for the team but to return back to camp.Thanks to sabotage, a significant step beyond the limits of Meghalayan cave research were spoiled and all efforts resulted in nothing but a longish journey involving paddling, boat dragging and stream walking (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wedneday). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018