MIH UM CAVE
25.175600,92.422800
Description
Rather two than three neighbouring, SSE-facing entrances give access to a cave and spring of water. The resurgence is suspected to drain a mostly likely extensive interstratal cave in the speleotopographically quite unexplored area (20 square kilometres between 25°10'N: 92°23'E and 25°12'N: 92°25'E) adjacent east of the catchment area drained by Krem –>Kotsati (N25°09'30”N: 92°22'E to N25°11'30”N: 92°24'E). During the low flow conditions in the spring time on the 22nd February 1999, two of the three interconnected cave entrances doubled up as springs of water (resurgence cave entrances) but the visited part of the 1.5 m high cave passages soon became too low and wide for unbending expedition cavers. The entrance area contains, as far as known, not only rimstone pools (gours) but also potentially lethal, that is to say up to half a metre deep water. This dreadful liquid had actually threatened on 22nd February 1999 to wet even the most dry socks of one or the other cave invader. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for for this cave and spring. Instead, the field-name "Water Source Cave" (note 1) was fabricated and disguised as a Pseudokhasi "Krem Mih Um" because "krem" is one of the Khasi words for a cave, the verb "mih" means to issue (note 2), and the noun "um" signifies all kinds of fluids and liquids, including water. SITUATION: At the head of a tufa depositing rivulet descending the south-facing flank of a vegetation clad slope above the northern (orographically left) of a stream (unidentified name) which flows south of Lumshnong generally eastwards to join near (±250 m) 25°10'20”N: 92°25'55”E the orographically right (locally west) bank of the Um Lunar.The GPS position recorded for the cave entrances and spring indicates a spot which lies not only about 5 km in a direct line approximately south-east (110°) from the Soil Conservation Bungalow (note 3) north of Lumshnong (note 4) but also 70 m in a direct line approximately south-west of the GPS position for Krem –>Umthluh Sucua (25°10'33.8”N: 92°25'20.6”E). APPROACH: The tufa deposit indicating the cave entrances and spring were noticed in February 1999 when following a footpath that led from what then had been the southern rim of the populated area of Lumshnong along the northern (orographically right) bank of a stream flowing eastwards down to the Lunar River (Um Lunar) and from there to the hamlet of Sielkan (±250 m 25°11'47”N: 92°27'12”E: ca. (±25 m) 480 m). Georg Bäumler (1999.02.22) suggested to drive from Lumshnong as motorised as possible for an estimated 3 km south along the National Highway NH44 up to a point about a kilometre »past« (south of) tea-stalls, »behind« which the cave entrances to Krem –>Umkhang - Kharasniang are or, perhaps, are not found in the forest (note 5). Leave the vehicle or convoy of vehicles near 25°10'15”N: 92°23'42”E on the NH44 and try to find and follow a footpath eastwards, which runs past the –>Lumshnong Small Pot (note 6) and the so-called »Krem Shong Skei« (note 7) down into the valley of the Um Lunar and heading towards the hamlet of Sielkan. After about one hour's walk from the National Highway east and south-east, a streambed and stream leads to visible karst terrain high above one or the other left-hand side or, in this case, approximately northeast (±45° 315°). CAVE POTENTIAL: The partly explored Krem –>Umthluh Sucua (or so) seems to constitute an upstream component of the partly explored Mih Um Cave. PROSPECTS: The relatively extensive catchment area covers 20 square kilometres and can be interpreted to promise a fantastic, if not exciting possibility or likelihood of caving processes and events combined with recreational adventures and big talk.
NOTE 1: ka umpohliew (BLAH, E 2007: 284), listed as: ka um pohliew (SINGH, N 1920: 191), ka um-poh-liew (SINGH, N 1920: 491), and ka um-poh-liu (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxviii), a spring, a fountain (SINGH, N 1906: 242); fountain, spring (SINGH, N 1920: 191, 491); spring [of water] (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxviii); well (BLAH, E 2007: 331). NOTE 2: mih (Khasi; intransitive verb) to rise (SINGH, N 1906: 132; SINGH, N 1920: 443; BLAH, E 2007: 257); issue (SINGH, N 1906: 132; SINGH, N 1920: 274; BLAH, E 2007: 156); spring (SINGH, N 1920: 491; BLAH, E 2007: 284); sprout (SINGH, N 1920: 491). kaba mih (Khasi; noun) consequence; descent; effect; start (SINGH, N 1920: 88, 118, 145, 494). NOTE 3: Lumshnong Soil Conservation Bungalow 25°11'23”N: 92°22'32”E. NOTE 4: Lumshnong, church 25°10'41”N: 92°22'28”E. NOTE 5: Krem –>Umkhang - 25°10'10”N: 92°22'50”E (GEBAUER, H D 2015: 132-134; 215, 216); »Krem Kharasniang« Porcupine Cave ( GEBAUER, H D 2015: 93; 221). NOTE 6: Small Pot, Lumshnong 25°10'23”N: 92°23'55”E (GEBAUER, H D 2015: 117; 269). NOTE 7: "Krem Shong Skei" –> AA Cave, Khaddum (1999a) 25°10'32”N: 92°24'55”E.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1999.02.22, trip 1: Georg Bäumler, them accompanied by Zuala Ralsun from Khaddum, found the tufa stream and spring on his own and sketched a preliminary grade 2a plan showing wet leads, identified a resurgence cave and cared to have a Pseudokhasi cave name Krem Mih Um fabricated. 1999.02.23, trip 2: Zuala Ralsun from Khaddum guided Andrew "Andy" Peter Tyler (Clevedon, UK), Neil Sootinck (Shillong), Vanlalruata and Alfred Vanchhawng (Aizawl, Mizoram) to the Mih Um Cave where the expedition cavers penetrated wet continuations and surveyed 40 m of survey length and yielded a lump sum difficult to interpret forty metres. 2015.01.16, trip 3: A certain Kyrshiu or, perhaps, Kyrsiew (unidentified surname) from Lumshnong guided Harald "Harry" Scherzer and Neville Sootinck to a cave and spring recorded as »Krem Umthluh Sucua« (Scherzer, H 2015.04.01 Mss "Tagebuch" Fr. 16.01.2015), sketched a selection of the entrance area and decided that the wet leads are either too narrow or too shallow.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | UMTHLUH SUCUA (or so) (Krem) | ||
| 0.4 | UMHEH CAVE | ||
| 0.8 | AA CAVE, Khaddum (1999a) | ||
| 1.2 | SHRIEH, Brishyrnot (Krem) | ||
| 1.2 | SAHSNIANG, Brishyrnot (Krem) | ||
| 1.2 | LABIT, Brishyrnot (Krem) | ||
| 1.7 | LABIT, Lumshnong (Kyrshiu 2015) (Krem) | ||
| 1.7 | OMOTHA (Krem) | ||
| 2.1 | LUNAR, 3rd (Cave on the) |