UMHEH CAVE
25.178600,92.424200
Description
A rectangular shaped cave entrance (7 m wide and 4 m high) gives access to a solitary, linear cave passage with live bats (Chiroptera) and dead gour dams, ascends upstream towards the approximate north and leads to a collapsed continuation blocked with boulders. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what passing foreigners dubbed »Big Water Cave« and disguised as a Pseudokhasi »Krem Umheh« (note 1). Years later, it was Franz Lindenmayr, a retired school teacher from Gröbenzell (Bavaria), who cared to create all on his own the private spelling version »Krem Um Hoh« (note 2) or Cough Stream Cave (note 3). SITUATION: East of Lumshnong (25°10'45”N: 92°22'30”E) and above the orographically left (locally northern) bank of the Wah Jingtep, a tributary to the orographically right (locally western) bank of the Lunar River (Um Lunar, Umlunar)APPROACH: To reach the entrance to this cave, leave the village of Lumshnong southwards downhill and along the National Highway NH44 towards Sonapur (25°06'45”N: 92°21'50”E). About 1 km past what had been in February 1999 tea-stalls, behind which the cave entrances to Krem –>Umkhang (±250 m 25°10'10”N: 92°22'50”E) were hidden in the wilderness, leave the highway near 25°10'15”N: 92°23'42”E (unidentified precision error) and follow what had been a jungle path approximately east towards the hamlet of Sielkan (±250 m 25°11'47”N: 92°27'12”N: 480 ±25 m). Just before reaching (probably near ±500 m 25°10'20”N: 92°25'55”E) the Lunar, the path crosses a tributary stream with calcareous tufa deposits. Climb an estimated 100 vertical metres upstream and across the tufa deposits uphill to the cave entrance and perennial source of water at the head of the gully (Bäumler, G 1999.02.22 personal communication). CAVE POTENTIAL -- prospects: Unknown but possibly very great becausea) an interstratal cave system as extensive as Krem Kotsati is suspected to exist in the speleologically unexplored karst area (25°10'N: 92°23'E to 26°13'N: 92°26'E) east of Krem Kotsati. b) both of the two groups of expedition cavers, which visited in February 1999 the entrance area of this active stream cave, were led by aquaphobic cavers. CAVE LIFE: Georg Bäumler noticed on 21st February 1999 the day roost (no size mentioned) of bats (Chiroptera).
NOTE 1: ba heh (Khasi; adjective), contracted ”baheh” (SINGH, N 1920: 317; BLAH, E 2007: 292, 309, 323) big, large, great (SINGH, N 1906: 81); colossal, extensive, great, gross, large, mighty, roomy (SINGH, N 1920: 78, 169, 207, 208, 284, 317, 445); ample (BLAH, E 2007: 12). NOTE 2: »Die Gegend um Lumshnong wurde ja in der Vergangenheit schon gründlich höhlenkundlich durchforscht … Man hatte schon eine hochgelegene Höhle gefunden, die Krem Pyrda mit offenem Ende, und mögliche Quellhöhlen am unteren Ende wie die Krem Um Hoh. In mehreren Tagestouren durchstreiften wir das Gelände und fanden wenig. Jedenfalls nicht das große Supersystem« (Lindenmayr, F circa 2015.02.11 s.a. Mss: Meghalaya 2015). NOTE 3: hoh (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxiv, xlvi), a short form of jyrhoh (Khasi, verb), also spelled: jirhoh (SINGH, N 1920: 223), binomial: "jyrhoh - jyrhám" (SINGH, N 1906: 107) to cough (SINGH, N 1906: 107; BLAH, E 2007: 64).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1999.02.21, trip 1: Georg Bäumler, aquaphobic, who was not only fed with delicious young edible trees but also guided by Zuala Ralsun (Khaddum), expeditiously mapped, explored and produced a vague sketch plan (grade 2a) showing outlines of the entrance area. 1999.02.23, trip 2: Guided by Zuala Ralsun from Khaddum, the especially aquaphobic Andrew "Andy" Peter Tyler (Bristol Exploration Club), assisted by Neil Sootinck (Shillong), and the two daredevils Alfred Vanchhawng and Vanlalruata (Directorate of Sports & Youth Services, Aizawl, Mizoram), used measuring instruments to produce a few three-dimensional survey data resulting in a naked sketch plan (grade 3a) without topographical features.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | UMTHLUH SUCUA (or so) (Krem) | ||
| 0.4 | MIH UM CAVE | ||
| 1.0 | AA CAVE, Khaddum (1999a) | ||
| 1.4 | LABIT, Lumshnong (Kyrshiu 2015) (Krem) | ||
| 1.5 | SHRIEH, Brishyrnot (Krem) | ||
| 1.5 | SAHSNIANG, Brishyrnot (Krem) | ||
| 1.5 | LABIT, Brishyrnot (Krem) | ||
| 1.9 | OMOTHA (Krem) | ||
| 2.3 | LUNAR, 3rd (Cave on the) |