BUDHER MUD POT
30.755800,77.790600
Description
NOTE 1: »Bodhyar Pot« (GLENNIE 1952b: 87 figure 8) is the title of an "effectively drawn" (crude, poor) copy of the nicely drawn elevation of the –>Well Shaft, Leora (Leakey, R. D. 1942.10.09). NOTE 2: Budher N30°45'20”: E77°47'25”: 2335 m asl (Everest 1830, S.I. Forest Map sheet: 53-F/13 S2, ca. 1940). Budher Guest House 2142 m asl (Kotlia, B. S. 2005.11.07, unidentified measuring device probably the digital Eschenbach altimeter belonging to S. F. Breitenbach).
A 1.2 m wide »earthy shaft in flat ground near a dry watercourse« drops past »a tight squeeze through boulders 20 ft. [6 m] down« and gives access to a closing rift passage with »muddy walls« (indicating a back-up zone?) about »100 ft [30.5 m]« (Leakey 1942.12.03) or »108 ft. [32.9 m]« (Leakey 1942.10.09 "Bodhyer Pot 9/10/42" cave plan) below the surface. ETYMOLOGY: Some of the recorded cave names are Bodhyar Pot GLENNIE (1952b: 87 figure 8) confused with –>Well Shaft, Leora (note 1) Bodhyer Pot Leakey (1942.10.09 cave plan: Bodhyer Pot 9/10/42) Budyar Pot Leakey (1942.10.10: Map Budhyar Hut Pots); Leakey (1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves); Mud Hole Leakey (1946 June: Map Bodyar Potholes); Mud Pot Glennie (1946.08.01 Mss: Bodyar Area Potholes). SITUATION 1942: »Budyar Pot« lies »40 yards« (Leakey 1942.10.10: Location map Budyar Pots) or 36.6 m on a bearing of 105° (south by east) from the »Budyar Hut« (note 2) and »50 paces [47.60 m] from the cowshed is Budyar Pot.« (Leakey 1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves; LEAKEY 1955: 58). SITUATION 1946: »Mud Pot is 40 yards [36.6 m] and 160° from the hut close below a clump of trees bordering the valley floor« (Glennie 1946.08.01 Mss: Bodyar Area Potholes). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1942a: »Down through double squeeze and corkscrew at top of 30 foot pitch, very nasty to get down was so to get back. Dead animal of some sort at bottom smelly, muddy rift passage went on slanting down [wan cls?, wen cts?] with bend to left and ended« (Glennie, Edward Aubrey 1942.10.05-19 Mss: Diary, 8th October 1942). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1942b: »Budyar Pot opens as a 4 ft [1.2 m] wide earthy shaft in flat ground near a dry watercourse. The pitch had to be cleared and its length is about 60 ft. [18.3 m] into a fissure like chamber and finishes in a closing up passage in muddy walls [a back-up zone?] about 108 ft. [32.92 m] below the surface« (Leakey 1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1946: The depth of »Mud Pot … is in the region of 100 ft [30.48 m], not all ladder pitch, and there is a tight squeeze through boulders 20 ft [6 m] down. Needs a thorough exploration« (Glennie 1946.08.01 Mss: Bodyar Area Potholes). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1951: »Bodhyar Pot … has a sixty foot [18.3 m] daylight pit about four feet [1.2 m] in diameter into a fissure which reaches a depth of just over 100 ft [30.48 m]. Like so many of these potholes, it finishes in a widening of the shaft, one wall however is covered with fine stalactities [sic!] curtaining [speleothems]« (LEAKEY 1955: 65). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1952: CAVE LIFE: 1942.10.09: E. A. Glennie (1942.10.05-19 Mss: Diary): »Collected fungi, dead [clausilia? dausilia?], red opilionid [Opiliones, Opilionidae], Spelaphorura glenniei [Insecta: Collembola: Onychiuridae: Spelaphorura glenniei BAGNALL 1947] one specimen. Leakey went down two more …«
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1942.10.08: Guided by unidentified shepherds it were Edward Aubrey Glennie (1942.10.05-19 Mss: Diary), Mary Hazelton (Glennie's niece), Robert D. Leakey, A. E. Leydon, one "Michael" (?) and a "Wheeler" (?), who, assisted by unknown servants and porters, »came out at 6.15 pm [from –>Moila Toad Hole]. Ran back to bungalow [Budher Forest Rest House] and got news of cave alleged near by. Went to it about 2 miles [3 km] away and 1000 feet [about 300 m] away. Got back at 7.30 pm.« 1942.10.09: E. A. Glennie (1942.10.05-19 Mss Diary): »Down [from Budher Forest Rest House to Budher hut] and opened up one (Leakey did it) and went down … Collected fungi, dead [clausilia? dausilia?], red opilionid, Speluncophous glenniei one specimen. Leakey went down two more …«
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | BUDHER SLIT POT | ||
| 0.1 | BUDHER TIMBER POT | ||
| 0.4 | DURBITA POT 2 (Lower) | ||
| 0.5 | DURBITA POT 1 (Upper) | ||
| 0.5 | KANDWA POT 2 | ||
| 0.5 | KANDWA POT | ||
| 0.5 | KANDWA POT 4 | ||
| 0.5 | KANDWA POT 3 | ||
| 0.5 | KANDWA POT 5 |