LAPAW (Krang)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A relatively large doline (closed depression) of unidentified size and unspecified shape breaches the Lakadong Sandstone caprock into the underlying Lakadong Limestone and intersects a seasonal and, at a first glance, from southwest to north draining stream cave passage with secondary calcite deposits (speleothems) at a knowable (unidentified) depth below the surface (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 18th February, Tuesday). EVALUATION: Seasonally active streamway with large area of joint controlled phreatic labyrinth. In the rainy season the water flows out of cave 1 (upstream part) across the doline into cave 2 (downstream part) (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Meghalaya cave record: Krang Lapaw.doc). ETYMOLOGY: The meaning and origin of the Lapaw Cavecave recorded as a double-caved Krem Krang Lapaw (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss) has not been identified as it is obscured by the fog procured by caving aout the clouds but the standard Khasi word -krem- is the same as the Lakadong Khasi -krang- and signifies a cave (SINGH, N 1906: 46; SINGH, N 1920: 63; BLAH, E 2007: 45). The strange word Lapaw, however, (no instance of use recorded so far) looks a lot like a version of the Khasi word -lawbah- for dense forest (note 1). At one final stage of overlooking long ones, Simon J. Brooks created the then newest new cave name Krang Lapad / Lapaw (Brooks, S J & Arbenz, T 2014.04.05 undated Mss: Meghalaya 2014 - Overview (Final).doc). SITUATION 2014.04.05: At a location referred to as also located in the Umlatdoh area (Brooks, S J & Arbenz, T 2014.04.05 undated Mss: Meghalaya 2014 - Overview (Final).doc) on the Lakadong - Umlatdoh Plateau and in a setting characterised by an unspecified the way from an unidentified starting point in an unspecified direction to the cave just on the edge of the village there is a row of pre-historic [sic! qua: traditional] stone seats or Mawshong [note 2]. Before nd beyond that modern [sic! qua: long standing] industry catches up with coal mining activity [since more than 150 years (OLDHAM, T 1854) in a row]. You may hope the miners will leave the standing stones as they are (anonymous, apparently Arbenz, T in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). SITUATION 2014.12.26: (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Meghalaya cave record: Krang Lapaw.doc). APPROACH 2014.04.05: Two guides, of which one was ignored (note 2) and the other was probably rather named Isynei (grace) than Isnei Syad, instructed Zorba Z. Laloo, Annie U. Audsley, Barbara -Boesch- Bösch, Michel -Boesch- Bösch, and Urs -Waelchli- Wälchli how to move from a knowable but unspecified starting point and in the course of a pleasant hour and a quarter’s walk in an unidentified direction through forest, karst and bamboo to the cave (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Secon Edit: 18th February, Tuesday). APPROACH 2014.12.26: Head east from the Umlatdoh tea shop and past the school. Follow the rough track to SE, pass a coal mine (Smawlein N25°11'56.5”: E092°16'44.1”: 772 m) and a field with standing stones (N25°11'49.6”: E092°16'52.1”). After the standing stones head downhill a track going NE. Pass a rocky area and water tanks (N25°11'50.5”: E92°16'59.9”: 755 m). Continue east across rocks and downhill on a rocky path. Fork left at N25°11'44.1”: E092°17'10.9”: 745 m. Continue via N25°11'41.3”: E092°17'15.3”: 719 m. Fork left at N25°11'36.7”: E092°17'23.9”: 698 m, the path is heading NE. Fork right at N25°11'36.3”: E092°17'28.1”: 684 m. Take the path on the right, head uphill through, then downhill following the water pipe. Fork right at N25°11'30.3”: E092°17'42.8”: 727 m. Head downhill to the right and turn onto a smaller path heading SE at N25°11'26.1”: E092°17'59.4”: 671 m. Pass a limestone cliff with opening (cave?)at N25°11'19.7”: E092°18'08.1”: 642 m. Turn right at T-junction N25°11'18.5”: E092°18'09.7”: 632 m. Continue via N25°11'16.6”: E092°18'12.2”: 628 m. (in February 2014 diversion around fallen tree). Leave path at N25°11'16.1”: E092°18'14.5”: 611 m (small karst boulders and big rubber trees). Walk roughly north across karst and then down a rocky slope into a doline with two cave entrances (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Meghalaya cave record: Krang Lapaw.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05a: The cave entrance is rather a doline which intersects the upstream and the downstream branch of a streamcave passage than a cave in a large doline with two entrances. During the monsoon, water resurges from the entrance at the South West of the doline and sinks again at the second entrance to the north. The team briefly looked at the upstream cave and found it contained a deep pool. Later on, however, the two guides … inspired cave exploration by disappearing for considerable time into the upstream entrance. They reported that it was ongoing for quite a long distance. The foreigners preferred to have a look at the downstream [branch of the] cave which began with a [relatively] large entrance chamber [of knowable size] but quickly became quite complex … [due to] side passages and a labyrinth. The seasonal downstream drainage (peak flow rate) is obviously quite limited as the downstream cave passage was very well decorated throughout (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 18th February, Tuesday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05b: Krang Lapad/Lapaw [sic!] … was explored to yield 1,350 m of [accumulated survey length picked out of selected cave] passage including stream ways and well decorated oxbows and labyrinths (Brooks, S J & Arbenz, T 2014.04.05 undated Mss: Meghalaya 2014 - Overview (Final).doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: Horizontal, wet, partly aquatic, maze (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave reord overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.26: An oblong doline descends down to two cave entrances (each about 4 m wide and 1.8 m high), which lie opposite across each other and have a bouldery floor. Downstream: The entrance chamber with a central rock pillar has three stream side passages which soon become too tight. The way on is a crawl across fallen boulders at the end of the chamber. On the other side of the boulders the passage meanders with stream and pools and is well decorated. Side passages to the left become soon too tight. After around 30 m (stn 3/10) the main passage turns to the left. It continues for another 30 m before dividing into several smaller passages.Straight ahead from stn 3/10 a boulder pile can be climbed via draughting squeeze into a chamber (10 m by 10 m) with a 2nd entrance. A squeeze downwards through the boulder pile leads into a low garvelly and wetm passage. To the right from stn 3/10 two passages lead off into a joint-controlled phreatic lbyrinth on two levels. Below this is a complex area of active stream passages which connects back to the main passage at stn 3/10 via the boulder squeeze and also to the -end- of the main passage via two awkward calcited passages. Upstream: The passage from the entrance soon meets a pool with a sandy shore. It's ca 30 m long and 5 m wide, swimming is required, the gallery is 4 m to 5 m high. The far end of the pool is borded by a flat slate, 80 cm out of the water with some stalactites. (The pool can be by passed through a phreatic tube on the right just inside the entrance. Taking the 2nd left in the tube leads to the other side of the pool). Straight on the pool chamber leads into a too tight high rift. Over the salb and to the right the stream passage is reached which is mainly a section of 3 parallel, intersecting joint- and rift- controled, aquatic passages. By wading along the the middle section for 50 m another pond is reached, 20 m long and 12 m wide with a low ceiling and ahead clearance of 80 cm to 1.2 m above the water. It is likely that this area sumps in wet conditions. The the far end of the pond a stream flows in from down a slope off a walking size passage. By scrambling up that slope for 10 m a point is reached where three possible continuations head off. The most obvious one is over the top of a low hump into a high chamber with many calcite formations on a steep calcited boulder slope. The chamber is 30 m high and 25 m wide, leaving the slope (no contonuation at its top) on your right you head into a low almost circular chamber of ca 5 m diameter and stooping height. From here a crawl among stalactites goes on for 50 m to -end- in a boulder choke with no obvious way on. Back at the -3-way- chamber, one passage follows the stream up a slide and chute yet to be explored. The other passage follows the main streamway that reappears from under a long flake, suggesting a link to the 2nd pond. The passage continues with the stream in the floor. Wherethe stream dissapears into a narrow section there is a way into a a large chamber on the right. Continue through the chamber, through a small, low crawl into a 2nd chamber. There the way on is to the right, across gour pools and past formations. Climbing up towards the ceiling you emerge in a wide, well decorated bedding plane passage. This can be followed, remaining slightly to the right, for around 50 m and a climb down into a chamber full of boulders. There is no obvious way on from here (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss). CAVE CONTENTS: Breakdown, sand and gravel, calcite formations (flowstone, stalactites, curtains, straws) (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss). PROSPECTS 2014.04.29: The speleotopographical process is intended to be ongoing (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). PROSPECTS 2014.12.26: One possible lead plus minimal chances in the boulder chokes (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 214.02.18 Mss). TACKLE: Wet suit for upstream cave (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use fishing ground: Resurgence (Upstream, Cave 1) is used for fishing (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss). CAVE LIFE -- Chiroptera: Annie U. Audsley, Hellie Brooke, Jos -Yoxz- Burgers, and Manbhalang -Man- Wann noticed on 22nd February 2014 inside what was interpreted as a relatively small phreatic passage the presence of a relatively small colony or, more likely, a day roost of around 8 or eight unidentified bats (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 22nd February, Saturday). Crickets, huntsman Spiders, millipedes, shrimps, crabs, small frog, bats (Rhinopholus) (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss).14.02.18 Mss). TACKLE: Wet suit for upstream cave (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use fishing ground: Resurgence (Upstream, Cave 1) is used for fishing (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss). CAVE LIFE -- Chiroptera: Annie U. Audsley, Hellie Brooke, Jos -Yoxz- Burgers, and Manbhalang -Man- Wann noticed on 22nd February 2014 inside what was interpreted as a relatively small phreatic passage the presence of a relatively small colony or, more likely, a day roost of around 8 or eight unidentified bats (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 22nd February, Saturday). Crickets, huntsman Spiders, millipedes, shrimps, crabs, small frog, bats (Rhinopholus) (Arbenz, T & Audsley, A U 2014.12.25 dated 2014.02.18 Mss).