LABET, Kseh (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An oblong shaped cave entrance, which was understood to face south-east (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc) but is known to face due east (Arbenz, T 2011.08.28 cave plan: Mynlinplan.pdf), is not only 5 m wide and 3 m high (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 9th February 2011, Wednesday) but also 6 m wide and 4 m high (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc) and gives access to a perennially active master cave passage. Anyhow, this cave entrance functions as a seasonal sink (insurgence) and drains waters flowing from a relatively big catchment area of unidentified size and in unspecified different directions (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc) towards unspecified lower reaches of an unspecified drainage basin (note 1). As far as known, the cave contains not only sand, gravel, rounded pebbles and, in one meander passage, [relatively] small boulders, of which some consist of a reddish coloured rock with pleny of fossils but also calcite formations (speleothems), which occur in a side passage (Series 5) and along the aquatic main passage where they occur mainly on ledges and in various places at a perched level above the water channel where they form bridges and false floors (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc). ETYMOLOGY: The Synteng Khasi cave name -Krem 'Labet- is a short form of -Krem Sla Bet- and translates as Sedge-Blades Cave or, to be precise, Cave in the area of the Sedge Blades (note 2). Arbenz, T. (2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc), perhaps based on personal communication with Mynlin Manar (in February 2011 the Kseh village headman), was led to believe that the area is known to the people as “Labit” [note 3]. To distinguish this cave from the other “Krem Labits” we named it after Mynlin Manar, [in February 2011] the village headman of Kseh, who showed us the cave [entrance] (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc). By 15th February 2011,however, AA SR,PL (Angela Arbenz, Peter Ludwig and Simone Buchmann Röthlin) cared to reduce the agreed upon cave name Krem Labit (Mynlin Manar) to a stunted Krem Mynlin (Anonymous 2011.03.27 table 2011 Logbook.xls) suiting the tastes of outsiders talented with exceptional attention spans. SITUATION: Above the orographically left (locally western) bank of the Kopili River in an area called 'Labet (a contraction of -sla bet-, sedge blades), the cave entrance to Krem 'Labet lies in a gully [sic! possibile qua: sinkhole] which, in rainy conditions, is fed by four small streams which drain water from unspecified different directions (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc). APPROACH: Starting at the village of Kseh (St. Joseph church near 25°25’24.0”N: 92°35’32.9”E: circa 880 m), walk east from the church (25°25’24.0”N: 92°35’32.9”E) and across the plain behind the church to the football pitch. Skirt its eastern rim of the playground to get to a footpath that crosses in a outherly direction the north-western flank of a ridge. Leave this path near (25°25’21.6”N: 92°35’26.1”E) off WNW and down into a ravine, where a bill-hook or machete (note 4) is useful to clear and to find your way into a sink area, by following the ravine for about 400 m (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION (modified after Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc): The oblong shaped, possibly south-east (Arbenz, T 2011.03.11 Mss: Krem Labit Mynlin_Rec.doc) but perhaps north-west facing cave entrance (6 m wide, 4 m high) leads north-west into a roomy, up to 6 m wide, 11 m high and almost 30 m long entrance chamber. The way on is easily negotiated by scrambling across blocks and slabs of rock into a meandering cave passage. A 3 m free climb down, followed by a bend, leads to a corner (survey station 1/4) where the Meander Passage turns a at an angle of 90° to NNE while a short climb down, followed by a cave passage to SW, gives access to a ave chamber (4 m wide, 6 m high) decorated with secondary calcite formations (stalactites, curtains and flowstone speleothems). Parts of the floor are covered with crystal coated but dry (February 2011) pools and tiny gour dams.The Meander Passage continues for nearly 170 m before it reaches a chamber and a bypass where it angles off to NW, leads across two short steps down and intersects another cave at a lower level characterised by a streamway with generally ankle- to knee-deep water. The downstream branch of the stream cave passage (4.5 m wide, 3 m high) carries on for about 100 m, turns south-east and leads not only to a pool of water (sump) but also to two relatively low, wet and crawly side passages, which soon get too low to be penetrable for human sized cave visitors.From the intersection upstream, the cave passage delves beneath a flowstone formation and continues very low (stooping to crawling), leaving just enough airspace for the head. This squeezy bit can be bypassed fro a spot about 10 m downstream from the meander inlet by climbing up north-west into relic and hence nice to look at cave passage with some steep flowstone climbs up and down. The upstream branch goes on for nearly 40 m before breaking out into a larger dimensioned cave passage (on average 2 m wide and 4 m high, generally heading south-west) with long stretches of straight cave passages with knee- to waist-deep water and often vaulted or triangular cross-sections. In bends, however, the water is deeper (some short swims). After about 200 m cave passage gets narrower (1.5 m to 2 m wide) but higher (9 m to 15 m high) showing that the cave is formed along a rift. This angles off and heads south (200°). Here, the riverbed is sectioned by rimstone pools and gour dams, which form cascades and some low and crawly bits in this section of the stream cave passage christened Tangerine Dream. Eventually, the stream cave passage opens up into the St. Peter’s Cathedral, a rift chamber with an aven o impressive height, estimated to more than 70 m high and thus beyond the reach of the distometer. St. Peter’s Cathedral continues on the far side with a couple of leads, which are mostly too small (about 0.1 m to 0.2 m large) for unbending cave explorers but a relatively short climb up and along a muddy inlet, which suggests a way on and past the aven, gains acess to the Swizz Humour, a funny mud choke. PROSPECTS: Two low sidepassages I the upper stream way (crawling in Water) off Stn. 2/14 and 2/15 (S.13. S.14). One low sidepassage in meander (stooping in water) off Stn.1/20 (S.22). The situation of both leads suggest a linking up of the meander and the stream way through a wet and low maze (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011; Arbenz, T 2013.09.30 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011). TACKLE: In addition to a bill-hook (large bladed knife) or machete an assortement of good shoes, lon sleeved clothing and walking sticks are advisable for the steep scramble in the jungle but only wetsuits are recommended for the upstream part of the streamway (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011; Arbenz, T 2013.09.30 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011). CULTURAL HISTORY 2011: None known (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011). CULTURAL HISTORY 2013: None known (Arbenz, T 2013.09.30 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011). CAVE LIFE 2011: Fish, snails, crickets, millipedes, spiders, harvestmen (hundreds in clusters). Bats: Ia-Io, Rhinopholus pearsoni, Rhinopholus luctus, Hipposideros larvatus (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011) or Mollusca: Conchifera: conf. Gastropoda; Orthoptera indet.; Arachnida: conf. Aranea, conf. Opilions; Pisces indet.; Chiroptera: great evening bat (Ia io Thomas 1902), Pearson's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus pearsoni Horsfield 1851), woolly horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus luctus Temminck 1835) and intermediate roundleaf bat (Hipposideros larvatus Horsfield 1823). 2011.02.10: Thomas Arbenz, Peter Ludwig and Brian D. Kharpran Daly had caught on 10th February 2011 during day time in Krem Labit Mynlin (sic!) a rather large example of “vampire” bat which Dr. Manuel Ruedi identified as Ia io (Thomas 1902), the largest carnivore bat known to exist (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: Thursday, 10th Febuary 2011). 2011.02.11: Hellie, Peter, Ronnie and Barry … started by catching a bat for Manuel, then … caught another bat … The bats were named Fritz and Franz. Fritz is a Hipposideros larvatus [H. larvatus Horsfield 1823] and Franz a Rhinolophus luctus [R. luctus Temminck 1835] (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 11th Febuary 2011, Frday). CAVE LIFE 2013: Fish (poss.Schistura Pupilifera), snails, crickets(orthoptera, poss.Rhaphidophoridae), millipedes (poss.Trachyiulus Mimus), spiders( Heteropoda), harvestmen (Opilones, hundreds in clusters). Bats : Ia-Io, Rhinopholus pearsoni, Rhinopholus luctus, Hipposideros larvatus (Arbenz, T 2013.09.30 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011).s; Pisces indet.; Chiroptera: great evening bat (Ia io Thomas 1902), Pearson's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus pearsoni Horsfield 1851), woolly horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus luctus Temminck 1835) and intermediate roundleaf bat (Hipposideros larvatus Horsfield 1823). 2011.02.10: Thomas Arbenz, Peter Ludwig and Brian D. Kharpran Daly had caught on 10th February 2011 during day time in Krem Labit Mynlin (sic!) a rather large example of “vampire” bat which Dr. Manuel Ruedi identified as Ia io (Thomas 1902), the largest carnivore bat known to exist (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: Thursday, 10th Febuary 2011). 2011.02.11: Hellie, Peter, Ronnie and Barry … started by catching a bat for Manuel, then … caught another bat … The bats were named Fritz and Franz. Fritz is a Hipposideros larvatus [H. larvatus Horsfield 1823] and Franz a Rhinolophus luctus [R. luctus Temminck 1835] (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 11th Febuary 2011, Frs; Pisces indet.; Chiroptera: great evening bat (Ia io Thomas 1902), Pearson's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus pearsoni Horsfield 1851), woolly horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus luctus Temminck 1835) and intermediate roundleaf bat (Hipposideros larvatus Horsfield 1823). 2011.02.10: Thomas Arbenz, Peter Ludwig and Brian D. Kharpran Daly had caught on 10th February 2011 during day time in Krem Labit Mynlin (sic!) a rather large example of “vampire” bat which Dr. Manuel Ruedi identified as Ia io (Thomas 1902), the largest carnivore bat known to exist (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: Thursday, 10th Febuary 2011). 2011.02.11: Hellie, Peter, Ronnie and Barry … started by catching a bat for Manuel, then … caught another bat … The bats were named Fritz and Franz. Fritz is a Hipposideros larvatus [H. larvatus Horsfield 1823] and Franz a Rhinolophus luctus [R. luctus Temminck 1835] (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 11th Febuary 2011, Frday). CAVE LIFE 2013: Fish (poss.Schistura Pupilifera), snails, crickets(orthoptera, poss.Rhaphidophoridae), millipedes (poss.Trachyiulus Mimus), spiders( Heteropoda), harvestmen (Opilones, hundreds in clusters). Bats : Ia-Io, Rhinopholus pearsoni, Rhinopholus luctus, Hipposideros larvatus (Arbenz, T 2013.09.30 Mss -Thomas Arbenz 11th March 2011- Krem Labit Mynlin / Krem Labit 9.2.2011).