RUBONG 2 (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Altogether three cave entrances give access to seasonal exsurgence and stream cave (note 1) which contains a muddy floor and calcite formations (speleothems) and arrives from north-northeast and from an impenetrable constriction characterised by what some considered a lack of air draft (note 2) while others noticed an obvious air current / air flow (note 3). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what has been dubbed Krem Rubon 2 (Boycott, Antony 'Tony' 2002.02.15 Meghalaya Cave Record: Krem Rubon 2 15/2/02) instead of Krem Rubong 2 (Fischer, C W 2005.02.16 Mss) in an attempt to copy the name of the nearby Krem –> Rubong and to specify it with the number 2. SITUATION (note 4): At the head of a dry stream channel which lies at an approximate distance of 100 m (estimated by Antony 'Tony' Boycott) without orientation (note 5) from the entrance to the first (original) Krem –>Rubong. According to the GPS position recorded by Fischer, CW (2005.02.16 Mss: Krem Rubong 2 update 16.2.05), the entrance to the 2nd Krem Rubong lies 93.6 m in a direct line a bit east of south-east from the entrance to the first (original) Krem Rubong. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2002: Entrance 1 m, crawly over flowstone, becomes muddy [Efar? Efen? Then?) 30 m right leads to second unpassable cave entrance, left to 70 m of muddy crawly tube, ends in stal sqeeze (after Boycott 2002.02.15 Mss: Krem Rubon 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2005: A west facing cave entrance (a seasonal exsurgence?) gives access to a passage (speleothems, floor covered with pebbles) arriving from the west and off (T-junction) a NNE-SSW trending main passage (mud floor). The short downstream / southern branch (boulders) ends in collapse with daylight window (Entrance 2). Travelling upstream (NNE) and past a bypass (boulders, speleothems, -Hidden Entrance- = no. 3) on the west (left-hand side) the main passage turns from south to east (right-hand side) and sort of zig-zags meandering past calcited crawl (No Pleasure For Geezers), past two impenetrable leads south and more calcite formations (stalactite curtain) to a right-angle turn north and a sudden impenetrable squeeze, which posibly represents a ceiling channel above an in-filled passage waiting to be dug. Beyond this impenetrable squeeze appears to be visible what possibly may turn out to be a west-east trending passage (after Fischer 2005.09.18 cave plan: Rubong 2). PROSPECTS: The current end of the cave is a narrow crawl where one has to put down the helmet to reach, beyond the constriction, a low passage continuing in two directions (Fischer 2005.02.16 Mss: Krem Rubong 2 update 16.2.05). CAVE LIFE: Christian W. Fischer (2005.02.16 Mss: Krem Rubong 2 update 16.2.05) noticed on 16th February 2005 more than 10 Heteropoda spiders, woodlice (Isopoda, one collected), millipedes (one collected), crickets (Orthoptera), one bat (Chiroptera), two geckos, and the nest of an absent animal, presumably porcupine (Hystrix inet). calcited crawl (No Pleasure For Geezers), past two impenetrable leads south and more calcite formations (stalactite curtain) to a right-angle turn north and a sudden impenetrable squeeze, which posibly represents a ceiling channel above an in-filled passage waiting to be dug. Beyond this impenetrable squeeze appears to be visible what possibly may turn out to be a west-east trending passage (after Fischer 2005.09.18 cave plan: Rubong 2). PROSPECTS: The current end of the cave is a narrow crawl where one has to put down the helmet to reach, beyond the constriction, a low passage continuing in two directions (Fischer 2005.02.16 Mss: Krem Rubong 2 update 16.2.05). CAVE LIFE: Christian W. Fischer (2005.02.16 Mss: Krem Rubong 2 update 16.2.05) noticed on 16th February 2005 more than 10 Heteropoda spiders, woodlice (Isopoda, one collected), millipedes (one collected), crickets (Orthoptera), one bat (Chiroptera), two geckos, and the nest of an absent animal, presumably porcupine (Hystrix inet).