SHNONG MU (Krem)

(Saipung - IN)
25.349400,92.538800
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave entrance without identified shape or size (in one way about 4 m across) gives access to a pothole, which is not only characterised by a cluster of dry, intersecting rift passages without identified dimensions or orientation, but also is said to contain boulders buried in mud (soil?). At the current stage of cave development, no regularly flowing water seems to enter this cave. EVALUATION 1: Dry system no obvious sign of river going into system (Marshall 2005.02.23 Mss: Krem Shnong Moo). EVALUATION 2: Dry system formed in intersecting rifts with mud cemented boulders no signs of water entering system (Whitaker 2006.02.09 Mss: Krem Shnong Moo). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous cave name has been identified for this pothole. Brooks (2005 undated Mss amendment to Marshall 2005.02.23 Mss: Krem Shnong Moo) explains that Krem Shnong Moo (Stone Village Cave) was named by discoverers [sic! for: visitors] after area name provided by an unacknowledged informant of disputable authority. SITUATIN 1 (Marshall 2005.02.23 Mss: Krem Shnong Moo): On the main path heading downhill from Kya 2 [and] 20 mtrs heading north east [and in a] jungle filled depression with lots of pinnacles. SITUATION 2 (Jarratt 2005.03.06 Mss: Cave Log, vol. XII: 46, 22/2/05): In a cleared doline. SITUATION 4 (Jarratt 2006.03.04 Mss: Cave Log, vol. XIII, 2006.02.08): … on a ridge below Shnongrim hill fort. SITUATION 5 (JARRATT 2006: 6): Somewhere near Krem Kya,1, 2 & 3 and Krem Siat Kriah 1 & 2 in the Lum Manar area. SITUATION 6 (Whitaker 2006.02.09 Mss amendments to Marshall 2005.02.23 Mss -Krem Shnong Moo- 23/2/5): On the main path heading down hill from Kya 2 [and] 20 m heading north-east. In jungle filled karst depression with lots of pinnacles (note 1). SITUATION 7: According to the low quality GPS readings of disputable reliability, Krem Shnong Moo lies at a linear distance of 352.5 m approximately ENE of Krem Kya 2 but vertically 74 m lower down. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1 (Marshall 2005.02.23 Mss: Krem Shong Moo): 10 mtrs down to a sloping mud floor heading down. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Whitaker 2006.02.09 Mss): Scramble down in 10 m deep jungly doline to 6 m free-hanging pot and to a chamber about 5 m square. Slide over boulder to a 4 m free climb [down]. Small hole in bouldery floor (Nasty Little Twat) leads to another fift pitch (total 5 m). Straight down is another (6 m?) in a very narrow rift (not pushed). On right a minor fissure with flowstone ribs goes off at right angles. Too tight. The opposite side of the 1.5 m wide rift leads to a 6 m pitch rigged round the corner of the left wall. It is possible to get off onto a large boulder which occupies most of the 4x4 m floor area. On one side of the boulder all fissures choke. On the other side two possible ways down as 9 m pitches. At the bottom are mud choked rifts.ong Moo): 10 mtrs down to a sloping mud floor heading down. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Whitaker 2006.02.09 Mss): Scramble down in 10 m deep jungly doline to 6 m free-hanging pot and to a chamber about 5 m square. Slide over boulder to a 4 m free climb [down]. Small hole in bouldery floor (Nasty Little Twat) leads to another fift pitch (total 5 m). Straight down is another (6 m?) in a very narrow rift (not pushed). On right a minor fissure with flowstone ribs goes off at right angles. Too tight. The opposite side of the 1.5 m wide rift leads to a 6 m pitch rigged round the corner of the left wall. It is possible to get off onto a large boulder which occupies most of the 4x4 m floor area. On one side of the boulder all fissures choke. On the other side two possible ways down as 9 m pitches. At the bottom are mud choked rifts.

Documents

Bibliography 06/01/2018

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2005.02.22, trip 1: The young Shnongrim cowboy Evermore Sukhlain guided Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt, Fraser E. Simpson and Graham Marhall to the entrance of Krem Shnong Moo (Brooks 2005: Mss Meghalaya Diary). As soon as having been led there, Graham Marhall (2005.02.23 Mss: 'Krem Shnong Moo' 23/2/5) instantly discovered (sic!) the site that has been known to people familiar with the area since time immemorial, and entered the cave up to a first drop. 2005.02.23, trip 2: Graham went with Evermore to GPS the entrances found the previous day (Brooks 2005: Mss Meghalaya Diary). 2006.02.08, trip 3: Jarratt (2006.03.04 Mss: Cave Log, vol. XIII: 8/2/06), Henry Rockcliff and Neil Pacey laddered the 4 m deep Krem Shnong Moo where a boulder and mud filled squeeze presented access to a promising and draughting 4 m deep hole. An hour was fruitlessly spent digging here with no tools but the stubborn rock blocking the way refused to shift. It was decided to return tomorrow Pleasant walk back to Shnongrim with no tackle and another beery night at camp. Anonymous Brown et al. (2006): Wednesday 8th February -- J.Rat, Des, Neil and Henry went to Lum Manar hill fort … Krem Shnong Moo was left ongoing. 2006.02.09, trip 4: Terence 'Terry' M. Whitaker and Henry Rockcliff, supported by Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt and Neil Pacey, explored and surveyed (Brooks 2006 undated Mss: Amendment to Whitaker 2006.02.09 Mss: Krem Shnong Moo). Jarratt (2006.03.04 Mss: Cave Log, vol. XIII: 9/2/06) narrates how Neil and I … ended up back at yesterday's sites after an excellent monrning's prospecting and carried on down to Shnong Moo where we met the others [T.M. Whitaker, H. Rockcliff] who had bolted and dragged out the boulder and commenced rigging the unpleasant bouldery rift pitches below. Neil and I surveyed in to a point where Henry took over while I dug in vain at a too tight side passage. I then left with Terry after cursing our way up the Nasty Little Twat vetical boulder squeeze. The pitches below closed down at around 40 m depth thank God. Having had batteries stolen from both my and Neil's helmets we stashed all our kit in the first chamber and headed back to Shnongrim for our 6pm pick up. Tomorrow we will drop a few the new pots. A relatively quiet night at camp followed … JARRATT (2006: 6-7) confirms Krem Shnong Moo required digging to reach open passage. […] On 9th the boulder dig was passed and 35.5 m of cave surveyed, via a tight vertical squeeze –the Nasty Little Twat– to tight passages and a boulder choke. Anonymous Brown et al. (2006): Thursday 9th February -- Henry and Terry went back to Krem Shnong Moo, where the boulder was removed and the cave was explored through three short pitches to a boulder choke. All leads ended too tight. 2006.02.10, trip 5: Henry Rockcliff, 'Jane' Jayne Stead, and Neil Pacey recovered the kit from Shnong Moo (Jarratt 2006.03.04 Mss: Cave Log, vol. XIII: 10/2/06). Anonymous Brown et al. (2006) Friday 10th February -- J.Rat and Neil … went to Krem Shnong Moo to survey 35.5 m. 2006 total: All in all it took 17 man-days to explore and 'survey' (tape spotter standards) 35.5 m of cave passages to a degree yielding sort of a length: Each day 2.09 m per head. Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.1SHNONG MU 2 (Krem)
0.1PSIAR (Krem)
0.2IAWE (Krem)
0.2IAWE 2 (Krem)
0.4KYA 2 (Krem)
0.4SIAT KRIAH 1 (Krem)
0.4KYA 1 (Krem)
0.4IAWE RIT (Krem)
0.4KYA 4 (Krem)