RYNSONG, Umlatdoh (Krang)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A relatively small entrance (unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation) between boulders allows both pious pilgrims and metaphysically homeless expedition cavers to exercise more or less in style the successful performance of descending roughly 5 m (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc) or vertically 4 m on what had been on Monday, 17th February 2014 a homemade ladder (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit.docx) leading down into a Hindu temple cave which then was dedicated to Shiva and seemed to consist, as far as known, of an east-west trending cave passage with a pair of accessible cave chambers, without any high crawls but two or three of low crawls or penetrable constrictions, and one or several obviously unidentified continuations. Expedition cavers were able to notice in this sacred cave and Shivaite cult spot not only inexplicably coloured powder and Hindu deity pictures in addition to secondary calcite formtions (speleothems) identified as curtains and stal (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 17th February, Monday) but also boulder, gravel calcite formations along with religious paraphernalia or shrine items in the shape of hard to make out clay cups and pots, coins, bell, images (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc). IDENTITY: Unknown but the cave entrance to Krang Rynsong, Umlatdoh, seems to lie pretty close to the Cave at –>Lakadong 07 (Latouche 1890) or, perhaps, at the same spot: Here also the coal is exposed at the entrance to a large cave formed in the same manner as the preceeding; there are two seams … but they quickly thin out horizontally and disappear altogether (LATOUCHE, T H D 1890: 15). ETYMOLOGY: The meaning, origin and history of the cave names, which expedition cavers recorded in February 2014 for this -krem- (standard / Sohra Khasi) or, in this case more likely, -krang- (Lakadong Khasi) and cave (Englih), has not yet been discovered (note 1). The expedition cavers, however, mastered not only to compose the stunningly incomplete sentence Krem Rynsong = cave in Limestone (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc) but also were able to refer to this caving object by three different appellations, namely: Krem Rynsong anonymous Brooks, S J et al. (2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 17th February, Monday). Krem Rynsong 1 anonymous Arbenz, T (2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx); Audsley, A U (2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc) Krem Rymany 1 Anonymous (2014.04.05 Expedition Survey Log 2014 (8-3-2014).xls). SITUATION: The GPS position (±6 m N25°11'48.2”: E092°16'29.3”: 798 m asl (Brooke H 2014.02.17 unidentified GPS Garmin) recorded for the cave entrance to what was recorded as Krem Rynsong (sic!) indicates a location on the Lakadong Plateau at a spot which lies on the one-hand side about 300 m in a direct line approximtely WSW (-56 m north, -300 m east) from what had been in 1995 a larger crossroad in the Lakadong Umlatdoh village centre (N25°11'50”: E092°16'40”: Gebauer, H D 1995.12.02 unstable 4-channel GPS Garmin 4) and on the other about 1.5 km in a direct line approximately NNE (1300 m north, 625 m east) from the Lakadong Ummat church (±5.9 m N25°11'06.2”: E092°16'07”: 759 m asl, Brown M W 2002.02.23 GPS Garmin 12). SITUATION 2015.01.08: Somehow close to Umlatdoh village (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc). SITUATION 2014.04.29: Somewhere near (Village) Umlatdoh (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). APPROACH: Expeditious cavers are quickly ordered to rapidly take a path heading south or, more likely, west (note 2) from what had been in February 2014 a certain the tea shop at an unspecified location with an unidentified GPS position. The so-called the track was said to join within an unspecified distance regarded as soon a relatiely larger tracj also heading south or, more likely, also west. At one point (with an unidentified GPS position), one may have reached the cave entrance which was not only understood to once have been for a short time on the left of a person without orientation but also in one way or an other on the left of the track. Walking time 5 mins (note 3). SPORTS DEVICE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05a: The very act, performance or process of visiting Krem Rynsong … started by going down a homemade ladder before the passage split. To the right a very short crawl led to a chamber where [an unspecified] the first shrine was … The chamber was well decorated with curtains and stal as was a second chamber. The shrines were well decorated with coloured powder and Hindu deity pictures. The left way ended after a short distance where daylight could be seen (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 17th February, Monday). SPORTS DEVICE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05b: Expeditious cvers rapidly mastered to consider a preliminary glance on Krem Rymany 1 … 34.10, Finished (Anonymous 2014.04.05 Expedition Survey Log 2014 (8-3-2014).xls).SPORTS DEVICE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: Two calcited avens, low crawl connection (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). SPORTS DEVICE DESCRIPTION 2015.01.08: Expeditious sports cavers have to descend the entrance pitch. At the bottom a short low section of passage leads [east] at 98° to a calcited aven containing a hindu shrine. From there a low crawl leads to a 2nd aven also containing a shrine. [At the base of the -entrance pitch- in the west or] In a direction of 289° fro the entrance chamber there is a small breakdown chamber and a crawl leading om - soon becomes too tight to pass (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc). CAVE CONTENTS: Annie U. Audsley, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara, Elena Buduran and Jos -Yoxz- Burgers noticed on 17th February 2014 in the interior of Krem Rynsong the undrground presence of boulder, gravel calcite formations in addition to man-made and imported shrine items reduced to incomprehensible clay cups and pots, coins, bell, images (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc). Initially noticed had been inexplicably coloured powder (note 4) and Hindu deity pictures (note 5) along with secondary calcite formations (speleothems) identified as curtains and stal (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 17th February, Monday). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use pious industry: One or several religion workers exploited in February 2014 the sacred cave as a Hindu temple - shrine to Shiva (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc) which can be expeditiously reduced in a single incomplete sentence to Place of worship / hindu shrine (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE LIFE: Annie U. Audsley, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara, Elena Buduran and Jos -Yoxz- Burger noticed on 17th February 2014 the occurrence of snails (two different species), frog, crickets, spiders, millipede, snot gobblers (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc) which possibly were represented by Mollusca: Conchifera: conf. Gastropoda. Arthropoda: Arachnida: conf. Araneae. Myriapoda. Orthoptera. Larval stage of Diptera: conf. Myceophylidae. Vertebrata: conf. Ranidae. noticed on 17th February 2014 the occurrence of snails (two different species), frog, crickets, spiders, millipede, snot gobblers (Audsley, A U 2015.01.08 Mss: 17-02-2014 Krem Rynsong 1.doc) which possibly were represented by Mollusca: Conchifera: conf. Gastropoda. Arthropoda: Arachnida: conf. Araneae. Myriapoda. Orthoptera. Larval stage of Diptera: conf. Myceophylidae. Vertebrata: conf. Ranidae.