RONGDANGGAI SONGACHAM RONGKOL

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A generally 3 m wide and high cave entrance gives access to a perennially plugged seasonal sinkhole (insurgence) and a hollow rock with a welcoming nest of bees (note 1). SITUATION: About 1 km on foot (note 2) approximately north-west from the village of Rongdangkai (Rongdanggai). The entrance itself lies in the area of the abandoned settlement site of Rongdanggai Songacham / Songitcham (note 3) and adjacent to the well-trodden path to –>Diwa Chiring Chignap (also: Wakak Chiring 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: A pothole and sink at the side of and parallel to a nala (river valley). A 10 m climb down to collapse where a hole (0.5 by 1 m in size) leads to a first free climbable drop (4 m) and, 6 m further on, to an undescended 2nd drop (circa -8 m) to what looks like a level floor covered with rounded pebbles (Neil Sootinck 2003.02.20 personal communication). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (note 4): A generally 3 m wide and high entrance functions as a sink (insurgence) and gives access to a climb down to relatively small (?) shaft characterised by instable boulders. A free-climb down requires 30 m of rope (Herbert Jantschke 2005.02.26 Mss: Survey Book). CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (note 5): The entrance lies unfortunately in what wild bees established as a lane of approch to a hollow rock. The initial 10 m climb down leeds to a small chamber in loose boulders. Vertically 32 m below the entrance, dense boulder blockage (26the February 2005) thwarts further penetration (Jantschke 2005.04.17 Mss: Fahrtenbericht Meghalaya 2005; JANTSCHKE 2006: 156 after Christian W Fischer).A generally 3 m wide and high cave entrance gives access to a perennially plugged seasonal sinkhole (insurgence) and a hollow rock with a welcoming nest of bees (note 1). SITUATION: About 1 km on foot (note 2) approximately north-west from the village of Rongdangkai (Rongdanggai). The entrance itself lies in the area of the abandoned settlement site of Rongdanggai Songacham / Songitcham (note 3) and adjacent to the well-trodden path to –>Diwa Chiring Chignap (also: Wakak Chiring 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: A pothole and sink at the side of and parallel to a nala (river valley). A 10 m climb down to collapse where a hole (0.5 by 1 m in size) leads to a first free climbable drop (4 m) and, 6 m further on, to an undescended 2nd drop (circa -8 m) to what looks like a level floor covered with rounded pebbles (Neil Sootinck 2003.02.20 personal communication). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (note 4): A generally 3 m wide and high entrance functions as a sink (insurgence) and gives access to a climb down to relatively small (?) shaft characterised by instable boulders. A free-climb down requires 30 m of rope (Herbert Jantschke 2005.02.26 Mss: Survey Book). CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (note 5): The entrance lies unfortunately in what wild bees established as a lane of approch to a hollow rock. The initial 10 m climb down leeds to a small chamber in loose boulders. Vertically 32 m below the entrance, dense boulder blockage (26the February 2005) thwarts further penetration (Jantschke 2005.04.17 Mss: Fahrtenbericht Meghalaya 2005; JANTSCHKE 2006: 156 after Christian W Fischer).