RONGDANGGAI SONGACHAM RONGKOL

(Ranikor - IN)
25.211100,91.008600
Grottocenter / carte

Description

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).

Documents

Bibliography 06/01/2018

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2003.02.20: Rabina A. Marak guided Neil Sootinck to the sinkhole 'Wakak Chiring 1'. 2005.02.26: An unidentified Elvis AA (perhaps: Marak) guided Christine Jantschke, Herbert Jantschke, Christian W. Fischer and Thilo Müller to the sinkhole Rongdanggai Songitcham Rongkol (Jantschke, Herbert 2005.04.17 Mss: Fahrtenbericht Meghalaya 2005 published 2006: 156) where they 'survey' 39.20 m (Brooks, S J 2005.10.05 Mss) or 39.22 m (Jantschke, H 2005.04.17 Mss). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.2RONGDANGGAI RONGKOL
0.3TETENG NOKKIM
0.3DIWA CHIRING CHIGNAP
0.6MONDIL QUARRY KOL
0.6MONDIL KOL 2
0.6MONDIL KOL 3
0.6MONDIL KOL 4
0.6MONDIL KOL 1
0.7MORASORA RONGKOL