KHONGDONG WAH

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An allochthonous, seasonal stream (no name known), which arrives from paddy fields (note 1), sinks into three consecutive, more or less abandoned insurgence entrances, and flows through a seasonally active, clean-washed tunnel cave passage to a resurgence on the orographically right (east) bank of the river Litiang River and just above the dry season's low water level. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for this very clean Spring Cave (note 2). Arbenz, T (2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah) introduced the field name -Riverbend Cave- and this had been clothed by Ba Addison -Adie, Addy, Eddi- Thabah (MAA: Meghalaya Adventurers' Association) in the Khasi words -Krem Kongdong Wah- but -khongdong- seems to be the better spelling (note 3). SITUATION: At base of karst where the Litang stream runs up against the east side of the valley. Look for very small spring dumping immediately into the Litang; entrance is concealed behind bush a few metrs above and to the right of the horizon (McKenzie 2007.02.20 Mss: Spring Cave). POSITIONS: N25°20'48.6”: E92°33'10.8” (WGS84 unidentified EPE, T. Arbenz, T 2008.02.05) Insurgence. N25°20'49.8”: E92°33'08.6” (WGS84 unidentified EPE, T. Arbenz, T 2008.02.07) Resurgence. N25°20'50.0”: E92°33'08.4” (WGS84 unidentified EPE except wishful ±15 m): 853 m asl (B. am Ende 2007.02.20 GPS Garmin Etrex Legend) Resurgence (note 4). APPROACH 1: From the Litang valley tea shop / dukan sha [N25°21'37”: E92°33'13” WGS84], take a footpath [south-west] towards Rubong. Where the path meets the Litang [note 5], follow the river upstream [generally south] to a bamboo bridge [without GPS position] near a concrete house [note 6]. Cross over. Follow the river upstream --find individual ways across or around several ditches and seasonal inlets-- until you reach the about 50 m high cliff on the Northern tip of a spur which is part of the Nongklieh Ridge. There is a ford and a resurgence. About 3 above the resurgence, to the right [south-west] is the cave entrance (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah). APPROACH 2: From the Litang valley dukan sha (tea shop N25°21'37”: E92°33'13” WGS84: 855 m asl, Arbenz, T 2006), take a footpath SW towards Rubong. Where the path meets the Litang (N25°21'17.5”: E92°33'06.0”), follow the river upstream (generally south) to a bamboo bridge (N25°21'17.9”: E92°33'9.6”) with a concrete -bridge house- on the far side. Cross over. Follow the river upstream --find individual ways across or around several ditches and seasonal inlets-- until you reach an about 50 m high cliff at the tip of Lum Syrnum [sic! Lum Syrnun?]. There is a ford and a resurgence. The cave entrance lies about 3 m above the resurgence and, facing the cliff, on the right-hand side (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 38, between Knee-Wrecker Pot 5 and Krem Kor). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007: A very clean Spring Cave without mud or debris consists of a so-called phreatic(note 8) but actually vadose tube running beneath a karst spur and drainging paddies on the far side. The single passage phreatic tube of consistent size (1.5 to 2 m high, 1.5 m wide); turns several right-angle turns, emerging at base of grikes (several sink sites observed) on far side of karst spur (McKenzie 2007.02.20 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008.1: The almost horizontal, vadose cave drains … water from the Syrnum spur and paddy fields at eastern flank of the ridge. [Upon travelling the cave upstream, the] Entrance (as surveyed) is resurgence in high water condition, exit is sink at the edge of ridge and paddy fields. Choked upstream from sink, water flowing out of Ridge base. Average passage size 1 m by 1.5 m. Length 126 m. Average direction 120° (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah) in the case of looking upstream but orographically / downstream 300 degree (south by south-west). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008.2: The clean washed, vadose tube (about a metre in diameter) arrives from n overall cave direction of 120° gradually getting higher and wider. Intersected by narrow rift passages (standing man sized, getting too narrow), it reaches the joint controlled main part of the cave, which leads into narrow canals with ke [sic!] deep water. The cave follows the main water flow to the last canal, which is intersected by two small openings, only circa 4 m under the surface. A short distance further on, a sink is reached, where one can easily climb out whilst initially low stream passage continues unexplored (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 39, alphabetically between Knee-Wrecker Pot 5 and Krem Kor). CAVE CONTENTS: Eroded stalctites [speleothems] at some places. One frangment (2 m by 25 cm by 5 cm) of calcited coal found [note 9]. Water (flowing), soild and sand (minimal), flood debris (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah). SPELEOMETRY: The 2008.02.07 survey data file -Kongdong Wah_01- results in a total survey length of 114.45 m at a vertical range of 1.84(-0.00 / + 1.84) m. Both M.W. Brown et al. (2008 Mss: Survey Summary) and Arbenz, T (2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 38) claim a survey length of 126.31 m but this includes an 11.86 m long surface survey leg. CAVE POTENTIAL: McKenzie (2007.02.20 Mss: Spring Cave) noticed no leads and Arbenz, T (2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah) reckons there are only minimal chances to find continuation uprteam from -Field Sink“ [entrance].CAVE LIFE: McKenzie (2007.02.20 Mss) saw one large spider (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.) whilst Arbenz, T (2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah) noticed, apart from faeces of small mammals and bat guano, comparatively small (without comparison for scale) bat roosts (Chiroptera) in roof or, perhaps, on the cave passage's ceiling, in addition to undescribable and relatively big and small spiders (Arachnida: Araneae), crickets (Orthoptera) and shrimps (Crustacea).n overall cave direction of 120° gradually getting higher and wider. Intersected by narrow rift passages (standing man sized, getting too narrow), it reaches the joint controlled main part of the cave, which leads into narrow canals with ke [sic!] deep water. The cave follows the main water flow to the last canal, which is intersected by two small openings, only circa 4 m under the surface. A short distance further on, a sink is reached, where one can easily climb out whilst initially low stream passage continues unexplored (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 39, alphabetically between Knee-Wrecker Pot 5 and Krem Kor). CAVE CONTENTS: Eroded stalctites [speleothems] at some places. One frangment (2 m by 25 cm by 5 cm) of calcited coal found [note 9]. Water (flowing), soild and sand (minimal), flood debris (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah). SPELEOMETRY: The 2008.02.07 survey data file -Kongdong Wah_01- results in a total survey length of 114.45 m at a vertical range of 1.84n overall cave direction of 120° gradually getting higher and wider. Intersected by narrow rift passages (standing man sized, getting too narrow), it reaches the joint controlled main part of the cave, which leads into narrow canals with ke [sic!] deep water. The cave follows the main water flow to the last canal, which is intersected by two small openings, only circa 4 m under the surface. A short distance further on, a sink is reached, where one can easily climb out whilst initially low stream passage continues unexplored (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 39, alphabetically between Knee-Wrecker Pot 5 and Krem Kor). CAVE CONTENTS: Eroded stalctites [speleothems] at some places. One frangment (2 m by 25 cm by 5 cm) of calcited coal found [note 9]. Water (flowing), soild and sand (minimal), flood debris (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah). SPELEOMETRY: The 2008.02.07 survey data file -Kongdong Wah_01- results in a total survey length of 114.45 m at a vertical range of 1.84n overall cave direction of 120° gradually getting higher and wider. Intersected by narrow rift passages (standing man sized, getting too narrow), it reaches the joint controlled main part of the cave, which leads into narrow canals with ke [sic!] deep water. The cave follows the main water flow to the last canal, which is intersected by two small openings, only circa 4 m under the surface. A short distance further on, a sink is reached, where one can easily climb out whilst initially low stream passage continues unexplored (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 39, alphabetically between Knee-Wrecker Pot 5 and Krem Kor). CAVE CONTENTS: Eroded stalctites [speleothems] at some places. One frangment (2 m by 25 cm by 5 cm) of calcited coal found [note 9]. Water (flowing), soild and sand (minimal), flood debris (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah). SPELEOMETRY: The 2008.02.07 survey data file -Kongdong Wah_01- results in a total survey length of 114.45 m at a vertical range of 1.84n overall cave direction of 120° gradually getting higher and wider. Intersected by narrow rift passages (standing man sized, getting too narrow), it reaches the joint controlled main part of the cave, which leads into narrow canals with ke [sic!] deep water. The cave follows the main water flow to the last canal, which is intersected by two small openings, only circa 4 m under the surface. A short distance further on, a sink is reached, where one can easily climb out whilst initially low stream passage continues unexplored (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 39, alphabetically between Knee-Wrecker Pot 5 and Krem Kor). CAVE CONTENTS: Eroded stalctites [speleothems] at some places. One frangment (2 m by 25 cm by 5 cm) of calcited coal found [note 9]. Water (flowing), soild and sand (minimal), flood debris (Arbenz, T 2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah). SPELEOMETRY: The 2008.02.07 survey data file -Kongdong Wah_01- results in a total survey length of 114.45 m at a vertical range of 1.84(-0.00 / + 1.84) m. Both M.W. Brown et al. (2008 Mss: Survey Summary) and Arbenz, T (2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 38) claim a survey length of 126.31 m but this includes an 11.86 m long surface survey leg. CAVE POTENTIAL: McKenzie (2007.02.20 Mss: Spring Cave) noticed no leads and Arbenz, T (2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah) reckons there are only minimal chances to find continuation uprteam from -Field Sink“ [entrance].CAVE LIFE: McKenzie (2007.02.20 Mss) saw one large spider (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.) whilst Arbenz, T (2008.02.07 Mss: Krem Kongdong Wah) noticed, apart from faeces of small mammals and bat guano, comparatively small (without comparison for scale) bat roosts (Chiroptera) in roof or, perhaps, on the cave passage's ceiling, in addition to undescribable and relatively big and small spiders (Arachnida: Araneae), crickets (Orthoptera) and shrimps (Crustacea).