MINGSINGKOL
25.200000,90.783300
Description
»The cave in the Rongra river valley, known locally as Mingsingkol [note 1] … was found to consist of an old abandoned river passage and several side passages …« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 19) and was understood to represent »a resurgence cave« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 49) or a »small resurgence cave« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 50). This is not the case as there is neither an insurgence (sink) nor an exsurgence (spring, rising) known to it --merely a spring rising from boulders in front of the cave entrance. Compare the –>Gnigipa Tsangsim Chiwarikol and –>Chongipa Tsangsim Sagakol (Skanggipa Tsangsim Chiwarikol) in the Mahadeo valley, of which one is possibly the same. ETYMOLOGY: According to BROOKS & SMART (1995: 50), the cave »… takes its name from a Mr. Mingsing, the first person to explore the cave.« So far, I saw the cave spelled Mingsing Kol BROOKS & SMART (1995: 49), Mingsingkol BROOKS & SMART (1995: 19), and Minsingkol BROOKS & SMART (1995: 22). SITUATION: According to BROOKS & SMART (1995: 49), »… the use of [sic! qua: getting the route shown by] a local guide is essential in finding this cave« though a guide may be even more essential even before finding this cave. The way to entrance is explained, unfortunately without essential details, to lie »… in the Rongra river valley between 6 and 7 km to the west of Mahadeo river [note 2]. It [either the cave or the river] is best approached by a path leading off the path that connects the Forester's Office (Hatisia Beat, Mahadeo Range), to the Jawarlahal Nehru Helipad. At a point approximately 4 km from the Forester's Offcice, adjacent to a small [anonymous?] village on the left (west), a smaller track plunges down through the forest, crossing the Kanai River valley) near to the Kanai River Resurgence) and then contours around the hill side passing a small stream that resurges into a pool known locally as Rong Rhum [note 3]. The cave is situated at the head of a small [anonymous?] river valley about 2 km beyond this point« (note 4). CAVE DESCRIPTION (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 50, sketch plan opposite page 49): »At the … entrance is a boulder pile. From the top of this, a climb down leads left [without direction] to a small sump, and right [without direction] into a stream which is followed for about 25 to 30 m to a rift climb up. This leads into a well decorated [medals or speleothems] phreatic 8 by 8 m passage [more likely: a relic passage of phreatic origin]. From this point, three passages lead off. Left continues as large well decorated passage for about 120 m, running almost level until dipping down and terminating in a large black and muddy static sump. There is a high level series parallel to this, which has not been surveyed or pushed to conclusion. Right leads to a series of rifts that cane be followed for 80 m to a T-junction. Left leads to a small chamber (Bat Chamber), with a pool in the floor, (possibly a sump). Right leads to a tortuous series of phreatic tubes [more likely: relic tubes of phreatic origin] with some considerable calcite infill that can be followed for 120 m before ending in [sic! for: leading to] a muddy chamber and a too tight rift.« CAVE POTENTIAL: According to BROOKS & SMART (1995: 50), only a part of the cave is explored as there remains sort of a »high level series« that was neither »surveyed« nor »pushed to conclusion.« Although »… there is [are?] likely to be other similar caves in the locality« some people are happy to state that there is »little possibility for further extension.« The crude sketch plan (in: BROOKS & SMART 1995) shows not only four question marks (continuations) but also about one third of the cave consisting of a disputable »Rob's Grade One Bit« which obviously has not been properly mapped as it was beyond the attention span of those entering the cave, and probably has been looked at only superficially. CAVE LIFE: Since visiting sports cavers identified, on 23rd February 1994, in Mingsing Kol, Mingsingkol or Minsingkol a »Bat Chamber« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 50), either the presence of bats (Chiroptera) or of implements for striking a ball in cricket, baseball, etc., seems to be likely.
NOTE 1: Contrary to the correlation »… the Rongra river valley, known locally as Mingsingkol« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 19), it is probably not the valley but the cave, which is called something along the lines of »Mingsingkol« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 19), »Minsingkol« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 22) or »Mingsing Kol« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 49). NOTE 2: The circumstance remain too unclear to know whether it is the cave or the river that lies »between 6 and 7 km to the west« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 49) from somewhere in the Mahadeo valley. NOTE 3: It is hard to understand what Smart, Boycott, and the two Harpers (in: BROOKS & SMART 1995: 49) were told when they recorded »Rong Rhum« (or so). According to BROOKS & SMART 1995: 50), »the nearby pool known as Rong Rhum is reputed good for fishing.«NOTE 4: It remains unknowable if this »point« of Boycott, Antony 'Tony', the two Harpers and Smart (in: BROOKS & SMART 1995: 49) means the pool or the »small river valley« without identified name. NOTE 5: Needless to say it was, of course, not the "survey" which yielded »507 metres of cave passage« but the cave passages, which yielded »a total of 507 metres« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 19).
Documents
Bibliography 25/04/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1994.02.23: Christopher M. "Chris, the Blitz" Smart (book), Boycott, Antony 'Tony', Helen and Rob Harper »explored Minsingkol [sic!] in Rongra river valley« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 22) and "surveyed" (sports caver standards) roughly 507 m of accumulated tape lengths to a degree yielding not only a "survey" (total sum of survey leg lengths) but also a survey (crude sketch plan). BROOKS & SMART (1995: 19) narrate that »… the cave in the Rongra river valley, known locally as Mingsingkol [sic!] was visited … explored, photographed and surveyed to yield a total of 507 metres of cave passage« (note 2).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 | DOBHAKOL, Rongra | ||
| 5.4 | PENDA CAVE | ||
| 6.2 | PENDA POT 1 | ||
| 6.2 | PENDA POT 2 (aa -) | ||
| 6.2 | PENDA POT 3 (aa -) | ||
| 6.3 | ARANG PATAL | ||
| 7.0 | KANAI CAVE | ||
| 7.0 | KANAI RESURGENCE | ||
| 7.0 | KANAI SINK |