WAH SARANG, Nongkhlieh - Rya, 1a (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A true tunnel cave (through cave between insurgence and resurgence) called Krem Wah Sarang (note 1) penetrates a limestone spur and consists mainly of a single, linear, cobble-floored and seasonal stream cave passage (draining to south-southwest) and some minor side passages. A survey length of 218.4 m at a vertical range of 4.7 m was claimed to have been measured but the original -surveyors- failed to produce a cave plan. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi noun -ka sarang- is the rust and the adjective -sarang- means rusty (SINGH, N 1906: 183) but the noun -ka jarang- is a hole or chink where fish make their dwelling (SINGH, N 1906: 99). SITUATION: Somewhere at the head of a 2 m deep gully at the foot of a low cliff on the generally west-facing hill slopes above the eastern (orographically right) bank of the river Litang and approximately south of the village of Nongkhlieh (note 2).APPROACH (after Brooks, S J 2000.02.16 Mss: Krem Wah Sarang …): To reach the cave from the house and shacks forming ahamlet appelated by some as Litang (note 3), follow the road out of the village in an easterly direction for just 200 m. Before another group of houses are met, take a faint track to the right (north-east) into open countryside. Continue across this to an obvious shallow river valley (wooded). Cross the river on stepping stones and take the bankside path upstream (north). After 100 m a seasonal tributary enters on the right. This obvious gully (2 m deep) leads after 20 m to the cave. The two adjacent cave entrances lie at the head of a 2 m deep gully at the foot of a low cliff. POSITION: The mis-interpreted format (25°21'55”N: 92°33'69”E) of the originally recorded GPS position (25°21.55'N: 92°33.69'E) was modified to the format (25°21'33.3”N: 92°33'41.4”E) used in this cave directory. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000.02.16: The left entrance is a low bedding, the right one a small triangular hole (1 by 1 m) which leads under an arch to reach the entrance proper. It is possible to clmb over the arch to reach the same point. The entrance proper is 2 m square and is sand- and cobble-floored. The main cave passage maintains this dimension throughout. The cross-sections are either square (on average 2 by 2 m) or shaped like a keyhole (4 by 2 m) along the middle section (Brooks, S J 2000.02.16 Mss: Krem Wah Sarang …). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000.02.15: A short walk lead us across a sizeable stream to a pair of small flood resurgence entrances. These connected below a surface pot to form a circa 3 m wide by 4 m high, dry stream passage with many formations. We surveyed this attractive gallery for some 200 m upstream, below two more surface collapse entrances to a small, wet and grotty T-junction -- choked both ways. A 12 m side passage to another wet T-junction was also sketched on. It seems that one of the local lads knew of both entrances so had presumably been right through. A mould covered, dead heteropoda was photographed by Pete and Simon took some snaps of the main pasage. The cave cuts right through a limestone spur and the name means Rusty Water Cave (Jarratt 2000.02.15: Mss: Cave Log 2000: 15/2/00) CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: We survey one cave that ends up being about 300 m long. But what a stretch of 300 m! It is the first long cave I've been in, and I have this urge to keep going to find out what was just around the corner… one of the highlights is seeing a couple of large cave spiders. One of them is embalmed by some kind of white fungus, and manages to stick to the ceiling. One of us plucks it off and picks it up. It looked exactly like a rubber spider you might see being sold at Halloween. The scary part is, instead of being fake and looking real, it looks fake and is real (GARWOOD, K 2000: 3). CAVE CONTENTS: Sand and gravel on floor, mud and sand on ledges. A few secondary calcite deposits (speleothems) near the entrance and at roof height. CAVE POTENTIAL: According to Brooks (2000.02.16 Mss: Krem Wah Sarang … ), there are only limited possbilities for further extension. CAVE LIFE: Crickets (Orthoptera), spiders (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.), harvestmen (Opillionida). Jarratt (2000.02.15 Mss: Cave Log 2000: 15/2/00): A mould covered, dead heteropoda was photographed by Pete or Peter N. F. Dowswell.sage. The cave cuts right through a limestone spur and the name means Rusty Water Cave (Jarratt 2000.02.15: Mss: Cave Log 2000: 15/2/00) CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: We survey one cave that ends up being about 300 m long. But what a stretch of 300 m! It is the first long cave I've been in, and I have this urge to keep going to find out what was just around the corner… one of the highlights is seeing a couple of large cave spiders. One of them is embalmed by some kind of white fungus, and manages to stick to the ceiling. One of us plucks it off and picks it up. It looked exactly like a rubber spider you might see being sold at Halloween. The scary part is, instead of being fake and looking real, it looks fake and is real (GARWOOD, K 2000: 3). CAVE CONTENTS: Sand and gravel on floor, mud and sand on ledges. A few secondary calcite deposits (speleothems) near the entrance and at roof height. CAVE POTENTIAL: According to Brooks (2000.02.16 Mss: Krem Wah Sarang … ), there are only limited possbilities for further extension. CAVE LIFE: Crickets (Orthoptera), spiders (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.), harvestmen (Opillionida). Jarratt (2000.02.15 Mss: Cave Log 2000: 15/2/00): A mould covered, dead heteropoda was photographed by Pete or Peter N. F. Dowswell.