MOONRISE CAVE, 1st

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An about 1 by 1.5 m large cave entrance under boulders or under big boulders (Hardy 2009.02.19 Mss: MG1) or, without identified entrance dimensions in boulders (Brown 2006.02.13 Mss: Moonrise Cave), which lies in a gully (Hardy) or at end of streambed (Brown), is distinguished by another, smaller shaft, approximately 3 m deep, to the left (Hardy) or by 10 m to North leads into depression (Brown).Brown (2006.02.13 Mss: Moonrise Cave) adds little but confusion with explaining to have found the streambed dry but, on the other hand, contradicts himself with declaring the obviously seasonal stream to flow only during rains in a perennial streambed (sic!). ETYMOLOGY: Nobody bothered to identify the autochthonous, locally known and communicable name of the seasonal stream and it's sinkhole which, instead, was nicknamed (note 1) not only Moonrise Cave (Brown 2006.02.13 Mss) or, alienated, Cave Mih Bhnai (Brown 2006.02.13 Mss) but also MG1 (Hardy 2009.02.19) and Lelad Church Cave-1 (note 2).SITUATION: Brown (2006.02.13 Mss), literally quoted: Closed depression to SW of Lelad. N 25°18'18.3” E 092°29'36.” is jcn. in path. [deleted: turn] Take W. branch downhill to GPS point given. 10 m to North leads into depression. Entrance at end of streambed in boulders. According to the recorded GPS positions, the cave entrance to Moorise Cave lies on the western side of the Shnongrim Ridge and about 540 m in a direct line approximately south-west from the main door of the church (N25°18'37”: E092°29'43”) at the village of Lelad. POSITION 1: WGS84 N25°18'21.3”: E092°29'32.1” (±3.7 m): 1080 m asl (M.W. Brown 2006.02.10, Garmin 12). POSITION 2: WGS84 N25°18'20.9”: E092°29'32.4” (±9 m): 1078 m asl (J. Hardy 2009.02.19, Garmin Etrex) or about 15.0 m (±12.7 m) approximately SSE from from Position 1.APPROACH 1: According to Mark W. Brown (2006.02.13 Mss: Moonrise Cave), one is thrown upon going somehow downhill to GPS point given. APPROACH 2: Joanne Hardy (2009.02.19 Mss: MG) directs one to walk down back from Lelad Church southwards towards … [the village ofTangnub?]. Go to the 2nd gully (directly after Krem –>Niakrong) approximately 40 m until the two streambeds converge and continue. The entrance is an approximately 10 m shaft under big boulders. There is another, smaller shaft, approximately 3 m deep, to the left [without orientation: possibly south] of it. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1 (Brown 2006.02.13 Mss):Entrance at end of streambed in boulders. Stream (dry) sinks into boulders and [an estimated] 20+m shaft drops below. 13 m pitch into chamber, 7 m to head of pitch opening to 70 m deep shaft. Three rebelays on big shaft. Ends in boulder choke floor, no way through. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Brown, Mark W. et al. 2006) noticed … an entrance pitch and then a 70 m pitch … bottom choked with boulders. No way on could be found despite a strong draft (no drawing style mentioned). CAVE CLIMATE: At an unspecified hour of the day, Brown (2006.02.13 Mss) observed on 10th r 13th February 2006 an outward air current and recorded warm, moist air draughting out today. ANONYMOUS (Brown, Mark W. et al. 2006) confirms that M.W. Brown noticed that Krem Umsohtung was found [10th February 2006] to have a strong outward moist warm draught, as did Moonrise cave (Krem Mihbnai). By Monday 13th February (2006.02.13), however, the draught is said to have metamorphosed into a strong draft (ANONYMOUS Brown, Mark W. et al. 2006, edited by Nick Harding, Bristol Exploration Club). CAVE LIFE: Brown (2006.02.13 Mss) recorded millipeds (Myriapoda: Diplopoda).r 13th February 2006 an outward air current and recorded warm, moist air draughting out today. ANONYMOUS (Brown, Mark W. et al. 2006) confirms that M.W. Brown noticed that Krem Umsohtung was found [10th February 2006] to have a strong outward moist warm draught, as did Moonrise cave (Krem Mihbnai). By Monday 13th February (2006.02.13), however, the draught is said to have metamorphosed into a strong draft (ANONYMOUS Brown, Mark W. et al. 2006, edited by Nick Harding, Bristol Exploration Club). CAVE LIFE: Brown (2006.02.13 Mss) recorded millipeds (Myriapoda: Diplopoda).