UM SOHTUNG (Brown 2000) (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 03/07/2016

A seasonally active and definitely not a »perennial stream cave« (Brown 2000.02.14 Mss: Krem Umsohtung 2) consists of a seasonal sink and pothole cave in the face of which the original "surveyors" claimed (humbug!) a survey length of 67.2 m at a depth 37.1 m (Brooks 2000.05.29 Mss; Jarratt 2000.03.15 Mss) but failed to produce the slightest trace of a cave plan or section. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi "um" is water or juice, "soh" is a fruit, and "tung" appears to stand for "ka 'tung", the short form (SINGH, N 1906: 236) of the noun "ka ktung" which designates either to »the vetch« (a kind of Leguminosa: Vicia spp.) or to »a small preserved fish« (SINGH, N 1906: 50). SITUATION: The a more pinnacled than fluted pothole cave entrance opens in a gully, the Umsohtung or Um Soh Ktung, which lies immediately below and east of the church at Lelad (Lailad, Lelat) village. The cave entrance is geologically situated just below the edge of the caprock (Kopili Shales) and in the underlying Miocene Kopili Limestone which transgresses deeper down into Eocene Umlatdoh and Lakadong Limestone. POSITIONS: Three very different positions, up to 250 m on a bearing of 033°/213° apart from each other, were recorded. N25°18'37”: E092°29'45” (±115 m, WGS84): 1080 m (Gebauer 1999.03.29, 11:32:30, wobbly 4-channel GPS), N25°18'31”: E092°29'39” (unidentified precision error, WGS84, M.W. Brown 2000.02.14, GPS Garmin 12). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1 (Brown 2000.02.14 Mss: Krem Umsohtung 2): »Pitch beyond squeeze enters chamber with a second pitch following (undescended) traverse above squeeze cooks out over chamber.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Brooks 2000.05.29 Mss): »A muddy hole at the very back of the gully takes water but is not penetrable. At least two other holes (both about 0.8 m wide 0.5 m high) give access to a pleasant rift passage (1.5 m wide, 4 m high) pleasantly adorned with flowstone that runs gently downhill for 10 m approximately to reach an apparent complete flowstone blockage. However, at the base of the blockage a small hole (the Wet Squeeze, 0.5 m wide, 0.3 m low) gives access to a short (3 m) walking sized passage and a balcony overlooking a chamber / aven (6 m in diameter, 11 m high). A pitch (-3 m, named Welly Pot by Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt, 2000.02.14) lands on the floor of a chamber. To the east side of this chamber is an impenetrable rift that would appear to take water during the wet season. The way on lies across the chamber to the north-east (050°) where a short, clean-washed rift passage (1 m wide and 4 m high) opens to the head of the second pitch. A 9 m deep pitch (at an angle of -55°) reaches a pool (1.5 m in diameter) on a clean-washed balcony overlooking a third pitch formed in a clean-washed circular pot (-15 m deep, 6 m in diameter) which descends to the base where the water appears to exit via a narrow rift on the far (eastern) side. This would appear to be the physical end of the cave but this final pot, due to lacking tackle, was only measured but not descended.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Jarratt 2000.02.14 Mss: Cave Log 2000: 14/2/00): »Nice phreatic passage but no draught below the first pitch and unpleasantly warm and airless. While we were in the depths the locals took great delight in bashing flowstone formations [speleothems] with rocks. Not the best of days.« PROSPECTS: Brooks (2000.05.29 Mss): »Likely to close down but worth a close look.« Jarratt (2000.03.15 Mss): »Traverse above crawl to above 1st pitch possible.« CAVE CLIMATE: At an unspecified hour of the day, Brown (2000.02.14 Mss: Krem Umsohtung 2) noticed »no draught, poor air« (compare: Krem –>Um Sohtung Brown 2006). CAVE LIFE: Brown (2000.02.14 Mss: Krem Umsohtung 2) noticed »spiders« (or so).