EXHAUST CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A relatively large (note 1) cave entrance (an estimated 5 m wide and 3 m high), which was interpreted as a relic sink (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243), faces an unidentified direction and gives access to a cave passage which descends sharply down to intersect the locally accessible segment of a backup zone in a more or less horizontal, perennially active stream cave passage that was characterised in February 2010 by a gravitation warping both upstream and downstream flow (Densham, C 2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust local name not known). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known cae name has been identified for what was dubbed Krem Exhaust (Densham, C 2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust) and nicknamed Exhaust Cave (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243) because outsiders (note 2), who were too exhausted (note 3) to learn what actually is the case, still were capable of noticing that the motorised vehicle, which took the surveying team to Samasi, lost it's exhaust pipe near the cave [entrance]. While the drver fiixed it, the team explored the cave (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243). SITUATION: Inexplicable. The entrance to this cave was understood to lie in identified spatial relations to any landmarks or known cave entrances in the close vicinity (Densham, C 2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust). APPROACH 2010: Beyond the description power of Christopher -Chris- Densham (2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust) who forwarded a raw sketch (without scale, without north arrow) showing a selection of under- and over-laying double lines marked track off at right angles from a winding line marked road leading from an unspecified starting point to [deleted] Samasi or towards Samasi, four squares along with the word mines, a curved broken line parallel to a curved track double line, the underlined word outcrops and, squeezed into the top right corner, the words doline and cave next to a tilted triangle. APPROACH 2011: From Umkyrpong village take the (4WD) road via Moriap to Samasi. 150 m after the Lakasain junction (in dirction Samasi) is a track, leading to the east towards a mining camp and an outcrop of the Kdong Samasi spur. The track crosses the camp and ends at the cave entrance in a depression at the cliff (Arbenz, T 2010.10.20 Mss Imogen Furlong 17thFeb.2010 Exhaust Cave 17.2.2010). POSITION: The interesting GPS position 25°25M40-9S: 92°-32M-37•3S (Densham, C 2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust), which has been recorded for the entrance to the Exhaust Cave, indicates a spot that lies about 5 km along the road and 3.15 km in a direct line north of the I.B. at the southern corner of the village of Samasi (N25°24'01”: E092°32'57”: 867 m asl WGS84, Arbenz, T 2010.03.31 cave distribution map: Pala_Ridge_4-10.pdf). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010a: A relatively large cave entrance [an estimated 5 m wide and 3 m high] … leads sharply down a slope to a stream very muddy walls [indicate that the accessible segment of this cave is a backup zone]. [The] upstream [branch] leads [in an unidentified direction but relatvely] quickly [within an unidentified distance] to a sump. [The corresponding] downstream [branch of the same stream cave passage] goes [in an unidentified direction] in [a relatively] large passage [3 m wide 5 m high through [a relatively] low section [with unidentified dimensions] to a [relatively] low duck [with unidentified dimensions] (Densham, C 2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010b: A cave entrance gives access to a cave passage leading to a downstream low duck (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 17th February). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: Relict sink into active stream passage. The entrance leads down over a few steps to a equally down-sloping shoulder and riverbank covered with gravel. The passage is of roughly 3 m wide by 2 m high dimensions with very muddy walls. A river flows from SSW to N. Upstream (SSW) it goes into a short boulder passage and splits into two branches, both of which sump. Downstream (N) the river opens into a lake of 5 m, the chamber is 2 m high. To the North the river vanishes in a narrow and low duck with minimal chances (Arbenz, T 2010.10.20 Mss Imogen Furlong 17thFeb.2010 Exhaust Cave 17.2.2010). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: Relic sink into [an] active stream [cave] passage. The [cave] entrance leads down over a few steps to a [sic! qua: an] equally down-sloping shoulder and riverbank covered with gravel. The passage is of roughly 3 m wide by 2 m high dimensions with very muddy walls. A river flows from SSW to N. Upstream (SSW) it goes into a short boulder passage and splits into two branches, both of which sump. Downstream (N) the river opens into a lake of ø 5 m, the chamber is 2 m. To the North the river vanishes in a narrow and low duck with minimal chances (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243). PROSPECTS: In the face of the low duck encountered in the downstream branch, Roman Hapka, Imogen -Imo- Furlong and Christopher -Chris- Densham (2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust) had minimal chances. SPELEOMETRY: 90 m 10m Densham, C (2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust) 90 m 10 m Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala Positions.xls) none none Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 89 m ±17 m ARBENZ, T (2012: 243).5 m, the chamber is 2 m high. To the North the river vanishes in a narrow and low duck with minimal chances (Arbenz, T 2010.10.20 Mss Imogen Furlong 17thFeb.2010 Exhaust Cave 17.2.2010). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: Relic sink into [an] active stream [cave] passage. The [cave] entrance leads down over a few steps to a [sic! qua: an] equally down-sloping shoulder and riverbank covered with gravel. The passage is of roughly 3 m wide by 2 m high dimensions with very muddy walls. A river flows from SSW to N. Upstream (SSW) it goes into a short boulder passage and splits into two branches, both of which sump. Downstream (N) the river opens into a lake of ø 5 m, the chamber is 2 m. To the North the river vanishes in a narrow and low duck with minimal chances (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243). PROSPECTS: In the face of the low duck encountered in the downstream branch, Roman Hapka, Imogen -Imo- Furlong and Christopher -Chris- Densham (2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust) had minimal chances. SPELEOMETRY: 90 m 10m Densham, C (2010.02.16 Mss: Krem Exhaust) 90 m 10 m Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala Positions.xls) none none Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 89 m ±17 m ARBENZ, T (2012: 243).