AA CAVE (Ludwig 2014)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.docA vegetation-clad (February 2014) closed depression or doline (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified characteristics) descends to an unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) leading to a 37 m deep 1.5 m x 5 m wide shaft which intersects 74 m of surveyed cave passage, which is horizontal and generally north-south aligned, on average 2.1 m wide and 5.85 high (anonymous, dated 2009.08.03 -krem-karo.text- survey data file). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what Peter Ludwig dubbed Karo Cave (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 2014.02.22 Karo Cave.doc) and was recorded as -------- anonymous Brooks, S J et al. (2014.04.05) Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit.ocx -------- anonymous (2014.04.05) Expedition Survey Log 2014 (8-3-2014).xls höhle im ort anonymous (2014 February dated 2009.08.03) -krem-karo.text- survey data file Karo Cave Arbenz, T (2014.04.29) Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx; Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc krem-karo anonymous (2014.02 dated 2009.08.03) -krem-karo.text- survey data file. SITUATION: In former mining area 1h ENE from Umlatdoh (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 2014.02.22 Karo Cave.doc). The GPS position (N25°12'28.9”: E092°17'54.0”: 734 m) recorded for Krem Karo (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc) indicates a spot which lies about 2.5 km in a direct line approximately northeast of Umlatdoh (N25°11'50”: E092°16'40”) and at the -khieh- or head of a tributary stream to the orographically right (west) bank of the Sehshympa (the upper reaches of the Prang River). ALTITUDE 2014.04.29: 734 m (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev [sic!] 2_2014.xlsx). ALTITUDE 2014.12.26: 739 m calc. 748 m (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Meghalaya cave record: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 2014.02.22 Karo Cave.doc). ALTITUDE 2014.12.29: 739 m calc. 748 m (Arbenz, T 2014.12.29 e-mail: Re: ML 2014 Karo-Höhle / AA Cave Ludwig 2014; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Meghalaya cave record: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 2014.02.22 Karo Cave.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: Rift and two shafts, deep (ongoing) needs diging (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.25: Doline with shaft. Heavily overgrown doline. The shaft is 1.5 m x 5 m. The shaft gets wider, following the fissure gap, as deeper it gets. At the bottom a second shaft leads down to a floor with boulders and mud, 12 m deep, undescnded (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2015.01.07: Interpreting the survey data along with the deficient records reduced by expeditious expedition cavers to a maximal minimum, it seems likely that the oblong-shaped and rift-guided entrance shaft, which is initially 1.5 m by 5 m wide but gets wider the deeper it descends. The entrance shaft intersects 38 m vertically down altogether 75 m of accessible horizontal cave passage (trending north-south). The 36 m long southern branch gives access to an apparently impenetrable collape of the cave passage and the likewise 36 m long northern branch leads to an impenenetrable constriction. Somewhere around at a certain -the bottom- is an undescended second shaft which seems to descend another 12 m down to what looks like a floor covered with boulders and mud (hdg 2015.01.08). TACKLE: 50 m rope, 3 slins, 1 deviation (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc). PROSPECTS 2014.04.29: One spot in the so-called Karo Cave needs diging [sic!] or, perhaps, digging but the preliminary speleotopographical process was not only relinquished but also declared ongoing (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). PROSPECTS 2014.12.25: Undescended 12 m pitch, possible to rig off natural belay or bolt (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 2014.02.22 Karo Cave.doc). CAVE LIFE: Arthropoda (Arachnida: Aranea) and Vertebrata (Mammalia: Chiroptera) interpreted as bats, spiders (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc; Arbenz, T 2014.12.30 Mss: Henry Rockliff, Peter Ludwig 22-02-2014 Karo Cave.doc).