CHURCHILL CAVE, 1st (aa -)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave entrance without specified shape characteristics or unmistakable peculiarities represents a pothole (Winkler 2009.02.27 Mss). This is about 5 m wide (Winkler 2009.02.27 Mss) or 10 m wide (Chapman 2001.02.09 Mss) and drops surveyed 30 m (Winkler 2009.02.27 Mss) or 31 m (Chapman 2001.02.09 Mss) down into a dry horizontal passage at the bottom (Winkler 2009.02.27 Mss), which once had been considered to represent a a case of downstream development both active and … abandoned (note 1). ETYMOLOGY: No original (locally known) cave name has been identified for what Chapman (2001.02.09 Mss: Churchill One) decided to nickname Churchill Cave (note 2) in honour of the part-time tourist guide Ba Churchill Sukhlain, a resident of Tongseng village. SITUATION: On the western flank of the Shnongrim - Tangnub Ridge. According to Chapman (2001.02.09 Mss: Churchill One), the entrance to this cave lies at an unspecified distance west of kilometer stone 20 (without GPS position) and before the turnig (without GPS position) to Tongseng village (N25°19'28-: E092°30'05” WGS84). APPROACH (modified after Winkler 2009.02.27 Mss): The entrance to this cave is best reached from the Tongseng T-junction (WGS84 N2519'49”: E92°19'47”) on the Sutnga - Nongkhlieh road by walking a short distance towards Sutnga (south-west) and by leaving the black-topped road between the first two little streambeds (gullies without GPS positions, possibly with culverts) in an easterly direction and downhill, initially across open grass land and the final 50 m on a path through the jungle.CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: Winkler (2009.02.27 Mss): From the entrance without specified shape, dimensions and characteristics, a 5 m diameter pitch descends 30 m to a low, horizontal cave passage. From the base some 10 m to the left-hand side (without orientation) is a speleothem decorated aven (15 m high) and 10 m to the right-hand side (again without direction) a crawl leading to a little chamber with three ways on. Onthe left-hand side (without orientation) a wide, 100 m long passage gets lower and lower till it closes down. Somewhere (perhaps at the three-ways-junction straight ahead), a hands & knees crawl leads to the deepest part of the cave and a perennial stream passage (generally 1 m wide and 2 m high) which, after about 50 m, turns into a canyon-like cave passage. Here, an estimated 15 m deep pitch remained unexplored. At the three-ways-junction on the right-hand side (as usual without orientation) is the most obvious way on, about 6 m wide and ranging between 2 and 5 m in height. Here, an unspecified climb (perhaps up, possibly down) across nice flowstone leads to a cave passage, which is characterised by many boulders and a canyon at its base, and leads after about 80 m to the head of an impressive 10 m diameter pitch, which is an estimated 80 m deep. According to Brooks, S J et al. (2009 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Tuesday 24th February), some 300 m of surveyed main passage ends at (sic! qua: ives access to) a great 8 m diameter pit with a good draught (air current). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2001 (Chapman 2001.02.09 Mss: Churchill One): Pothole, 10 m diameter, 31 m deep, with 0.5 m low and 6.5 m wide passage leading downstream from base. Aven to left is approximately 20 m high and well decorated with calcite flows (speleothems). Ahead, a relic passage (6 m wide, 2 m high, abandoned by flowing water) leads to perennial inlet, which sinks at what appears to be an unexplored shaft in floor. Second side passage rises +2 m but diminishes from 5 m wide and 2.5 m high to 2 m wide and 0.3 m high. CAVE CONTENTS: Winkler (2009.02.27 Mss) lists different sediments (black guano?, mud gravel) in addition to many secondary calcite deposits (speleothems). SPELEOMETRY 2001: 302.20 m survey length. SPELEOMETRY 2009: 307.49 m survey length (Arbenz, T 2009.06.01 Mss: total 2009.xls). TACKLE: Winkler (2009.02.27 Mss) draws attention to a tree and a -stone-nose- allowing to rig without bolts and suggets to bring 45 m rope, a sling and a crab (car[a]bine) to start with.Chapman (2001.02.09 Mss: Churchill One) suggested to start with bringing 40 m rope to good natural belays. CAVE POTENTIAL: According to Winkler (2009.02.27 Mss), the two described pitches are good leads for further exploration. Brooks, S J et al. (2009 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Tuesday 24th February) confirm that Churchill Cave … is a good lead for next year's … February 2010 excursion. Already Chapman (2001.02.09 Mss: Churchill One) had been surprised by a shaft in the floor (sic!), which he had left unexplored. CAVE CLIMATE: Chapman (2001.02.09 Mss) refrained from distinguishing meteorological aspects from cave potential but reported a good draught (air current) from shafts where a stream sinks in wet conditions, and noticed cloud visible in first chamber. CAVE LIFE: In February 2001 Chapman (2001.02.09 Mss) noticed numerous large crickets (Orthoptera), millipeds (Diplopoda), too many Heteropoda spiders (Arachnida: Arnea: Sparassida: conf. Heteropodina), and two small mammal skeletons -- possibly something like unreadable lootvos or cootros or so. In February 2009 Winkler (2009.02.27 Mss) noticed the common spiders in addition to a black or dark coloured cave sediment which possibly represents a kind of guano.nea: Sparassida: conf. Heteropodina), and two small mammal skeletons -- possibly something like unreadable lootvos or cootros or so. In February 2009 Winkler (2009.02.27 Mss) noticed the common spiders in addition to a black or dark coloured cave sediment which possibly represents a kind of guano.