GOLDEN CAVE, Wah Sapoh (aa -)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A triangular cave entrance without identified size or orientation leads to a somewhat instable 5 m climb down into a chamber (on average 4 to 6 m high and about 40 m in diameter), which is characterised by angular boulders and slabs of stone covered with speleothems. In addition to a couple of collapse crawl passages, there is a high level passage with a 6.5 m high aven where daylight can be seen entering a pentangular, head-sized hole. According to Arbenz, T (2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh), the cave was found dry (February 2009) but sand and gravel deposits indicate that some water does flow in times of rainfall (no flooding). IDENTITY: Compare the caves on the –>Wah Sapoh and the caves in the –>Gibbon Doline / Ape Doline / Tngaw Doline), especially Krem –>Wah Sapoh 4 (Jantschke), where a gap between dislocated boulders allowed to peep estimated 10 m down to a boulder covered floor. IDENTITY 1 = Gibbon Doline Cave 4. According to Arbenz, T (2009.03.29 Mss: Re Bakteria, Tngaw & WahSapoh): Krem Baiongkleh [ist die] Höhle Nummer 4 innerhalb der Doline (Krem Baiongkhle is the fourth cave inside the –>Gibbon Doline). IDENTITY 2 = Krem Wah Sapoh 4 (Rockcliff 2009). According to Thomas Arbenz (undated amendment to Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Monday 9th February), Krem Baiongkhleh is the same cave that Henry, Brian, Hugh, Karma, Pankaj and Roshan believed to be Krem Wah Sapoh 4 on their trip on Saturday 7th. ETYMOLOGY: No locally known name has been identified for this cave entrance, which Arbenz, T (2009.03.15 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh) decided to nickname Golden Cave after what looked mats of bacteria, which cover parts of the cave ceiling, and reflect the light of LED-torches golden and silvery shining (note 1). Attempting to khasify the private name -Golden Cave-, Thomas Arbenz and Brian D. Kharpran Daly created the giddy cave name -Krem Baiongkhleh- or Headache Cave (note 2) as the Khasi verb -baiong- means to be giddy, to be attacked by headache SINGH, N 1906: 7) while the adverb -khleh- means mixed (SINGH, N 1906: 32) but probably stands for a corruption of -ka khlieh- or the head, the top (SINGH, N 1906: 33). Instead of modifying the murdered translation of the English -Golden Cave- into the aimed for Khasi -Krem Ksiar-, Arbenz, T (2009.03.21 Mss) suggested to preserve the inadvertently created -Krem Baiongkhleh- and to take Headache Cave for good (Arbenz, T 2009.03.21 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh = Headache Cave). SITUATION: In the south-western corner of the –>Gibbon Doline called Tngaw Doline (Arbenz, T undated amendment to Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Monday 9th February). The GPS position (note 3) recorded for the entrance to this Golden Cave indicates a spot which lies at a linear distance of 72.5 m approximately north-northwest (71.1 m north, –14 m east) from the GPS position recorded for the cave entrance to Krem –>Wah Sapoh 4 but vertically 67 m lower down. APPROACH 2009b (after Arbenz, T 2009.03.15 Mss Krem Baiongkhleh): From the village of Tangnub (church WGS84 N25°18'07”: E92°30'06”: 1145 m asl), follow the ridge road south-east towards what some insiders call the South Col but leave the road near N25°17'52.4”: E92°30'00.3” (WGS84) and head down 200 m due south. Alternatively, a dry streambed / ravine can be followed to the edge of the aimed for doline. Near N25°17'46.4”: E92°30'03.7’’ look out for unspecified station marks (?) and the beginning of a footpath down into the doline. The path gets into the streambed / ravine, which forms a natural staircase down to the first level of the doline. Following the canyon down through a 20 m long archway, the 2nd level is reached. By staying close to the western cliff face, the SW corner of the doline is gained. Look out for a narrow passage behind a bevel, 4 m high slab of stone. This narrow passage is the entrance to Krem Baiongkleh. APPROACH 2009a (after Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh): On the road from the villge of Tangnub (church WGS84 N25°18'07”: E92°30'06”: 1145 m asl) to Mupat (note 4), a ravine intersects near N25°17'52.4”: E092°30'00.3” (about a kilometre before reaching the col). Follow this ravine for about 1 km and reach the large, easily accessible Dngaw Doline (sic!): The ravine continues descending across rocky steps down into the doline and reaches a spot about 10 m short of the entrance to Krem Dngaw 1. A climb and scramble in a southerly direction leads (via a short but impressive natural tunnel) to a lower level of the doline. Here is the entrance to Krem Dngaw 2 and, 15 m along the cliff-base further on, the entrannce to Krem Dngaw 3. The entrance to Krem Baiongkhleh (the alienated Golden Cave) lies another 10 m further on in the SW-corner of the doline. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009a: Very pretty, would be great for photos. All in all, the investigated leads in corners or in the floor either lead to nothing or to chokes, and are interconnected. Somehow, a secondary shaft as found somewhere. At a first glance, this cave is Very pretty, would be great for photos (Arbenz, T in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Monday 9th February). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009b: A narrow gap behind big boulders leaning against the southern cliff wall is the entrance to an instable 4 m climb down (requires rope, jammers) into the main chamber (about 30 m in diameter and up to 4m high), which is nicely decorated with speleothems (mostly very white and clean stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnates, small gour dams, and a large number of helictites). A secondary, too tight to penetrate -entrance- was seen up a boulder climb. Several leads ended choked with boulders (after Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009c: The narrow, triangular shaped cave entrance leads to a somewhat instable 5 m climb down into a chamber (40 m in diameter and 4 to 6 m high on average), which is not only characterised by gravitationally dislocated boulders and slabs f stone but also by speleothems (flowstone, tall stalagmites, smaller stalactites, straws, and helictites) ranging in colour from pure white to ochre and dark grey. Several continuations lead from chamber either to collapsed sections close to the surface but one high level passage arrives from an aven where daylight can be seen entering a narrow opening (after (note 5) Arbenz, T 2009.03.15 Mss). TACKLE: It is no problem to climb down into the cave entrance as it can be free climbed. Only if planning to climb back up again, a handline (10 m rope, 2 slings, 2 carbines), seat harness, and a jammer with a foot-loop of two are advisable (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss, 2009.03.15 Mss). PROSPECTS: The cave was surveyed and pushed to conclusion of the -pushment- (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh (former Wah Sapoh 4).SPELEOMETRY: The reported survey leg lengths range between 228.41 m (Arbenz, T 2009.03.20 Mss: Baiongkhleh.doc) but this is the –>Gibbon Doline, and 182.10 m (Arbenz, T 2009.5.30 Mss: total 2009.xls; Arbenz, T 2009.06.01 Mss: total 2009.xls). CAVE LIFE: Arbenz, T (2009.03.15 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh 8.2.2009) noticed, exclusively on the cave ceiling, the presence of big clusters or mats (about 0.5 by 1 m wide to 1 m in diameter) of what looked like golden and silver [shining] bacteria (note 6) in addition to apparently two different species of unspecified bats (Chiroptera), spiders (Arachnida: Aranea), and crickets (Orthoptera).f stone but also by speleothems (flowstone, tall stalagmites, smaller stalactites, straws, and helictites) ranging in colour from pure white to ochre and dark grey. Several continuations lead from chamber either to collapsed sections close to the surface but one high level passage arrives from an aven where daylight can be seen entering a narrow opening (after (note 5) Arbenz, T 2009.03.15 Mss). TACKLE: It is no problem to climb down into the cave entrance as it can be free climbed. Only if planning to climb back up again, a handline (10 m rope, 2 slings, 2 carbines), seat harness, and a jammer with a foot-loop of two are advisable (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss, 2009.03.15 Mss). PROSPECTS: The cave was surveyed and pushed to conclusion of the -pushment- (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh (former Wah Sapoh 4).SPELEOMETRY: The reported survey leg lengths range between 228.41 m (Arbenz, T 2009.03.20 Mss: Baiongkhleh.doc) but this is the –>Gibbon Doline, and 182.10 m (Arbenz, T 2009.f stone but also by speleothems (flowstone, tall stalagmites, smaller stalactites, straws, and helictites) ranging in colour from pure white to ochre and dark grey. Several continuations lead from chamber either to collapsed sections close to the surface but one high level passage arrives from an aven where daylight can be seen entering a narrow opening (after (note 5) Arbenz, T 2009.03.15 Mss). TACKLE: It is no problem to climb down into the cave entrance as it can be free climbed. Only if planning to climb back up again, a handline (10 m rope, 2 slings, 2 carbines), seat harness, and a jammer with a foot-loop of two are advisable (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss, 2009.03.15 Mss). PROSPECTS: The cave was surveyed and pushed to conclusion of the -pushment- (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh (former Wah Sapoh 4).SPELEOMETRY: The reported survey leg lengths range between 228.41 m (Arbenz, T 2009.03.20 Mss: Baiongkhleh.doc) but this is the –>Gibbon Doline, and 182.10 m (Arbenz, T 2009.f stone but also by speleothems (flowstone, tall stalagmites, smaller stalactites, straws, and helictites) ranging in colour from pure white to ochre and dark grey. Several continuations lead from chamber either to collapsed sections close to the surface but one high level passage arrives from an aven where daylight can be seen entering a narrow opening (after (note 5) Arbenz, T 2009.03.15 Mss). TACKLE: It is no problem to climb down into the cave entrance as it can be free climbed. Only if planning to climb back up again, a handline (10 m rope, 2 slings, 2 carbines), seat harness, and a jammer with a foot-loop of two are advisable (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss, 2009.03.15 Mss). PROSPECTS: The cave was surveyed and pushed to conclusion of the -pushment- (Arbenz, T 2009.02.09 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh (former Wah Sapoh 4).SPELEOMETRY: The reported survey leg lengths range between 228.41 m (Arbenz, T 2009.03.20 Mss: Baiongkhleh.doc) but this is the –>Gibbon Doline, and 182.10 m (Arbenz, T 2009.5.30 Mss: total 2009.xls; Arbenz, T 2009.06.01 Mss: total 2009.xls). CAVE LIFE: Arbenz, T (2009.03.15 Mss: Krem Baiongkhleh 8.2.2009) noticed, exclusively on the cave ceiling, the presence of big clusters or mats (about 0.5 by 1 m wide to 1 m in diameter) of what looked like golden and silver [shining] bacteria (note 6) in addition to apparently two different species of unspecified bats (Chiroptera), spiders (Arachnida: Aranea), and crickets (Orthoptera).