DAIT KRONG, 1st (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A triangular cave entrance roughly 3 m wide and 3 m high (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss Krem Dait Krong 1) faces an unidentified direction but annie-how gives access to an estimated 100 m of a relatively large [deleted: fossil] relic passage or cave passage (8 m wide, 5 m high) leading initially to a fork and then to blockage (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss Krem Dait Krong 1) where exploration ended with mud floor (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February). The cave contains not merely calcite formations (broken), gours and cave pearls but also muddy floors (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). ETYMOLOGY: Audsley, A U (2010.02.10 Mss Krem Dait Krong 1) had learned (perhaps from Philip Tangliang, Umkyrpong village) that the Synteng Khasi (Pnar) cave name -Krem Dait Krong- translates as Cave of the Krong Bite (note 1). and -krong- is the word for a tiger-like creature (note 2) or, less pretentious, a kind of cat or cat-like animal (note 3). Tomas Arbenz interpreted Henry Boswell Dawson's or Annie U Audsley's interpretation as Cave where the Krong (tiger-like creature) bites (note 4 Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss: H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1: 12thFeb.2010; Arbenz, T 2011.10.01 Mss: Annie Audsley Krem Dait Krong 2: 2010.02.12; Arbenz, T 2011.10.12 Mss: Annie Audsley 12thFeb.2010 Krem Dait Krong 3: 10.2.2010). Little except confusion is added with the erroneous spelling versions (note 5) Daitrong (note 6) Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 12th February) Daitriong (note 7) Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 12th February). SITUATION: The three known cave entrances called Krem Dait Krong lie about 425 m to 450 m in a direct line west of the central road junction in the village of Umkyrpong (25°26'04”N: 92°34'48”E) and on the surface above the upper reaches (WSW-part) of Krem –>Mankrem. Here, the three known cave entrances called Krem Dait Krong were fully understood to lie a spots without recognised spatial relation to each other. APPROACH 2010: To reach the cave entrance to the first Krem Dait Krong, Audsley (2010.02.10 Mss) suggests to take a circuituous route which starts at the village of Umkyrpong (central road junction 25°26'04”N: 92°34'48”E) and takes you first north to the so-called football pitch (note 8), and from there back south to where you started and only then from the centre of the village some 500 m in a direct line east to a point N25°26'03.0”: E092°34'58.3” (unspecified geodetic datum possibly WGS84, Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss) which was said to indicate a spot where the edge of the jungle curves away from the road (note 9). Cross the scrubby land [for an unspecified distance into an unidentified direction] to the jungle heading towards [what had been in February 2010] the tallest tree (very large rubber tree) [note 10]. When you reach [one] karst outcrop [at a point without GPS position], walk [for an unspecified distance] eat along it. [The] Cave entrance is … a) … in karst roughly 15 m [in an unidentified direction] from GPS reference (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1: Location) but on the other hand b) … amongst upper part of rocky outcrop just under [a relatively] large rubber tree without comparison for scale (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1: Description). APPROACH 2011: Take the road heading North from Umkyrpong village for roughly 100 m from the (southern) football pitch. Turn off the road near N25°26’03.0”: E92°34’58.3” where the edge of the jungle curves away from the road. Cross the scrubby land to the jungle, heading towards the tallest tree. When you reach the karst outcrop walk east along it. The cave entrance is in open karst roughly 15 m from the GPS reference (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010a: Entrance: Triangular and roughly 3 m wide x 3 m high … [leading] straight into large passage roughly 8 m wide x 5 m high contnuing in a straight line to a fork. Both branches are blocked. Total length roughly 100 m (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010b: Cave continues for 121 m at around 45° before being blocked. There is one side passage which is also blocked (anonymous 2010.02.11 Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010c: Approx. 100 m and then ended with mud floor (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February) … surveyed to a conclusion at 120 m. It [the conclusion?] was also large and well decorated (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: The entrance is triangular and 3 m wide by 3 m high in amongst the upper part of rocky outcrops just under a large rubber tree. The way on leads into a large passage, about 8 m wide by 5 m high, continuing in a straight line to a fork. Both branches are blocked. The main drag has a direction of 45°, thelength of the passages is 121 m (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A relatively large relic passage … about 8 m wide by 5 m high, continuing in a straight line … 121 m / 045° … to a fork. Both branches are blocked (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243).SPELEOMETRY: 100 m total length roughly 100 m (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1) 100 m approx. 100 m (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February) 120 m Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February) 121 m Audsley, A U (2010.02.11 Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1); Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) 121.15 m ±2.45 m (Brooks, S J et al 2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 121.15 m ±2.66 m (+0.41 m / -2.55 m) ARBENZ, T (2012: 243) or, more likely ±2.96 m. CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use (food source): This cave is named after an event in the late 1990s when the local hunters caught a Krong in a rap and it ran into the cave with the trap still attached. It survived and later bit several peolple including the headman of Ukyrpong. The trap was retrieved by the exploring cavers in 2010 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1).CAVE LIFE 2010: Fully ignored (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE LIFE 2011: Unfortunately it is unknowable if the bats, harvestmen, spiders listed by Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) were present in this cave or have been inadvertently copied from another digital cave record.length of the passages is 121 m (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A relatively large relic passage … about 8 m wide by 5 m high, continuing in a straight line … 121 m / 045° … to a fork. Both branches are blocked (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243).SPELEOMETRY: 100 m total length roughly 100 m (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1) 100 m approx. 100 m (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February) 120 m Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February) 121 m Audsley, A U (2010.02.11 Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1); Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) 121.15 m ±2.45 m (Brooks, S J et al 2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 121.15 m ±2.66 m (+0.41 m / -2.55 m) ARBENZ, T (2012: 243) or, more likely ±2.96 m. CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use (food source): This cave is named after an event in the late 1990s when the local hunters caught a Krong in a length of the passages is 121 m (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A relatively large relic passage … about 8 m wide by 5 m high, continuing in a straight line … 121 m / 045° … to a fork. Both branches are blocked (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243).SPELEOMETRY: 100 m total length roughly 100 m (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1) 100 m approx. 100 m (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February) 120 m Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February) 121 m Audsley, A U (2010.02.11 Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1); Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) 121.15 m ±2.45 m (Brooks, S J et al 2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 121.15 m ±2.66 m (+0.41 m / -2.55 m) ARBENZ, T (2012: 243) or, more likely ±2.96 m. CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use (food source): This cave is named after an event in the late 1990s when the local hunters caught a Krong in a length of the passages is 121 m (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A relatively large relic passage … about 8 m wide by 5 m high, continuing in a straight line … 121 m / 045° … to a fork. Both branches are blocked (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243).SPELEOMETRY: 100 m total length roughly 100 m (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1) 100 m approx. 100 m (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February) 120 m Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February) 121 m Audsley, A U (2010.02.11 Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1); Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) 121.15 m ±2.45 m (Brooks, S J et al 2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 121.15 m ±2.66 m (+0.41 m / -2.55 m) ARBENZ, T (2012: 243) or, more likely ±2.96 m. CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use (food source): This cave is named after an event in the late 1990s when the local hunters caught a Krong in a length of the passages is 121 m (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A relatively large relic passage … about 8 m wide by 5 m high, continuing in a straight line … 121 m / 045° … to a fork. Both branches are blocked (ARBENZ, T 2012: 243).SPELEOMETRY: 100 m total length roughly 100 m (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1) 100 m approx. 100 m (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 10th February) 120 m Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 11th February) 121 m Audsley, A U (2010.02.11 Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1); Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) 121.15 m ±2.45 m (Brooks, S J et al 2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 121.15 m ±2.66 m (+0.41 m / -2.55 m) ARBENZ, T (2012: 243) or, more likely ±2.96 m. CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use (food source): This cave is named after an event in the late 1990s when the local hunters caught a Krong in a rap and it ran into the cave with the trap still attached. It survived and later bit several peolple including the headman of Ukyrpong. The trap was retrieved by the exploring cavers in 2010 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1).CAVE LIFE 2010: Fully ignored (Audsley, A U 2010.02.10 Mss: Krem Dait Krong 1). CAVE LIFE 2011: Unfortunately it is unknowable if the bats, harvestmen, spiders listed by Arbenz, T (2011.10.11 Mss H. Dawson Krem Dait Krong 1) were present in this cave or have been inadvertently copied from another digital cave record.