LUM THYMMEI (Krem poh)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The Pol Lum Thymmai doline pothole choked at base with large boulders and smaller debris (Brooks 2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai) seems to be identical with Krem Pol Lumthymmai pothole at base of doline (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai), the slot to pitch too tight (Arbenz, T 2006.05.21 Mss) and the small poh Lum Thymmai pothole in bottom of depression, currently surrounded by rich vegetation (Burke 2004.02.17 Mss: Poh Lum Thymmai). This item is about 14 m or 18 m if not 18.12 m and, most bestest of all, 18.13 m deep (note 1) and has been recorded -- of course without caring to recognise the distinction between thymmai and thymmei (note 2) -- under a variety of titles (note 3) and has been GPS positioned at four considerably different spots (note 4), which lie up to 164.2 m apart from each other in spite of shoddy ±20 m EPEs that were bettered with deceiving bogus precisions as close as ±5 m. POSITION 1: N25°22'21.3” or about 15 m further north at N25°22'21.8”: E092°31$$44.9” (unspecified precision error disguised as ±20 m bogus, WGS84, D. Burke 2004.02.17 Mss: Poh Lum Thymmai). POSITION 2: N25°22'21.3”: E092°31'44.9” (unspecified precision error disguised as ±20 m, unspecified geodetic datum possibly WGS84, anonymous recorder, undated 2004 February, unspecified GPS receiver; forwarded by Brooks 2004.09.23 personal correspondence). POSITION 3: N25°22'21.8”: E092°31'44.9” (unspecified precision error, unspecified geodetic datum possibly WGS84, anonymous recorder Daniel -Danny- Burke 2004.02.17, unspecified GPS receiver; forwarded by Arbenz, T 2004.02 Mss: Abstracts.xls). POSITION 4: N25°22'23.1”26.6”: E092°31'44.45.2” (bogus ±5 m precision error, WGS84): 960 m asl (Brooks 2006.02.15 in: Brooks 2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai). POSITION 5: N25°22'26.6”: E092°31'45.2” (bogus ±8 m precision error, WGS84): 960 m asl (Brooks 2006.02.15 in: Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai). SITUATION 1: Burke (2004.02.17 Mss) commands to descend rom the village of Lumthymmai (without GPS position) to left [sic!] and in an unidentified direction towards an unspecified point (without GPS position) somewhere in what was understood to be a Ravi Nadi valley (note 5) where the cave entrance was felt to lie circa 100 m above valley floor and the right-hand side as if a -right-hand side- would point into a specific, reproduceable direction. SITUATION 2 (Brooks 2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai): This updates 2004 entry. From close to centre of Thymmai viilage [i.e. Shnong / Nong Lumthymmei] a well worn and obvious footpath leads down to the Ravi Nadi Valley [note 5 again] to the north. The footpath starts adjacent to a house (at N25°22'06.4”: E092°31'45.1” ±6 m, WGS84). Follow this northward (downhill) following ridge for 640 m until the ridge flattens out and a clearing s met (N25°22'27.1”: E092°31'44.5” ±5 m). The doline / cave lies to the SE (right) of the path some 20 to 25 m away (obvious). SITUATION 3 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Ms: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): From Tymmai village [i.e. Shnong / Nong Lumthymmei N25°22'40”: E092°31'45”: 1085 m asl] the footpath down to Ravi Nadi leads off from point N25°22'06”: E092°31'45.1” (±6 m WGS84). Walk down ridge (north) on a well defined path to point (N25°22'27.1”: E092°31'44.5” ±6 m WGS84: 970 m asl) where path levels off and opens out into a clearing. The doline in which the cave is situated is found some 20 to 25 m to the right (south-east) of the path. SITUATION 4: JARRATT (2006: 10) places Krem poh Lymthymmai somehow somewhere NE of Labbit. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1 (Brooks 2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai): This updates 2004 entry … At the base of an elongated doline (100 m by 50 m) orientated on 45° to 235° (SW to NE) is an entrance to a pot (1.8 m by 2.0 m) shaft / climb of 7 m down into chamber to floor of large jammed boulders. From here a hole (1.0 by 0.8 m) leads to a second shaft of 9.3 m depth to reach a lower chamber (5 m by 2 m). Exit is a slot (too tight of 0.3 by 0.2 m to pitch / drop below. From surface a second rift pot also enters roof of first chamber. [The cave floor is is buried under] boulders and small rocks with sediments in between. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): An obvious entrance (1.8 m wide, 2 m high) at base of doline opens into a 9.5 m pitch into an aven chamber floored by large rocks and boulders. On the south-west side of this chamber a further rift pot (narrow, 0.8 by 0.5 m) descends 6.3 m to reach the floor of a lower chamber roofed by large boulders. In the floor of this chamber is a too tight fissure that issues a cool draught [air current]. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (JARRATT 2006: 10): Krem poh Lymthymmai was bottomed at -14 m. CAVE DESCRIPTION 4: Brooks (2007.03.01 Mss: Diary2007.doc) mentions one Krem Umthymme (note 6), which was visited by Desmond -Des- McNally and Robin Sheen on 16th February 2007: At the bottom of a large collapse doline, a 5 m pitch was descended into a boulderchoke. After removing some boulders a squeeze was passed, and a way worked down through the choke. Robin got to the head of a 15 m pitch in a rift with a small stream going off at the bottom. TACKLE 1 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): 10 m plus 8 m ladder plus belays or 25 m SRT plus hangers. TACKLE 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai): Tether with 5 m and 10 m of ladder or 30 m of SRT rope. PROSPECTS 1 (Brooks 2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai): Slight draught [air flow, air current] and way on could be seen below final rift. Would need Hilti capping or explosives to enlarge sufficiently to allow access / forward progress. PROSPECTS 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): Good. Tight slot at base of 2nd (lower) chamber would need to be enlarged. CAVE LIFE: Brooks (2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai) recorded small bat [Chiroptera], cave crickets, spider (Araneae: Arachnidae) and Brooks (2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai) recorded Spiders, cave crickets. of 0.3 by 0.2 m to pitch / drop below. From surface a second rift pot also enters roof of first chamber. [The cave floor is is buried under] boulders and small rocks with sediments in between. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): An obvious entrance (1.8 m wide, 2 m high) at base of doline opens into a 9.5 m pitch into an aven chamber floored by large rocks and boulders. On the south-west side of this chamber a further rift pot (narrow, 0.8 by 0.5 m) descends 6.3 m to reach the floor of a lower chamber roofed by large boulders. In the floor of this chamber is a too tight fissure that issues a cool draught [air current]. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (JARRATT 2006: 10): Krem poh Lymthymmai was bottomed at -14 m. CAVE DESCRIPTION 4: Brooks (2007.03.01 Mss: Diary2007.doc) mentions one Krem Umthymme (note 6), which was visited by Desmond -Des- McNally and Robin Sheen on 16th February 2007: At the bottom of a large collapse doline, a 5 m pitch was descended into a boulder of 0.3 by 0.2 m to pitch / drop below. From surface a second rift pot also enters roof of first chamber. [The cave floor is is buried under] boulders and small rocks with sediments in between. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): An obvious entrance (1.8 m wide, 2 m high) at base of doline opens into a 9.5 m pitch into an aven chamber floored by large rocks and boulders. On the south-west side of this chamber a further rift pot (narrow, 0.8 by 0.5 m) descends 6.3 m to reach the floor of a lower chamber roofed by large boulders. In the floor of this chamber is a too tight fissure that issues a cool draught [air current]. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (JARRATT 2006: 10): Krem poh Lymthymmai was bottomed at -14 m. CAVE DESCRIPTION 4: Brooks (2007.03.01 Mss: Diary2007.doc) mentions one Krem Umthymme (note 6), which was visited by Desmond -Des- McNally and Robin Sheen on 16th February 2007: At the bottom of a large collapse doline, a 5 m pitch was descended into a boulderchoke. After removing some boulders a squeeze was passed, and a way worked down through the choke. Robin got to the head of a 15 m pitch in a rift with a small stream going off at the bottom. TACKLE 1 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): 10 m plus 8 m ladder plus belays or 25 m SRT plus hangers. TACKLE 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai): Tether with 5 m and 10 m of ladder or 30 m of SRT rope. PROSPECTS 1 (Brooks 2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai): Slight draught [air flow, air current] and way on could be seen below final rift. Would need Hilti capping or explosives to enlarge sufficiently to allow access / forward progress. PROSPECTS 2 (Brooks 2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai): Good. Tight slot at base of 2nd (lower) chamber would need to be enlarged. CAVE LIFE: Brooks (2006.02.15 Mss: Pol Lum Thymmai) recorded small bat [Chiroptera], cave crickets, spider (Araneae: Arachnidae) and Brooks (2006.02.16 Mss: Krem Pol Lumthymmai) recorded Spiders, cave crickets.