MUÏAP (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The wider one (about 30 m square) of the two neighbouring and interconnected potholes drops 22 m (south-west corner) or 32 m (north-east corner) down to daylight-lit floor littered with fallen boulders. A dark cave passage ascends 20 m steeply from the south-west corner and ends impenetrable but another cave passage at the base of the western wall gives access not only to the lower reaches of Krem –>Muïap 2 (reached by a 5 m jump) but also to the top of a second shaft, which is shared by both of the Muïap potholes and descends to a floor of boulders, sand and soil descending northwards to an impenetrable seasonal sink. ETYMOLOGY: The Synteng or -mo-iap- or -mu-iap- (SINGH, N 1906: 132) and -mooiap- (Jarratt 2002.02.22 Mss) or -muïap- is the same as the Khasi -máw-iap- (SINGH, N 1906: 130: pronounced like maw eeap) or -maw-'yiap- (BLAH, E 2007: 261), is a contraction of -maw shyiap- and means sandstone (literally: stone [of] sand). SITUATION: The two Muïap potholes lie at the foot ofa cliff exposing sandstone, which is possibly the Muïap (Mawiap) proper, and on the eastern side of the Shnongrim ridge in an estimated up to 60 by 190 m wide but shallow closed depression (an estimated 10 m deep).Geologically, the two Muïap potholes open immediately below the Kopili Alternations (sandstones, shales) and in the upper part of the Kopili Limestone (Upper Sylhet stage) merging with the underlying Umlatdoh (Middle Sylhet) Limestone. Spatially, the two Muïap potholes lie approximately west of Krem –>Ticha and some 300 or 400 m in a direct line north-north-east of Krem –>Raman (Ryman) in the more or less jungle covered area high above the upstream of Krem –>Umthluh (Umthloo). The southern edge of the second (smaller) Krem Muïap lies less than 15 m north-west from the northern corner of the first (larger) Krem –>Muïap. SITUATION 2: In a patch of jungle in the valley to the south-east of the path from Krem Ryman [Krem –>Raman] to Krem Myrliat and about halfway between the two(Jarratt, A R 2002.02.22 Mss: Krem Mooiap). CAVE DESCRIPTION: This may be one of the Mawiap pots. A large pothole The pothole is a distinct ravine with clearly visible cliffs. There is a pothole (circa 15 m pitch to obvious horizontal passage heading towards circa 045°) to the left (facing cliff) in addition to one or two possibilities and shorter pitches to the right POSITION 1: (±7.3 m) 25°20'04.6”N: 92°30'46.0”E: 1080 m (Matthalm, T 2002.02, GPS Garmin 12), or about 20 m further north-west near POSITION 2: 25°20'05.1”N: 92°30'44.5”E (unidentified, wishfully good precision error): 1061 m (Arbenz, T 2002.02.22, Garmin 38). CAVE POTENTIAL - Outlook: Prospects? Possible connection to Umthloo? (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R 2005.07.27 Mss: Amendments to South Asia Cave Inventory 2002.04.18).(Jarratt, A R 2002.02.22 Mss: Krem Mooiap). CAVE DESCRIPTION: This may be one of the Mawiap pots. A large pothole The pothole is a distinct ravine with clearly visible cliffs. There is a pothole (circa 15 m pitch to obvious horizontal passage heading towards circa 045°) to the left (facing cliff) in addition to one or two possibilities and shorter pitches to the right POSITION 1: (±7.3 m) 25°20'04.6”N: 92°30'46.0”E: 1080 m (Matthalm, T 2002.02, GPS Garmin 12), or about 20 m further north-west near POSITION 2: 25°20'05.1”N: 92°30'44.5”E (unidentified, wishfully good precision error): 1061 m (Arbenz, T 2002.02.22, Garmin 38). CAVE POTENTIAL - Outlook: Prospects? Possible connection to Umthloo? (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R 2005.07.27 Mss: Amendments to South Asia Cave Inventory 2002.04.18).