AM MUTHA (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A roughly 2 m wide hole in what was identified as a more or less heavily calcited dry streambed exposing sandstone descends about 15 m down onto a slope in an up to 8 m wide and an estimated 20 m or 30 m high cave chamber. ETYMOLOGY: No specific cave name has been identified for this seasonal sinkhole named after its location in the bed of the seasonal stream which may be known as the Am Muta or Coarse Stream (note 2). So far created have been merely the following two spelling versions: Krem Um Matha anonymous Rockcliff, H in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday: Krem Um Matha. Krem Um Mutha anonymous Rockcliff, H in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday: Krem Um Matha. SITUATION: In a more less heavily calcited dry streambed of the seasonal Am Mata and at a spot which lies at an explainable walking distance into an understandable direction from the vilage of Lama (near ±1 km N25°10'00”: E092°14'40”) on the interfluve east of the Myntdu (Hari River) and the Wah Lariang / Lynriang. APPROACH 2014.12.25: Expedition cavers are ordered to get transported to an unspecified starting point (with an unidentified GPS position) and to take the track that leads to Krem Um Sapnar, it’s a track maintained by locals, up the hill N25°10’11.6”: E092°15’16.1”: alt. 430 m. Following the track more up hill N25°10’13.4”, E092°15’18.5” on the left hand side there is a doline, 6 x 10 m (see diary). Walk through the fields to way point N25°10’15.4”: E092°15’23.5”: alt. 452 m. Following the track to a stream bed N25°10’16.6”: E092°15’30.1” turn right going down the streambed to N25°10’15.9”: E092°15’31.1”: alt. 460 m (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc). APPROACH 2014.02.13: A so-called the track from Krem Um Sapnar to Krem Um Mutha … continues up the hill through betel plantation [February 2014], then passing between imestone pinnacles steeply uphill. They [Marcel Dikstra, Richa Jain & Jos -Yoxz- Burgers] stopped several times trying to get a GPS bearing. This worked only near the top of the hill [with an unidentified name]. There is a 6 x 10 doline with a drafting but impassible [impassable, impossible] hole in the bottom. They went on through a broom plantation [note 2] staying level now more or less. A short passage through a forested bit of land included crossing a nearly dry streambed [with an unidentified name]. Back in the broom fields after a while they crossed the calcited streambed [of the Am Mutha]. Following this down brings them to the entrance hole, which opens up right in the middle of the streambed (Marcel Dikstra, Jos -Yoxz- Burgers & Richa Jain in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). APPROACH 2014.02.12: Henry Rockcliff and Marcel Dikstra by and by discovered to have provided no surveying gear whereupon they rapdly derigged and quickly went back to Um Sapnar [sic! qua: Krem –>Am Sapnar]. They took an easier way back which cut the time down in half to 15 minutes (Rockcliff, H in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday: Krem Um Matha). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.25: A swallow hole (window) 2x2 in streambed on sand stone (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.02.12: Most of the cave was extremely calcited. Every branch fallen into it was decorated with thick layer of calcite (Rockcliff, H & Marcel Dikstra in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday: Krem Um Matha). TACKLE: 30 m rope, 2 slings + carabiners, 1 deviation (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc). SPELEOMETRY 2014.04.05: 89 m (Anonymous Brooks, S J 2014.04.05 Expedition Survey Log 2014 (8-3-2014).xls). SPELEOMETRY 2014.04.29 89.0 m, -40/+0 (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). SPELEOMETRY 2014.11.10: 118.58, ±56.29 (-56.29, 0.00) (Arbenz, T 20141110 ML 2014 Daten). SPELEOMETRY 2014.12.25: Length 89 m, depth 40 m, main direction 0° (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY: (). CAVE LIFE: Three or, to be quick and easy, 3 types of frogs, crayfish, birds nest (1), water bugs, bat bones, jaws, skull, two kind of spiders, Rhaphidophoriadae, Philoscia (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc). 89.0 m, -40/+0 (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). SPELEOMETRY 2014.11.10: 118.58, ±56.29 (-56.29, 0.00) (Arbenz, T 20141110 ML 2014 Daten). SPELEOMETRY 2014.12.25: Length 89 m, depth 40 m, main direction 0° (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY: (). CAVE LIFE: Three or, to be quick and easy, 3 types of frogs, crayfish, birds nest (1), water bugs, bat bones, jaws, skull, two kind of spiders, Rhaphidophoriadae, Philoscia (Arbenz, T 2014.12.25 Mss -Burgers, Jos 2014.02.13- Krem Am Mutha.doc).