JINGTEP 1 (Krem poh)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Few has become known of one Cave Below [the] Grave (note 1) where a rift without identified dimensions or orientation drops (handline!) -- perhaps down -- into sort of a series of canyons and meandering streamways, which eventually are somehow connected in some way or another to Krem –>Shrieh (Khaidong). It may be the 1st or at the 2nd Krem poh Jingtep where a small stream trickles down into a doline (estimated 50 m wide and 25 m deep) providing an ongoing bouldery descent at bottom (Bayley 2002.02.24 Mss: Krem Poujingtet). ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi -poh- means low, less, short of (SINGH, N 1906: 162) and -jing- is either a prefix indicating an abstract noun or means supreme (colloquial), beyond comprehension (SINGH, N 1906: 102). The noun -ka jingtep- is a grave (SINGH, N 1920: 207) and the verb -tep- means to bury, to inter (SINGH, N 1906: 222). SINGH, N (1920: 207) translates the English -a grave- into the Khasi ka jingtep; ka thliw-tep and -a graveyard- as ka jaka tep-briew. BLAH (1966edited 2007: 120) translates -a grave- also as ka jingtep but -a graveyard- as ka lum jingtep. SITUATION: The cave entrance to Krem poh Jingtep 1 lies at an estimated distance of 10 m east from Krem poh –>Jingtep 3 (Whitaker 2008.02.19 Mss: Unamed Nr Krem Pohjintep) and at what must be for some an inexplicable location (note 2) somewhere in the vicinity of the village of Khaidong (WGS84 N25°21'25”: E92°31'10”: 1115 m asl). POSITION (modified after K. Janossy 2008.02.19 in: Whitaker 2008.02.19 Mss: Unamed Nr Krem Pohjintep): Possibly within 17 m (or so) from N25°21'36.3”: E92°30'47.9” (WGS): circa 1039 m asl (note 3). APPROACH 2008: From a green house [either a glass covered structure or a wooden / masonry house painted green] at the village of Khaidong, take a footpath > [more than?] west towards a mining camp. After circa 300 m, the path enters a pine grove about 50 m short of a shallow depression. Leave this path in a northerly direction to reach [for what had been in Februay 2005 or 2008] a clearing. This -jingpynksan- (clearing) or -ram- (jungle cleared for cultivation) is the starting point for altogether three distinct cave entrances, viz. 1) Distinct Entrance (30 m rope), 2) Easier Entrance (10 m ladder), 3) Further Entrance (squeeze). Straight ahead lies a small riverbed, dry in February. Follow this riverbed downstream to a distinct [conspicuous?] entrance canyon of Krem poh Jingtep. There is a natural belay (30 m rope) where the riverbed meets [the jump-off point?]. Another, easier entrance lies some 50 m north-west across the canyon (10 m ladder). A further entrance can be found on the south side of the canyon and opposite across from the NW entrance. This [either the -further- entrance or the -NW- entrance] is a small gryke underneath boulders that leads to a squeeze into the canyon. No tackle required but hard to find on the surface (Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 29). APPROACH 2002: From Khaidong village, walk 5 minutes north-east along he road to a point without GPS position, where a track forks down north-west (300°). Bear right (without orientation) before limestone pinnacles and watch out for a dry streambed that leads to a 2 m wide rift or gryke (grike), canyon, etc. (Bayley 2002.02.24 Mss: Krem Poujingtet …). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: CAVE DESCRIPTIONS 2002: Nicola Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss: Krem Poujingtet …) sommands to drop down rift into series of canyons and a meandering streamway but Yorkshire Dave Hodgson (2002.02.25 Mss: SUTDIARY.WRI) goes even further and attemps to refer, literally quoted, to the Graveyard cave, Brian, Thomas, Peter. Entrance pitch 2x ladders. Surveyed [sic!] 140 m, until narrow pitch, ran out of taccle (sic!). (2002.02.26) Brian [Brian D. Kharpran Daly], Martin [Groves], Shelly [Shelley A. Diengdoh] entered Grave yard Cave from new entrance avoiding yesterdays entrance ladder pitch, went down pitch stopped at yesterday with 1x ladder, 6 m passage then 3-4 m drop on ladder, then small meanderig stream way passage 4 m wide x 12 m hiegh leading to very large passage approx. 60 m long to a 35 m pitch to be bottomed … CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008: An unspecified Distinct Entrance (1 m wide and 2 m high) at the dead end of a seasonally active canyon leads to about 100 m of down-sloping meander passage, which is initially man-sized but gradually gets wider and higher, contains a few -old- (inactive) speleothems and shallow running water. A free climbable 5 m drop (handline) down to the top of a 10 m pitch (bolt on the left-hand side of the ledge) descends to 30 m of high passage with a cobble floor leading to the head of a 35 m pitch down to the top of a large bouldery slope leading into Krem Shrieh, Khaidong (after Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 29). TACKLE: Arbenz, T (2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 29) suggests to to bring for one of the three possible cave entrances (the hazard is yours) two 10 m ladders, one or two slings and two -ovals- (carbines): To rig the cave, use 10 m of hanline, two hangers, a 20 m rope and a 40 m rope. CAVE LIFE: Hodgson (2002.02.25 Mss: SUTDIARY.WRI) recorded woodlice, spiders bats, millipedes (Arachnida: conf. Aranea, Chiroptera, Isopoda and Myriapodae: Diplopoda). Dr. Boycott, Antony 'Tony' (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) tells me to have collected (2008.02.20) in Krem Pohjingtep N 25deg 21’ 35.4- E 092deg 30’ 49.7- a bat guano sample (note 4).g stream way passage 4 m wide x 12 m hiegh leading to very large passage approx. 60 m long to a 35 m pitch to be bottomed … CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008: An unspecified Distinct Entrance (1 m wide and 2 m high) at the dead end of a seasonally active canyon leads to about 100 m of down-sloping meander passage, which is initially man-sized but gradually gets wider and higher, contains a few -old- (inactive) speleothems and shallow running water. A free climbable 5 m drop (handline) down to the top of a 10 m pitch (bolt on the left-hand side of the ledge) descends to 30 m of high passage with a cobble floor leading to the head of a 35 m pitch down to the top of a large bouldery slope leading into Krem Shrieh, Khaidong (after Arbenz, T 2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 29). TACKLE: Arbenz, T (2008 Mss -Fieldbook- page 29) suggests to to bring for one of the three possible cave entrances (the hazard is yours) two 10 m ladders, one or two slings and two -ovals- (carbines): To rig the cave, use 10 m of hanline, two hangers, a 20 m rope and a 40 m rope. CAVE LIFE: Hodgson (2002.02.25 Mss: SUTDIARY.WRI) recorded woodlice, spiders bats, millipedes (Arachnida: conf. Aranea, Chiroptera, Isopoda and Myriapodae: Diplopoda). Dr. Boycott, Antony 'Tony' (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) tells me to have collected (2008.02.20) in Krem Pohjingtep N 25deg 21’ 35.4- E 092deg 30’ 49.7- a bat guano sample (note 4).