LABON, Sakhain (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The rectangular cave entrance to Krem Labon or Krem Lubon leads to a seasonal resurgence cave, which drains water from the north-west to a tributary joining the Lubha river valley further downstream. Some 30 m perpendicularly above the cave (in Lakadong Limestone) is a seasonal surface streambed (exposing the caprock of Lakadong Sandstone). The streambed predates the subsurface diversion, and ends abruptly at the top edge of a 30 m high cliff, from where the monsoonal surface river tumbles down to meet the waters emerging from the resurgence at the base of the waterfall. As sinks develop higher up in the surface streambed, the cave's points of inception grow further upstream. Since no sinkhole in the streambed has developed to a size large enough for man to enter, surface weathering seems to stride ahead of subsurface karstification. ETYMOLOGY: Hospital Sutnga & Tippor Pala (2001.02.17 personal communication) recommended the spelling Krem Labon but KHARPRAN DALY (2006: 188) has it Kem Lubon (note 1). SITUATION: The exurgence entrance lies at the head of a valley and in the back of a seasonally active, about 30 m high waterfall in an area about 4 km in a direct line south-east of Sakhain village (church: N25°18'56”: E92°26'14” ±100 m WGS84). The single passage cave itself is formed in Lakadong Limestone and serves as a shortcut for the river, which flows on the surface perpendicularly above the cave in a streambed exposing Lakadong Sandstone. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The wide open, 16 m wide and 8 m high entrance is clearly visible but KHARPRAN DALY (2006: 58) has the impressive rectangular entrance … hidden behind the waterfall [which] is reminiscent of the legendary Phantom Cave. The initially impressive passage size deteriorates by and by while passing a garland of high level breakdown chambers characterised by unstable boulders covered with old bat guano. The solitary stream passages eventually merges into a miserable wet flat out crawl under precariously loose oulders some 375 m from the cave entrance. A tiny inlet (on average 0.5 m wide, 0.8 m high, 95 m long) arrived near the cave entrance from a massive, much corroded collapse in the north-east. Adjacent to the south-western edge of the entrance a mostly shallow maze (on average 2 m wide, 0.4 m high) offers altogether 80 m of crawls. LEGENDARY HYDROLOGY: Hospital Sutnga (Sakhain Village Headman 2001.02.17 personal communication) reported the common knowledge that husk discarded at Sakhlain village (4 km in a direct line north-west) is said to reappear at the resurgence (note 2). CAVE LIFE: Bats are few (Chiroptera). A few large spiders were seen (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.), as well as pigmented crickets, millipeds, relatively small centipeds, and crayfish (Crustacea) in the water.oulders some 375 m from the cave entrance. A tiny inlet (on average 0.5 m wide, 0.8 m high, 95 m long) arrived near the cave entrance from a massive, much corroded collapse in the north-east. Adjacent to the south-western edge of the entrance a mostly shallow maze (on average 2 m wide, 0.4 m high) offers altogether 80 m of crawls. LEGENDARY HYDROLOGY: Hospital Sutnga (Sakhain Village Headman 2001.02.17 personal communication) reported the common knowledge that husk discarded at Sakhlain village (4 km in a direct line north-west) is said to reappear at the resurgence (note 2). CAVE LIFE: Bats are few (Chiroptera). A few large spiders were seen (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.), as well as pigmented crickets, millipeds, relatively small centipeds, and crayfish (Crustacea) in the water.