KHLA, Moo Knor (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Altogether seven known cave entrances (note 1) give access to a true tunnel cave cutting an unspecified the corner of Lympriang Gorge and draining waters of a seasonal stream called the Lympriang river during wet season (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). The first noticed entrances were a pair of oval-shaped cave entrances (both 2.5 m wide, 1.5 m high), about a metre apart from each other, which both give access to a descent 6 m down into the canyon passage of a perennial stream cave with relic high level and forming an accessible part of a relic cave system that has been cut open by backward erosion and incision by the Lympriang river and containing not only unspecified calcite formations (speleothems) in a relic upper level relic passage but also rounded gravel and sand along the stream way. Deep mud and organic matter (leaves, branches) near sump and exit (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). ETYMOLOGY: Khla = Tiger (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla) or, more likely, a kind ofwild cat (Felidae: conf. Feloidea). At an early stage of Tiger Cave exploration, it was Thomas Arbenz who created not only the nickname Baby Tiger Cave (note 2) but also cared to have this sobriquet seriously alienated into a miscarried Krem Khyllung Khla (note 3) instead of Krem Khyllun Khla (note 4). SITUATION: The pair of oval shaped cave entrances in the east face of a 5 m cliff, just below the first limestone layer lie 1.5 km in a direct line due east of the village of Khahnar, at an altitude of 830 m asl on the eastern slope of an unspecified the ridge and in the upper reaches of Wah Lympriang gorge (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). SITUATION 2013.02.07: Apparently at a walking distance of about 30 minutes (2 km) along a winding route approximately east of the village of Khahnar () and above one or the other bank of an unidentified (no name mentioned) but especially monumental nice river [sic!], about four metres wide and characterised by potentially ankles-moistening water ccurring as pools too deep for Peter and Angela (anonymous Arbenz, T 2013.08.07 Mss: Meghalaya Expedition 2013 Diary: 7th February). APPROACH: If starting from the road (ODR 456) which runs from the village of Khahnar (note 5) generally south towards Saipung (note 6), take near N25°22’45.2”: E92°36’41.4” a rough motorable road (Shaktiman track) off east and walk for about 20 minutes on foot steeply down a farm near N25°23’03.9”: E092°37’01.4- on the tip of a short crest [note 7]. A footpath skirts the fence of the farm and leads 300 m north and further downhill to a water course with an unidentified name. Cross this water course and continue walking over the top of the small hill on the other side till your reach a stream, the Lympriang, a so-called the river near N25°23’07.30-: E092°37’00.4” and proceed downstream for 50 m to the cave entrances on your right (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). APPROACH 2013.02.07: Force a farmer to herd you and your entourage from the village of Khhnar in an unidentified direction along a relatively steep track down the hill flank towards a so-called the valley bottom of a stream with a name. Reach after what had been on 7th February 2013 a good 30 minutes the bed of an especially majestic nice river, about four metres wide. Follow this in an unidentified direction upstream till you became not only aware that you have got into a quite overgrown canyon but also that banks got steeper to a degree forcing experienced expedition cavers to walk in the streambed. Soon the pools got too deep for Peter and Angela’s walking boots, so they turned back (anonymous Arbenz, T 2013.08.07 Mss: Meghalaya Expedition 2013 Diary: 7th February).CAVE DESCRIPTION: The main entrance is a “double eyed” opening in the east face of the 5 m-cliff, just below the first limestone layer. Both openings are flat ovals of 1.5 m hight and 2.5 m width, about 1 m apart. They give acces to a 6 m deep main canyon passage with big dimensions. The main canyon passage s reached through the right upstream opening of the main entrance. A short free climb and scramble down a slippery slate (short handline is useful) leads down to the roomy 4 m wide by 8 m high gallery. A small stream from an inlet from the south brings about 20 ltr/sec of water. This inlet leads to a 9 m aven (Rainy Pitch) that exits in the a side branch of the main Lympriang River, just about 30 m upstream from the main entrance. 5 m downstream from this inlet there is a side passage, (upright elliptic in shape) following a rift for about 120 m. This ends in [sic! qua: leads to the Bat Aven] an open aven of 5 m diameter and 7 m hight [sic! qua: height], with some bats flying. The main passage follows mainly a north-easterly direction thus cutting the corner of Lympriang Gorge. About 60 m from the two inlets the cave opens wide to a round chamber. The passage arrives here on a ledge with an undercut -- therefore a ladder is essential to get down to the chamber floor 5 m below. From hee the gallery winds on along a rift passage of 2 m width by 12 m hight [sic! qua: height], getting lower after 80 m. Now there are two ways on: The main trend is along a deep water canal. The alternative route is up a climb and along a high level relic passage. This is nicely decorated and joins the deep water canal after about 40 m. For about 100 m the cave follows a meander that seems to end in a sump. However there are three small daylight windows high up and around the corner a steep mud slope leads to an exit chamber of 5 m diameter and 2.5 m hight [sic! qua: height]. An inlet from the SW ends in [sic! qua: continues as a] too low bedding plane [cave passage] (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2013.02.07: … a big opening with a 6mhigh by 4m wide phreatic cave passage behind. … The big phreatic passage has an inlet which brings some water from the surface through a nice 20m shaft. After about 50m along the main gallery the explorers were held up by a 4m drop, wich turned out to be an overhang and not free climbable (anonymous Arbenz, T 2013.08.07 Mss: Meghalaya Expedition 2013 Diary: 7th February). TACKLE: 2 m sling for handline near entrance, 6 m ladder for overhang and a 10 m rope for a handline into the relic passage (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). SPELEOMETRY: A survey length of approximately 347.93 m at a vertical range of ±21.33 m (+6.08 m, -15.25 m) was measured (Arbenz, T 2013.12.06 Klahplan.pdf) for this estimated 375 m long cave (vertical range ±25 m / +0 m, -25 m). CAVE POTENTIAL: The cave exits about 20 m above Krem Bachor 1 which again is most likely the lower end of the sump (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). PROSPECTS: As far as known, there are no further passages, [because speleototographical aspects of cave] exploration is [currently] terminated (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). CAVE LIFE: Huntsman spiders (one collected for analyses), spides (meta minardi – type, one collected for analyses), crickets, harvestmen, 1 crab (pigmented), small bats (flying) (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). Keywords: Crustacea (Brünnich 1772) conf. Brachyura; Arachnida: conf. Heteropodina (Sparassida), conf. Meta C. L. Koch 1836 (Tetragnathidae Menge 1866); Opiliones (Phalangidae); Saltatoria (Pterygota); Chiroptera spp.ich turned out to be an overhang and not free climbable (anonymous Arbenz, T 2013.08.07 Mss: Meghalaya Expedition 2013 Diary: 7th February). TACKLE: 2 m sling for handline near entrance, 6 m ladder for overhang and a 10 m rope for a handline into the relic passage (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). SPELEOMETRY: A survey length of approximately 347.93 m at a vertical range of ±21.33 m (+6.08 m, -15.25 m) was measured (Arbenz, T 2013.12.06 Klahplan.pdf) for this estimated 375 m long cave (vertical range ±25 m / +0 m, -25 m). CAVE POTENTIAL: The cave exits about 20 m above Krem Bachor 1 which again is most likely the lower end of the sump (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). PROSPECTS: As far as known, there are no further passages, [because speleototographical aspects of cave] exploration is [currently] terminated (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). CAVE LIFE: Huntsman spiders (one collected for analyses), spides (meta minardi – type, one collected for analyses), crickets, harvestich turned out to be an overhang and not free climbable (anonymous Arbenz, T 2013.08.07 Mss: Meghalaya Expedition 2013 Diary: 7th February). TACKLE: 2 m sling for handline near entrance, 6 m ladder for overhang and a 10 m rope for a handline into the relic passage (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). SPELEOMETRY: A survey length of approximately 347.93 m at a vertical range of ±21.33 m (+6.08 m, -15.25 m) was measured (Arbenz, T 2013.12.06 Klahplan.pdf) for this estimated 375 m long cave (vertical range ±25 m / +0 m, -25 m). CAVE POTENTIAL: The cave exits about 20 m above Krem Bachor 1 which again is most likely the lower end of the sump (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). PROSPECTS: As far as known, there are no further passages, [because speleototographical aspects of cave] exploration is [currently] terminated (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). CAVE LIFE: Huntsman spiders (one collected for analyses), spides (meta minardi – type, one collected for analyses), crickets, harvestmen, 1 crab (pigmented), small bats (flying) (Arbenz, T 2013.03.17 Mss Krem Khla). Keywords: Crustacea (Brünnich 1772) conf. Brachyura; Arachnida: conf. Heteropodina (Sparassida), conf. Meta C. L. Koch 1836 (Tetragnathidae Menge 1866); Opiliones (Phalangidae); Saltatoria (Pterygota); Chiroptera spp.