MAHABON, Chiehruphi, 4th (Krem)
25.203300,92.371700
Description
NOTE 1: One more evidence for »the accuracy [sic! qua: precision] of GPS and the surveying teams« (Jarratt 2003.02.17 Mss "Cave Log 2003" entry 17/2/03; subscribed by Brooks 2003 Mss: Diary 2003.doc).
A relatively »large entrance« (Jarratt 1998.03.05 Mss "Cave Log 1998" entry 5/3/98) without identified size or comparison for scale, with an unspecified shape and an unknown orientation »dropped into a fine canyon passage, branching some way in. We followed the high right hand route to reach a draughting sandstone boulder choke with a way on visible. A minimal amount of digging allowed me to squeeze through into the continuation of the canyon –superb passage. A small, very pale plant was found growing in an alcove (still struggling on one year later) and a low rumbling attributed to a passing Tata truck indicated another entrance. Sure enough, 30 or so metres further on, there was a circa 6 m shaft up to daylight. … just beyond the shaft there were some fine curtains [speleothem] and two undescended 3 m potholes in the floor. …The final section (Popohorn Passage due to a passing Tata's motor horn) also had two fine 6 m avens off to one side, one of which I dug into.« Jarratt (1999.02.10 Mss: Cave Log 1999: 10/2/99): »Eventually found this elusive entrance after taking the wrong path [note 1]. Tony [Antony Boycott] and Estelle [Sandford] surveyed the main LH passage and streamway series while the rest of us [Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt, Brian D. Kharpran Daly & Fraser W. Simpson] went to Cricket Pitch at the end of Popohorn Passage. I descended this stepped 5 m pitch on ladder to reach a grotty little streamway –Snotgobbler Sewer. We surveyed this for 46 m until it luckily choked down. Not a nice place. Seeking relief we then surveyed a series of roomier, dry phreatic tubes below a 3 m climb down from the beginning of Popohorn Passage. Here we met the others coming the other way. Their streamway (Semi-Slug Streamway ended in a probable surface boulder choke. During the trip Fraser took a few bits of video film. Tea was taken at Thangskai before and after the trip. Not a great exploration epic but a reasonably fun day out.« SITUATION: A relatively short distance south of the third Mahabon cave near Chiehruphi (25°12'36”N: 92°22'22”E) and west of what had been in March 1999 the kilometre stone 120 on the Jowai - Sonapur road (NH44). CAVE LIFE: Noticed in early March 1998 were so-called "snot gobblers" (larval stage of fungus gnats, Diptera: Mycetophilidae), small spiders, pondskater (pond skater, Heteroptera: Rynchota), crickets and a tiny frog.
Histoire
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1998.03.05: Lucky Dkhar and Robert Lal from Chiehruphi guided Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Jennifer 'Jenny' A. Brooks and Annette Susanne Becher to one of the cave entrances collectively recorded as »Krem Mahabon« (Kharpran Daly B D, Brooks J A & Becher S A 1998.03.05 personal communication). 1998.03.06: Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks, Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt and Andrew "Andy" Peter Tyler mapped 250 m while Khyrshan Myrthong and three assistants took video shots.1999.02.10: Boycott, Antony 'Tony', Fraser Simpson, Anthony 'Tony' R. Jarratt, B. D. Kharpran Daly and Estelle Sandford surveyed 450 m.