Easy Bird Cave (aa -)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions) gives access to a shaft, pit, or pitch, which drops more than an estimated 75 m, which contrast with surveyed 63.31 m, down to boulders, a 15 m pitch, and a horizontal cave passage as large as one or the other of the cave passages in Krem –>Shynrong Shrieh (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Monday 16th Feb 09). The –>Chief Bird Cave (also: Krem Sim Syiem) is another entrance to the Easy Bird Cave. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous or indigenous, original or locally known name has been identified for this cave entrance and pothole, which Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns decided not only to christen Easy Bird (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Sunday 15th) but also cared to see -khasificationated- into an apparently foreignish sounding and clearly alienated new shaft Easy Bird - Krem Sim Suk (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Sunday 15th). Of course it is unknowable what easy bird reers to (note 1) but in the Khasi language, the adjective -suk- means happy, contented (SINGH, N 1906: 212) whilst soft, easy translates into other Khasi expressions (note 2). SITUATION: In an unspecified spatial relation not far from the so-called Krem Sim Syiem (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Friday 20th), which is the –>Chief Bird Cave, and in what was identified as a canyon (more likely: a gully with an unidentified name), which lies both next and north of the two potholes –>Song Bird Cave and –>Little Bird Cave, which, on this occasion, had been called Krem Sim Rwai and Krem Sim Rit (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Sunday 15th). CAVE DESCRIPTION (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss: Diary 2009.doc): Even ropes have been used to get to the head of a 50 m pitch with clean sides (Sunday 15th February). This found to drop an estimated more than 75 m (total survey 63.31 m) down to boulders and a small 15 m pitch (Monday 16th February) which had been other ig shafts below the main one the day before. From somewhere, literally quoted, the cave goes horizontal and similar in size Krem Shynrong Shrieh (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Monday 16th). Being slavishly controlled by the draft (sic! qua: draught, air current) coming from a right hand side passage in the downstream section, Steve Whitlock continued progress (38 m surveyed) to a passage that reduced in size making it impassible (sic!) and subsequently to a branch to the right that finished in a strongly drafting [sic!] aven requiring an initial 7-8 m aid climb. Returning to the main passage, a way over the boulder choke was … not surveyed. Having become disorientated in the choke, Prankaj [or, perhaps, -Pankaj- for Pankaj Rai] reported an open passage similar to Thapba Long Siem [i.e. Thulong –>Thapbalong Sim]. A way on was found over the choke at roof level descending to floor level down the far side of the choke through potentially unstable boulders (Brooks, S Jet al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Tuesday 17th). Having climbed a small aven without specified size, and following an air current (without specified direction), an unspecified lead gives access to the base of an old pitch and a calcited chamber [keyword: speleothems], which appeared to be at least 50 m high. A wet lead off the main passage gave access to a T-junction with two leads impassible [note 3] due to their size but still drafting [note 4] (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Thursday 19th February). Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns mentions also an allegedly drafting [sic!] passage on the right side of the big passage in Sim Suk (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Friday 20th). SPELEOMETRY: Brooks (2009.03.10 Mss: Overview 2009): Krem Sim Suk (Easy Bird Cave) 900 m. Arbenz, T (2009.06.01 Mss: total 2009.xls): 900.71 m CAVE LIFE: Steve Whitlock, Bridget Hall and Cdr Vijay Chhikara (Commander, Indian Navy) noticed on 19th February 2009 the presence of whatlooked like: Monkey bones, cave pearls [pisolithic speleothems] and a canine jaw bone at the base of the pitch in a calcited chamber which apeared to be at least 50 m high (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Thursday 19th February).et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Tuesday 17th). Having climbed a small aven without specified size, and following an air current (without specified direction), an unspecified lead gives access to the base of an old pitch and a calcited chamber [keyword: speleothems], which appeared to be at least 50 m high. A wet lead off the main passage gave access to a T-junction with two leads impassible [note 3] due to their size but still drafting [note 4] (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Thursday 19th February). Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns mentions also an allegedly drafting [sic!] passage on the right side of the big passage in Sim Suk (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Friday 20th). SPELEOMETRY: Brooks (2009.03.10 Mss: Overview 2009): Krem Sim Suk (Easy Bird Cave) 900 m. Arbenz, T (2009.06.01 Mss: total 2009.xls): 900.71 m CAVE LIFE: Steve Whitlock, Bridget Hall and Cdr Vijay Chhikara (Commander, Indian Navy) noticed on 19th February 2009 the presence of whatlooked like: Monkey bones, cave pearls [pisolithic speleothems] and a canine jaw bone at the base of the pitch in a calcited chamber which apeared to be at least 50 m high (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Thursday 19th February).