KDONG SAMASI (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave entrance with unidentified dimensions, shape or characteristics faces an inexplicable direction and leads to a cave and sink (insurgence) in which a comparatively large passage (without comparison or identified size) drains a seasonal or perennial stream (no flow recorded) approximately northwards. The cave is rumoured to contain lots of mud and unspecified speleothems. At about 900 m from the cave entrance one reaches what appears to represent a wall and ceiling collapse, which Anthony 'Tony' Boycott, Jayne Stead and Mark E. Tringham found impenetrable on 15th February 2008. The cave, however, does continue for another 700 m or 800 m in a direct line (1 km or 2 km of unexplored cave passage) to end with a resurgence near N25°26'10-: E092°28'20” (±150 m): 760 m (±25 m) asl. Till today, neither the surface above the collapse nor the vicinity of the resurgence has been visited in view of gaining access to the bulk of the cave. EVALUATION: Seasonal sink and cave draining a area NE of Umkyrpong. Water flowing in from two directions (NE and SW) indicate a possible drain towards Krem Labit Kseh and the Kopili River in the east. Keen observers noticed unspecified some calcite formations, mud, silt (Arbenz, T 2011.11.01 Mss Jean Pierre Bartoleyns 15thFeb.2010 Krem Kdong Samasi 26.2.2004). ETYMOLOGY: The Cave [in the] Area / Vicinity [of the] Cattle Shed- has been called many names (note 1). SITUATION (note 2): Somewhere in the vicinity of the village of Samasi (note 3), which lies estimated distance of 6 km on foot in an unspecified direction down an unidentified river or stream (no name mentioned) in valley with an unidentified name. To reach the village, follow the electricity pylons down from the village of Lontary (sic!) or Lumthari (note 4) for an unspecified distance into an unknown direction and ford an unidentified river or stream (note 5). APPROACH 2004: From Sam Masi [Samasi] village (Stead, J 2004.02.29 Mss). APPROACH 2008: Rolf Siegenthaler (200 Mss, Wednesday 13th February) narrates how a strong team of initially eight and later seven expedition cavers went searching for the cave entrance equipped with a GPS receiver and one solitary waypoint. The entrance was eventually found just before nightfall, but the job could have accomplished easily within a short time (note 6), if only they had had a sensible access description and location map (note 7). APPROACH 2011: Follow the Shaktiman road from Samasi towards Lakasain Junction (alternatively from Umkyrpong - Moriap - Lakasain junction). Near N25°25’10”: E92°32’37” a (mostly) dry river crosses the track and goes towards NE. There is a footpath that follows the river through several mining camps and ends at the cave entrance about 200 m from the road (Arbenz, T 2011.11.01 Mss Jean Pierre Bartoleyns 15thFeb.2010 Krem Kdong Samasi 26.2.2004). POSITION 2004: Wishfull precision error allegedly less than 10 m but then an estimated distance of 15 m in an unidentified direction from te cave entrance and near N25°25'26.6”: E092°33'08.1”: 854 m asl (WGS84, Boycott, A 2004.02.26 GPS Garmin 12 in: Stead, J 2004.02.26 Mss: Krem Kdong Sam Masi). POSITION 2008a: N25°25'26.6”: E092°33'08.1” (WGS84, Boycott, A 2008.02.17 Mss: Krem Kdong Sammasi). POSITION 2008b: Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- and insists that I've definitely got [the cave entrance to Krem] Kdong Semmasi [sic!] in the right place, it is at least 500 m from Krem Siej which is near Krem Tyngheng, and my GPS went straight to it within 20 m after four years! (Boycott, Antony -Tony- 2008.03.25 Mss: Kdong Samasi / Semmasi). POSITION 2011: (precision error allegedly ±10 m) N25°25’26.6”: E092°33’08.1”: 854 m asl (WGS84 A.Boycott 15.2.2008 Magellan in: Arbenz, T 2011.11.01 Mss Jean Pierre Bartoleyns 15thFeb.2010 Krem Kdong Samasi 26.2.2004). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2002: Cotongsamasi: Large cave with water and calcite formations (Sheen, R F 2002.02.20 Mss: untitled [Cotongsamasi]- dated 2/02/02 after an unidentified local (no name mentioned) at Mawkhlain). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2004a: Sink with small stream, muddy passage to large chamber, continuing to passage ending in [sic! for: giving access to] a small bouldered chamber with possible way on back into the main stream way. [The known part of the cave is] Very muddy and slippery, even in the very large chamber (Stead, J 2004.02.26 Mss) and indicates that the insurgence cave takes water in the rainy season. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2004b: Krem Kdong Sammasi 902 m (Brooks, S J 2004.05.11 Mss; BROOKS, S J 2004a: 30, 2004b: 267) CAVE DESCRIPTION 2004b: Krem Kdong Samasi, length: 902.75 m … comment: Possible climb back to stream (Arbenz, T 2004.02 Mss: Abstracts.xls). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007: A relatively fascinating and labyrinthine river cave (JARRATT & DAWSON 2007). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008: Dr. Antony 'Tony' Boycott narrates having … surveyed 100 m from old end point station 1/39 through bat colony in collapse chamber into well deorated but muddy streamway with much collapse (not entered) in high rift [without orientation] to the left. [At this stage of entering, the progress was] Ended after boulder choke became too loose & tight (Boycott, Antony 'Tony' 2008.02.17 Mss: Krem Kdong Sammasi). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: Stream way and muddy boulder chambers through a bat roost in “Collapse Chamber” and into a well decorated but muddy stream way with much collapse (not entered) in a high rift on the left. The cave ends in [sic! qua: gives access to] a boulder choke too loose and tight to follow safely (Arbenz, T 2011.11.01 Mss Jean Pierre Bartoleyns 15thFeb.2010 Krem Kdong Samasi 26.2.2004). CAVE POTENTIAL: An additional underground travelling distance of about 700 or 800 m in a direct line (corresponding to one or two kilometres of cave passages) needs to be entered, mapped and explored before reaching the resurgence on the opposite, north-east-facing flank of the ridge north of Samasi and 2.5 km in a direct linedue west from the village of Umkyrpong (note 8). It is only when we come to Anonymous et al. (2008 Mss: Meghalaya 2008 diary.doc: Friday 15th February) that we are told how Antony 'Tony' Boycott, Jayne Stead and Mark E. Tringham had pushed the final boulder choke without success but you are not told that they gave up without considering to reconnoitre the surface above the accessible bit of the known cave passage or the vicinity of the not yet visited resurgence of Krem Kdong Samasi. Nevertheless, they happily laid back and declared that the cave seems to have minimal prospects for further extension. UNEXPLORED LEAD 1: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns and some local female villiagers (sic!) found on 12 February 2010 a balcony above the water level and they thought there might be a dry gallery of 3 m wide which needs further investigation (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). UNEXPLORED LEAD 2: Tight crawl in streamway on the right at end —clim through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano note 10). Thomas Arbenz decided to reduce the cave fauna to Trapdoor spider in large Chamber (Arbenz, T 2011.11.01 Mss Jean Pierre Bartoleyns 15thFeb.2010 Krem Kdong Samasi 26.2.2004). through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano through boulders— may be possible by removing some boulders. In the small chamber to the right of the streamway a climb over the boulders may drop back into the streamway. Needs another look (Stead 2004.02.26 Mss). Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) confirms that the exploration of Krem Kdong Samasi can only be considered Finished unless you are brave enough to push a loose, muddy boulder choke with no drought & stale air (note 9). CAVE LIFE: Dr. med. Antony 'Tony' Boycott (2008.02.17 Mss) noticed the presence of Trapdoorspider in large chamber (trapdoor spider, conf. Liphistius) Dr. Boycott, Tony [Antony] (2008.03.20 Mss: Bat droppings) reported not only to have noticed on 15th February 2008 in Krem Kdong Sammasi N 25deg 25’ 26.6- E 092deg 33’ 08.1- … woodlice [Isopoda], spiders including huntsman [Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.] & trapdoor spider, crickets but also to have collected at a spot 500 m inside cave, large chamber with mud & batshit samples of bat guano note 10). Thomas Arbenz decided to reduce the cave fauna to Trapdoor spider in large Chamber (Arbenz, T 2011.11.01 Mss Jean Pierre Bartoleyns 15thFeb.2010 Krem Kdong Samasi 26.2.2004).