RHEN RMEN (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The slot-shaped, SSW-facing cave entrance (4 m wide, 11 m high) in Thanetian (Lower Eocene to Upper Palaeocene) Lakadong Limestone is characterised by sandstone / limestone boulders + vegetation and gave access to a point where a bamboo ladder (February 2012) descends 8 m down into a generally horizontal cave in arenaceous limestones and calcareous sandstones of the Danian (Lower Palaeocene) Langpar Formation. The cave seems to represent the relic of a vaulted cave passage and was interpreted as a fossil [note 1] tunnel cave [note 2] with a misfit stream in the dry season of February 2012 (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). ETYMOLOGY: The cave name has been interpreted initially as cave on the way [note 3] from old Syndai to New Syndai [note 4] (Smart 2012.02.21 survey sheet 2, apparently after Che Sheylla) and later as Cave of the way / route of the people of the Plains (Smart, C M 2013.03.11 -The definitive list of the caves of Syndai- after G. Parleyfort Pamthid, Syndai). At a closer look, the Khasi ”ki Rmen- (noun, plural) signifies the people living in the north of the Nongkhlaw elaka (SINGH, N 1906: 174), i.e. the Ri Bhoi (note 5) or country of the Bhoi people overlooking the Brahmaputra valley in Assam. The meaning and origin of -rhem- or -rhen- remains in the abode of the clouds or, if you prefer, in thick fog, the dark, etc. (note 6). Among the definite cave names, which constitute one of the latest final answer as to the 6/ 7/10/12/18 caves of Syndhai (Smart 2013.03.03 personal correspondence), are the following variants: Krem Rhen Rmen Smart, C M (2013.03.11 Mss: The definitive list …); Smart, C M (2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012) Krem Rhemrmen Smart, C M (2012.02.21 survey sheet paginated 2 and dated 21|2|12) Krem Rehrmen Anonymous (2012.02.26 digital Pentax images from 26_02_2012_Krem Rehrmen fixed survey point_001.JPG through to … 007.JPG on -My File- DVD forwarded by Smart, Christopher M 2013.03.11). SITUATION: The cae entrance is at the base of a cliff which forms the northern edge of a steep sided closed depression (Smart 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012) in jungle (Smart, C M 2012.02.21 survey sheet 2 dated 21|2|12). The GPS position, which has been recorded for the cave entrance to Krem Rhen Rmen, indicates a spot which lies at about halfway between Syndai and Umjalong, south of the road towards Jangushen, and in an area where calcareous limestones and arenaceous sandstones of the Langpar formation are exposed on the surface (NAG & PAL 1996 map). APPROACH: In case of starting from what had been in 2012 the westernmost houses of Syndai, … follow the unsurfaced road approximately northwest towards Jangushen for [a linear distance of] about 800 metres [note 7]. Near (±3 m) N25.18857: E92.13172: 474 m [25°11'18.9”N: 92°07'54.2”E] (WGS84) a footpath has been cut in a south westerly direction through scrub. Follow this for approximately 100 metres to the edge of a steep sided depressio. The cave is at the base of the cliff which forms the northern edge of the depression (Smart 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: One big chamber, two passages off decorated. Entrance pitch 8 m (bamboo ladder). Steep sided / vertical depression leads onto a cliff face. The -pot- is 11 m high and 4 m wide. Cave faces SSW, lmst (Smart, C M 2012.02.21 survey sheet 2 dated 21|2|12). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2013: The entrance faces south south west and is an 11 m high by 4 m wide slot which rapidly becomes smaller. The walls and roof of the entrance are in solid limestone but the floor of the entrance is an unstable boulder slope which will probably move over time. The entrance pitch of 8 m was initially negotiated on a bamboo pole but is better laddered over the edge of the boulders. This drops into the floor of the entrance passage on a steep boulder slope. The passage is initially 9 m high x 10 m wide leading down to large chamber with a mud floor with boulders hich continues for approximately 60 metres in a north easterly direction to a steeply ascending passage. This ends with [sic! qua: arrives at] a gravel and sandstone and limestone boulder blockage. There are a few side passages from the main passage: At foot of entrance pitch passage on the western wall, there is a side passage which leads back under boulders. This is approximately 1.5 m high x 1.5 m wide and ends in [sic! qua: leads to] a boulder collapse after 5-6 m.Halfway down the boulder slope low opening, c 1.5 m high x 2 m wide in the western wall leads to a hands and knees crawl for 4 m into passage c 1 m high and c 6-8 m wide. After 10 metres the passage enlarges and descends a slope becoming larger passage (initially 4 m high x 4m wide). After 20 m the passage enlarges to 15 m high x 20 m wide passage (“Queen Victoria Passage”) which continues on the level for 20 m to an area of stalled boulder breakdown in floor. This is a large bat roost with no [apparent] way down throughthe boulders. The passage swings southwards decreasing in size to 5 x 5 m. A slope upwards in a narrowing passage leads to a boulder floored terminal chamber c 4 x 3 m.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the western wall enters a c 0.4 m wide x 0.6 m crawl in friable limestone for approx. 18-20 m. There is a squeezed midway along the crawl. The crawl ends in [reaches] a c 6 m long x 3 m wide and c 1.5-2 m high chamber with rock walls with flowstone.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the eastern wall, leads to a 2.5 climb which enters an initially c 2 m high and 2 m wide passage which winds for 5-6 m with stal becoming a 0.4-0.5 m high crawl over old blackened gours for a further 4-5 m. The passage bends right over a c 1.5 m deep pot in floor, and continues as a decorated crawling passage over a limestone floor (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). TACKLE: Entrance ladder (8 m) and long tether (mart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012) and, to treat boulder blockages, an industrial vacuum cleaner or, preferably, the environmentally more correct assistance of an otherwise unemployed stone louse, Petrophaga lorioti (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrophaga_lorioti), in German -kleine Steinlaus, das possierliche Tierchen (youtube.com/watch?v=DVKsbeayihI). CAVE POTENTIAL -- expansibility (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): Prospects are not thought to be particularly good for further passage (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). CULTURAL HISTORY - legend & fabulous tunnel: Unknown (note 8). CAVE LIFE: Cave crickets. Bats – leaf nosed (many!). Frog. Hetrapoda spiders. Mites (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012) replace preliminarily listed cave fauna (note 9) and represent Araneae: Acari; Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.; Orthoptera; Anura; Chiroptera conf. Hipposideridae: Hipposideros spp.the boulders. The passage swings southwards decreasing in size to 5 x 5 m. A slope upwards in a narrowing passage leads to a boulder floored terminal chamber c 4 x 3 m.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the western wall enters a c 0.4 m wide x 0.6 m crawl in friable limestone for approx. 18-20 m. There is a squeezed midway along the crawl. The crawl ends in [reaches] a c 6 m long x 3 m wide and c 1.5-2 m high chamber with rock walls with flowstone.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the eastern wall, leads to a 2.5 climb which enters an initially c 2 m high and 2 m wide passage which winds for 5-6 m with stal becoming a 0.4-0.5 m high crawl over old blackened gours for a further 4-5 m. The passage bends right over a c 1.5 m deep pot in floor, and continues as a decorated crawling passage over a limestone floor (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). TACKLE: Entrance ladder (8 m) and long tether (the boulders. The passage swings southwards decreasing in size to 5 x 5 m. A slope upwards in a narrowing passage leads to a boulder floored terminal chamber c 4 x 3 m.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the western wall enters a c 0.4 m wide x 0.6 m crawl in friable limestone for approx. 18-20 m. There is a squeezed midway along the crawl. The crawl ends in [reaches] a c 6 m long x 3 m wide and c 1.5-2 m high chamber with rock walls with flowstone.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the eastern wall, leads to a 2.5 climb which enters an initially c 2 m high and 2 m wide passage which winds for 5-6 m with stal becoming a 0.4-0.5 m high crawl over old blackened gours for a further 4-5 m. The passage bends right over a c 1.5 m deep pot in floor, and continues as a decorated crawling passage over a limestone floor (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). TACKLE: Entrance ladder (8 m) and long tether (the boulders. The passage swings southwards decreasing in size to 5 x 5 m. A slope upwards in a narrowing passage leads to a boulder floored terminal chamber c 4 x 3 m.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the western wall enters a c 0.4 m wide x 0.6 m crawl in friable limestone for approx. 18-20 m. There is a squeezed midway along the crawl. The crawl ends in [reaches] a c 6 m long x 3 m wide and c 1.5-2 m high chamber with rock walls with flowstone.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the eastern wall, leads to a 2.5 climb which enters an initially c 2 m high and 2 m wide passage which winds for 5-6 m with stal becoming a 0.4-0.5 m high crawl over old blackened gours for a further 4-5 m. The passage bends right over a c 1.5 m deep pot in floor, and continues as a decorated crawling passage over a limestone floor (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). TACKLE: Entrance ladder (8 m) and long tether (the boulders. The passage swings southwards decreasing in size to 5 x 5 m. A slope upwards in a narrowing passage leads to a boulder floored terminal chamber c 4 x 3 m.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the western wall enters a c 0.4 m wide x 0.6 m crawl in friable limestone for approx. 18-20 m. There is a squeezed midway along the crawl. The crawl ends in [reaches] a c 6 m long x 3 m wide and c 1.5-2 m high chamber with rock walls with flowstone.At the bottom of the entrance slope a c 2 m high and 0.8 m wide rift in the eastern wall, leads to a 2.5 climb which enters an initially c 2 m high and 2 m wide passage which winds for 5-6 m with stal becoming a 0.4-0.5 m high crawl over old blackened gours for a further 4-5 m. The passage bends right over a c 1.5 m deep pot in floor, and continues as a decorated crawling passage over a limestone floor (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). TACKLE: Entrance ladder (8 m) and long tether (mart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012) and, to treat boulder blockages, an industrial vacuum cleaner or, preferably, the environmentally more correct assistance of an otherwise unemployed stone louse, Petrophaga lorioti (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrophaga_lorioti), in German -kleine Steinlaus, das possierliche Tierchen (youtube.com/watch?v=DVKsbeayihI). CAVE POTENTIAL -- expansibility (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): Prospects are not thought to be particularly good for further passage (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012). CULTURAL HISTORY - legend & fabulous tunnel: Unknown (note 8). CAVE LIFE: Cave crickets. Bats – leaf nosed (many!). Frog. Hetrapoda spiders. Mites (Smart, C M 2013.03.31 Mss: Krem Rhen Rmen 26 Feb 2012) replace preliminarily listed cave fauna (note 9) and represent Araneae: Acari; Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.; Orthoptera; Anura; Chiroptera conf. Hipposideridae: Hipposideros spp.