LYMOH POTS CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Seasonally active streambeds merging into a complex of mostly daylight-lit grykes in limestone descend between 12 m and 20 m vertically down to the first three of altogether nine known cave entrances, which all give access to a cave passage that drains a perennial stream of water from the SSW along an about 550 m long visitable route () to a resurgence (Entrance 9) in the NNE and vertically 66 m lower down. The first of the three topmost cave entrances was never surveyed (Kirola, Vikram Singh et al. 2010.02.18 & 2010.02.20 survey data), was estimated to be 1 m by 1 m wide and an estimated 20 m deep, and somehow suspect all being connected (Audsley, A U 2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10). CAVE ENTRANCES: station Longitude N Latitude E aslE1 10/0 25°24'21.2”N 92°25'50.4”E 796 mE2 11/0 25°25'20.5”N 92°35'50.4”E 792 mE3 12/0 25°25'20.1”N 92°35'50.5”E 805 mE4 13/0 25°25'24.9”N 92°35'53.7”E 817 mE5 14/0 25°25'25.2”N 92°35'53.7”E 814 mE6 15/0 25°25'28.2”N 92°35$*55.4”E 821 mE7 2/3 25°25'30.1”N 92°35'55.6”E 837 mE8 1/43 25°25'31.2”N 92°35'57.1”E 857 mE9 1/50 25°25'32.6”N 92°35'58.2”E 861 mETYMOLOGY: Since there exists neither the English word -krem- nor the Khasi word -pot- (SINGH, N 1906: 163), little doubt remains that the following cave names are as beautiful and as attractive as Frankenstein's monster: Krem Lymoh Pots Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) Krem Lymoh Pots Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 17th February); Arbenz, T (2010.03.31 cave distribution map: Pala_Ridge_4-10.pdf) and Krem Lymoh Pot Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls); Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 18th February); Brooks, S J et al. (2010.03.08, 2010.03.12 Mss: Overview 2010.doc) Lymoh Pots Arbenz, T (2011.10.04 Mss: V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010 Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010) and They all represent what honest people would call Lymoh Pot or Lymmoh Pot unless alienation into a Synteg-wise khasified -Thlu Lymoh- deems desirable (note 1). SITUATION: At the head of the Phud Lymoh (dubbed Lymmoh Canyon and Lymoh Canyon), a mostly dry tributary (25°24'48”N: 92°36'23”E) from the SSW to the orographically left bank of the Kopili River. SITUATION 2010a: Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) located These [three] caves [cave entrances] (potholes) are on the south side of the Lymmoh Canyon at 25 24 21.2 E92 35 50.4 (note 2). SITUATION 2010b: Arbenz, T (2010.03.31 cave distribution map: Pala_Ridge_4-10.pdf) indicates Krem Lymoh Pots above the locally south-west (orographically right) bank of the Lymmoh canyon (Lymoh gorge). APPROACH: From the church (25°25’24.2”N: 92°35’32.7”E) dedicated to St. Joseph at the illage of Kseh, take a track through the village and south-east downhill to a relatively new reservoir of unknown age and with an unidentified relation to old water reservoirs. At a point with an unidentified GPS position continues Here a good footath south across woodland and rice fields and traverses the slope in a SSE direction. After ca. 20 min / 1 km, the path reaches crossroads (25°25’5.9”N: 92°35’31.5”E). Proceed opposite across the 4WD-track down from the Kseh-Pala road (alternative route by Jeep) … and take a footpath down into Lymmoh Canyon. Cross a ford and follow a path up to the edge if the canyon. The cave lies here on the South side of Lymmoh Canyon at N25°24’21.2”: E092°35’50.4” at the beginning of a slope of the hill. It is the head of a maze of grykes with a dry watercourse going into it (modified after Arbenz, T 2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010a: Three potholes are suspected to be caves on the south side of the Lymmoh [sic!] Canyon (Audsley, A U 2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010b: Krem Lymoh Pot (sic!) is a relatively old new cave of unidentified age which was partly explored and mapped and noteworthy insofar as it yielded an accumulationof lengthwise measured distances (Brooks, S J et al. 2010.03.08 Mss: Overview 2010.doc; Brooks, S J et al. 2010.03.12 Mss: Overview 2010.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: Out of the seven known cave entrances, there are three interconnected potholes (1=1mx1m / -20m), (2=4mx6m / -20m), (3=15mX5m / -12m) which descend down into a seasonal sink at the top of Lymoh canyon. The best access is via the 3rd pot which can be free climbed / scrambled on the downstream side (Arbenz, T 2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010). SPELEOMETRY: Professional mariners in the pay of the Indian Navy were understood to have measured a vertical range of ±50.12 m (-46.99 m, +3.13 m) at a survey length of 889.02 m (Kirola, Vikram Singh et al. 2010.02.18 & 2010.02.20 survey data). Actually, however, all participants of the navy team (Kirola, Vikram Singh [speleographer]; Bishnoi, Prakash C; Rai, Pankaj) missed to survey each and every of the seven vertical distances (an estimated 20 m + 20 m + 12m + 6 m + 15 m + 15 m = 88 m) which were noticed in the seven pothole entrances (Arbenz, T 2011.10.05 Lymopotsplan_1000.ai; Arbenz, T 2011.10.05 Lymopotsplan_1000.pdf). The total amount of accumulated distances, which have been measured lengthwise in this cave during February 2010, were not only added up in view of yielding sums as large as possible but also include the following important numbers: 241.31 [deleted] Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) 605.90 m ±32.26 m (-32.26 m / +0.00 m) AA (2010.02.18) survey data file: Krem Lymoh Pots_02.Text 620.16 [deleted] Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) 874 m Brooks, S J et al. (2010 Mss: Overview 2010.doc version 2010.03.08, v. 2010.03.12) 874.51 m ±0.00 m (-0.00 m / +0.00 m) Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 889.02 m ±50.12 m (-50.12 m / +0.00 m) Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots) 889.02 m ±50.12 m (-46.99 m / +3.13 m) Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala position.xlsx); Arenz, T (2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010).CAVE CONTENTS: Unspecified secondary calcite formations (Arbenz, T 2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: Porcupine (Arbenz, T 2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010). Keyword: conf. Hystrix (Rodentia: Hystricomorpha: Hystricida).m + 6 m + 15 m + 15 m = 88 m) which were noticed in the seven pothole entrances (Arbenz, T 2011.10.05 Lymopotsplan_1000.ai; Arbenz, T 2011.10.05 Lymopotsplan_1000.pdf). The total amount of accumulated distances, which have been measured lengthwise in this cave during February 2010, were not only added up in view of yielding sums as large as possible but also include the following important numbers: 241.31 [deleted] Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) 605.90 m ±32.26 m (-32.26 m / +0.00 m) AA (2010.02.18) survey data file: Krem Lymoh Pots_02.Text 620.16 [deleted] Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) 874 m Brooks, S J et al. (2010 Mss: Overview 2010.doc version 2010.03.08, v. 2010.03.12) 874.51 m ±0.00 m (-0.00 m / +0.00 m) Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 889.02 m ±50.12 m (-50.12 m / +0.00 m) Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots) 889.02 m ±50.12 m (-46.99 m / +3.13 m) Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala position.xlsx); Arm + 6 m + 15 m + 15 m = 88 m) which were noticed in the seven pothole entrances (Arbenz, T 2011.10.05 Lymopotsplan_1000.ai; Arbenz, T 2011.10.05 Lymopotsplan_1000.pdf). The total amount of accumulated distances, which have been measured lengthwise in this cave during February 2010, were not only added up in view of yielding sums as large as possible but also include the following important numbers: 241.31 [deleted] Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) 605.90 m ±32.26 m (-32.26 m / +0.00 m) AA (2010.02.18) survey data file: Krem Lymoh Pots_02.Text 620.16 [deleted] Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots 17/2/10) 874 m Brooks, S J et al. (2010 Mss: Overview 2010.doc version 2010.03.08, v. 2010.03.12) 874.51 m ±0.00 m (-0.00 m / +0.00 m) Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 889.02 m ±50.12 m (-50.12 m / +0.00 m) Audsley, A U (2010.02.17 Mss: Krem Lymoh Pots) 889.02 m ±50.12 m (-46.99 m / +3.13 m) Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala position.xlsx); Arenz, T (2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010).CAVE CONTENTS: Unspecified secondary calcite formations (Arbenz, T 2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: Porcupine (Arbenz, T 2011.10.04 Mss -V.Singh 22ndFeb.2010- Lymoh Pots 17.2.2010). Keyword: conf. Hystrix (Rodentia: Hystricomorpha: Hystricida).