Alum Cave

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An about 5 m deep cave entrance of unidentified dimensions, which had been obstructed by tree trunks in February 2001, gives access to a seasonal stream sink in the Umsong Quarry near Shella (Boycott, Antony 'Tony' 2001.03.20 personal correspondence) where an active system series of vadose canyons give access to older, but still intermittently active, phreatic passages. All water found in the cave is at the same level and static suggesting that this is the water table [note 1] (Rob Harper 2002.02.15 personal correspondence). ETYMOLOGY: The recorded cave name Krem Alum was done away with as a local cave name without known meaning (Harper 2002.02.15 personal correspondence). Little doubt remains, however, that the people at home in this area do understand meanings which escape strangers. The recorded -alum- (note 2) sounds as if it were an interpretation of the Khasi -ha 'lum- (a contraction: ha u lum), which would render the expression -krem ha lum- a statement or explanation sayng something along the lines of cave in the neighbourhood or surroundings of a village or town (note 3). SITUATION: Not only at an unidentified location somewhere in the Umsong Quarry which, in one way or another, is somehow near Shella (Boycott, Antony 'Tony' 2001.03.20 personal correspondence), but also in the vicinity of a difficult to reconstruct GPS position (note 4). APPROACH: (after Harper 2001 Mss -Alum Cave- undated; 2002.04.31 Mss -Meghalay.doc- item 24): Starting some 40 m in an unspecified direction beyond a quarry (without GPS position) at Umsong, watch out for what years ago had been an obvious track on opposite side of road. Which side of the road, however, could be opposite of what or where remains an enigma. The more or less obvious track leads after an unspecified distance in an unspecified direction to a relatively large doline with unspecified dimensions. Follow the track round one or the other left-hand side edge of the closed depression and continue down in a unspecified direction to the bed of a stream without identified name, direction or size. Somewhere here, the cave entrance is said to be a kind of large obvious sink entrance without identified shape or dimensions. CAVE DESCRIPTION (after Harper 2001 Mss: Alum Cave; 2002.04.31 Mss -Meghalay.doc- item 24). A 5 m climb down at tree trunk obstructed cave entrance to canyon (1.5 wide, 6 m high) to a cave chamber, then relatively short 3 m -U- tube then back to canyon for 50 m. Here, a 3 m climb down regains the floor of the canyon which after 50 m arrives at bedding plane passage with a stal squeeze (speleothems). Back into canyon then 100 m to a cave chamber (8 by 8 by 4 m) with a relatively small pool of unknown size. Several ways lead on from this chamber. One pool a canal passage (4 by 2 m) in chest deep water can be followed (passing a small duck en route) for 20 m to an active streamway (initially 4 by 1.5 m) over cobbles to where it gets too low after a further 20 m. Downstream atthe pool is blocked by boulders and stal but climbing through boulders gains the downstream continuation in an approximately 40 m long cave passage (initially 8 m by 4 m) to a relatively large sump with unspecified dimensions. Above the pool, several ways lead up through boulders and eye holes to an upper level of a cave chamber. From here an easy 4 m climb leads to a ledge. In an unidentified direction on somebody's right (sic!) is a sordid muddy and relatively small canyon passage (1 to 0.5 m wide and 1 to 1.5 m high) which leads after 20 m to a mud choke. Proceeding in an unidentified direction on sombody's left (sic!) gains a tube-shaped Wonzler's crawl (1.5 by 1.4 m) with a crystal-fretted floor. This winds up and down and degenerates after 70 m into three anastomosing tubes (0.5 by 0.4 m) which reunite after 10 m at a boulder floored hading rift chamber (6 by 4 by 6 m). An active stream inlet on RHS in an unspecified direction ends after 40 m at stal choke. From the floor f this cave chamber, a squeeze leads over boulders to a T-junction in a relatively large phreatic (sic! qua: phreatic shaped) cave passage (4 by 6 m). Another so-called right (sic) in an unidentified direction can be followed for 120 m to a relatively small pitch which drops 3 m to tight, sand floored rifts not pushed to a conclusion but draughting and smelling of surface. En route a 2 by 2 m large cave passage in the floor can be followed for 20 m to a static canal boulder blocked at one end and too tight at other. In an unidentified direction left (sic!) at the T-junction lead some 40 or 50 m of similar cave passage to a sharp right bend. From here the cave passage narrows down for circa 2 m to approximately 2 by 1.5 m before opening out into a relatively large bedding chamber (25 by 20 by 4 m) inclined at approximately 30°. A hading rift, (8 to 10 m by 1 to 1.5 m) can be followed for 40 m. This passes two side descending passages to static canals and/ or sumps. The cave passage the becomes for circa 100 m a phreatic-shaped tube (3 to 4 by 1.5 to 2.5 m) with a remarkable fretted floor before degenerating into a flat out anastomosing bedding plane crawl 0.4 to 0.8 m high and draughting. This was followed for circa 55 m to no conclusion. TACKLE REQUIRED: Handline useful. PROSPECTS: Rob Harper (2001 Mss -Alum Cave- undated) judges poor and expresses a need according to which someone should push bedding to a conclusion. CAVE LIFE: Frogs, freshwater crabs, pale woodlice, Heteropoda spiders including females with egg sacs, one relatively small bat (Chiroptera, indet.), and flies with -florid probosci- (A. Boycott).f this cave chamber, a squeeze leads over boulders to a T-junction in a relatively large phreatic (sic! qua: phreatic shaped) cave passage (4 by 6 m). Another so-called right (sic) in an unidentified direction can be followed for 120 m to a relatively small pitch which drops 3 m to tight, sand floored rifts not pushed to a conclusion but draughting and smelling of surface. En route a 2 by 2 m large cave passage in the floor can be followed for 20 m to a static canal boulder blocked at one end and too tight at other. In an unidentified direction left (sic!) at the T-junction lead some 40 or 50 m of similar cave passage to a sharp right bend. From here the cave passage narrows down for circa 2 m to approximately 2 by 1.5 m before opening out into a relatively large bedding chamber (25 by 20 by 4 m) inclined at approximately 30°. A hading rift, (8 to 10 m by 1 to 1.5 m) can be followed for 40 m. This passes two side descending passages to static canals and/ or sumps. The cave passage thef this cave chamber, a squeeze leads over boulders to a T-junction in a relatively large phreatic (sic! qua: phreatic shaped) cave passage (4 by 6 m). Another so-called right (sic) in an unidentified direction can be followed for 120 m to a relatively small pitch which drops 3 m to tight, sand floored rifts not pushed to a conclusion but draughting and smelling of surface. En route a 2 by 2 m large cave passage in the floor can be followed for 20 m to a static canal boulder blocked at one end and too tight at other. In an unidentified direction left (sic!) at the T-junction lead some 40 or 50 m of similar cave passage to a sharp right bend. From here the cave passage narrows down for circa 2 m to approximately 2 by 1.5 m before opening out into a relatively large bedding chamber (25 by 20 by 4 m) inclined at approximately 30°. A hading rift, (8 to 10 m by 1 to 1.5 m) can be followed for 40 m. This passes two side descending passages to static canals and/ or sumps. The cave passage the becomes for circa 100 m a phreatic-shaped tube (3 to 4 by 1.5 to 2.5 m) with a remarkable fretted floor before degenerating into a flat out anastomosing bedding plane crawl 0.4 to 0.8 m high and draughting. This was followed for circa 55 m to no conclusion. TACKLE REQUIRED: Handline useful. PROSPECTS: Rob Harper (2001 Mss -Alum Cave- undated) judges poor and expresses a need according to which someone should push bedding to a conclusion. CAVE LIFE: Frogs, freshwater crabs, pale woodlice, Heteropoda spiders including females with egg sacs, one relatively small bat (Chiroptera, indet.), and flies with -florid probosci- (A. Boycott).