PYRDA, Ladmyrsiang, 2nd (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 14/05/2016

This "thloo" or "thlu" (hole) is actually a number of different caves, crags, potholes and natural wells (compare: Krem –>Thloo / Thlu Rasah numbers 1 to 3 and Krem –>Umthloo Rasah). SITUATION: These caves lie in the Rasah area which lies to the east the Pyrda plain (in the west of the Jaintia Cement Works campus) and at the foot of the western flank of the Shnongrim Ridge. From Ladmyrsiang (Latyrke), it takes about ten walking minutes to reach the Rasah area, from where a footpath ascends to Shnongrim. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The largest cave lies at the foot of the spur at the southern edge of the Pyrda plain. Thus, it may be referred to as Krem –>Pyrda. A small river emerges from below fallen boulders which guard the north-east facing main cave entrance (7.7 m wide, 2.8 m high) which leads to a short but sizeable stream cave (6 m wide, 2.5 m high, 30 m long). A short way in, a collapse from the right (north-west) offers another cave entrance. Clambering up and down this breakdown area, the second part of the main drag (6 m by 2.5 m, 80 m long) is reached which leads to a third cave entrance in the far south-east. PROSPECTS: Several unexplored shallow crawl ways, some of them wet, others muddy or dry, lead from the floor level to unknown distances and terrain. The linear continuation of the cave is expected towards the south-west where, at a distance of about 35 m (towards 240°), the cave entrance to Krem –>Pyrda, Ladmyrsiang, is found. »The cave started with an impressive boulder chamber that led to a gorge above ground from where we squeezed through a small hole, back underground into the rest of the cave. As the survey team slowly but surely made their way through the cave another group went on ahead to explore the main cave and its numerous side passages. Wildlife seemed to be in abundance with a lizard and some of the biggest spiders that any of us had ever seen. One was the size of a saucer! Many of the side passages were dead ends and those who crawled through wet and slimy ones were not particularly amused (DAWSON, S 1999: 12).«