KHRAM (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

What was described as a vegetation-clad and sandstone-capped but somehow half round and collapsed cave entrance, which faces north-west and is an estimated 20 m wide and up to 5 m high (note 1), functions as the seasonal sink of a stream of water with an unidentified name (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday) and gives access to a sinkhole or stinkhole which descents down into cave passage with one or more impenetrable continuations (note 2): The profile of the cave is like a “meander” and seems to be formed by water (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). The cave is not only the home of fruit bats (note 3) along with bat guano below and bat pee from above but also contains speleothems represented by only few stalactites or sinter (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss) or flowstone. ETYMOLOGY: The meaning, origin and history or herstory of the recorded cave name Krem Chram (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss; Bösch, M2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc) has not yet been identified and makes no sense as it is not a Khasi word. The Khasi -Krem Khram- signifies a [violent] Crash Cave whilst -Krem Khrum- would translate as Cellar Cave or Cave [with] Space Under [the] Floor (note 4). SETTING: About 3 km in a direct line SSW from Ummat (church near ±5.9 m N25°11'06.2”: E092°16'07”: 759 m asl on the Lakadong-Umlatdoh Plateau) but much lower down at a location above the orographically right (western) bank of the Umdakha. SITUATION: At an unspecified location within a walking distance into a direction from the village of Lama (near ±1 km N25°10'00”: E092°14'40”) on the interfluve east of the Myntdu (Hari River) and in a setting high above the orographically right (western) bank of the Umdakha. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.26: Quite a big entrance with big blocks leading down approx. 15 m to first wall to climb up 5 m. It is followed by an abseiling of 15 m of the big traverse on the right wall of the cave. he traverse of 15 m is in the middle of the wall approx. 25 m above the ground. The traverse is followed by the next abseiling of 20 m. Then it has two bolts on each site of a window in the wall, which is followed by the last abseiling of aprox. 25 m with two delays of the right site. Then the bottom of the cave is reached. After that one has to follow the “meander” for about 50 m to the big “Versturz” [breakdown, collapse] that can be climbed (bolts on the left side). After the few meters the cave ended in a small chamber. The hole journey is accompanied by the noise of the fruit bats and their pee (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05: On arriving at the [entrance to this] cave it was found to be a sinkhole … and appeared to be descended quickly (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday). A descent of about 10 m and a traverse of approximately 12 m … went down the second pit for another 2 m (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). The floor and rubble slope in the bottom part of the cave is really slippery, which Michel found out as he slipped and hurt his elbow. The other rather unfortunate thing is that the cave bottomed out. … Henry bolted up an aven, which gave another 20 m but it ended there (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: Deep meander, parallel pitches (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE CONTENTS: The bottom of the cave (pits) is covered with different types of stones. The stones are covered with bat guano. There is no sand or mud discovered. Only few stalactites or sinter can be found. … the smell of the guano is very intense (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). TACKLE: 100 m rope, 20 m rope, 20 m dynamic rope, 24 hangers (bolts placed in 2014 are zinc lated iron), slings for natural rigging points (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). PROSPECTS 2014.04.05: One rather unfortunate thing is that the cave bottomed out. The feasible way on being a dig down or 30-40 meter [sic! qua: metre] climbs into the unknown. Neither likely to happen this week (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). PROSPECTS 2014.12.26: Only according to bullshit None (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). SURVEY PROGRESS: Cave research was relinquished in the face of unattempted 30-40 meter [sic! qua: metre] climbs into the unknown and the very act of rapidly visiting exclusively the known parts of this cave was quickly declared Finished (Anonymous 2014.04.05 Expedition Survey Log 2014 (8-3-2014).xls; Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use para-racist arrogance and bat hunting ground: Some expedition cavers degrade resident people toLocals which were said to hunt bats at the cave entrance (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). CAVE CLIMATE: Expedition cavers noticed in February 2014 that the temperature in the cave is relatively high (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). CAVE LIFE -- Guano dwellers: There was lots of interesting wildlife on the bottom in the guano, including cave snails with ridiculously small shells, lots of fungus and creepy crawlers. Elena Buduran collected crickets, spiders and three different species of millipedes (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). Biospeleological hot spot (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE LIFE -- Chiroptera: 2014.02.13: On arriving at the cave it was found … that contained a large bat population [note 5]. Manuel confirmed it would be better for him to return to the cave [or, more likely, to the bats] at night (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: iary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 12th February, Wednesday). In the afternoon, Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi set up a harp trap and a mobile net for bats at the entrance of the cave. That took some time. At 4 30 first bat was caught in the harp trap being a small Rhinolophus pussilius [sic! qua: R. pusillus, note 6]. Starting at 5 pm the big bat colony started to come out. The most useful tool was the mobile mist net. Two people needed to hold it and many examples of Eonycteris spelea [sic! qua: E. spelaea, note 7], a fruit bat, that stayed in the caves [note 8]. The big bat colony was estimated at 700. We expected thousands of them, but it seems to be just a few hundred. The colony stayed in a chamber, 50 m high, and it was very hard to estimate and see it properly. During netting, we saw a Mustella [sic! qua: Mustela] sp. [note 9], very curious about the bats stopping for a few seconds and watched us carefully. After everyone else had gone back to the camp Oana and Manuel stayed til 8 pm in front of the cave to catch bats. Later we returned to the bamboo hut for the night and have the “jungle night”. For anyone used to this it was a very good nights’ sleep, but not for everybody. Some fire in the forest, lots of noises and bugs. But in the morning people brought a nice package of rice and eggs in banana leaves for the ones that just ate biscuits for dinner (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14: Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi get up early in the morning at 6: 30 and get the harp trap and measured and liberated all nine bats of the same species Eonycteris spelaea (not other species unfortunately). Taking back the harp trap for transport to camp, but on the way back, Manuel realized that the habitat is great for more forest bat species, so he decided to spend one more night in the jungle. Of course, Oana could not stay out of this and decided to join him for a second night. As a result o this Manuel had to return to camp for more mist nets. The second night was much better, catching a new species for the list Hipposideros Pomona [note 10] and more species of fruit bats. Rain had started early in the morning as we woke up to check the harp trap (anonymous Oana Chachula or Elena Buduran in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). CAVE LIFE 2014.12.26: Somebody (no name[s] mentioned) told Michel Bösch that this cave is the home of bats (large colony of Eonycteris spelaea), slugs, huntsman spiders, milipeds, a lot of nasty little flies, white mushrooms (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc). 8 pm in front of the cave to catch bats. Later we returned to the bamboo hut for the night and have the “jungle night”. For anyone used to this it was a very good nights’ sleep, but not for everybody. Some fire in the forest, lots of noises and bugs. But in the morning people brought a nice package of rice and eggs in banana leaves for the ones that just ate biscuits for dinner (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14: Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi get up early in the morning at 6: 30 and get the harp trap and measured and liberated all nine bats of the same species Eonycteris spelaea (not other species unfortunately). Taking back the harp trap for transport to camp, but on the way back, Manuel realized that the habitat is great for more forest bat species, so he decided to spend one more night in the jungle. Of course, Oana could not stay out of this and decided to join him for a second night. As a result o 8 pm in front of the cave to catch bats. Later we returned to the bamboo hut for the night and have the “jungle night”. For anyone used to this it was a very good nights’ sleep, but not for everybody. Some fire in the forest, lots of noises and bugs. But in the morning people brought a nice package of rice and eggs in banana leaves for the ones that just ate biscuits for dinner (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14: Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi get up early in the morning at 6: 30 and get the harp trap and measured and liberated all nine bats of the same species Eonycteris spelaea (not other species unfortunately). Taking back the harp trap for transport to camp, but on the way back, Manuel realized that the habitat is great for more forest bat species, so he decided to spend one more night in the jungle. Of course, Oana could not stay out of this and decided to join him for a second night. As a result o 8 pm in front of the cave to catch bats. Later we returned to the bamboo hut for the night and have the “jungle night”. For anyone used to this it was a very good nights’ sleep, but not for everybody. Some fire in the forest, lots of noises and bugs. But in the morning people brought a nice package of rice and eggs in banana leaves for the ones that just ate biscuits for dinner (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14: Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi get up early in the morning at 6: 30 and get the harp trap and measured and liberated all nine bats of the same species Eonycteris spelaea (not other species unfortunately). Taking back the harp trap for transport to camp, but on the way back, Manuel realized that the habitat is great for more forest bat species, so he decided to spend one more night in the jungle. Of course, Oana could not stay out of this and decided to join him for a second night. As a result o 8 pm in front of the cave to catch bats. Later we returned to the bamboo hut for the night and have the “jungle night”. For anyone used to this it was a very good nights’ sleep, but not for everybody. Some fire in the forest, lots of noises and bugs. But in the morning people brought a nice package of rice and eggs in banana leaves for the ones that just ate biscuits for dinner (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14: Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi get up early in the morning at 6: 30 and get the harp trap and measured and liberated all nine bats of the same species Eonycteris spelaea (not other species unfortunately). Taking back the harp trap for transport to camp, but on the way back, Manuel realized that the habitat is great for more forest bat species, so he decided to spend one more night in the jungle. Of course, Oana could not stay out of this and decided to join him for a second night. As a result o 8 pm in front of the cave to catch bats. Later we returned to the bamboo hut for the night and have the “jungle night”. For anyone used to this it was a very good nights’ sleep, but not for everybody. Some fire in the forest, lots of noises and bugs. But in the morning people brought a nice package of rice and eggs in banana leaves for the ones that just ate biscuits for dinner (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 13th February, Thursday). 2014.02.14: Oana Chachula and Manuel Ruedi get up early in the morning at 6: 30 and get the harp trap and measured and liberated all nine bats of the same species Eonycteris spelaea (not other species unfortunately). Taking back the harp trap for transport to camp, but on the way back, Manuel realized that the habitat is great for more forest bat species, so he decided to spend one more night in the jungle. Of course, Oana could not stay out of this and decided to join him for a second night. As a result o this Manuel had to return to camp for more mist nets. The second night was much better, catching a new species for the list Hipposideros Pomona [note 10] and more species of fruit bats. Rain had started early in the morning as we woke up to check the harp trap (anonymous Oana Chachula or Elena Buduran in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 14th February, Friday). CAVE LIFE 2014.12.26: Somebody (no name[s] mentioned) told Michel Bösch that this cave is the home of bats (large colony of Eonycteris spelaea), slugs, huntsman spiders, milipeds, a lot of nasty little flies, white mushrooms (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: Krem Chram.doc).