SUNA (Hapka 2010) (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An apparently perennial spring of water issues from a half circle shaped cave entrance (2 m wide, 1.8 m high), which faces east but what taken as facing west (note 1) and gives access to a natural cave interpreted not only as a river cave (outlet) (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem) but also as a partly muddy and partly clean washed resurgence (some water flow even in dry season) that flows into the Kopili (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). Easily defatigable adventure cavers, especially if enthralled by an uncontrollable intake of stupefying fluids, are instantly repelled by the mere sight of more than wellies deep water. People familiar with the area are going in for around 50 m (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem). At a closer look, the almost 200 m long stream cave passage gives access to an unexplored sump (anonymous Brooks, S J 2012.06.23 undated Meghalaya 2012 Survey Summary Kopli.xls) beyond which the cave contines in an unknown way. ETYMOLOGY: The origin and meaning of the recorded cave name Krem Suna (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010) has not yet been discovered (note 2). The strange -suna- looks a lot like a corruption of the Khasi (Bengali loanword) -ka shun- (note 3) originating from the Sanskrit word -chuna- for slaked lime, a derivate of the Sanskrit word -churna- for powder. If this is the case, -Krem Shuna- translates as Limestone Cave and is rather a classification than a cave name. On the other hand, the adjective -[ba] shun- has been translated as adversary; inimical (SINGH, N 1920: 10, 257). Thus, the cave name -Krem Mawshun- may hint to a cave which is thought to be unfriendly in the sense of tending to obstruct or harm. SITUATION 2011: Above the orographically left bank of the Kopili river at a spot which lies about 6 km in a direct line approximately ENE (3.4 km north, 5.0 km east) from the village of Khahnar (note 4) and from the Umpriang onfluence (note 5) about 200 m upstream (south-east) along the Kopili or, if you prefer, on the west bank of the Kopili River, 200 m Kopili upstream from Um Priang confluence (mostly after Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). APPROACH 2012: Follow a Shaktiman track from the village of Moo Knor (25°23'27”N: 92°36'16”E) north-west towards the Kopili river up to an unidentified spot near an unspecified GPS position where a left turn is taken after passing a hut at an unidentified spot near an unspecified GPS position. There are no obvious footpaths. Consult a GPS receiver but head generally west until you find a little valley, the stream Wah Umpriang at an unidentified spot near an unspecified GPS position. Follow this downstream to the confluence with the Kopili at a spot near an unspecified GPS position. Walk upstream along the bank of the Kopili for about 200 m. The cave entrance is easily seen from the river (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Dal 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). APPROACH 2010: From Krem Kandacho [i.e. –>Kandacho Cave] continuing 10 minutes by foot down to the Kopili river, the cave is on a [relatively] small [synonym: a comparatively large] cliff (15 m), 4 m above the river bed [note 6] (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010: River cave (outlet). Entrance 2.5 x 3 m. Small river (more than wellies deep) (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012a: A resurgence with 194 m of cave passage gives access to a choke where cavers come to an end at a point where the cave passage commences to continue in an inaccessible and consequently unvisited way (concluded from anonymous Brooks, S J 2012.06.23 undated Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Survey Summary Kopli.xls, probably after personal communication with Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Nicola -Nicky- Bayley, or Commander Vijay Chhikara). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012b: Not only unspecified calcite formations in the side passage butalso mud deposits on the roof of the main passage obviously contradict all statements according to which this cave is A clean washed passage that ends in a boulder choke with no draught after 170 m. Average dimensions are 2.5 m wide by 3 m high. Floods to the roof in Summers. A side passage, well decorated with several gours goes for 25 m then gets too tight (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). TACKLE: The potentially lethal presence of more than wellies deep water (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem) clearly suggest No tackle needed (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2012: Since the cave continues not only unexplored beyond a boulder choke but also with a too tight lateral cave passage, the chances of learning more about this cave have been judged none (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2010: Unidentified our guides (no names mentined) had gone for an estimated 50 m into the cave (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem). CAVE CLIMATE: When guided by one Iedeimon Pakem and a certain Dro Dkhar, it were Nicola Bayley, Brian D Kharpran Daly and Cdr. Vijay Chhikara who noticed on 13th February 2012 at an unknown time the presence of no draught in the sense of an apparently absent air current in the vicinity of a boulder choke … 170 m from the known cave entrance (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: An unspecified person was understood to have determined a selection of Krem Suna specific cave fauna which includes not only so-called Huntsman Spiders (Sparassida: conf. Heteropoda), an unspecified white spider and bat flies but also frogs (Amphibia) represented by one green back Odorra livida and one black Amolops sp. in addition to unspecified bats (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010) in the sense of Chiroptera (or so).also mud deposits on the roof of the main passage obviously contradict all statements according to which this cave is A clean washed passage that ends in a boulder choke with no draught after 170 m. Average dimensions are 2.5 m wide by 3 m high. Floods to the roof in Summers. A side passage, well decorated with several gours goes for 25 m then gets too tight (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). TACKLE: The potentially lethal presence of more than wellies deep water (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem) clearly suggest No tackle needed (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2012: Since the cave continues not only unexplored beyond a boulder choke but also with a too tight lateral cave passage, the chances of learning more about this cave have been judged none (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2010: Unidentified our guides (no names mentialso mud deposits on the roof of the main passage obviously contradict all statements according to which this cave is A clean washed passage that ends in a boulder choke with no draught after 170 m. Average dimensions are 2.5 m wide by 3 m high. Floods to the roof in Summers. A side passage, well decorated with several gours goes for 25 m then gets too tight (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). TACKLE: The potentially lethal presence of more than wellies deep water (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem) clearly suggest No tackle needed (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2012: Since the cave continues not only unexplored beyond a boulder choke but also with a too tight lateral cave passage, the chances of learning more about this cave have been judged none (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2010: Unidentified our guides (no names mentialso mud deposits on the roof of the main passage obviously contradict all statements according to which this cave is A clean washed passage that ends in a boulder choke with no draught after 170 m. Average dimensions are 2.5 m wide by 3 m high. Floods to the roof in Summers. A side passage, well decorated with several gours goes for 25 m then gets too tight (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). TACKLE: The potentially lethal presence of more than wellies deep water (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem) clearly suggest No tackle needed (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2012: Since the cave continues not only unexplored beyond a boulder choke but also with a too tight lateral cave passage, the chances of learning more about this cave have been judged none (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL 2010: Unidentified our guides (no names mentined) had gone for an estimated 50 m into the cave (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Suna Krem / Sonnenkrem). CAVE CLIMATE: When guided by one Iedeimon Pakem and a certain Dro Dkhar, it were Nicola Bayley, Brian D Kharpran Daly and Cdr. Vijay Chhikara who noticed on 13th February 2012 at an unknown time the presence of no draught in the sense of an apparently absent air current in the vicinity of a boulder choke … 170 m from the known cave entrance (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: An unspecified person was understood to have determined a selection of Krem Suna specific cave fauna which includes not only so-called Huntsman Spiders (Sparassida: conf. Heteropoda), an unspecified white spider and bat flies but also frogs (Amphibia) represented by one green back Odorra livida and one black Amolops sp. in addition to unspecified bats (Arbenz, T 2012.04.01 Mss -B.D.K. Daly 2012.02.13- Krem Suna 18.2.2010) in the sense of Chiroptera (or so).