NALDERA CAVE 10-5

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A 1.8 m climb down leads to estimated 15 or 20 m of very narrow (Glennie 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8) or, perhaps, shallow bedding plane cave passages, which have formed in Naldera Limestone (note 1) at the contact with underlying shale (note 2). ETYMOLOGY: No locally known name has been identified for the Cave B2 (Glennie 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8). SITUATION 1937: Glennie (1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8) has his Cave B2 … opening out of bottom cliff above [possibly north-east] mile 10/5 of Naldera - Simla road but then there are (and have been) several older and younger roads (mule tracks and motorable roads) on which Naldera (33°11'N: 77°11'E) can (could) be reached from Simla / Shimla (31°06'N: 77°07'E). Judging from the associated mile stones, Naldera Cave 10-5 lies at a travelling distance of four furlongs (exactly half a mile, about 800 m) in an unspecified direction (perhaps south-east) from –>Naldera Cave 11-1 and thus, but this is mere guesswork, in an area some 4 or 5 mles (5 or 8 km) approximately south-east from Naldera. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1937: The whole cave is very narrow [shallow?], and mostly has to be explored crawling or in prone position. The cave is dry & clean … Enter vertically about 6 feet [1.8 m] then at steep slant into cliff for 40 feet [12 m], here two galleries go lower to right, one lower to left, and one level to left again branching, one up to left one down to right. Small slanting chambers indicated at A, B, C, D. Some drips of water in B during rains. Very little light reaches end of entrance shaft and B, C, D are quite dark. Insects No 7, 9, and 11 found in B on rock. Insect No 8 (Blaps) found close to entrance before descinding [sic!] the sloping shaft (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8 with rough sketch plan). CULTURAL HISTORY - Human use: Someone (? shepherd) has cleared floor of loose stones and piled them in loose walls on ledges; probably this activity caused the bats to migrate. He also carried in a largish bulk o wood (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8). CAVE CLIMATE: Although there is no apparent extension of the cave, yet in cold weather there is a very strong draft [sic! draught, air current] down the shaft, so that [it] is nearly impossible to keep a candle alight (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8).CAVE LIFE: Edward Aubrey Glennie (1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8) had noticed not only traces of bats but none in 1937. (one seen last visit) but also had collected in May 1937 specimens of the troglobiotic Insects No 7, 9, and 11 and No 8 (Blaps) (note 3) which later were identified as Simlacampa clayae Condé 1956 (Insecta: Apterygota: Diplura: Campodea). wood (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8). CAVE CLIMATE: Although there is no apparent extension of the cave, yet in cold weather there is a very strong draft [sic! draught, air current] down the shaft, so that [it] is nearly impossible to keep a candle alight (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8).CAVE LIFE: Edward Aubrey Glennie (1937 Mss -Notebook- page 8) had noticed not only traces of bats but none in 1937. (one seen last visit) but also had collected in May 1937 specimens of the troglobiotic Insects No 7, 9, and 11 and No 8 (Blaps) (note 3) which later were identified as Simlacampa clayae Condé 1956 (Insecta: Apterygota: Diplura: Campodea).