UMSONG CAVE, 1st (aa -)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a crawl leading to some 380 m of rift cave passages. ETYMOLOGY: No locally known name has been identified for what was christened Umsong River Cave 1 (Harper 2001.02.21 Mss) because it does not drain any river but sounds great and lies in the valley of the Umsong (note 1). SITUATION: In an unidentified setting at foot of cliff and at an unspecified location (note 2) somewhere (note 3) in the vicinity of Shella (N25°10'45”: E091°38'30- WGS84). APPROACH: To reach the entrance to this cave, Dr. vet. Rob Harper clearly advises, literally quoted, to take track along LHS [either Rob's left or, perhaps, the watercourses' orographical left = east] bank of Shella river. Approximately 500 m upstream [from an unspecified place] enters a tributary valley for about 400 m upstream stream gully in RHS bank can be followed to the cave entance at foot of cliff (Harper 2001.02.21 Mss: Umsong River Cave 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2001, February: A relatively low cave entrance with unspecified dimensions faces an unidentified direction and leads through (sic!) or, more likely, between boulders to a crawl that gives access to a series of joint-controlled rift cave passages and relatively deep water canals in a relatively large rift leading to a choke and a sump with an unidentified cave potential (after Harper 2001.02.21 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2001, April: A relatively low cave entrance to crawl through (sic!) boulders leads after four or five metres to The Tea Junction. A relatively short rift section off from somebody's right (1 m wide, 2.5 m high, 3 m long) leads to a 20 m long hands and knees crawl over rubble in an 2 m to 4 m wide cave passage with chest deep water, passes a relatively low duck, and sumps another 20 m further on. At The Tea Junction off someone's left (sic) in an unidentified direction leads to joint cotrolled rift cave passages and chambers (ranging from 0.5 to 1 m in width or height and 1 m to 2.5 m in height or width) and gains a 40 m long, level and sand floored rift cave passage (4 m by 6 m wide and high or high and wide) to a 30 m swim in canal leading to 20 m of sand floored walking and another 20 m of canal wading to a sump where the cave continues unexplored under water. Several descending cave passages lead to static water at the same water level (after Harper 2002.04.31 Mss: megahlay.doc). CAVE LIFE: Shrimps (Crustacea: conf. Palaemonida), relatively small spiders (conf. Arachnida).ance at foot of cliff (Harper 2001.02.21 Mss: Umsong River Cave 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2001, February: A relatively low cave entrance with unspecified dimensions faces an unidentified direction and leads through (sic!) or, more likely, between boulders to a crawl that gives access to a series of joint-controlled rift cave passages and relatively deep water canals in a relatively large rift leading to a choke and a sump with an unidentified cave potential (after Harper 2001.02.21 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2001, April: A relatively low cave entrance to crawl through (sic!) boulders leads after four or five metres to The Tea Junction. A relatively short rift section off from somebody's right (1 m wide, 2.5 m high, 3 m long) leads to a 20 m long hands and knees crawl over rubble in an 2 m to 4 m wide cave passage with chest deep water, passes a relatively low duck, and sumps another 20 m further on. At The Tea Junction off someone's left (sic) in an unidentified direction leads to joint cotrolled rift cave passages and chambers (ranging from 0.5 to 1 m in width or height and 1 m to 2.5 m in height or width) and gains a 40 m long, level and sand floored rift cave passage (4 m by 6 m wide and high or high and wide) to a 30 m swim in canal leading to 20 m of sand floored walking and another 20 m of canal wading to a sump where the cave continues unexplored under water. Several descending cave passages lead to static water at the same water level (after Harper 2002.04.31 Mss: megahlay.doc). CAVE LIFE: Shrimps (Crustacea: conf. Palaemonida), relatively small spiders (conf. Arachnida).