WAH TEPBRU (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A choked sink of a seasonal creek (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru) without identified shape, dimensions or characteristics (preferably unmistakable). Once, it had been regarded as shafts in base of doline complete with no obvious characteristics other than a pronounced gully / doline (Anonymous = Dowswell 2000.02.18 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbrien). ETYMOLOGY: The Synteng -Krem Wah Tepbru- (Carlyn Phyrngap 2003 February, personal communication) or -Krem Wah Tepbrien- (Larsing Sukhlain 2000.02.18 personal communication) translates literally as Cave [on the] Stream [of the] Burials in a Row which means Graveyard Stream Cave and hence seems to be the same as -Krem Wah Jingtep- or Cave [on the ] Stream [of the] Graves (Raibok Patlong 1998.02.17 personal communication with Brian D. Kharpran Daly). SITUATION 1: According to Anonymous (Dowswell 2000.02.18 Mss), the entrance to Krem Wah Tepbrien (Graveyard Stream Cave) lies one third of the way down the hill from Tongsum village (note 1) an about 100 m off the track to Krem Snang (note 2) and hence on the eastern flank of the Shnongrim Ridge. SITUATION 2: According to the recorded GPS position, the location of the entrance falls on the Shnongrim map quadrangle 3.03 Wah Sapoh but according to Thomas Arbenz (in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Wednesday 11th February), the choked sink of Krem Wah Tepbru (Dowswell 2000.02.18 Mss) lies in the Um Muju area. SITUATION 3: The cave … lies within the reaches of Krem Lyngtah (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru). APPROACH: At the eastern entrance of the village of Tangnub, take the 4WD-track [approximately east] down to Pynthor [note 3] and Umte [note 4]. About two thirds down, and near the last bend (25°17'53.8”N: 92°30'48.5”E), leave the track and walk 500 m south-east across the slope of the hill to the ravine and stream bed of the Wah Tepbru, a seasonal creek. Follow this downstream to a nice canyon, about 10 m deep and 3 m wide. At it's lowest point,the prominent gully enters the cave (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru). POSITION 2009: Near (±8 m) 25°17'47.8”N: 92°30'58.2”E: 967 m asl (Arbenz, T 2009.02.11 GPS Garmin Etrex Summit) and probably about 250 m further north than the obviously misleading POSITION 2002: Somewhere in the vicinity of (ignored precision error) 25°17'56”N: 92°30'58”E (WGS84, P.N.F. Dowswell 2002.02.18, 12-channel GPS), which, as it later turned out, had been read on top of a hill in open country (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru) and 250 m in a direct line offset north from the closed depression and cave entrance (note 5). Thomas Arbenz (in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Wednesday 11th February) narrates how he himself, Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Cdr Arnab Das (Commander, Indian Navy), Cdr Vijay Chhikara (Commander, Indian Navy) and Biranchi Narayan Bhola (Leading Store Assistant,Indian Navy) checked the position of Krem Wah Tepru, which, though it had been known to peope familiar with the area since time immemorial, is said to have been originally discovered by Dowswell in 2002 (sic!). Eventually, … they found the Dowswell - GPS position on top of a hill and what they believed to represent the Wah Tepbru doline about 150 m off to the south. CAVE DESCRIPTION: A sink inside a jungle-clad doline gives access to an approximately 5 m deep cave which leads to a choke of sand and gravel (modified after Arbenz in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Wednesday 11th February). The gully-like entrance in small canyon drops 4 m down into a short rift passage, 3 m high and 1 m wide with a sandy floor. The only way on would be into a low bedding plane passage, which was blocked by sand and gravel at the time of the visit ( February 2009). From the rift passage opposite the gully entrance, the cave can also be left / accessed through a narrow gap (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru): CAVE CONTENTS (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru): San, gravel and flood debris (bamboo) or washed-in driftwood. PROSPECTS (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru): The cave passage was blocked by sand and gravel in Feb 2009. A check-up in a future year is advisable. The cave lies within the reaches of Krem Lyngtah (note 6). CAVE LIFE: Little doubt remains that the washed-in flood debris (bamboo) consists of potentially degradable and most likely rotting bio-matter which represents an ideal breeding and hunting ground for a rich variety of life forms including algae, arthropods, bacteria, fungi, etc. Ignoring all life forms, however, resulted in None observed (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru).e familiar with the area since time immemorial, is said to have been originally discovered by Dowswell in 2002 (sic!). Eventually, … they found the Dowswell - GPS position on top of a hill and what they believed to represent the Wah Tepbru doline about 150 m off to the south. CAVE DESCRIPTION: A sink inside a jungle-clad doline gives access to an approximately 5 m deep cave which leads to a choke of sand and gravel (modified after Arbenz in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Wednesday 11th February). The gully-like entrance in small canyon drops 4 m down into a short rift passage, 3 m high and 1 m wide with a sandy floor. The only way on would be into a low bedding plane passage, which was blocked by sand and gravel at the time of the visit ( February 2009). From the rift passage opposite the gully entrance, the cave can also be left / accessed through a narrow gap (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru): CAVE CONTENTS (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru): San, gravel and flood debris (bamboo) or washed-in driftwood. PROSPECTS (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru): The cave passage was blocked by sand and gravel in Feb 2009. A check-up in a future year is advisable. The cave lies within the reaches of Krem Lyngtah (note 6). CAVE LIFE: Little doubt remains that the washed-in flood debris (bamboo) consists of potentially degradable and most likely rotting bio-matter which represents an ideal breeding and hunting ground for a rich variety of life forms including algae, arthropods, bacteria, fungi, etc. Ignoring all life forms, however, resulted in None observed (Arbenz, T 2009.03.08 Mss: Krem Wah Tepbru).