LYNGTAH, insurgence (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave entrance without identified shape or dimensions faces an unidentified direction and functions as an insurgence (note 1), which leads to a small, wet and horizontal cave in boulders and solid limestone (Brooks in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah). The cave contains unspecified speleothems and drains a catchment area lying east of the village of Tangnub in a south-southwestly direction to the northern rim of the Wah Sapoh basin and flood plain, which Brooks (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) calls Wah Sapon area (without intention). Janossy (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) suggests to check also downstream. River said to be vnishing into the ridge and coming out on the other side at Umthe -- The ford lies in the area of UMTE [note 2] and the river goes to UMTHE [note 3] on the other side of the Shnongrim ridge. ETYMOLOGY: SINGH, N (1906) lists no Khasi word -lyngtah- as such (note 4).SITUATION: According to Brooks & Janossy (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Ms -Krem Lyngtah- dated 10. Feb 2006), the insurgence entrance of Krem Lyngtah lies at an unexplainable location. This must be somewhere in the Wah Sapoh basin. Thomas Arbenz (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) positioned the insurgence at an elevation of 903 m asl (±1.1 m, GPS Magellan Explorer 100) while JARRATT (2006: 9) opted for placing what he considered the resurgence (interesting) of Krem Lyngtah down at flood plain level 193 m. POSITION: The insurgence entrance can be expected in the vicinity of a tree near N25°17'34.3”: E92°30'54.7” (WGS84) as the nearest recorded GPS position WGS84 N25°17'33.7”: E92°30'54.5” (±1.1 m): 903 m asl, T. Arbenz, T 2006, GPS Magellan Explorer 100) had been read at a point from where a distance of estimated 20 m on a bearing of 20° (18.8 m north and 6.9 m east) lead to the entrance.APPROACH 1 (Arbenz, T 2008 Fieldbook: 59): At the road fork (N25°18'16-: E92°29°55”) Tangnoob [note 5] short of NW village entrance, turn left (east) ad follow the motorable track (4-WD or Shaktiman, needs experienced driver) towards Umsngad and down into the valley of the Wah Sapoh. Walking Time 90 mins / Driving Time 45 mins from Tangnub junction. Reaching the level of the valley floor, pass the farm and cow sheds of Umte Samasi (N25°17'27-: E92°30'46”) and reach a ford (N25°17'23-: E92°30°51”). Follow the creek arriving from the NNE (left) for estimated 200 m upstream to the resurgence. Access to the cave entrance is a via 10 m crawl into boulders and cracks in pinnacle karst. APPROACH 2 (after Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah): At the road fork (N25°18'16-: E92°29°55”) north-west and short of the village of Tangnub (church near N25°18'07”: E92°30'06”: 1145 m asl) turn left (east) and follow the motorable track towards Umsngad (mouth near N25°17'30”: E92°32'10”) down into Pynthor (paddy fields) covering the flood plain of the Wah Sapoh (Wah Sapor) above the left (west) bank of the Litang. At valley floor pas cowsheds [Umte Semmasi, N25°17'27-: E92°30'46”] to ford (note 6) and follow the stream north-northeast (left) estimated 200 m upstream to pothole with water (a whirlpool?). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: Brooks (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) somehow had learned, literally quoted, of a crawl through boulders and cracks in limestone pavement to entrance —through passage with pools of water and duck to reach chamber running perpendicular to passage. Up boulder slope at south end of chamber where passage continues smaller (less than 1 m by 1 m) and is mostly wet. Duck to pass flowstone beyond which passage opens. Climb through boulders reaches aven +30 m 379 m passage. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: JARRATT (2006: 10) has a probably passable but highly dangerous choke. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3: Arbenz, T (2006.05.21 Mss: Abstracts.xls) sums up small crawls/avens. CAVE DESCRIPTION 4: ANONYMOUS (Brown, Mark W. et al. 2006 entry Monday 13th February 2006.02.18) mentions a valley resurgence Krem Lyngth, which started as a small 1.5 m high passage and progressed to a passage with waist deep water. Probably going. CAVE DESCRIPTION 5 (Arbenz, T 2008 Fieldbook 59): After a short, down sloping entrance passage you reach a pool chamber from which the triangular shaped passage (1.5 m // 1.2 m) leads off on a bearing of 30°. After passing the first three bends and a daylight window, the sandy passage continues dry for more than 100 m, with the walking size getting lower. After a tight, low and wet bit along nice concretions [speleothems], a chamber is reached. A climb and scramble up a boulder slope gives access to a tight, decorated passage which still has to be explored. There are several small leeds in the chamber but they all proved to be too tight. Follow the main passage with pools of water and a duck to pass flowstone beyond which the passage opens. A 15 m climb up or down through boulders reaches an unstable, more than 30 m aven or rift. This is a probably penetrable but highly dagerous choke or, in other words, a no-joke choke. PROSPECTS: Judging from the cave survey combined with the recorded GPS positions, Krem –>Wah Tepru (also: Krem Wah Jingtep, Krem Wah Tebrien) lies not only vertically above the upper reaches of Krem Lyngtah but also may yield access both to the top of the unsafe terminal boulder choke and to cave passages beyond. CAVE POTENTIAL 1: Anonymous (2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) lists: 1) small crawl with minimal draught (air current); 2) impenetrable crawl blocked with stal (speleothems); 3) wet side passage, which is not pushed but anyhow suspected to sump; 4) crawl through stal above 3) is draughty and suspected to connect to 2); 5) The aven at the -end- of more than 30 climbable metres through loose boulders is suspected to be unsafe while a horizontal route through the boulders below the aven seems to be unlikely. CAVE POTENTIAL 2: ARBENZ (2008 Fieldbook: 59-60) lists 1) low passage above boulder slope leading off S2/Stn2 2) small crawl wth minimal draught 3) crawl through nicely decorated passage off S1/Stn30 is impenetrable without destruction – keep off ! 4) wet side passage, off S1/Stn 455) crawl through stal above 3) is draughting and suspected to connect to 3) 6) aven at end more than 30 m climbable through loose boulders, suspected to be unsafe while a horizontal route through the boulders below the aven seems to be unlikely. CAVE POTENTIAL 3: According to the recorded GPS readings, the entrance to Krem Lyngtah (WGS84 N25°17'34.3”: E92°30'54.7”: 903 m asl) lies about 430 m in a direct line approximately SSW (-417.6 m north, -98.1 m east) from the entrance to Krem –>Wah Tepbru (N25°17'47.8”: E092°30'58.2”: 967 m asl) but 64 m lower down.CAVE CLIMATE: Brooks (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) recorded a small crawl with minimal draught (air current) at unspecified hours of the day on 14th or 15th February 2006. CAVE LIFE: Brooks (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) was told about spides (lots) at south-east high end of chamber and in aven; cave crickets.th minimal draught 3) crawl through nicely decorated passage off S1/Stn30 is impenetrable without destruction – keep off ! 4) wet side passage, off S1/Stn 455) crawl through stal above 3) is draughting and suspected to connect to 3) 6) aven at end more than 30 m climbable through loose boulders, suspected to be unsafe while a horizontal route through the boulders below the aven seems to be unlikely. CAVE POTENTIAL 3: According to the recorded GPS readings, the entrance to Krem Lyngtah (WGS84 N25°17'34.3”: E92°30'54.7”: 903 m asl) lies about 430 m in a direct line approximately SSW (-417.6 m north, -98.1 m east) from the entrance to Krem –>Wah Tepbru (N25°17'47.8”: E092°30'58.2”: 967 m asl) but 64 m lower down.CAVE CLIMATE: Brooks (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) recorded a small crawl with minimal draught (air current) at unspecified hours of the day on 14th or 15th February 2006. CAVE LIFE: Brooks (in: Anonymous 2006.02.10 Mss: Krem Lyngtah) was told about spides (lots) at south-east high end of chamber and in aven; cave crickets.