LUMJINGTEP, Umlatdoh (Krang)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A more or less impressive entrance approx. 5 m high by 20 m wide was not only understood to face an unidentified direction but also was understood to give access to a fine sports training device for expeditious cavers in search of quick adventures who may rapidly hone skills relating to the fast negotiation of both descendable and ascendable pitches and other fine obstacles that have formed in Late Palaeocene (Thanetian) sedimentary rocks of the Lower Sylhet stage represented by Lakadong Limestone overlain by a caprock of coal bearing Lakadong Sandstone (note 1). ETYMOLOGY: The binomial cave name Krang Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh distinguishes this -Cave [on the] Hill [with a] Graveyard / Burial Ground / Cemetery from the homonymous Krem Lumjingtep, Lum Manar (near ±12 m N25°20'48.2”: E092°31'53.4” / N25.346722°: E92.531500°: 1028 m). The Khasi noun -[ka] lumjingtep- for a graveyard (BLAH, E 2007: 120) combines the word -lum- for both a hill and the area outside the village (SINGH, N 190: 120) with the prefix -jing- (note 2) and the verb -tep- for to bury (note 3). Expedition cavers, however, rapidly fabricated severals distinct cave names for the first of the two knownentrances to this cave and coal mine but never attempted considering to learn the indigenous name of the second cave entrance, which was simply referred to as Entrance 2: Cave 1 RUEDI, M et al. (2014: 6679) Cemetary cave (in, by, under) the cemetary hill (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc) Cemetery Cave (N25 12 6.0, E092 16 20.9) (anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 18th February) cave near Cemetery anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. (2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February) Krem Lum Jingtep anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. (2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 20th February, Thursday; 21st February, Saturday) Lumjingtep Anonymos (2014.04.05 dated 2014.03.08 Expedition Survey Log 2014 (8-3-2014).xls) Krang Lumjingtep anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. (2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February) Krem Lumjingtep Brooks, S J & Arbenz, T (2014.04.05 undated Mss: Meghalaya 2014 - Overview (Final).doc) Lumjyngtep anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. (2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February) Luon Jyngtep anonymous 2014.11.10 -Luon Jyngtep_05.Text- durvey data file Krem Luon Jyngtep Arbenz, T (2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx) Luonjyngtep (anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February) Cave near Umlatdoh RUEDI, M et al. (2014: 6679). SETTING: The GPS position recorded for the entrance to this cave indicates a spot which falls on the western rim of the Lakadong - Umlatdoh Plateau at a location about 200 m northwest of a burial ground and some 20 m northeast of the footpah leading northwest from the village of Umlatdoh and down to Umlynsha (N25°12'30”: E092°15'50”). SETTING 2014.12.26: The three caves near the villages of Pynurkba (cave 1; 25°15’N & 92°17’E; 860 m) and Umlatdoh (cave 2; 25°12’N & 92°16’E; 730 m) … [and] near Thangsah (cave 3; 25°11’N & 92°12’E; 420 m) … were large, collapsed doline cavities, with very wide (up to 15 m) and high entrances (up to 15 m) and situated in gullies covered with secondary, semi-evergreen forests. The general topography of the region around these caves is hilly, with relatively flat areas being covered by grassland or cultivated fields, interspersed with patches of forests. Small, temporary streams flowing into the gullies bring additional moisture to these patches of vegetation (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6679-6680). SITUATION: In an unidentified spatial relation to Entrance 2 (Krang –>Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh, 2nd). GPS POSITION 2014a: Near (unidentified precision error) N 25°12'06.0”: E 092°16'20.9” (anonymou recorder, undated, unspecified GPS receiver, in: anonymous in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 18th February, Tuesday) or 62 m in a direct line due north from GPS position 2014b. GPS POSITION 2014b: Near (±12 m) N 25°12'04.0”; E 092°16'20.9”: 732 m asl (anonymous recorder, undated, unspecified GPS receiver, in: Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx) or 62 m in a direct line due south of GPS position 2014b. Gemäss Record sheet ist es 04.0” (Arbenz, T 2014.05.04 Mss: re Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh). GEOLOGICAL SITUATION: There are interesting mineral deposits on the walls, probably due to the coal and sandstone levels in the higher parts of the cave. They [Tudor, Elena, Oana and Marcel] noted brown, black, yellow and blue [coloured] stuff on the cave walls. The limestone seemed to be mostly composed of algae with some corals thrown in (anonymous Tamsa T, Buduran S E, Chachula = & Dikstra M in: anonymous Brooks, SJ et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 21st February, Saturday). APPROACH: From what had been in February 2014 a teashop somwhere at Umlatdoh, head 304° for 570 m, passing a flat area of staning stones and then an area of modern gravestones along a path. The cave entrance lies down a slope, 20 m off to the right-hand side of a path (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05a: Proceeding on a fine day from a fine entrance chamber along what must have been a fine route under a the arch leads cave visitors to a certain the chamber with two potential pitches. The nearer pitch (27 m) was rigged since there is less danger of falling rocks although care is still required. The pitch descended into a fine boulder strewn chamber with an obvious downstream lead. After some ferreting Roger found a way under the boulder slope into the upstream lead; fine stream passage some 20 m high and 5 m wid (2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 18th February, Tuesday). The entrance passage has a horizontal ceiling in sandstones, and a ca. 1 m discontinuous level of coal could also be observed. Vijay, Oana and Tudor started … the main passage, leaving aside four side passages and crossing several quite impressive breakdown piles. At about 200 m from the entrance, the passage ended in [sic! qua: arrived at] a choke with a strong air current. They decided to dig through the choke and very shortly after, passed and discovered a second entrance to the cave in a nice breakdown doline as well as a lower level passage, parts of which could also be noticed through some shafts near Entrance 1. The team then returned to Entrance 1 and surveyed two side passages … (anonymous Elena Buduran, Oana Chachula, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara or Tudor Tamsa in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). A descending passage below the 2nd entrnce … [lead] after two survey legs … [to] a choke with a strong air current flowing through. One of the pitches through breakdown near the 1st entrance descends 15 m down to a squeeze through big fallen boulders [which] led to a first small chamber with two passage openings, then after free climbing one of them, to a second chamber which opens in a large descending passage with air current (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 20th February, Thursday). The continuation of the cave has a nice relic touch with cauliflower decorations, but one side of it is collapsed and the fairly strong draught they had been following disappeared down an impenetrable rift (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 21st February, Saturday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05b: Other new caves located and explored [note 4] … included … Krem Lumjingtep in Umlatdoh at 493 m … (Brooks, S J & Arbenz, T 2014.04.05 undated Mss: Meghalaya 214 - Overview (Final).doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: Contact cave sandstone-limestone, big breakdown chamber, stream below (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.26: Not only an E1 or flat-ceiling sinkhole entrance, 16 m wide and 14 m high, in sandstone but also an E2 or collapsed sinkhole, 15 m wide, 16 m high, very abrupt gives access to this cave and coal mine. From entrance 1 the passage heads west for 40 m, then turns to SW at the sandstone / limestone contact zone with gypsum and goethite crusts and flowstone. From here on, the passage is formed in limestone with thin sandstone bands. At ca. 60 m from the entrance, a short left-side passage is noticed, then after 15 more metres, a right-hand side passage. The floor in this sector consists of large breakdown slabs with several pitches in between. After ca. 90 m from the entrance the passage again turns west for 20 m to a 1st breakdown chamber, aligned N-S. In the NW corer of the chamber opens an other right-hand side passage, that can be followed for ca, 45 m where it is blocked by boulders. After the first chamber a short turn to east and then to south leads to the 2nd breakdown chamber (21 m by 9 m by 6 m large, ca 120 m from the entrance), with the ceiling and partly the walls exposing sandstones and a discontinuous coal seam. The passage continues from the SW corner of the chamber, and after climbing several breakdown piles a squeeze with strong draught is reached. After passing the squeeze a short rectangular passage through blocks of limestone leads to the 2nd entrance in a breakdown doline. Just below the 2nd entrance a short descending passage leads to a choke with strong air flow.The lower level of the cave is accessed via a 15 m pitch near the south wall of the cave, ca 90 m from entrance 1. From the bottom of the pitch the passage trends east for 5 m, then north, generally following the upper passage. Two small passages after a penetrableboulder choke head of to the north, both accessing the same breakdown chamber. At this end a 2.5m-drop leads to a large meander sector (3m wide x 6m high) that can be followed for only 30m. It is blocked by breakdown at both ends. The Meander contains beautiful gypsum crusts and abundant bat skeletons (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc). CAVE CONTENTS: Breakdown blocks, few calcite speleothems, gypsum-, goethite-, iron hydroxide crusts, especially in the entrance part and in the lower passage (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc). TACKLE: 30 m rope, slings, carabiners for access to the lower level (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc). PROSPECTS 2014.04.29: At a point where the accessible part of the cave continues as an impenetrable rift, the speleotopographical survey was relinquished and declared finishd (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). PROSPECTS 2014.12.26: Possible continuation below the 2nd entrance (breakdown with air current), a 1 hour dig might clarify it (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use coal mining: The seam indentified as a layer of coal in the walls of the entrance passage has possibly been mined (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc). CAVE CLIMATE: 18°C air temperature near the survey stations 6/1 and 10/1 (draught) and 20°C at places without draught. Relative humidity 81% near station 6/1 and 90% near station 10/1 (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc). CAVE LIFE: Oana Chachula identified on 19th February 2014 a day roost of bats as a colony of very rare Otomops bats (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th Fbruary, Wednesday). Keywords: Chiroptera: Molossidae: Wroughton’s free-tailed bat, Otomops wroughtoni Thomas 1913. On 21st February 2014 Oana Chachula was seen collecting a living bat and lots of jawbones of the same species and later was happy with another bat graveyard whilst either Tudor Tamsa, Elena Buduran, Oana Chachula or Marcel Dikstra noticed on the same day not only the presence of ankle deep guano or, perhaps, bat guano as a substrate for an interesting pinkish growths of lichen (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 21st February, Saturday) or, who knows, fungi. CAVE LIFE 2014.12.26a: We found Otomops … [in a cave near the village of] … Umlatdoh (cave 2; 25°12’N & 92°16’E; 730 m). … (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6679-6680). In the first two caves [Krem –>Umthalong, Pynurkba; Krem –>Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh], larger aggregations (12–70 individuals) of Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bats were found in relatively large cupola (avens) in the ceiling, whle smaller groups (3–8 individuals) were roosting in narrower crevices of the ceiling. In all situations, the bats were roosting within 20–75 m of the cave entrance, at a height of 3–15 m. … Light from the outside was dim but still perceptible near most roosts occupied by Otomops. A small cluster of about 20 Miniopterus magnater was also observed in the first cave (cave 1) [Krem –>Umthalong, Pynurkba], while caves 2 [Krem –>Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh] and 3 [Krem pdeng –>Laphiang, Thangsah] harboured few Hipposideros larvatus and Rhinolophus spp., but all these bats were roosting further inside the cavities, in areas of total darkness (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680). … at cave 2, there were a minimum of 15 Otomops located in three distinct crevices. … Although the gender of roosting individuals could not be determined, these bats appeared to be adults, with no smaller or young animals present at the time of visit. The two captured males had no signs of reproductive activity, such as enlarged tstes. Hence, unlike animals in the Western Ghats (Prater 1914), the Jaintia Wroughton’s free-tailed bats did not appear to reproduce at this time of the year (February) (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680-6681). … caves 2 [Krem –>Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh] and 3 [Krem pdeng –>Laphiang, Thangsah] harboured few Hipposideros larvatus and Rhinolophus spp., … roosting further inside the cavities, in areas of total darkness (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680). CAVE LIFE 2014.12.26b: One maximally expeditious reduction ended rapidly in an abrupt listing of spiders, one Crocidura shrew, several Miniopterus magnata, Rhinopholus pearsonii,, Otomops wroughtoni colony, mating [note 5] (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc) instead of referring to Arthropoda (Arachnidae: conf. Araneae, spider) and Vertebrata: Mammalia: Chiroptera (Pearson’s horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus pearsonii Horsfield 1851; western bent-winged bat Miniopterus magnater Sanborn 1931; Wroughto’s free-tailed bat, Otomops wroughtoni Thomas 1913) and Rodentia (shrew Crocidurinae: conf. Crocidura Wagler 1832).stes. Hence, unlike animals in the Western Ghats (Prater 1914), the Jaintia Wroughton’s free-tailed bats did not appear to reproduce at this time of the year (February) (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680-6681). … caves 2 [Krem –>Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh] and 3 [Krem pdeng –>Laphiang, Thangsah] harboured few Hipposideros larvatus and Rhinolophus spp., … roosting further inside the cavities, in areas of total darkness (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680). CAVE LIFE 2014.12.26b: One maximally expeditious reduction ended rapidly in an abrupt listing of spiders, one Crocidura shrew, several Miniopterus magnata, Rhinopholus pearsonii,, Otomops wroughtoni colony, mating [note 5] (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc) instead of referring to Arthropoda (Arachnidae: conf. Araneae, spider) and Vertebrata: Mammalia: Chiroptera (Pearson’s horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus pearsonii Horsfield 1851; western bent-winged bat Miniopterus magnater Sanborn 1931; Wroughtostes. Hence, unlike animals in the Western Ghats (Prater 1914), the Jaintia Wroughton’s free-tailed bats did not appear to reproduce at this time of the year (February) (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680-6681). … caves 2 [Krem –>Lumjingtep, Umlatdoh] and 3 [Krem pdeng –>Laphiang, Thangsah] harboured few Hipposideros larvatus and Rhinolophus spp., … roosting further inside the cavities, in areas of total darkness (RUEDI, M et al. 2014: 6680). CAVE LIFE 2014.12.26b: One maximally expeditious reduction ended rapidly in an abrupt listing of spiders, one Crocidura shrew, several Miniopterus magnata, Rhinopholus pearsonii,, Otomops wroughtoni colony, mating [note 5] (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: David Cooke, Tudor Tamas, Manuel Ruedi 22-02-2014 Krem Lumjingtep.doc) instead of referring to Arthropoda (Arachnidae: conf. Araneae, spider) and Vertebrata: Mammalia: Chiroptera (Pearson’s horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus pearsonii Horsfield 1851; western bent-winged bat Miniopterus magnater Sanborn 1931; Wroughto’s free-tailed bat, Otomops wroughtoni Thomas 1913) and Rodentia (shrew Crocidurinae: conf. Crocidura Wagler 1832).