KHANG MASI CAVE 4a

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified characteristic peculiarities, unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation) at end of blind valley 280° orientation (note 1) is the first of a pair of communicating but unspecified cave entrances (note 2), which both give access to some 69 m of a penetrable tunnel cave passage without identified orientation (trending west-east or east-west) that carries seasonal water and contains, literally quoted, a sink at both ends (?) sink in mid point of cave?? (anonymous Hall, Bridget E 2010.02.14 Mss: Krem Second Rib Traverse 14/2/2010) and some calcite formations at entrance 2 (East) (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known cave name has been identified for what has been recorded as a bizarre Anglo-Latin-French-Khasi Krem 2nd Rib Traverse (anonymous Hall, Bridget E 2010.02.14 Mss: Krem Second Rib Traverse 14/2/2010; Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 14th Febuary) reminiscent of ein ensalada avec everything (note 3) and explained as a team name. It was the 2nd traverse of the day and JP Bartholeyns broke his 2nd rib (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). So far, I saw this almost 70 m long tunnel cave recorded as Krem Second Rib Brooks, S J (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) 2nd Rib Cave Brooks, S J (2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Sim Tung 1 shaft) 2nd Rib Traverse Arbenz, T (2011.10.14 Mss); ARBENZ, T (2012: 242) Krem 2nd Rib Traverse Arbenz, T (2010.03.31 cave distribution map: Pala_Ridge_4-10.pdf); Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 14th February) Second Rib Traverse Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala Positions.xls) SITUATION 2010a: Anonymous (Hall, B 2010.02.14 Mss: Krem Second Rib Traverse) admits to have come across a pair of cave entrances at an inexplicable location and found that some aspects of the topography + geology [is] confusing in this area while one of the two studied cave entrances lies either at the downstream or ustream end of blind valley orientation 280° whilst the so-called exit is a second cave entrance associated with another valley orientation 017° (note 4).SITUATION 2010b: Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 14th February) repeats that part of the tale featuring the end of a blind valley at an orientation of 017 degrees word by word and draws the attention of the speleological world to having fabricated a circular reference according to which the Khang Masi caves are in the so-called Khang Masi area which is the area where the Khang Masi caves are in the Khang Masi area -- and so on and on and on. SITUATION 2010c: Arbenz, T (2010.03.31 cave distribution map: Pala_Ridge_4-10.pdf) indicates the locations of Krem 2nd Rib Traverse Hall 2010 with undifferentiated symbols for cave entrances near N25°26'33.5”: E092°35'11.3” (WGS84) and, about 48.8 m further ENE, near N25°26'34.3”: E092°35'12.8” (WGS84). APPROACH: From the upper football pitch of Umkyrpong villag (near camp 2009) a track leads North. Follow the track for about 500m to a mining camp. At N25°26’28.7’’ / E92°34’32.8’’ turn right and follow the path to the right for about 300m. Turn North to reach N25°26’41.4’’ / E92°34’50.3’’. Go right (NE), then left and use GPS to find the entrance. It lies in the same riverbed and near Krem Kahang Masi 2 and 3 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). SITUATION 2012: Mynsngad Location (ARBENZ, T 2012: 242). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010a: Mud floor throughout, flood debris in roof (anonymous Hall, B 2010.02.14 Mss: Krem Second Rib Traverse). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010b: It appeared that water flowed into both ends of the traverse [sic! qua: tunnel cave passage] and therefore it must sink in the middle but this was not obvious; it clearly took seasonal water as there was flood debris on the roof (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: A seasonal sink or sump pool. Through-cave connecting two blind valleys. … Seasonal sink or smp pool with inlets at both sides (sink or stagnant water in wet periods) in the mid point of the cave. (Topography and geology confusing in this area. Mud floor throughout, Flood debris in the roof. Some Calcite formations at entrance 2 (East) (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A seasonal sink or sump pool with inlets at both sides (sink or stagnant water in wet period) in the mid point of the cave (topography and geology confusing in this area). Mud floor throughout. Flood debris in the roof. Through-cave connecting two blind valleys (ARBENZ, T 2012: 242). CAVE LIFE: One bat, spiders (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). (near camp 2009) a track leads North. Follow the track for about 500m to a mining camp. At N25°26’28.7’’ / E92°34’32.8’’ turn right and follow the path to the right for about 300m. Turn North to reach N25°26’41.4’’ / E92°34’50.3’’. Go right (NE), then left and use GPS to find the entrance. It lies in the same riverbed and near Krem Kahang Masi 2 and 3 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). SITUATION 2012: Mynsngad Location (ARBENZ, T 2012: 242). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010a: Mud floor throughout, flood debris in roof (anonymous Hall, B 2010.02.14 Mss: Krem Second Rib Traverse). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010b: It appeared that water flowed into both ends of the traverse [sic! qua: tunnel cave passage] and therefore it must sink in the middle but this was not obvious; it clearly took seasonal water as there was flood debris on the roof (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: A seasonal sink or sump pool. Through-cave connecting two blind valleys. … Seasonal sink or s (near camp 2009) a track leads North. Follow the track for about 500m to a mining camp. At N25°26’28.7’’ / E92°34’32.8’’ turn right and follow the path to the right for about 300m. Turn North to reach N25°26’41.4’’ / E92°34’50.3’’. Go right (NE), then left and use GPS to find the entrance. It lies in the same riverbed and near Krem Kahang Masi 2 and 3 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). SITUATION 2012: Mynsngad Location (ARBENZ, T 2012: 242). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010a: Mud floor throughout, flood debris in roof (anonymous Hall, B 2010.02.14 Mss: Krem Second Rib Traverse). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010b: It appeared that water flowed into both ends of the traverse [sic! qua: tunnel cave passage] and therefore it must sink in the middle but this was not obvious; it clearly took seasonal water as there was flood debris on the roof (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: A seasonal sink or sump pool. Through-cave connecting two blind valleys. … Seasonal sink or smp pool with inlets at both sides (sink or stagnant water in wet periods) in the mid point of the cave. (Topography and geology confusing in this area. Mud floor throughout, Flood debris in the roof. Some Calcite formations at entrance 2 (East) (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012: A seasonal sink or sump pool with inlets at both sides (sink or stagnant water in wet period) in the mid point of the cave (topography and geology confusing in this area). Mud floor throughout. Flood debris in the roof. Through-cave connecting two blind valleys (ARBENZ, T 2012: 242). CAVE LIFE: One bat, spiders (Arbenz, T 2011.10.14 Mss).