KHLIEH KHERTANG - LYMBIT (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Six known cave entrances give access to a seasonal river cave (2776 m long, vertical range minus? 39.2 m). During the rains a the entire Wah Hyllamin (river) falls into a short but deeply incised gorge which is drained by two insurgence entrances at the opposite ends of the impressive sinkhole. These two cave entrances are connected underground behind the eastern wall of the gorge and drain the waters to a resurgence entrance (Krem Lymbit, E6, the Lower Dry Gorge Entrance) above the village of Cherragaon. Cave development is controlled by east-west running joints and the southerly dipping of the local strata, resulting in a series of parallel passages of which the deepest (Coalgate Passage) lies at the cave's southern rim. Occasional sandstone interbands form shelves and protrude from the cave walls (C. & H. Jantschke Mss: Indien 2001.02.05, personal communication 2002.04.22; H. Jantschke 2003 Mss: Borsora / Khunjoy). ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi -Krem Khartang- (Kharpran Daly, Brian D. 199.02.16 personal correspondence; KHARPRAN DALY 2006 s.a.: 19) or -Krem Khlieh Khertang- (Jantschke, H. 2001.02.05 Mss: Indien.doc; Brooks, S. J. 2002.02.05 Mss: Krem Khlieh Khertang) was said to mean Cave in the Khlieh Khertang gorge while -Krem Lymbit- is version of -Krem Labit- and translates as Bat Cave and means cave where bats live (note 1). The Khasi -ka khlieh- is the word for the head; the top (SINGH, N. 1904: 33), -ka khér- (noun) is a stockade for capturing elephants; an enclosure for catching fish; a place or district (SINGH, N. 1904: 30), -ka 'tang- is a short form of -ka ktang- (noun) and translates as a pipe while -tang- (verb) means to make a finish of the plaiting of wicker-baskets or nets (SINGH, N. 1904: 218). On the other hand, -khlem- (preposition) is the Khasi word for without and -ka kyrteng- (Khasi, noun) is synonymous with ”ka nám” and translates as the name (SINGH, N 1906: 62; 1920: 334; BLAH, E 2007: 196). HUMAN USE: Bat hunting ground. MEDICAL VALUE: Sudeb ay Basumatary (Cherragaon) informed the explorers that he keeps a stalactite (speleothem) collected from this cave and whenever he feels sick, he puts this in water and then drinks the water to make himself feel better. SITUATION (note 2): From the bridge across the river at of Charigaon (Bengali; -char- = four, -gaon- = village), the Cherragaon of foreign cavers, leave the border road and turn north on a private road of the Anderson Coal Company. Pass through a coal yard and then walk 2 km steeply uphill to the tohbar (toh, Khasi, to peck + bar, Bengali, -manor- or shanty town = miners' settlement) which foreign cavers called Towbar (note 3). From here, take a footpath on the right-hand side of the track and follow this uphill for 100 m on a bearing of 150° and then 500 m SSE to S (150° to 174°) and downhill to Khlieh Khertang, a limestone gorge with two cave entrances. CAVE DESCRIPTION (note 4): The impressive gorge of Khlieh Khertang (an elongated collapse doline, 225 m long, up o 45 m wide, and about 100 m? deep) that runs ENE to WSW has the massive 40 m wide and 30 m high entrance to Krem Khlieh Khertang at its upstream (ENE) end at the base of a waterfall. The smaller, 8 m wide and 10 m high entrance to Krem Lymbit at its downstream (WSW) end. Entering the large Krem Khlieh Khertang entrance a large 20 m by 20 m -Main Passage- heads south-west for some 80 m whereupon it swings east and continues as a large, 30 m wide and 20 m high river passage with a cobbled floor. This increases in size (40 m by 25 m) and a duck under the left hand (south) wall gives access to the large and sandy floored -Sandy Passage-. Upstream, and initially upslope, to the east leads to dry passage (8 m by 8 m) that after some 350 m ends in two large silt and sand filled chambers (Coalgate Passage, Sudeb's Chamber). At a point some 100 m from the Sandy Passage a comfortable -Border Road- passage (6 by 6 m) heads west for 300 m before turning sharply east to close in blockages that orrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfal Entrance. There are minimal prospects of extending Coalgate Passage and Sudeb's Chamber due to mud and silt chokes. CAVE CONTENTS: Bat guano, up to 4 m diameter sandstone boulders, sand, silt, washed in bamboo debris / wood / driftwood, and an assortment of human / anthropogen rubbish: old shoes, empty tooth paste tubes, etc. CAVE LIFE: Bats (Chiroptera) in the roof of Guano Tunnel; woodlice (Isopoda), spiders (Araneae: Arachnida), fresh water crabs (Crustacea).orrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfalorrespond to choked inlets near a turning off the Main Passage. An inlet about 200 m long from the north, -Christine's Inlet-, runs into a T-junction where the upstream is collapsed and the downstream is choked (always?) by sand. From The Sandy Passage the main way on lies to the west where the large passage (20 m wide, 15 m high) gradually decreases in size and after some 300 m divides : -The Right- runs to the west as an old oxbow passage. -The Left- (east) leads to a wade through pools into the -Guano Passage- (8 m wide, 10 m high). Upstream leads to the entrance to Krem Lymbit and downstream to -Jungle Entrance- and the -Lower Entrance-. The latter requires the descent of an 8 m pitch. TACKLE: A 10 m ladder plus belay and 20 m of rope is required to gain access to the lower entrance to Krem Lymbit. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Most of the cave is fully explored. Digging is required to connect side passages at the end of Border Road Passage with those near Khlieh Khertang Waterfal Entrance. There are minimal prospects of extending Coalgate Passage and Sudeb's Chamber due to mud and silt chokes. CAVE CONTENTS: Bat guano, up to 4 m diameter sandstone boulders, sand, silt, washed in bamboo debris / wood / driftwood, and an assortment of human / anthropogen rubbish: old shoes, empty tooth paste tubes, etc. CAVE LIFE: Bats (Chiroptera) in the roof of Guano Tunnel; woodlice (Isopoda), spiders (Araneae: Arachnida), fresh water crabs (Crustacea).