SHILLONG: The 2024 Caving in the Abode of the Clouds Expedition has concluded with an impressive tally of 13,895 meters of newly explored and mapped cave passages across Meghalaya.
The expedition, which ran from January 28 to February 22, was marked by significant discoveries and collaborative efforts among international caving enthusiasts.
Brian D Kharpran Daly, General Secretary of the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association (MAA), on Tuesday, revealed that systematic cave exploration in Meghalaya, dating back to 1992, has now amassed a total of 551 km of known cave passages.
The expedition kicked off with a week-long pre-expedition in Sakhain village, situated approximately 5 km south of Sutnga in the East Jaintia Hills District.
From January 29 to February 2, explorers delved into this area, uncovering 10 new caves with a combined passage length of 1,458 meters.
Notable among these discoveries were Ur Selle, Urluri, and Rong Kso 3, each boasting substantial passages.
Following the pre-expedition, the main expedition, spanning two and a half weeks from February 3 to February 21, centred around the villages of Tlang Moi and Muallian, located on the southernmost tip of the Shnongrim Ridge.
This phase of exploration built upon previous years’ efforts, focusing on extending known caves and exploring new ones.
In the Muallian/Tlang Moi area, significant progress was made in extending known caves.
The Krem Rynjang or Retdung Khur system, India’s 7th longest cave, was extended to a remarkable 23,219 meters, elevating it to India’s 3rd longest cave overall and the 2nd longest limestone cave.
The Pynnoh Um Sngad/Ram Khur System also saw an extension, becoming India’s 7th longest cave.
Despite efforts to physically link cave systems, such as Retdung Khur and Pynnoh Um Sngad/Ram Khur, remaining leads ended in impassable boulder collapses or sumps.
However, explorers made notable gains, including the discovery of Rebung Kung 2 and Rebung Kung Maul, each with extensive passages intersecting beautifully decorated stream passages.
The expedition also marked the discovery of several deep shafts, with Trevor Khur standing out as Meghalaya/India’s deepest known single pitch to date, boasting an impressive entrance pitch of 152 meters.
The MAA extended their gratitude to Meghalayan Age Ltd. and the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, for their ongoing support in documenting Meghalaya’s caves.
