SHILLONG, March 14: A total of 22,663 metre of new cave passage in Meghalaya had been explored and mapped at the culmination of a cave expedition titled ‘2025 Caving in the Abode of the Clouds Expedition’, which took place from February 2 to 28 as part of a partnership between Indian and foreign cavers, and in association with the Shillong-based Meghalaya Adventurers Association.
A week-long pre-expedition had focused on exploration in the Byrong area of Wahlong, in the vicinity of the village of Byrong situated in the East Khasi Hills, where exploration took place from February 2 to 8. This was then followed by a three-week duration main expedition from the February 10 to 27. This precursor event focused on the limestone areas around the village of Jongria and the eastern flanks of the Muallian Spur below the village of Tangnub with the expedition base being in Jongria village.
In keeping with tradition, the multi-national expedition team included cavers from Austria, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland and the UK with cavers from Meghalaya and other areas of India constituting up to 11 individuals with the team at its largest being 24 cavers in number. In addition to this, there were four camp staff.
In the Byrong area, the expedition base was in Byrong village where in the surrounding area a total of 8 caves were explored — four of these being known and partially explored caves and a further four, new and unexplored.
These included Krem Riblai with 1,973m of passage, Krem Khla with 1,521m of passage, Krem Wallang with 1,393m of passage and Krem Shanguh 1 with 1,027m of passage. In addition to these several smaller caves were explored including Krem Sohrimera at 148m, Krem Khlarit at 57m, Krem Krien at 51m and Krem Shanguh 2 at 40m in length.
The caves in Byrong were a mixture of seasonal sinks, active resurgences and shafts containing some excellent and well decorated active and relic passages. In the Byrong area, a total of 6,210m of previously un-mapped cave passage was explored and surveyed. Some passages and caves remain un-explored and it is known that there are other unexplored caves in the locality so a return will be made at a future date.
From the main expedition base in Jongria village, exploration focused on caves in the upper region of the Pongkoloi river (Khangban River Valley) that had been noted on a reconnaissance in 2013 and particularly in the Litang Basin, where a number of caves had been located but not explored in 2006/2007. In these areas, a total of 27 caves were explored and surveyed, of which 9 had been previously located but not explored and 18 of which were new.
The most significant find was ‘Lungchung Khur’ — which proved to be yet another stunning river cave, typical of the type of cave for which Meghalaya has become well known.
With an explored and mapped length of 13,618m it became India’s 10th longest known cave to date (9th longest Limestone cave). Comprising of a large river passage up to 30m wide and high in places, huge relic passages over 20m wide by 15m high along with a mixture of inlet passages, beautiful oxbows and boulder chokes. The cave is noticeable for the fact that it contains many calcite formations along much of its length and occupies a significant part of the Eastern flank of the Muallian Spur in which previously no significant cave was known.
In the Khangban River Valley, seven caves were explored comprising Lijung Khur 1 at 251m, Lijung Khur 2-3 at 112m, Lijung Khur 4 at 138m, the resurgence cave of Lijung Khur 5 at 129m in length — all of these caves being located within the same gorge section of the Khangban Valley. Somewhat further downstream, Biate Khur was explored for 138m with some side passages remaining.
In the Litang Valley/Basin, a number of previously noted but not explored shafts/sinks were explored. These included Canyon Sink, explored via a series a pitches for 938m in length, Lizard Splat for 155m in length, Honeycomb 1 for 49m, Honeycomb 2 for 104m and Honeycomb 3 for 35m in length.
Thirteen previously unknown caves in an area known as Krem Soh Shrieh proved mainly to be blind shafts of between 8m to 26m in depth with the exception being Krem Soh Shrieh 2 that yielded 174m of passage to a depth of 46m.
The Um Sngad Sink, previously explored in 2007/2008, was extended from 2,086m in length to 2,185. This involved the location and exploration of a new doline entrance in to the system and most significantly by the climbing (bolting) of an aven at the lower end of the cave that despite appearing to offer a potential route over the blockage at the caves termination, proved to be an aven entering an area of inlets and collapses. This climb did however rule out any option for this fine cave to be extended further to the south into unknown territory.
Krem Pakse, a cave of 756m in length that was explored in 2007, was also extended by a further 80m along low muddy passage rather that the more open leads that were expected.
Additionally, a cave known as Thangapa Hali was explored for 118m and Um Sla for 98m in length.
In the Muallian Area, a small team assisted the Fisheries department of the state government in collecting four specimens of the blind cave fish from Krem Um Ladaw.
All of which are now safe and thriving in the care of the department and will ensuring the understanding and preservation of what is currently the world’s largest know species of blind cave fish (Neolissochilus pnar) that is unique to Meghalaya. In addition to this, some unexplored side passage in the nearby Krem Rebung Kung was visited taking the cave from its 2024 length of 2,223m to 2,353m.
In the Jongria-Muallian areas, the expedition explored 16,453m of previously un-mapped cave passage.
The exploration and mapping of over 22,000m of new cave passage takes the total combined length of known cave passage that has been explored and mapped in Meghalaya by the Caving in the Abode of the Clouds Project, since systematic cave exploration started in 1992, to 573.6 km. With a good proportion of this being either large and beautiful river passage or large relic passages, evidence suggests that considerably more cave passage awaits exploration in Meghalaya in future years.
A much smaller expedition was also conducted to Krem Amarsang, South West Khasi Hills from January 3 to 14, 2025, with a team of 11 (four from UK, one from US, five from St. Anthony’s College and three Meghalaya Adventurers Association members. Krem Amarsang, which was earlier explored in 2012 and 2018, has now been extended to 1564m. The cave still continues with two major leads and several minor ones. Five other caves were also explored during the period.
