The 2025 Caving in the Abode of the Clouds expedition took place from February 2 to 28 as part of the enduring partnership between Indian and foreign cavers supported by the Meghalaya Adventurers Association (MAA).
Composed of a week-long pre-expedition that focused on exploration in the Byrong area of Wahlong in East Khasi Hills, this was then followed by the main expedition from February 10 to 27, which 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.
As has become the tradition with the Caving in the Abode of the Clouds expeditions, the multinational expedition team included cavers from Austria, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland and the UK with cavers from Meghalaya and other areas of India comprising of up to 11 individuals with the team at its largest being 24 cavers in number.
In the Byrong area a total of eight 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 (1,521m), Krem Wallang (1,393m) and Krem Shanguh 1 (1,027m). In addition to these several smaller caves were explored including Krem Sohrimera at 148m in length, Krem Khlarit (57m), Krem Krien (51m) and Krem Shanguh 2 (40m).
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 unexplored 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 nine 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 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 consisting of 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 are located within the same gorge section of the Khangban Valley. Somewhat further downstream Biate Khur was explored for 138m with some side passaged 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 of 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.
The Um Sngad Sink previously explored in 2007-2008 was extended from 2,086m in length to 2,185m. 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 than the more open leads that were expected.
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 Fisheries Department and will ensure the understanding and preservation of what is currently the world’s largest known species of blind cave fish (Neolissochilus pnar) that is unique to Meghalaya. In addition to this some unexplored side passages in the nearby Krem Rebung Kung were explored taking the cave from its 2024 length of 2,223m to a length of 2,353m.
At the conclusion of the Caving in the Abode of the Clouds 2025 Expedition a total 22,663m of new cave passage had been explored and mapped. This takes the total combined length of known cave passages that have been explored and mapped in Meghalaya by the project, since systematic cave exploration started in 1992, to 573.6km. With a good proportion of this being either large and beautiful river passages or large relic passages, evidence suggests that in Meghalaya considerably more cave passage awaits exploration in future years.
