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ASSCCIATION FOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIESMEN~RSBIP COMMITTEEBOX 7672 UT STATIONAUSTIN TEXAS 78712(0

2TANCOYOL, QRO.: DEC. 23. 1974, Steve Zeman-Tx•• Steve Ward-Pa., PeteTolcser-N.Y., John Szczesriak-N.Y., Peter Strickland-Tx., Bill Stone-Pa ••Art Stone-Ill., Carmen Soileau-Ill., Geoff Parkhurst-N.Y., Larry O'Loane-N.Y.,Dave Mack-N.J., Bob Mack-N.Y •• Diana Lowrey-Tx., Pete Kicza-Mass •• DaveHutchings-Tx., David Gutter-N.J., ~tike Gfroerer-Ohio. Preston Forsy.the-Ken ••Pat Dillon-Pa., Nelson Corby-N.Y., Alexia Cochrane-Ill., Maureen CavanaughTx., Don Broussard-Tx.The walk to the Socavon area leaves from the town of Tancoyol. Queretaro,located twenty-two kilometers north of the Xilitla-Jalpan highway. For 25pesos per burro, per burro driver, per day, we rented three burros, a mule,and a local farmer to transport 1300 meters of rope and food for twenty-threepeople to the village called Rancho Carrizal. two days north-east of Tancoyol.On the third day the motly crew set up camp in an area called Ojo de Agua.three minutes walk from the closed valley which contained EI Sotano de Socavon.The next day almost everyone entered the pit at intervals to survey. photograph,and make a biological collection in the large room at the bottom ofthe entrance drop.The entrance to Socavon is inthe end of a quarter-kilometer-longdolina. The top of the entrance isfifty by one hundred meters. withthe high side being slightly undercutfor a free rappel down eightymeters until you reach the neck ofa funnel. Here it ±s only ten metersin diameter. The low sideslopes to the neck and is coveredin ferns, lichens, shrubs, and largeEI Socovonleafed plants. After twenty metersthrough the neck. one finishes therappel, bouncing off a flows tonecovered wall in the side of an enormousroom, for a 180 meter drop tothe apex of a talus slope. Thisboulder pile slides away from thewall of the chamber for seventy moremeters to the damp dirt floor, 200meters below the entrance.The chamber itself is two hundredmeters long, one hundred meterswide, and seventy-five meters high.There are several huge formationsnear the wall opposite the entrancedrop, and a couple of pancake-sizedfried eggs in the northeast end.water has stood as much as one meterdeep over some parts of the flat siltfloor, indicating that there is norapid run-off once the rain trickles in. ~o side passages existmense room unless they are hidden below the silt floor, in which560 ft.60 ft.~in this imcasetheythe room aswould be full of silt anyway. A small population of parrots usehome.In the next few days, seven other caves and sotanos were found and sketchedor mapped. Xost were only thirty to seventy meters deep in two or three shortdrops close togetaer, ending in dirt plugs. However, a 200+ meter system withseveral drops was found close by; but it also stopped at about the same elevationas Sotano de Socavon, ending in a dirt plug.continued

3So the large-entranced sotano which AMCS cavers had been hearing aboutsince 1967 and which Bill Stone and Steve Ward had partially entered in Augustof 1974 was finally mapped. It did not turn out to be the recordbreakingdeep system we were prepared for. But Victor Benalcazar and MikeSchulte walked in from Azuismon, via Rancho Parada where they had been checkingtrails and rumors of more caves. There are still caves in the Xilitlaplateau to be found. May~e the next one will go.Don BroussardLOS SABINOS, S.L.P.: DEC. 24, 1974, Steve Barbee, Steve Beckman, Ken Dewire,Steve Joffe, Mark Minton, Paulette Minton, and Richard Minton.The above people had just arrived in Los Sabinos campground and awaitedthe co~ng of Harold Go]dstein, Karen Jacobson, Joe Maskasky, Tom Ramsey.This group arrived in Los Sabinos with several objectives--among them to filma Golondrinas trip and map Cueva del Aire and Cueva del Brujo. They connectedAire and Brujo last year but exploration is not complete. Mappingthese caves is difficult not only because the cave is used as a shrine byLOS SABINOS, S.L.P.: DEC. 24, 1974, Steve Barbee, Steve Beckman, Ken Dewire,Steve Joffe, Mark Minton, Paulette Minton, and Richard Minton.The above people pulled into Los Sabinos campground and awaited thearrival of Harold Goldstein, Karen Jacobson, Joe Maskasky, and Tom Ramsey.This group arrived wzthseveral objectives--among them to film a Go1odrinastrip and to map Cueva del Aire and Cueva del Brujo. They connected Aireand Brujo last year but exploration is not complete. Mapping these caves isdifficult not only because of complex steeply sloping rooms, but also becausethe cave is used as a shrine by the Huastecan Indians. On their lasttrip the group was invited to help worship the Huastecan gods. The Indianshad killed a small animal and laid it as an offering in the center of a clothwith broken cave formations on the corners. The Indians taught the caversthe proper chants as they walked around the altar. Each time they wentaround they would take a drink of cana--the local whiskey--and sprinkle someon the altar. The Indians then pointed out their other offerings of smallcoins and various objects wrapped in leaves. After the services the Indiansand cavers left the cave in a spirit of fraternal goodwill.Despite their previous plans, when the group heard of the new road inthe EI Abra they decided to go there. First they checked Sotano de Locut,a one hundred foot pit by the road. Then they explored Sotano de Otates,checked north of the road and south along the face of the range. Several ofthe group pushed Cueva de Diamante to about the four hundred foot level; thecave still goes. Otthers filmed the trail chopping, did Sendero (the new 712'pit by the trail), took movies in Sotano de 1a Cuesta at the end of a threehundred foot rope, and then checked Sotano del Arbo1 since they had broughttheir rope. This pit had a 177' entrance drop to a room with a four secondpit on one end. The group then returned to Los Sabinos, happy but tired, tosee how much of their original schedule they could salvage.Bill RussellOverheard while trailbuilding in the El Abra:day until Christmas.""only one more chopping

4SAN CRISTOBAL, CHIAPAS: DEC. 29, 1974, Brian Larson (Calgary, Alberta), JohnDonovan (Blackpool, Lancashire), Blake Harrison (Austin, Texas), Mike Boon(Calgary, Alberta)The group took burros from Tenejapa about six miles to Sumidero Yochib.They went downstream in this large river cave for five hundred meters. Hereexploration was stopped two years before by large breakdown blocks that channelthe flow of the river (132 cubic feet/sec) into impassable rapids. Thegroup managed to pass the breakdown by crossing the river and bolting acrossa deep gut between the blocks thirty meters further downstream. There explorationwas stopped at a rapids where the river--a meter deep and ten meterswide--went swiftly down a slight grade. They decided the only way to attemptthe rapids was with a rope and jumars. Returning to a point nearer the entrance,they explored a fifteen by fifteen meter side passage about six hundredmeters to a depth of about 210 meters. They thought this passage wouldbypass the rapids and return to the river, but it ended in a mud choke.From Tenajapa they went to Huixtan near San Cristobal to climb a waterfallabout three hundred meters back in the resurgence of one of the headwatersof the Rio Huixtan. They climbed the ten meter waterfall and found120 meters of passage'

5MINA OTATES, T&~.: DSC. 25, 1974, Andy Grubbs, Robert Hemperly, LoganMcNatt, Bill Russell, Nancy Sayther, Terry Sayther, Barbara Wolf.This group arrived in Cd. Valles after LWO days checking cave leads nearPapagayos, east of Cd. Maiz. They found the map of the Otates Mine area inthe Condesa, checked in at Los Sabinos, and drove to the mine. There it wasdecided to chop a trail south from the mine road on compass bearings fromNeal Morris's map. To connect themine area with the trail north fromCueva de Tanchipa required threeand a half days of chopping. Assistedby Tom Rams~y and JoeSotano de SenderoMaskasky, the group cleared atrail through the karst for fivekilometers south t.o Sotano de laCuesta at the end of the Tanchipatrail. The new trail went by severalpits, including a one hundred377 ft.foot (unchecked), Sotano de Sendero(712 feet), Sotano de Arbol (177'to a room with a four second drop),and several smaller pits. Thechopping went rapidly as we had alarge group and the lead chopperscut only enough to get through andstay on bearing, while the peoplefollowing enlarged the trail. Justnorth of the mine road a cave in the 712 ft.bottom of a large sink was exploredand named Cueva de Diamante (Diamond)after the quartz crystals found inthe sink. The first part of the caveis an old phreatic tube five feet indiameter that now takes drainage fromthe sink. Almost blocked by flow-"stone in places, the cave was climbableto about the 150' level. Thenwe returned to Los Sabinos and enlarged(with ten sticks of Kinopak)a passage that bypassed the AcupunctureCrawl in Cueva de Tinaja.Bill Russell730 ft.NEWS NOTE: Aquismon, S.L.P.; Word is that a road is to be built to Tamapatz,a one and one-half hour (level) walk from Sotano de las Golondrinas. Theroad will start at Pimienta on the highway south of Aquismon, and follow thetrail to Tampachal (one-half hour from Guaguas), then north to Tamapatz. Willa road to Tamapatz increase Golondrinas traffic? Will cavers still have toask permission in Aquismon? Hhat ever happens, things should be different.Construction is scheduled to start soon and should take about a year.

6MINA OTATES. TAMP.: JAN. 4. 5. & 6. Pete Strickland. Bill Stone. Art Stone.Carmen Soileau. Alexia Cochrane. Brian Clarke, Maureen Cavanaugh, and DonBroussard.From the due south trail connecting the mine and the Tanchipa trail, atwo day due east chop toward a pit seen from the air by Bill Russell locatedthe pit itself and another sotano about ~o hundred meters north. The pit,Hoya de Hojas Grandes, is twenty-five by fifty meters by fifty meters deep.No rope is required; it was just a very steep chop to the bottom, which iscovered in huge banana-tree-shaped leaves. A short passage near the upperedge connects with the surface forty meters away.The other pit. Sotano de Arbol Sangre, is a fissure five meters wideand thirty meters long. The entrance drop is about thirty meters, end aftertwo other drops. a total depth of roughly 150 meters i~ reached.Glenn Darilek. Ed Geldstone. Steve Gutting. Bill King. Greg Passmore. andChuck Stuehm,visited Cueva de Nacimiento del Rio Frio. Grutas de Quintero (youcan drive through the cave with four wheel drive). Cueva de El Abra. Cueva deSalitre, Puente de D±os (by Jalpan). and Cueva de Taninul #4.NEWS NOTE: Neai Morris is editing a book on the speleological explorationof the Sierra de El Abra that should be available soon. Plans are to publishthe book under the auspices of Gill Ediger~s International SpeleologicalFoundation. so that the foundation can show prospective doners the kind ofwork it will sponsor. As soon as this book is available we will notify allAMeS members.In Hoya de Guaguas, a skull was found which was keyed out by MikeMcEachern to be Eira barbara senex. This diurnal mammal inhabits tropicalforests and climbs. runs, and swims well. It feeds on many species ofsmall mammals and birds. as well as on fruit. Body length is roughly a halfmeter, excluding the tail. It is commonly known as a tayra.Taken from Mammals of North America by Hall and Kelson.A canal was continued in the second level in Cueva de Los Sabinos. Inan attempt to lower the water level in the siphon lake just north ~f Sotanode Arroyo, water was channeled to a lower level of the cave. A th~rd canalneeds to be dug about half a meter deep and twenty meters long to low:r thewater in the siphon lake 0.6 meters. Eleven cavers worked two hours ~n thesecond canal which was thirty meters long and 6.4 meters deep.Don BroussardC 15 1974 Steve Hudson, Ann Knox, Buddy Lane. MarionLA CAPILLA, S.L.P.: DE., ,Smith, Bill Steel, Doug Strait, Ed Yarbrough, et. al-This group went up the chapel trail to visit and photograph in S~tanode la Cuesta and Sotano de la Estrella. On the way they checked Coat~tuesdayand found it to be about 147 meters deep--somewhat narrow towards the bottom.Some of the group also visited and photographed in Hoya de Guaguas.we heard a group on the way to Golondrinas rolled their Blazer south ofCd. Valles. No one was injured and they did the pit anyway.

MERIDA, YUC.: OCT. 1974, David McKenzie, James Reddell, Suzanne Wiley 7During a three month stay in Merida this group mapped and made biologicalcollections in the Yucatan Peninsula. On the way down they mapped thecommercial cave Grutas de Cocana near Teapa, Tabasco. Much time was spentmapping in the incredible maze,. Cu~va de Kaua, east of Chichen-Itza. Aboutsix hundred meters were mapped per trip; the cave is now over six thousandmeters and still much more to survey. The group finished the map ofXtacumbilxunam (the Cave of the Nine Wells), a famous cave near Bolonchenin Northern Campeche. The cave is developed on several levels, totals oversixteen hundred meters in length, and reaches a depth of 102 meters. Theyalso finished the map of Las Grutas de Tzab-nah south of Campeche, aboutnine hundred meters long, and Actun Chen-Mul in the ruins of Mayapan. Fourcaves were located in the Sierra de Ticul. The largest, Gruta de Chukum,was important biologically. Two new caves near the ruins of Xul were explored,one intersected by an eighty meter hand-dug well. The most notablenew discovery was Grutas de San Antonio in remote northern Campeche. Thiscave has eleven hundred meters of large passage and reaches a depth of 113meters. A hand-dug well intersects a fifteen meter high passage in the lowerlevel of the cave and continues until it reaches water at the 113 meter level.A blind tarantula was collected in this cave.Several caves near Santa Elena were visited. Pozo Nohcacab in thecenter of town was being dug out by local labor. Pozo Okbinchen was aseries of drops to a large room. Actun Xcoch, in the same area, was firstreported in John L. Stevens book Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan, publishedabout 1840. The cave had been seale~for forty-y;ars, but was dugopen and explored for over three hundred meters. Another Stevens' cave,Gruta de Chac, about six hundred meters long and sixty-four meters deep,was mapped. Important biological collections were made in the Sierra deTicul near Otzkuab in Actung Tzitz, a large inclined room. Also visitedwere Actun Sabach, a large multiple skylight cave near Tekax, and Cuevade Monte Bravo in southern Campeche, over five hundred meters long. Manyother caves were visited and the group felt that if they had stayed threemore months, as much more could have been accomplished.David ~lcKenzie as told to B. R.ussellWarren Netherton, Roger Skaggs, Devi Ukrain, and Dave Whitacre arrivedon foot in Los Sabinos after their car crossed Texas, but not the border,with no license plates. They were visiting caves in the Los Sabinos area.Diana Emerson and Walt Jaskinerny of the Windy City Grotto arrived inLos Sabinos after five days of having their car worked on in Dallas, Texas.Grim•••Bill Edison, Nancy Edison, Ron Gariepy, Karen Hoskin, and Dave Kelleycouldn't find Soyate, did Golondrinas, and planned to do Guaguas.The Left-Hand Water Passage in Cueva de Tinaja ends in a room fivemeters by six meters long, witb less than 0.3 of air above water of unknowndepth. This is one of th~ few places in the Left-Hand Water Passagewhere a caver~s body can be vertical. But you may be ~ithin only fifteenmeters of another lake in Sotano del Arroyo. Explored by Mark Stock andDon Broussard.Copyright AHCSMembership Committee

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AMCSMEMBERSHIP ACTIVITIES LETTEREdited by Bill RussellSpring Report Letter No.2, May 1975The AMCS Activities Letter is published by the AMCS Membership Committeeas often as necessary to keep the AMCS members informed of speleological activityin Mexico. This is a newspaper of the Mexican underground and we welcomebrief accounts of current trips. Longer accounts will be edited to our briefformat. The activities letter does not replace the AMCS Newsletter and Bulletinas a permanent repository for information. At this time it seems likelythat the AMCS Bulletin and Newsletter will be combined into a publication tentativelycalled the Journal of Tropical American Speleology. This change isnot planned until the completion of the present volume of the AMCS Newsletter.The new format will broaden the scope of the publication and make it a professionaljournal for all of Tropical America.The second issue of the A}ICS Activities Letter covers the period fromthe end of January to the beginning of ~~y, a relatively quiet time betweenthe New Year trips and the summer expeditions. Though not a time of peak activity,trips were made to the Valles Area in San Luis Potosi and the ChiapasHighlands. This issue also presents timely information on the various systemsof cave map symbols, since the NSS is soon to consider the adoption of astandard system of cave map symbols. To avoid confusion, it would be beneficialfor all cavers to use a common set of symbols. But the list submittedto the NSS by James Hedges is not acceptable to most active Mexican caversand is not compatible with past mapping. The NSS should adopt the AMCS list,calling it for convenience the NSS standard list. This is a list that would beused by all cavers.The cover drawing on this issue of the AMCS Activities Letter, as wellas the cover drawing on the first issue, is by Dino Lowery. The cover bird isPedro, the mascot of the Kirkwood Caver House. His kin are a familiar sightin the ~~xican forest, where the calls of the colorful flocks wake the tiredcaver to an early dawn.Bill Stone writes from the cold northlands of New York that he plans atrip to the El Socovon area this summer. He plans to reconnoiter the areafrom the air --- starting with the El Abra and flying west to concentrate onthe area west of Golondrinas where he thinks there is "something huge." Healso speculates that he might go to Yosemite and rappel off El Capitan (3200feet), "in order to dispel any myth about present systems not workin~ fordrops of over 2,000 feet." If he can find enough rope and sherpas. We wishhim luck. He is soon to move to the Tuscan area and wants to know if anyone ischecking out the Sierra Madre Occidental.

2The latest issue of the ROC Cairn, the newsletter of the Rensselaer OutingClub, contains a 15 page account of the Christmas trip to El Socovon by BillStone complete with area maps and sketch maps of El Socovon and Sotano de Ojo deAgua (283 foot entrance drop, total depth 746 feet). Several other pits werelocated and explored in the El Socovon area, and numerous leads were gatheredfor the next trip. After returning to the road at Tancoyol, the group split up,some of the group following the new road to the top of the El Abra and choppin~out to pits. The thrill of discovery is evident in Bill's account of the explorationof Sotano de Arbol Sangre: "'We arrived at Sotano de Arbol Sangre aroundnoon and rigged to a sinuously rooted tree which literally "bled" white sap whencut, hence the name Arbol Sangre. Bryan rappeled in the 100' entrance drop to abreakdown mountain sloping steeply down. He walked down out of hearin~ rangeand returned 10 minutes later reporting he had found a 20' diameter pit of unknowndepth. Art and I descended and Don went over to the other nearby pit tobegin chopping down.'We climbed down the breakdown and took a look at Bryan's pit. It lookeddeep. We examined the rest of the passage which had a deep fissure runnin~ downthe middle. It ended 200' further on in a 3 second pit. We returned to Bryan'spit again. This time we dislodged an immense boulder, perhaps a meter cubical,and rolled it in. 1••• 2••• 3••• 4.CRASH•• 5••• 6••• 7••• 8•• CRASH •• RUMBLE ••12 •• l3 ••1~•• CRASH ••18•• l9•• 20•• BOOOOOM! At this point (no kidding) the floor we werestanding on shook! GEEZUUZ! Well, our first thought was to forget it and comeback tomorrow with a BIG rope. However, as in the case of many other deep pits,rock times can be deceptive, especially if the walls are close together and permita lot of bouncing. So we decided to at least give it a try with the ropes wehad. We climbed out and hiked over to where Don was chopping and had lunch. Fromthe "lunch ledge" Don's pit looked like it might be deep so I stayed to helpchop while Bryan and Art went to try the pit with a 300' rope. Don and I managedto get to the bottom in about 1/2 hour. It was only 200-250' deep, shearon 3 sides. No passages except for a small tube leading to a skylight entrance.Don decided to return to camp. Bryan and Art were still in Sotano de ArbolSangre so I dropped in and climbed down to the second pit again. Bryan was inthe process of Jumaring out on the 300' rope. We arrived semi-exhausted and reportedthat the 300 feet wasn't nearly enough. We decided to try one more timeand tie on the remaining 120' rope. Since neither Bryan nor Art wanted to rappelover the knot that left the dubious honor to me. We rerigged using a minimalamount of rope tied around a semi-solid looking column•••shaky! The pit issmooth walled and roughly elliptical with a narrow fissure running off each end.At -300' I tied on the 120' rope and kept on rappelling. At the end of the secondrope I was about 10' off the top of a talus pile. Totally forgetting in my excitementthat I was at the end of 420' of GOLDLINE, I untied the knot and rappelledoff the end. TWANG. ZIP. Up went the rope 25' off the floor~ Well, what abummer! After getting over a surge of blind panic I found that I could chimney(just barely) up enough to clip a Jumar on the end and pull it back down. Aftertying it off I followed the high canyon-like passage for 200' where it ended insilt fill. We surveyed out and started back to camp by dusk. Total depth was709' with the second drop officially 433'."

3Michael Schulte has been working on his Aquismon Area Project during Januaryand February. On December 28 he met the EI Socovon trip at EI Socovon,then was back in theOAquismon area to yo-yo Golondrinas with the NY RensselaerOuting Club Group. Then he searched unsuccessfully for the Bridge Pit, and metRoger Skages, Rich Stocker, Warren Netherton, Devi Ukrin, and Dave Witacre todo Hoya de Guaguas. On January 21 he helped carry Blanca Rubio Ramirez, aTamapatz school teacher, over a muddy trail in a makeshift stretcher fromTamapatz to Aquismon and then drove her to a hospital in Valles. After checkingcaves north of Tansosob he returned to Tamapatz and finally found the elusiveBridge Pit, Joya Jawecito, on February 15. It is an impressive pit butnot the deep shaft we had hoped. It can be climbed without rope. He concluded"there are still significant leads and much mapping left in this beautifularea."Discovery of Diamond CaveDiamond Cave promises to be a major cave, a deep complex three dimensionalmaze beneath the dolina just to the northwest of the Otate Mine. Just west ofthe mine the new road circles the south edge of the dolina, so when our grouparrived at the Otate camp~round an obvious first thing to do was to check thisnearby dolina. So soon after we set up camp I walked back down the road andcrashed down through the jungle. On reaching the flat densely overgrown floorof the dolina, it was apparent there were no large overhangs, but there was asmall drainage channel crossing the bottom. I follQwed this shallow channel towhere it sank under a low ledge in the southeast corner of the dolina. Afterclearing some debri it looked possible to squeeze into the opening and followthe water - and there seemed to be a small air flow, rare in the El Abra. Theentrance looked small but promising, but air flow in the El Abra indicates aconnection to big cave. Encouraged by this thought I decided to chop a traildirectly south back to the car as it would be much shorter than the roundaboutway I had come. After chopping 20 feet south I stepped across a small hole inthe karst that looked like it should be checked. Trail chopping became increasinglydifficult and after a hundred feet a series of jungle covered six footledges convinced me that was not the best way to return to the car, so I circledback the way I had come.That afternoon Andy Grubbs and I returned to check out the small sink, andafter much squeezing managed to explore about 100 feet of small tube to wherethe tube divided into several smaller tubes too small to follow. We squeezedback out and while Andy looked for quartz crystals in the arroyo, I went hackto check the hole in the karst. This hole is only about 2 x 2 feet and is likethousands of cracks in the karst but seemed deeper. But once I slid into theopening it was obviously not just another hole in the karst. A six foot in diametertube sloped downward and was scoured clean by water entering from thedolina bottom through cracks in the karst. I quickly explored for about 100 feetto a climbable ten foot drop where I returned for Andy. We returned to the drop,Andy climbed down and indicated the cave continued, but due to light trouble wehad to wait until that evening to explore further. That evening ~.,e pushed throu~hthe squeezes to the Frog Falls area and Andy climbed to the bottom of the flowstoneonly to be stopped by an unclimbahle pit. We flagged the entrance, but astime was short and we wanted to finish chopping the trail south to Cuesta we leftfurther exploration to others.Bill Russell

4Cueva de Diamante -Tamaulipas, MexicoCueva de Diamante (Diamond Cave, so named for the quartz crystalsfound around the entrance) was discovered at the base of a large sinkjust north of the new Mina Otate road in late December, 1974. The scoutingparty which discovered the cave explored only a short distance in thesteeply dropping phreatic tube, being stopped by a short pit. At that timea group from Ohio, Colorado, and California began further exploration andmapping.The upper section of the cave would be mostly walking/stooping passagewere it not often nearly plugged by flowstone, requiring one to crawl overand under various deposits, dams, and bridges. 76 feet from the entrance isa small room containing two flowstone dams, behind which are 16 and 19 footclimbable drops. 83 feet beyond these drops the floor of the passage becomescompletely blocked by a shallow pool 24 feet long, necessitating an awkwardchimney in the 2-3 foot high tube to stay dry. Crawling over flows tone andpools an additional 59 feet brings one to the top of a series of steep,slippery, ten foot deep flowstone cascades, on the upper end of which wereseen around two dozen green tree frogs. The cascades are difficultly climbable;a hand line being of considerable advantage for the last one. Another28 feet brings one to the first pit, 296 feet from, and 131 feet below theentrance. Several small tubes were seen leading off near the ceiling of thesmall room at the top of the pit. Only one of these was checked, and led tothe top of a dome associated with the pit complex (voice and light connection).The pit drops 30 feet to a ledge, below which it is divided by a thinpartition. To the left of the partition an additional 35 foot drop (climbable)reaches the floor of the pit, which contains a narrow crevice 8 feetdeep leading to some wet crawls. A passage leading back under the upper passagedrops steeply for 26 feet, bringing one to the top of a series of large, offsetdrops approximated at 125 feet deep. The top of these drops is 216 feetbelow the entrance, and is the end of current mapping.This second pit is entirely different from the upper sectio~ of thecave. The walls, which contain numerous unchecked holes, are covered withlarge calcite crystals. Even the flowstone in the pit seems to have beencrystallized. Most of the pit is probably climbable, although a rope is preferred.From the bottom of this pit, a passage to one side leads after about25 feet to another drop estimated at 30-40 feet. This pit, which was not descendedfor lack of rope, also had large calcite crystals up to 6 inches longcompletely covering its walls and ceiling. The walls also contained many uncheckedleads. Several Herkimer Diamonds, up to an inch long, were found nearthis drop.A small crevice leading the opposite direction drops steeply and leadsafter about 50 feet to still another pit, estimated at 50 feet, also notdescended. Immediately below the lip of this pit a large passage could beseen coming in, but could not be reached without a rope. Several white isopods,up to an inch in length, were seen in this area, which was quite damp.Air movement was considerable.continued

5To the right of the partition in the first pit, a climbable drop of 25-30 feet leads to an unmapped canyon passage. About 20 feet down the canyon isa climbable 10-15 foot drop containing a very tight, jagged canyon which leadsto two more short climbable drops. The second of these leads one to the top ofa short drop, "size 28 pit," so named because a person with a 28 inch waistcould squeeze through a slot in the floor and climb down the pit without rope.About 30 minutes of hammering enlarged the slot to accommodate someone of aboutsize 32. The bottom of this 20-25 foot pit contains another miserably tightcanyon, which required changing levels frequently in order to get through. Thiscanyon abruptly ends and is intersected by a similar canyon to the right. Aftercrossing a 10 foot deep hole, the canyon widens out giving one about 50 feet ofwalking passage 3-4 feet wide. Several more quartz crystals were seen in thegravel at this point. The canyon soon narrows again and after some Z turnsbecomes extremely tight at ceiling level. At this point one can climb down 2025 feet to the floor of the canyon, which abruptly drops down a slightly widerblack hole. Rocks dropped free for 2 seconds, and bounced an additional 1-2seconds. There was considerable air movement up out of this hole, which hassome very unstable breakdown wedged in at the top. Exploration was stoppedat this point, again for lack of rope. A bolt kit may be necessary for riggingthis pit.A total of 370 feet was mapped in Cueva de Diamante, and at least thatmuch more explored. Exploration was stopped by pits at every turn, each onemoving air. The potential for this cave seems tremendous - future explorersshould be good climbers and bring plenty of rope. !Viva la EI Abra!Mark MintonEl Salvador Tamp March 23, 1975Don Broussard, Jim Moore, and Charlotte Rodgers arrived at Sotano deVenidito and rigged drops down to the 600 foot level. Here they explored pastthe downstream "syphon," now open by 3 feet as opposed to 6 inches on the lasttrip. With the increased opening the airflow is not noticeable. They took SteveRyan's water passage, the one that Steve Ryan, lagging behind, followed on thelast trip thinking it was the way out. This is a large, apparently downstream,passage with deep (over 6 feet) water, 3-15 feet of air space and 25-30 feetwide. After about 1000 feet, the passage pinched into a 3 foot wide 30 foot highcrack. This narrow section of passage slowly dropped through pools of water forabout 300 feet, then enlarged to 40 feet wide, 30 feet high with waist deep water.After 1500 feet the passage was 20 feet wide, with 10 feet of air space, andoccasional bats. Here time forced a return· to the surface. The next day theycompleted the map to the 600 foot level and derigged.The AMCS now maintains a limited supply of topographic maps of the Vallesarea (between Cd. Valles and Cd: Victoria). These are intended primarily tosupply those on their way to Mexico, but mail orders can be filled.The AMeSwelcomes comments and suggestionsabout this activities letter.

6o100Frog Falls70 ft200Mark Minton'sgroup wentthis way todrop50ft.30075 ft.400DepthCrystal inRoom feet 500Dome600CUEVA DEDIAMANTETamaulipas, Mexico40 ft.700Profile100rope800Sketch from MemoryHandburgerHill9001000

7Diamond Cave RevisitedAndy Grubbs, Steve Deathrige, Paul Fambro, Jim Feely, and Mike McKeearrived at ~tina Otate on tmrch 23. Also in the group were Terry Sayther,John Omnaas, Craig Smith, Mike McEachern, Nancy Boice, and Dennis Breiningwho planned to work on the trail to Cuesta, while the others made a reconnaissancetrip into Diamante. They were equipped with many short ropes forthe small drops, as on the Christmas trip the only ropes available were longropes for the big pits that no one wanted to drag through the cave. ~ext morningthe reconnaissance group climbed through the first part of the cave andstarted rigging at a series of flowstone cascades, named Frog Falls after thenumerous frogs. At the bottom of Frog Falls, minus 131 feet by the Minton survey,a series of drops leads to an offset into the Crystal Room, 75 by 50 by75 feet high - the walls covered by 6 by 6 inch calcite crystals, attractivethough dry and dusty. This room also contains what looks like a crystal-coveredTitan Missile, either a now mostly dissolved wall or an old stalagmite.Just before the Crystal Room a small hole leads to the passage followed bymost of the water entering the cave, diverted away from the Crystal Room bya partition. This is the passage followed by Minton's group on the Christmastrip. On this trip it was decided to check a narrow crack leading down fromone side of the Crystal Room. This fissure was chimneyed for 50 feet to asloping passage that was followed to a handline drop, where Andy climbed downto the top of another drop. On the way back to the Crystal Room, Mike McKee fell15 feet when a handhold broke, but suffered no serious injury.The next day the group, now consisting of Andy, Steve, Dennis, and Craigreturned and rigged several more drops to a squeeze leading through the PebbleRoom to the top of a 130 foot fissure divided by a thin partition halfway down.This section was named Handburger Hill due to the sharp nature of the rocks.Andy climbed to the bottom of the fissure, but ended up on the wrong side ofthe partition. He could see the crack continuing, but from where he was, thecontinuation was not easily reached, and time was running short, so he climbedback out. The total depth of Diamante is estimated to be almost 1000 feet, stillcontinuing, and several hundred feet short of the potential of the cave, locatedon the crest of the Sierra de El Abra.Just before they left the Otate ~line area they checked a pit the minershad told them about between the Diamante Cave entrance and the Camp, about tenminutes from the car. They reached the pit and dropped a rock. Three secondsfree fall and then it bounced out of hearing. But alas they had to meet a groupin Taxco to tour the underground course of the Rio Chontalcoatlan, the warmestof the two Dos Bocas that emerge below Cacahuamilpa.Notes from Tom Ramsey:1. Second drop in Otate is not blind; there is a methane sump lead down there.We never did get anyone in our party on the bottom.2. You said that when we came hack from Mina Otate that we were happy but ~.I take offense at that cliche word: tired. We Cru~pers and Hlocut cultists nevertire!3. George Tracy's group spent Xmas in the Chiapas. They never did manage to catchup with Mike Boon, but they did get some caving in.

8San Cristobal Chiapas, March 28, 1975A continuing report on the exploration of Sumadero Yochib, a large rivercave near Tenejapa. Since the Christmas trip Barb Larson, Mark Stock, and BobRanney had been back to Yochib and explored another 300 feet downstream to a5 foot pitch that needed a bolt to pass. So 1n March these three, plus MikeBoon returned and descended the 5 foot pitch and the next two pitches of 6 feetand 8 feet. These lead to a 90 foot pit broken by a brid~e halfway down. Herethe stream makes a right angle, turns along a cross joint (see sketch). Thisdrop temporarily halted exploration but a return trip descended this drop andprogressed to where a 40 foot pitch bypassed another waterfall. A short swimlead to a 20 foot pitch beside the next waterfall where more swimming lead toa large chamber. Beyond this chamber the stream runs through boulders to a 20foot chute. The chute can be bypassed by traversing to the ri~ht, dropping toa ledge, and then down to a relatively level area, named The Bad Dreams Section.Here the stream has to be crossed using the ladder as a belay while climbingacross a sill above the rapids. Another short traverse leads to a 50 footdrop into a pool. At this point Pete Thompson flew in from Canada to join thegroup. The reinforced group then did the drop into the pool, crossed over thehead of another waterfall, bypassed the tenth waterfall using a dry slab toreach a cable ladder drop into the race above the 11th waterfall. Here there wasa distinct change in the character of the cave, and the stream funneled into anarrow gut leading to a waterfall that could not be bypassed with a single bolt.Instead a tricky climb is needed to avoid the force of the water. On this climbPete Thompson managed to fall 15 feet into a shallow ~ravel floored pool, spraininghis ankle.Beyond the pool, the river flows over the 13th waterfall and into a narrowchannel requiring a multi-bolt traverse. Somewhat discouraged, the group returnedto camp set up in the Big Chamber where Thompson laid up for two dayswhile Larson and Boon surveyed and detackled. The group felt that a big pushwas not in order as prior' to the fallon the 12th waterfall, Mark Stock haddropped 20 feet on the 2nd waterfall pitch and bruised his knee. This fall wasnot serious as it occurred in sight of daylight, but the two injuries and thepowerful current of cold water that could not always be avoided created a demotivatingmental climate. It was d~cided to push the cave on a return tripwith fresh bodies. It is fortunate that Yochih is being explored mostly byCanadians as ordinary cavers are not familiar with the cold and wet.Mike Boon as told to Bill RussellThe February Cleve-O-Grotto News contains details of a trip to Chiapasby George Tracy, Angie Hodonsky, Mike Shawcross, and eight others mostlyCa~adians, ~ut reported on by Sasha Hafez, a Cleveland Grotto cav;r attendingun~versity ~n Canada. The group visited E1 Chorreadero in a park near TuxtlaGutierrez, passed a group of cavers from HcMaster University, and then visitedthe well~decorated, easily traversed Cueva de Rancho Nuevo in the pine forestnear San Cr~stobal. They next went cave hunting near Tenejapa where they locateda new cave, Sumidero Chicja, and mapped for about 1000 feet. They returnedto Cueva de Rancho Nuevo for a New Year's party where they met a group ofFrench Canadian cavers in identical caving uniforms. From here they drove southto Guatemala and back to Canada.

9CHE~-VEN-SIL-MUTSYSTEM\+--1000 ft.--f sump~sumpresurgence,-.( HondonadasumpsumpCHEN-VEN-SIL-MUT(126 m. drop)f+- 2500 ft':"".--~~~~I-----------------One Mile -------------~lo~~1-600 ft.-+jamHOYA CHEN(SI~K)sump~ 4-vovriverMore on Chen-Ven-Sil-HutRanney and Stock explored the passage found by Larson and Donovan upstreamin the river that flows across the bottom of one of ~~xico's largestpits, Chen-Ven-Sil-Mut. This passage lead upstream for about 600 feet to alogjam. A party from the Alberta Spe1eo1o~ica1 Society explored the sink endof the same system from the Hoya Chen entrance for about 2500 feet to a logfilledsump. One kilometer upstream from Joya Chen a -4600 foot cave was exploredafter diving through a sump later drained by digging.SUMIDERO DE YOCHIBEntranceft.700 ft.deep\_-~3000 ft.__'l

101000 Foot Pit in ChihuahuaThis report of a 1000 foot plus pit in Chihuahua was brought to theattention of Donald Davis by Jon Haman. Davis sent it to Frank Binney whereit was found by Barbara Vinson who passed it on to the AMCS. It is part ofan article in the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers(Technical Publication n 154. Walker, R.T. "Deposition of are in Pre-ExistingLimestone Caves," issued with Mining and Metallurgy, November, 1928). Thearticle is discussing an ore chimney in the Potosi mine at Santa Eulalia,Chihuahua. As an afterthought, they mention "A few hundred feet distant fromthis orebody the limestone strata are penetrated by a large open chimneycave, over 100 ft. in diameter, which is reported to extend from the volcaniccapping near the 600 ft. level to the 1600 ft. level, and for an unknowndistance below. It is doubtless the conduit of an extinct hot spring, formedafter the mineralization of the district took place, since it contains no oreminerals, except in a few places where there are small earthy deposits ofmonheimite, the brick-red zinc-iron carbonate, which have obviously been derivedby migration from the oxidized portion of the near-by Potosi ore chimney.It is a suggestive circumstance that this postmineral chimney cave isof such shape that if it were completely filled with ore by ascending mineralizingsolutions, which would also replace the walls to some extent, theresulting orebody would be structurally indistinguishable from the Potosichimney. Further evidence as to the probable cave origin of the Potosi chimneyis afforded by the fact that in the neighboring San Toy mine an orebodyin the shape of a horizontal pipe, but doubtless formed during the same periodof mineralization, exhibits cave breccia of apparently premineral character."Dr. Robert !'litchell of Texas Tech University has received a grant from theNational Geographic Society to continue his and James Reddell's biologicalstudy of the cave life of the Yucatan peninsula. They plan to work in Yucatanthis summer and can be reached %James Reddell, Lista de Correos, Merida, Yucatan.Any cavers who plan to visit the area should write in advance of their trip.Just received a letter from Frank Binney, Inside Earth editor and notedspeleoadventurer, that he is going to far distant lands to film the Britishattempt to find the world's deepest cave. With a little effort, AMCS membersshould be able to find a deeper cave in ~~xico. It is perhaps all right thatso far the French have explored the deepest caves, as they live there, but theBritish? This summer all AMes members can help restore the national honor, beatthe British, and embarrass Frank Binney by finding a mile deep cave in Mexico.Everyone should receive a membership card with this issue. Some were sentout with the first issue, but no records were kept, so everyone gets a card thistime.

Cave Map Symbols11On the following pages are three sets of cave map symbols: the set byJames Hedges now being distributed by the NSS office, followed by the AMCS setof symbols and the set of symbols used by Ernst Kastning, a caver active in NewYork, but with considerable experience elsewhere. Other commonly seen sets ofsymbols are those used by the Cave Research Group and the symbols used in MissouriSpeleology. James Hedges has submitted a set of symbols to the NSS to beadopted as the NSS standard cave map symbols, but unfortunately this list is notavailable as it is so long he has not been able to prepare copies, but the maindifference between the list given and Hedges' revised list are covered in thediscussion.Cave map symbols should enable the priRted map to convey as much informationas possible about the three dimensional cave in a limited space. The set of symbolsshould be complete, so that all common features have a unique symbol, andblank paper indicates only lack of data. The set should be versatile so a fewsymbols can be combined to indicate most of the features found in the cave, andthey should be easily used by persons of little artistic ability.The advantages of a standard set of symbols are so overwhelming that itwould seem that a nationwide system would long ago have been established. Thereare several reasons why this has not been done. The first is that most mappingis primarily for local consumption. The local caver provides the vast majorityof all persons actively interested in a cave map and they know the local set ofsymbols, so the map is useful to them. This localism is being weakened as caversincreasingly visit distant areas and feel more a part of national and internationalcaving organizations. Inertia is another reason why a standard set of symbolshas not been adopted. Once a region or a survey has used a set of symbols to drawnumerous maps they do not want to learn a new set and make the old mappinp. obsolete.However, as most surveys and regions will admit that a common set of symbolswill someday be adopted, the sooner the change is made the fewer maps willhave been drafted using an eventually obsolete set of symbols. The need for acommon set of symbols has not been obvious to many non-mapping cavers as mostcave maps, especially those published in journals of wide circulation, are drawnto such a scale that only the general outlines of a cave can be given and nospecial symbols are necessary. Hm.,ever, the relative decline in the cost of printingin relation to the cost of living has made it possible to print more largecave maps that use special symbols extensively, and many of these maps are attainingwide circulation. As the student of speleology travels from Canada to tfuxicoand attends a conference in Yugoslavia he encounters a bewildering variety ofspecial symbols and local notations. Standardization has been taking place slowlythrough communication and personal contact, but the adoption of a standard setof symbols by the ~SS will set the trend for the entire North American continentand should be carefully considered.[2]1Simbolos:@][E]E§J~GJ[2]~023 t. 5 6 7 B 91. pared de La cueva. 2. doL Ina . 3. estaLoctltos etc. 4. gours . 5. derrumbes:6.tlerro. 7.c!iocLoso; 8. pendienle abruplo. 9.pendlente.Cuban Cave Hap Symbols

12SYMBOLMEANINGCEILING HEIGHT IN FEETHEIGHT ABOVE AND BELOW WATER IN FEETLEDGE OR DROP IN FEET - HATCH SIDE DOWN12--_a downSLOPEDEPTHIN FLOOROF FLOOR BELOW DATUMELEVATION OF FLOOR ABOVE DATUMPASSAGE WALLS - DASHED: UNSURVEYEDCROSS-SECTION, SMALL LINE POINTS INDIRECTION OF VIEWLARGEBLOCK BREAKDOWNSMALL SLABBREAKDOWNPIT - DEPTH IN FEETDOME -HEIGHT IN FEET• A ISTALACTITE. STALAGMITE,COLUMNFLOWSTONE OR RIMSTONE POOLSPOOL - PERENNIAL, INTERMITTENTSTREAMFLOW DIRECTIONSTREAMWITH RAPIDSCave Map Symbols from Cavern Development in the Helderberg Plateau,East-Central New York bv Ernst H. Kastning (Bulletin 1, l~ew YorkCave Survey, 1975, p. 165)

13I NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL ISOCIETYMOTION:IL ". om..,.,,,",.PROPOSED STANDARD MAP SYMBOLSI June 1961Thot the cove map symbols listed below be officiallyadopted by the N.S.S. for use on all society mapsand be designated "Map Symbols: N. S. S. 1961Std.""".., ""-::.. '/ /'pona;e wallse'bow points incross~ / seClion1- ~~:~direction ot vIewpoua;ean;leJAMES----=:l------c::JTITLEsurveyedBLOCKI. name of cave. C ounfy and staft in which il~ loco led2. prf!ci'St eo ordi nates3 ;rophic scale-FEET0 '00 200 300 400 500!! ,IIi ,i !0 50 100 150METERS4. mo;nelic ond ;.o;raphic northS. daH of survey6 principal ,urveyors7 type of survey (in~lrumen!S)all measurements gillen jn h,tf exceptwhere o,nerwise notedTHE... .........--""""---"'---'-~---.-J'-----~-'~ .112--fiti---_- ...---...~:-:-:-:-.---.PASSAGESunsurveyedunderlyin;unexploredcontinues,continues,broakdownf1ow~lonepasso;.PQ'SsQQepo~sa;eposso Qfnor rowlOwchoke(Olner d.trifol) fill chok.chok.I

14--.._---,-'!!:'~~-"00. (Iin.s div.rg. down slope>measur~d slol)eoir spac~FOR SMALL SCALES / FOR LARGE SCALES},talagmile(concave upward)slalaclite(concave downword)stalagmite wiltl slaloelil...,lap small"rcolumn, bol1om small"rwa,.erfallsiphon (veufe moulllanfejwaterdeplh273elevation, above enHanceete-votion, below ,ntrance+< eccentric stalactitedrap"rycascad"survey stationsfoin, dot indicatesbes..ice bank (p"r.nnia/)fraillodd"r. dot indica!... baseDETRITALIk&;. .. ' ... , ....~"'\.4,~SEDIMENTScloy or siJrSPELEOGENSbridgedome, height above floorc:rysroiline fil Ipit, depth below Iloor..CHEMICAL*""oJ '" "v w~u~-·~or~- .".--rI"V,)J",-cobble Iii:guanoChip or slab breakdownbloc" breakdownmud IlowSEDIMENTS(SPELEOTHEMS)flow'5fOneflows Tone covered wall~----~""': ~vertical snaftscallop(arrow pointsceilingnaturo!largesmell Sfr~am;n/~rm"ffanfpeelchannelbridgestream(domepit),height abov" and depth belowfloor of intersecting possa~HYDROLOGYdownst,..om)sl,~"mFEATURES•.0.>-100ocr@-

ASSOCIATION FOR MEXIC&~ CAVE STUDIES15STA..~DARD CAVE HAP LEGENDPASSAGESy:ruOLS--~Passage OutlinesLower Level Passage...... -'/----~/--Upper Level PassageUnsurveyed PassageSurvey StationCeiling Height12SDepth below entranceHeight above entrance-::::::--~150Sharp drop in floor level in hachured direction(vertical distanc~Slope. down in splayed directionPit. with depth-if so indicated, pit entranceCross section of passage viewed in the direction shown byhalf-barbed arrow (cross section rotated to the horizontal)Profile traceWATER SY~mOLSDirection and flow of water course in permanent stream(air flow if so marked)Direction and course of intermittent streamStanding water; lakes or poolsTemporary or intermittent pOQISiphon (cross hatched)Water depth, under ceiling to water heightNOTE:On all maps indicate if figures are in feet or meters.

16STAL SYMBOLSRimstone damsFlowstone on floor•Masses of flowstone on walls, or flowstone partitionsFlowstone ColumnStalactitesStalagmitesSoda strawsCEILING SYMBOLSSharp drop in ceiling; hachures point toward low ceilingDome, with heightFLOOR SYHBOLSBedrock floorClaySand, mud,or dirt•••• 0• •00 Cl ()"'''GravelTalus~ Hasses of breakdown-- -----__-Guano(J Pottery or other archeological rdmains~OLOGY SYMBOLSStrike and dip of strata (dip in degrees)Vertical jointLarge individualbreakdown blockDipping joint, dips toward side with blockFault, D side moved down relative to U sideNOTE: In all cave passa~es the composition of the floorshould be indicated.

17Discussion of Map Symbolsby Bill RussellThe purpose of a cave map is to give an accurate. easily understood.visual impression of the cave as a complex three-dimensional void extendingthrough the earth. And to accomplish this. many special symbols are used toindicate features found in the cave. Many of these symbols. such as the breakdownsymbol. are simply a diagramatic expression of the actual feature. whileothers like the number in a circle for ceiling height are purely artificialconceptions. And the more detailed a cave map. the more important the artificialsymbols become. Many modern cave maps could not be understood without alist of symbols. The standardization of symbols is important so cavers of allareas and languages can easily communicate. An important step in this directionis the adoption of a set of standard symbols by the NSS.Unfortunately. the only list so far presented to the NSS is the H~dgeslist, a very lengthy list that contains many unacceptable symbols. Cave mappingis generally not the type of activity that generates political discussion,but the time has come for all cave mappers to make some political noise or theNSS board of governors will take our silence for agreement. First. I would liketo propose that the NSS adopt the AMCS set of map symbols, calling it for conveniencethe "NSS Standard." The AMCS symbols are better adapted to contemporarycave mapping, and the adoption of the same set by both organizations willunify cave mapping over a wide area. The discussion that follows is intendedto point out the numerous advantages of the A}~S system, and to indicate someof the various choices available in choosing a set of map symbols.Any list of symbols is a compromise between the large number of possiblesymbols and the number of symbols the map user can be expected' to know. TheANCS list can be adequately presented on two pages and contains 41 symbols; therevised Hedges' list is 19 pages long and contains 163 symbols. The Hedges listincludes a large number of specialized symbols. including symbols for bothwarm and cold air currents. polluted and potable water. mold. fungus. and evencoprolites. To be useful the Hedges list will have to be severely revised. withthe commonly used symbols printed as a short two page list that could be easilyutilized. The rest of the symbols should then be collected and issued as a listof special symbols. to be annotated on maps where they are used. This supplementallist could include symbols for various types of archaeological material,special cave features such as mud cracks, ripple marks. high water marks. andnumerous man-made features such as core holes and electric wires. The supplementallist will provide a suitable symbol to show these features. and insurethat all cavers use the same symbol. The Hedges 19 page list is a valuablecompilation of map symbols but is too long to be adopted as a standard list.[2] @] ~ ~ 1:\·; I G ~ [ili], 2 3 I. 5 6 7 eSimbolos: 1. pared de La cueva: 2.dolino: 3.estoLoctitas etc: I..derrumbes: 5.ti erro:6.guono de murcielago:7. pendiente: 8. gours.Cuban r.ave ~apSymbols

18Many of the symbols on the Hedges list could be improved, and others arein conflict with symbols widely used by cave mappers. One of the worst featuresof the Hedges list is its representation of domes. A dome should have a uniquesymbol and not depend upon the user to look around for a circled number. Nu~bers should be avoided whenever possible, but this system is especially cumbersome,particularly in view of the AMCS alternative, to use the broken hatchuredline to indicate a dome, just as it is used for other ceiling features.Hedges revised list uses a number in a square to indicate pit depth, and a numberin a circle with a line under it to indicate the height of a dome. r- 1 Thesecumbersome symbols would not be necessary if the broken hatchured line~~were used to show a dome as the poorly chosen symbol used by Hedges ~ alsoindicates a mesa, so additional notations are necessary. Hedges' natural bridgesymbol is not needed and can only confuse, as it indicates a short section ofpassage between two drops, a common enough occurance in caves. If a naturalbrid2e is not present Hedges symbol will imply one. Using the AMCS list one needonly add· a lower level symbol and a natural bridge is unambiguously indicated.Hedges' notations for streams and pools, retained in his revised list, are hardto draw, and his pools are easily mistaken for large masses of flows tone , notcommon in the caves where Hedges usually maps, but an NSS list should be usefulover a wide area. His flows tone symbol could be improved, and a cave mapdraftsman should never break the wall line to show a flows tone covered wall asindicated on Hedges list. The crossed pick-ax and shovel should not be used torepresent a mine on a cave map; the symbol is used on surface maps of largeareas, and its use as shown on the Hedges list would be inappropriate. Theactual diggings should be shown with conventional symbols.The Hedges list also contains symbols that are confusing as they are usedby others to show a different feature. Especially poor is Hedges use of diagonallines to indicate a bed rock pillar as this symbol is widely used to indicatewater. And the small solid triangles are used by many to indicate stalagmitesand should not be used for chert.The notation on the 1961 list that feet are to be used unless otherwisenoted will cause trouble in an increasingly metric world. I hope this featureis not retained in his revised list; my copy makes no mention of units. ConsideringHedges' French equivalents on the 1961 list (a sump is also a voutemovillante) he should realize that many people routinely use the metric system.So until the far distant future when inches and feet are as rare as leaguesand varas, there will be an uncertainty about what units are being used on amap, unless they are explicitly stated. There are several approaches to thisproblem. One is to use as few numbers as possible and rely on the graphic scale.It should be possible to interpret a cave map without any reference to figureson the map other than the graphic scale. Passage heights and pit depths shouldbe clear from cross sections and profiles. But while numbers should not be necessary,they are useful as they provide the user with exact dimensions. Everymap should contain a clear expression of whether feet or meters are used. Onecannot rely on the Hedges system of assuming measurements are in feet unlessindicated. I doubt if a caver who rappelled off the end of his 150 foot rope841 c::: I0·..····: :-;:',':-5 6Simbolos: 1, pared de In cueva; 2 formociones secul1,}orias; 3. derrumbe!l; 4 corde del techo en1a boca de Ia luevo; 5 pendieme; 6 tierra; 7 a:Hstres cOn:i()lidados de origen fluvial.Cuban Cave Hap Svmbols

19in a 90 meter pit could collect damages either from the map maker or Mr. Hedges,but with foresight these problems can be minimized.The revised Hedges list is an improvement over the 1961 list presented hereas he now uses the broken hatchures for ceiling features, but he needs to expandits use and use it for all ceiling features including domes. Cross sections arethe best way to show heights of domes and depths of pits when the shaft extendsboth above and below the passage. His revised list also includes a symbol lackingon the 1961 list, a symbol for a bed rock floor. He proposes a rectilinearcrosshatch be used, but even he admits it is a poor symbol, and suggests that itbe used only when absolute~y necessary, that normally if floor sediments are mappeda blank space will represent a bed rock floor. This is a poor practice as cavemappers frequently do not have data for some of the cave, a good bed rock floorsymbol would be much better. Hedges new list still has a cumbersome system forindicating pits and domes, as well as other symbols that are confusing or inappropriate.It should not be adopted as a standard list by the NSS as it would notmeet with general acceptance, and would be a setback to the slow progress beingmade towards the adoption of a uniform system of map symbols. The set of symbolsused by the AMCS should be adopted as it is a versatile and practical system inwide use and acceptable to a greater number of cavers.E X P l I C A C I O'N.J LEntradaPendientefurrtrff.. •.lZSe c cionmAUuro del hc"oTBlocho bolojlEntrada~.DecliveillAltura delT.B.TechobojotechoEXP:"ICACION} r-E·"roclct9". Declive;..-~P~IIC:I'''f'~".rt.EXPLICACION;; rEnl, ado'0DecliveAllura del 'echoLimi'!'e deJutGravaCohJClQEstociontopoQn:ifico~ColadoColumnabeUolo;mitico---Arcillo 0 bortOCorte a piceAQuafstoncoda~Agua esta~ada~Pendiente fuertex~Cruce baj 0 nivelTA-mA~~l,lro .::1\'1 r.eho80rro 0 QrC:llloCorte Qplco~Cruce bajo nivelAQueAQuaestoncodacorrienff''EstaeiontopogroficaROCClIPOZO.....'Ob'furOdOMexican Cave ~~pSymbols

ACTIVITIES LETTERAMes MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEEBox 7672 UT StationAustin. TX 78712

AMCSACTIVITIES LETTEREdited by Bill RussellTyping and Editorial Assistanceby Pat AsnesFall Report Letter No. 3 Oct 1915The AMes Activities Letter is published by the Membership Committee ofthe AMCS to keep members informed of recent speleological activity in Mexico.Brief accounts of current trips are welcome.This third AMCS Activities Letter covers the su~er and fall of 1915.Activity as usual was centered in the Cd. Valles-Cd. Mante area of northeasternMexico, but this summer cavers crisscrossed Mexico from the south bank of theRio Grande to the beaches of the Caribbean. The last part of this issue is againdevoted to a discussion of map symbols. This discussion has become more far-reachingthan just reconciling the differences between the AMCS and the Hedges lists. Discussionshave included the optimum number of symbols to be included on a list, thetypes of map lettering, and even the desirability of such almost universal symbolsas the circle around the ceiling height. From these discussions should come a listacceptable to all cavers. The money to pay for printin~ the lengthy discussion ofcave sYmbols comes from a special AMCS political slush fund. This fund was establishedwhen I was editing the first issue and the IRS needed overtime work to get out therebates on time, so I decided to delay the first issue and use the money to printextra pages in the Activities Letter.The cover of this issue of the AJ~S Activities Letter is from an engravingby Frederick Catherwood of the Mayan ladder in Xtacumbi1xunam, a large cave innorthern Campeche. This engraving is reprinted from the John Lloyd Stephens bookIncidents of Travel in Yucatan first published in 1843. The ladder was constructedby the Indians to bring water from the lower levels of the cave when the shallowwells in town went dry. This drawing is especially appropriate as a similar ladderis still in the cave today and was used this summer by AMCS members.Steve Zeeman and Dino Lowery are now returning from the cold and dark ofAlaska and should be back in time for Dino to do an original for the Christmas-NewYear Issue.Pierre St. Martin is now 1210 m. deep -- the French connected the M3 shaftwith the upstream section.Prom Norm PaceIf you need a new membership card, don't hesitate to write -- membership cardswere printed free for the AMCS by Ronnie Fieseler and he used all the scrap paperin the print shop which produced enough cards to completely fill the average Iowacave -- so we can easily send anyone an extra.

21975 Yucatan ExpeditionJames Reddell, David McKenzie, Suzanne Wiley, and ~ndyBy Andy GrubbsGrubbsWe left Austin on June 12 and drove for three days to the state of Tabasco.There we visited Grutas de Cocona near Teapa and Cueva Azufre near Tapejalapa.Cueva Azufre has a s~all sulfurous stream that swarms with hundreds of pink halfblindmollys. Roots reaching dm·m into the water are covered with sulphur crystals.To reach the cave our guides poled us 1 Kn. up the river in a canoe and then wehiked another Km. through the jungle. TIle next day we v:~1ted the ruins at Palenqueand ~.,am in the last river ~o1e were to see before wate:=i~C!i'! Yucatan. Two days laterwe met Dr. Mitchell, his family, and William Russell .::'i: the cave Xtacumbilxunam innorthern Campeche. Here ~ve split into two groups to -.;:-,eck the cave; one group exploreda previously un~~ecked 30' drop and the other climbed down a 70' wooden ladderto search for the elusive river beyonrl the siphon lead. At the bottom of the drop,a passage lead through a squeeze to a second unclimbable drop, later pushed by themB?ping team to another tmclimbable drop. The siphon was still blocked by high water.The next day we looked for blind fish caves near Ticul. The next three days werespent near the village of Cumpich where we ch~cked several small caves; one was thedeepest free-fall drop in the peninsula, a 190' blind pit. He saw several promisingcaves that we didn't have time to enter. Most of our time was spent at theruins of Kaltmkin (~1ayan for "throat of the sun"). A cave in the midst of the ruinshas two entrances, one a pit 25' deep and 25' across and the other a small hole ina cornfield, leading to a 20' by 25' high main trunk passage and small, low, rockand-dirt-filledlower levels. Mapping in several of the main passages had to bestopped because of bad air, hut we did map 2850'. After Cumpich we rested in Meridaand then left for southern Yucatan and northern Campeche. He spent three days finishingthe map of Spukil, a very large cave of large interconnected rooms. Part of this caveis very warm and is not a pleasant place to map in. A lot of the formation areas areblack and white, the black caused by soot from the torches of the ancient Mayas andthe white caused by new crystal growth. After mapping Spukil we left for Grutas deSan Jose and, though not finding it, we did find three other large caves. One ofthem was Grutas de Huachap which is located at a small ruin consisting of fourtemples overgrown with jungle. The entrance to the cave is a pit 50' deep, 50' wide,and 75' long. The cave has an old footpath that leads back to a small pool of water.We fotmd a lot of charcoal on the floor. On our way out, we discovered a large sidepassage that we didn't explore for lack of' time. He returned to Herida stoppinp. onthe ~7ay at several small caves and at a very nice swimming cenote. In Merida we putl-1illiam on the jet to Houston and oat loTith the Mitchells, then IE.it for northernQuintana Roo, where we spent five days camping on the beach at Pamul and visitingnearby caves. Most of these caves ended rather quickly in water but we managed todo some good collecting. Near the extensive ruins of Coba, we visited a couple ofsmall caves; one had a blind eel. The Mitchells left for the states, takingSuzanne with them, and we moved further south, along the road from Fellipe CarilloPuerto to Valladoiid. One cave along this route was a smali cenote at an abandonedranch. The cenote was a room about 30' in diameter and 40' from the skylight to thewater level with a side passage extending from the surface to a mid-level ledge. Inthe water were lots of large cave shrimp and isopods. ~.,enty feet below, the bottomcould be seen as it sloped off into darkness.tle spent two days near Valladolid; the first going into six caves and thesecond returning to the cenote at Catzin for further exploration. The Catzin cenoteis a pit 50' deep and 100' across at the surface and the bottom is undercut and muchwider. The cenote functions as a well for the villagers of Catzin. It is possible torapell down to the central island and from there six passages are visible around theedge of the cenote wall. These tunnels contain several hundred feet of branchingpassage.continued

3After leaving Valladolid we went to Merida to rest and to pick up Suzanneand then travelled to northern Campeche to map in Xtacumbilxunam, Kalunkin, andfinally located San Jose. We then went to Kaua in central Yucatan where we triedto find and map the left wall of this incredible maze; we didn't find the leftwall but we did extend the map of the cave much further to the west than anyone· hadimagined it would go. The total mapped length is now 22006 feet; it is certainlythe longest known cave in Mexico. Then we returned to Merida for a rest. The lastleg of our peninsular caving was a swing through central Quintana Roo to Chetumaland then across Q.R. and southern Campeche to Escarcega. First we stopped at Loltunin southern Yucatan and spent three days mapping about one third of the Loltun cave.Loltun is a very diverse cave with some skylight areas, some large 75' by 75' mainpassages, and complex areas of small rooms where formations have come down to thefloor making partitions. It rained the first two days we were at Loltun, causing ashower of water to come out of a high dome near the entrance, forming a small streamwhich ran down the side of the main passage and sumped in a small side passage. Afterwe left Loltun, we went to central Quintana Roo where we visited a few small cavesand then drove south all the way to Chetumal without finding any caves, though wedid find a very fine lake to swim in. On the road from Chetumal to Escarcega, wealso found no caves, though in southern Campeche we did find a few tiny dry dustycaves near Spukil along with some unusual ruins. 107 KIn. east of Escarcega wefound.a. large cave; yo~can de l~s Murcielagos, estimated to be ·500' deep and 4,000'long. This cave is one of the largest and deepest caves in' the peninsula. It isalso the most horrible. The cave houses a colony of Mexican freetail bats that takesat least three hours to fly out of the cave. The evening flight of the bats can beseen from the highway. The entrance is a large pit 120' in diameter with a steeplysloping bottom. At the top of the slope it is 200' from the surface to the bottomof the slope. The slope is composed of old guano and small rocks and descends atleast 200' to a short horizontal passage that ends in breakdown. By climbing dawnthrough the breakdown a small passage is reached that soon opens up into the maincave, a passage about 60' by 30' with a flat ceiling and walls that slope downtoward the center. In the lowest places are some lakes and quick-guano pools. Wetried to wait until the bat fl1ght was over before entering the cave but one hourand forty minutes after the flight started, we decided that we would rather facethe bats than stay out in the mosquitoes, so we entered the cave; two-thirds of theway down the entrance slope the bats became so bad that we had to hide behind somebreakdown in the side of the passage. After an hour of waiting, the bats abatedslightly and we were able to get down to a place where they were flying over ourheads. The cave was very hot and unpleasant and we only stayed long enough to runto the back and then run out. He immediately left the area and drove to Escarcega.The next day we went to a couple of small caves nearby including one near a famousshrine. James then left for Herida and we headed north. ~';e stopped at the rivernear Palenque to swim again and drive to near Cuidad Valles where we stopped fortwo days of caving using the new topographic maps. We were in the mountains westof Valles and found lots of 60' pits, saw a cave that was normally 45' down to astream passage that now had a spring flowing out of it, and we found a lake thatdrains into a large sumidero. Except for August and September, the lake is dry allyear and the cave that drains it and the caves that empty into it are dry. We droveon west from there and stopped at Sotano de San Francisco and saw the stream thatruns into the 300+' entrance pit during the rainy season. He also visited somesmall caves near there, in an 8000' high karst area called "Valle de los Phantasmos",so called because of the strange karsted rocks found there. We then drove back toTexas stopping in the desert between San Luis Potosi and Matehuala where we got alead while eating a watermelon.continued

4We were gone 54 days and travelled 6500 miles, visiting 50-60 caves,mapping some of the more important ones, and doing a lot of biological collecting.The EndIncident of travel in Mexicofrom a letter from Ernest Garza:•••Then to Queretero and the Keystone Kops Kaper. Arrived at 1:00 A.M. -- largemodern well-lit bus terminal. During my second visit to the restroom -- (my insidesweren't quite right) -- two policemen approached me asking what I had inmy pack. I told them what I was doing and they replied they wanted to take alook, so I started taking shit out of my pack. I had nothing to hide. Before Ihad all my stuff out they replied that there were two things not allowed -- mymachete, which was wrapped in paper and stuffed carefully in the pack, and anopen bottle of Tequila. He grabbed the machete, unwrapped it, and swished itthrough the air a couple of times sayin~ "Este es una arma!" He said he had totake it to his commandante and I would probably be fined 200 pesos. He woulddisregard the bottle for the moment. ~o amount of rational talk would discouragethese pricks as now they were looking for blood stains on the blade. These twoapes told me to stay put - they were going to call the commandante. They walkedout the door and I through another into a waiting cab -- its driver reading anewspaper. He had a small car and I suppose he was startled by this ~y jumpinginto the back seat with a full back pack. I was still struggling with my waiststraptrying to get it all in when I said "Vamanos" and he sped away. Spent arestless night behind a trailer park and walked to the highway and caught thefirst passing bus.Morphologische Entwicklung Ausgewahlter Regionen Nordmexikos Unter BesondererBreucksichtigung des Kalkrusten-, Pediment und Po1jesproblems. By r~rd Wenzens.Dusse1dorfer Geographische Schriften, No.2. 330 pp. 14 maps, 17 figures, 1table, 44 photographs. Dusseldorf, 1974. Price 45 Duetschmarks.The author has studied three Mexican regions: Valle El Salado, ComarcaLagunera, and the west part of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The synthesis ofregional results deals with the problems of Basin Ranges, of pediments, ofkarstic basins, and of calcite crusts, making a reconstruction of the originof the relief possible. These studies show that it is not essential to assumelarge variation in the total amount of precipitation; the distributional changesthrough the year could also be the cause. This book gives many impressions aboutthe evolution of karst landformS as one of many factors that act together toinfluence the morphogenetic process. Available from Geographisches Institut derUniversitat Dusseldorf, n-4000 Dusseldorf, Universitatstrasse I, West Germany.(2.4 Deutschmarks - $1.00)UIS Bulletin (Union Internationale de Speleologie)1974 v. 2 no 10, p. 21Translated by G.G. Forney, NSS Int'l Secy.

CASI UlL 5By Bill Stone as told to Bill RussellBill Stone & Pat WiedemanWe planned to meet Peter SprOuse. John Polak. Norm Pace. and group tovisit the high parts of the Sierra de Guatemala. but our timing was off andwe did not find them at the Nacimiento del Rio Frio. So we decided to driveup to the Otate Mine at the top of the Sierra de El Abra north of Valles. Tocross the ranch by the highway one needs to get permission from the comisarioat the ranch headquarters. We gave him an Activities Letter and found that ifcavers would bring him maps and pictures, it would be good public relations andhe would not think we were part of the CIA. We arrived at the mine and decidedto check the sump in Sotano de Otate. We soon found the entrance and rapelled in,but an exhaustive searc~ failed to find the 560 ft. pit -- and finally we realizedwe were in Cueva de los Indios. . ~ ' ..Next we chopped from our camp down into the Diamante Sink following a smallarroyo to a 10 X 3 ft. entrance to a pit. Excited at our find we congratulatedourselves on findin~ a virgin pit this close to camp - only to notice that atree by the pit was flagged with colored ribbon. We realized that we had choppedto the pit above. Cueva de Diamante but in checking our copy of the ActivitiesLetter we discovered the pit had not been entered. So we returned to the pit andrigged the entrance. a 185' free drop. At the bottom we popped through a small -hole to a 35 foot cl1mbdown to the top of a 5 '1/2 second pit. We returned to campand now loaded down with over 1000 feet of rope. cave packs. bolt kit. and othergear. we trudged back to the entrance. After double rigging the entrance wereached the top of the big pit, and started down. The first 90 feet were againstthe wall. but then the pit began to bell out. and 300 feet down the pit was about100 feet in diameter with the rope hanging in the center - similar to Fern. Welanded on a flat dirt floor with a mud sump at one side - at a total depth of735'. The pit we named Patricia Pit was 420 feet. DurinR the rapell. I ~gan tofeel the effects of an encounter on the way to the pit with a Mala Mujer (thegiant Mexican stinging nettle) and became dizzy and momentarily fainted when Igot off the rope. I quickly regained my balance but realized how extended a twoperson group is in a 700' pit system. We decided to nat!le the pit Casi Milalmost a thousand.Returning from the Otate Mine we spent two days recovering at Micos. thenwalked up to Sotano de las Golondrinas. The climb out of Golondrinas was an almostpsychedelic experience. There was an oscilating cloud at the 600 foot levelwith a hole burned throu~ the middle by the slJ!l. As we clinibed out throuzh _the hole. sunlight formed circular rainbows arotmd the climbers. Well worth a coldnight under a wet blanket.The Canadian Caver, Vol. 7, No.1, contains more information on the trips toChiapas briefly mentioned in the last AMCS Activities Letter. As usual there areexcellent maps of the largest caves visited: Sumidero Yochib, Chen-ven-sil-mut,Sumidero de la Hondida, and Cochol. The Canadian Caver continues to be the bestcaving monthly printed in North America.

6-0SOTANODECASI MIL-. roo--100- 300- 'fOO- 500+10 I- 600- 700

June 97Dear AMCSRE:Diamond CaveAfter considering my telephone call with Andy Grubbs and reading AMCSActivities Letter PZ. it seems that there may be some potential passageoverlooked by the group in March. When we descended into the "Crystal Room"last Christmas. we followed along the right-hand wall, and ended up on the"bottom" about 30-40 "feet above the floor of the Crystal Room as describedin the Activities Letter 112. Prom the "bottom" as we knew it. one could duckunder a natural bridge, or climb up on the bridge. and see dawn to the "true"bottom of the Crystal Room as seen in March 30-40 feet below. One could alsosee upwards, and so I assume the group in March descended basically trendingto the left, and bypassed our intermediate level and ended up directly on thebottom,-wh'ere the "Titan Missile" is (we were above the top of the Missile.but could clearly see it). The potential passage I refer to is reached bygoin~ the opposite direction from the natural bridge. into a narrow, jagged,sloping crevice. After a couple of relatively difficult climbs, one findsoneself looking dawn another pit, probably 50-70 feet deep. This is the oneI described as having a large passage coming in just below the lip, but whichwould require rope to reach. It moved air.Mark MintonPrice Increa~~- on Mexican Topographic MapsThe prices on the 1 : 50,000 CETENAL topographic maps (15 X 20 min. quadrangles)have been increased from 5 to 10 pesos (40 to 80 cents). When ordering by mail, alsoallow a 5 peso (40C) money order charge. If you will be in Mexico City, the mainoffice is only a few meters from the San Antonio Abad subway station.Dear Craig,Oct. 12, 1975I am writing to you as AMCS correspondent to make connections for Xmas tripsto Mexico this year. Our party will be in Cd. Valles about Dec. 22 with a car and4 seater Cesna airplane. Bob Stricklen, the pilot, and I are both experienced verticalcavers and would like to link up with groups in the area to visit whatever cavesgroups are doing and offer the use of the plane at cost to anyone needing the serviceto discover' photograph, or check out caves. The plane might also be availablefor transport to other caving regions, depending on the situation and we have tentativelydecided to fly to Guatemala to visit friends and local ruins. We must returnapproximately Jan. 1 or 2. Please forward this letter and/or communicate our request/offerto anyone planning to cave in Mexico at Xmas. This especially appliesto Frank Binney if he will have returned from New Guinea. Tell all to write soon ifinterested to:Kelly KellstedtRoute 6Box 134Santa Fe, N.M. 87501505-471-2333

8Trip SummaryBill Stone, Steve Ward, Spencer McIntyre. Ernie Garza, Blake Harrison. and Jill DormanBy Bill StoneAfter the hordes of cavers disappeared from the Sierra de Guatemala Fiasco.six remained in my truck to maintain the search for the "mile deep" hole. We hada good lead from John Graves of a large-entranced pit taking water up near CuevasMinas. so ~ye all drove up to San Francisco the first day. All but Steve and Idropped Sotano de los Lobos (620'). We went karst-whacking for about 6 hours(7-8 miles), finding two small pits. the largest perhaps 60' deep. The next daywe drove out to Cuevas 11inas and met an American geology student there whoshowed us all of the new air photos of the area. Gra:\Tes f arroyo leaped right outwhen we used the stereoscope-right on the "contact" ! (John· Graves from SanAntonio. Texas. had originally located the pit. ) It l1ad rained mos t of the nightso we had some slippery 4 lID'ing up to the cave. which was in a fairly obviousdepression to the right of the road. The main entrance was about 70' tall and30' wide - impressive. A side entrance bypassed the 30' entrance drop and webo~ed on down the steep breakdown slopes to a 40' drop at about -4Om. About·this time we noticed a peculiar smell in the cave. Upon inspection Steve pointedout the stream of human feces entering from a small passage and going over thedrop. SHIT: After the 40' drop was a 10' drop to water. Another 400' of cavingand downclimbing lead to another 40' drop, passing by beautiful orange pools offungus : The 40' drop lead to a 30' drop and terminal siphon at -120m. So wechristened it "El Sotano Feo del Arroyo" for lack of a better name. We 41ID allthe way to San Francisco coming in on the Lobos road and returned to Valles.Harrison and Dorman split via bus and the four of us left for a week at theOtate Mine.I should mention - before Blake left the summer rains came in and itrained heavily for two days without let-up. Imagine trying to get up in aheavy downpour! We all put wetsuit tops on at Los Sabinos and walked out totake a look at flood stage Sotano del Arroyo. We heard the rumbling from thetrail, but when we arrived at the entrance it was awe-inspiring ! For anyonewho has been there - imagine 1200 cubic feet per second of water pumping in theentrance drop : It makes Yo Chib look tame : So we figured with all this watergoing in here, imagine what the Choy is like : The lower entrance to the Choywas completely underwater and 4' geysers erupted from the resurgance! Weestimated around 5000 cubic feet per second of flow.Well anyways, back to Otate - The nine road really got wiped out by therain and it took some aggressive 4t-m'ing to make it. lole packed up for a 4 day"black hole or perish" chop from the Estrella Sink. It took over 6 hours to getto the star-shaped depression. as we had to re-chop large sections of the trailwith 70-80 lb. packs. v7e set up camp near Sotano de la Estrella and began oursearch. We chopped a major trail due west from camp which extended well over thewest ridge. Then•.spacing ourselves about 100' apart. we compass chopped southfor over a kilometer and reversed the formation back to the main trail. This wenton till we returned to camp.lf the hole was as big as Russell said, we figured,we couldn't possibly have missed it. So we chopped further west to a knoll andfound a 4n' high tree which afforded a view of the western crest for over 10miles. So we sat in the tree for over an hour. hypothesizhg that if the pitwere actually 100' in diameter. it would certainly have a parrot population.We spotted four distinct clusters on a 22 E of N bearing and chopped for overa kilometer on that bearing -- right into the back of Cuesta: Not random luckat all -- we refound Cuesta with only a 50' error in the chop line. If the blackhole was there, we Hould have chopped right into it. There may be a small chancethat we just didn't wait long enough to get the right bearing on the black hole,so I invite all the birdwatchers to go out to that tree and look for another"parrot bearing" - Good Luck.continued

Anyways we speleo-boppedEstrella and Cuesta. getting some interestingphotos of disabled macaws on the floor of Estrella. These great beautifulbirds are in reality quite spastic; we saw several fly gracefully into awall of the pit and fall 100' to the floor -- it was pitiful after a while!It rained when we did Cuesta that afternoon so no IIray of light" shots wereforthcoming. We hiked back to the truck the next day and tried to get a leadon the fabled illS minute ll pit. but the entire mining crew had split -- lockstock and shovels. The place looked like a ghost mine :The next day we chopped around the Diamante Sink in radial patternsand found a 2' X 3' hole. This turned out to be about 130' deep. bottomedby Garza and McIntyre. Meanwhile I found 3 pits southwest of the road tocamp. The largest of these was 50' in diameter. but bottomed at only 130';the rest were just blind rabbit holes ! I should mention that we receiveda flagging tape message from John Pollack and Norm Pace who did Diamantethe day I left for convention in June. They said they went down -500' on theMinton route but stopped when they noticed all the debris on the ceiling -apparently it floods easily so they split. recommending a dry season push.Upon returnin~ to Valles. Ernie left for the states and Steve. Spence.and I drove to Tancoyol to begin our 4th week of the trip (7th for me). Wehad two leads to check. both required long hikes. The first trip left forLas Flores, two hours north of town. A new road will be completed in December.so it won't be quite so bad. From Las Flores we hiked to San Antonio.four hours from town. The locals knew of two "deep" pits nearby. so we hikedout without packs. They showed us a 100' pit near a karst pinnacle and anotherpit which looked considerably deeper. in a karst pinnacle nearby. This wasSotano de la Palma Real, a 345' free drop which we bottomed the next day.Somewhat further away (still muy cirquita on the Mexican scale) was El Sotanodel Rancho El Tigre, a 150' diameter hole which gave some impressive soundingrock times. We bottomed this the next day also -- the entrance drop was 400'shear to a room about 60' in diameter.Sotano del Rancho El TigreSotano de la Palma Real1so100I,D: ...210':;I.T0so.00'101-1M300)10460yN a1=..~6N.,ot;s:5Jrcontinued

10Two days later we took daypacks and scouted 12 miles of trails leadingto Rancho el Teposan and Joya del ~.ague finding no less than 25 leads, sometaking water, some fairly large-entranced, and mostly 100'-200' entrance drops.The exception was a 40' diameter pit in Rancho Tabago which the locals measuredat 100 m. +, using a rock and a piece of string -- until they ran out of stringCould be a deep one : Anyways. All this time we were camped at the house of Sr.Bernardo Dias whose hospita,l1ty, coffee, tortillas, and venison will· forever beremembered. We also bottomed Sotano de las Flores on the return trip fron SanAntonio. At -305' it is basically one shaft with small offsets.Incredible public relations have been established in Tancoyol and surroundingareas. Lets hope everyone who goes there strives to keep it that way.We arrived in Savallo two days later and made pl~~s to hike to Tierra Friawhere a 40 m. diameter pit was reported -- only tw\. hours from Savallo. Stevewas recouperatinR from some bad blisters and decided to bag the hike the next day.He must have been clairvoyant : Spencer and I be~an ...·hat can only be called anepic journey : Six hours after starting we arrived in Tierra Fria, not the twohour jaunt we were expecting : Upon questioning the locals we learned to ourincredible amazement that not only was there not a 40 m. diameter pit in town,but they didn't know of any pits at all less than 3 hours away: Hay caramba.So we hiked another 1 1/2 hours to Rancho Mojonera. Supposedly the guy inTancoyol who gave us the lead was born there. This at least turned out to betrue. However, as for the 40 m. diameter pit -- not so good. The nearest sotanothey knew of was at leas t another hour down the trail. Relieve me when I saythat ~e were at the end of our blue lines by then : It was gettin~ late and arainstorm was coming in. and all we had were daypacks. Reluctantly we hikedanother hour to the town of El Quirino. Here at least the locals knew of anearby pit. They said "Its very deep we think, due to the arroyo which leadsin" to which my trail-benumbed mind. instantly snapped out of its stupor saying"arroyo? arroyo?! going into a pit!" " Lets go". Well we followed the arroyoover 1/2 mile to the edge of a corn field where it made an abrupt left and doveinto the blackness-- far out! The entrance was a little over 20' in diameter.The locals said wa~~r entered the cave every time it rained-- evidenced by thesolution scour marks on the wall. Rocks bounced for 10-14 seconds with at least4 seconds of free-fall to start. The entrance is well over 7000' in elevation.So with this promising lead urging us onward, we decided to attempt to make itto the highway by dark which they assured us was not more than three hours away.The locals said there were nany other leads like that one nearby but we optionedout on the hike at the time. The name of the pit was Sotano de Cagualin. 'tvell anhour later we crested the western ridge and could faintly make out the JalpanRio Verde Highway -- a long ways down ! The sun was goinR dmm fast so we reallytrucked for the remaining hour of light -- fortunately it uas all downhill. Onthe way we intersected a new dirt road which the work~n told us was being builtto San Juan -- only 1/2 hour from the pit : t11th this enlightening news we hikedthree miles down the road in the dark. At this point we should have stumbled intoLa Purisima. But ~1utha ~ature didn't know we were coming and stuck this stupidriver between us and the highwa~r : (Actually the P-1.o Jalpan) Not being able tofind a bridge in the dark merely increased our consternation as neither of uswanted to swim across the river. So we went down the side hoping to find "something"to cross on -- "something" turned out to be a 5/S- wire rope suspended30' above the river -- not exactly MY ideal bridge -- but it was all we had. Soooosnugging up t!1Y 1" webbing belt on the cable for a safety I crawled across the cablefor 300" to the other side. The only casualty was Spencers hat which fell into theriver in mid-traverse :continued

The adrenelin still pumping through my weary bod, we stumbled into La Purisimaand had a few refrescos. ive then sat in the middle of the highway trying to hitcha ride back to Savallo. No luck -- But the local bartender invited us in and procededto get us totally wasted. (Not that we weren't already!) Around 2 A.M. wemanaged to get some sleep at a nearby house, whose friendly owner also stuffed usfull of beans and tortillas. At 6 A.M. we were awakened by the shouting of "thebus is here" and we ran out. boots untied and gear dragging. 20 minutes of a hecticbus ride later we arrived in Jalpan. A short wait there and we were off to Landade Matamoras. Things were going great till then, when we discovered how few vehicleswent down the dirt road to Saucillo. So another 7 miles later we arrived at thetruck - 29 miles in 24 hours· on foot and 30 miles of bus travel was about themost intense scouting endeavor I've ever experienced.We split for the states the next day as I began my 3rd month in Mexico thissummer.Soledad Area ReportThe latest, I think, issue of the Philadelphia Grotto News, Vol. 12, 1973,contains the long awaited report of the several trips by members of the PhiladelphiaGrotto to the Soledad Area in Veracruz. This moupta~nous; area is located just southof Cd. Mendoza, Veracruz. The report contains a location map and a description ofseveral caves written by Bob Kezell and Warren Heller. Cueva de Cerro (= SotanoItamo) was surveyed to a depth of 1437 feet below the entrance. The cave has a verticalrange of 1491 feet, and is the largest and deepest so far explored in the SoledadArea. An example of the importance of using the local name for a cave is illustratedby the remapping of the same cave by a group from Austin in June 1974. The Austingroup recorded a depth of 1437 feet -- forty feet less than the Philadelphia groupbut the zero point of the Philadelphia map is above the zero point of the Austin mapso the actual depths are very close. However. with the numerous potentially deepsystems in the Soledad area it is unfortunate that a great amount of effort was duplicatedin producing two maps of the same cave.Bill RussellAlpine PaleokarstThe thick cretaceous limestones of northern Mexico have been folded intosharp anticlines and the resultant fracturing has permitted the development oflocalized areas of sinkholes along the crest of the folds. The largest sink areayet investigated was on the Sierra El Laurel Quadrangle (G14C42) west of Saltillo.Along the crest of the Sierra la Concordia at an elevation of 3150 meters. severalsinks up to a kilometer long had developed, but are now apparently being filledwith alluvium. Another local cluster of sinks has been investigated north of Cuevadel Porvenir on the Reforma Quadrangle (G14A6l). These sinks have developed on thecrest of the Sierra de San Marcos at an elevation of 1600 m. At this lower elevationthe change from the more humid climate that favored the development of sinkholesto the present arid climate is more evident. Large alluvial fans are buildinginto the main dolina, about 1 Km. long and 0.5 Km. wide. Several small sinksbordering the main dolina have been completely filled, the alluvium spilling overinto lower sinks. It is apparent that. in the past, climatic conditions were morefavorable for the development of surface karst, and karst features developed in thepast are now rapidly being destroyed. Both these areas were investigated on almostthe same day. Making the long climb up to the crest of the Sierra El Laurel wasMaureen Cavanaugh, Blake Harrison, Jill Dorman, Mary Kraska, and Preston Forsythe.Back-packing into the Sierra de San Marcos were Peter Sprouse. Bill Russell, LoganMcNatt and Speleocinematographer Thomas Moore.11

12The Illusive PitTerry Sayther, Ivy and Crystal Atherton, Gill Ediger, Dan Watson, Jill Dorman,Mike McKee, Paul Duncan, JiM Clements, Dorothy Tucker, Bill l~yne, Craig Bittinger,Patricia Asnes, Jim Moore.By Craig BittingerThe trip started from Austin and Corpus Christi on a Friday afternoon. Acamping spot near Candela was selected as the ronrlez-vous point. No trouble wasencountered crossing the border and around midnight Duncan's truck pulled up tothe appointed spot. Three hours later the Austin group arrived after a slight waitdue to Jim's shock absorber falling off. Morning soon came and a caravan formedand headed west from Candela. After an hour of bumpy road, the group approached aspring in the desert and found that it hadn't been totally destroyed by the Mexican's. highway construction. Several more miles of desert roads found us at the mroer'sranch where we obtained permission to visit the pit. He insisted on sending a manon horseback to show us the way to the pit so after fixing Terry's truck we continuadonward being directed by the horseman. After-crossing several arroyos wearrived at a stock tank and got out to survey the best route up the mountain. JimClements amazed us by stepping on a rattlesnake .and then leaping three feet intothe air. Deciding to head straight for the pit Terry pointed his truck in thegeneral direction and with lecheguilla and cactus flying we bounced up the mountain.After gettin~ organized, people started up the mountain with the 80 1bs. ofbluewater II rope. The 15 minute walk to the pit stretched into an hour hikethrough thick underbrush. The entrance was finally reached and the rigging began,one rope down the one meter in diameter entrance and a seccnd rope down the twometer in diameter opening. The first people into the 436' drop encountered aGordian knot about 300' dotro and were forcibly delayed while it was untangled.As the group ascended and descended, they were impressed by the huge cavity belowand the tiny entrance hi~ above. The climbing times varied from 15 minutesto an hour and by midnight all had left the pit, leaving derigging for the followingmorning. After a memorable hike through the cactus and brush in the dark, thegroup reached the trucks and collapsed. ~ofuen the sun rose again, a group headedup to derig the pit. Arriving at their destination they discovered Dan Watson hadalready pulled the ropes and had them nearly ready to be carried down. Tying themto a pack frame, the group was soon off the nountain and ready to head back forthe U.S. Terry and Paul decided to drive back through Lampassas and discoveredthat the road had turned into a sea of mud. Terry managed to four wheel drivethrough the worst places but Paul's truck died in the middle of a raging riverand had to be pushed out by locals. Then he got stuck in a huge mudhole untila passing four wheel drive towed him out. All in all a good time was had by alland the Illusive Pit becane more than just a name to 12 cavers who entered itsdepths.Notes on Cueva del PorvenirAs reported by Peter Sprouse in the October NSS News the illusive Cueva delPorvenir has finally been found. Several trips had attempted to reach this locallywell-known cave 70. Km across the desert SSE from Cuatrocienigas, Coahuila. butwere sidetracked or met with various misfortunes. However. with the new topographicmaps (Reforma Quadrangle G14A6l) and Terry Sayther's speleotruck, we were able todrive almost to the entrance. A group consisting of Terry Sayther, Nancy Sayther,Craig Bittinger, Bill Russell, Logan Mcl~att, Dennis Breining, John Omnaas, andAnna Vrba mapped Cueva del Porvenir. but only started checking the numerous entrancesin the canyon walls. Cueva del Porvenir was found to be as reported, an impressivetunnel seldom less than 30 feet wide and 40 feet high, and for long sections a near~y circular tube 50 feet in diameter. Many domes extend upward beyond the reach ofa powerful light. The passage is not well graded, but trends generally upward followingthe strike SE along the east edge of the Sierra de San Marcos. The cave apparentlyends in a series of high dom~s. similar to Cueva de la Boca.

13Sotano Hondo de Pina1itoBy Steven BittingerIn December, 1974, Donna Atkins, Steven Bittin~er, and Bill Mayne fromTexas first visited Sotano Hondo de Pina1ito. The cave is located near km.post 105 on highway 85 north of Jaca1a, Hida1~0, Mexico. Preliminary reconnaisancereveals a typically vadose multi-drop system as deep as the presentlimit of exploration at -175 m. Noticeable airflow encourages further effortsat exploration.Sotano Hondo (as the cave is known by the inhabitants of the village ofPinalito) lies at the end of a small arroyo in the bottom of a large closedvalley where it receives significant runoff. It is possible to drive to withina few meters of where the entrance is hidden in a clump of cedars. Although noother major caves have been explored in the immediate area around Pina1ito,the altitude of nearly 2000 m. and widespread internal drainage suggest thatextensive systems could be present.Sotano Hondo is a fun and interesting cave to visit. Few formations arepresent, but the upper portions of the cave are scoured smooth and clean. Theinitial drop into the cave is easily rigged from a large tree which shades theentrance. From the bottom of the rope, a low passage dips down, then up to enterthe first large room. Here a 3 m. climbdown (aided by a log) is followed by aclimb down the left side of a 6 m. drop. A fairly long tie-off to a boulder thenallows the immediate descent of a 20 m. drop. This is followed by a slightlyoverhanging but climbable short drop to the top of another short drop requiringa rappel. The rope can be rigged through a crevice on the right wall. A furthershort climb brin~s one to the top of a 3 m. drop into a small lake. This can berappelled or bypassed by following a ledge along the right wall, then bridgingthe canyon to chimney down. The horizontal passage soon splits, the right-handside ending in a sump, while a squeeze straight ahead leads to the top of a 30 m.drop. A rope can be tied off to some holes right on the lip of the pit. After a5 m. crawl from the bottom of the drop, another c1imbdown is encountered -- thisone requiring a few meters of handline. A steeply slopin~ squeeze on the rightprobably extends to the lower level passage which is more easily reached by ashort rappel of 6 m. down a shaft on the left. A horizontal canyon leads intoan area floored by breakdown where the passage soon doubles back under itself.At this point a tight vertical squeeze makes noticeable a flow of air that hadpreviously been undetected. As an aid to returning back up throu~h the squeeze,a handline is advisable. Doubling back again along the same prominent joint, thepassage makes another drop of 25 m. The bottom of this pit was the maximum limitof exploration in December, 1974. From here a water crawl leads off, possibly.being the route taken by the airflow. (See map next page)It seems surprising that a cave so easily reached has not been exploredbefore. Local inhabitants seemed quite friendly and indicated that there wereother sotanos in the area which also received surface drainage. Another trip toPinalito would provide the opportunity to map and explore further in SotanoHondo and perhaps locate other equally promising caves in the area.* * * *From Mike Boon "r'll have a note on Huistan cave names in the next CanadianCaver. Chen-sen-vil-mut is hopelessly wrong. Ch'ensibi1mut is correct. JoyaChen or Hoya Chen (you have both on page 9) are both wrong. Joyo'eh'en iscorrect. Two of the people who surveyed the "sink end of the same system" werenot menbers of the Alberta Spelelogica1 Society and none of these (myself,George Tracy and Tom Miller) who explored and surveyed the main passage(4000of the 4600") in K'ocho' (upstream from Joyo'ch'en) were A.S.S. members

1450+8710 Hondo de Pil1i{;fovisifed decc;",J,e,.. 15} "74Po't\-n.A,+k.i?\~Stc"e1'\ 6:+t.-n.,-..-8ill M.~'f\",3011\./00 n.•ffl"Ox;,.,.t.(Sk.eh~h,~J.Mop)+0 M. ropeA'f'e., Mar

CAVE MAP SYMBOLS(continued)15The AMCS will try to keep all members informed on the importantdiscussions now in progress that will lead to adoption by the NSS of anofficial list of cave map symbols. This list will hopefully standardizecave maps across North America. Your comments are solicited as mistakesmade now will be difficult to correct later. The following letter fromNSS President Eugene Vehslage to Will White summarizes recent activity bythe NSS:Dear Will:During the June Board of Governors meetings at the Calaveras CountyFairgrounds (alias Frogtown), a motion was considered to designate a setof map symbols submitted by the NSS Delegate to the UIS Commission desSignee Conventionelles (Jim Hedges) as the "NSS Standard Map Symbols1975". Strong objections were raised to this by several Directors, mostlyfrom Texas. It is my understanding that Bill Russell has a much shorterset of symbols that were published in an AMCSpublication (which I receivedby second or third class mail). The Board voted to refer this matter to anAd Hoc Committee. I have appointed you as Chairman of this Committee withthe following members:James Hedges, 8218 Sherrill St., Landover, MD 20785William H. Russell, UT Station Box 7672, Austin, TX 78712Tom Cra~ens •. Meramec Community College, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., Kirkwood,MO 63124Ronald G. Fieseler, PO Box 5672, Austin, TX 78763.By carbon copy I am asking Messrs. Hedges and Russell to send copies oftheir respective lists of symbols to each of the committee members who mightnot have them, along with explanations as to what is better about their list,and, more important, what sort of compromise, if any, they see in making anofficial list of standard map symbols. I feel that it is the Board's wish(and certainly mine) that some sort of consensus can be arrived at before toolong.You are not constrained to limit your considerations to the two maps~ol lists mentioned above, nor are you limited to consulting the namedmembers of your committee. Please calIon anyone and everyone that mightmake your final recommendations of the greatest value to speleology, in thebroadest sense.There will be a Board of Governors meeting on 11 October in Albuquer-queand I plan to list a report from your committee on the Agenda. In the meantime,please keep me informed of how you are making out.Good caving,Eugene VehslagePresident

16At present it looks like the committee will adopt two lists, a shortlist that can be widely distributed and printed in any book containing cavemaps, and a longer list containing many less frequently used symbols for specialpurpose maps. Both lists will need to be compatible, and use the same symbols forequivalent features. At present the long Hedges list is not compatible with theAMCS short list, the main difference being water and domes. There are many compromisesavailable on the symbols for domes, and water appears to be the realproblem. Hedges seems to feel that ruled lines are not "natural" and should notbe used for a natural feature. The AMCS mappers feel that water is an especiallyimportant feature and needs a unique, easily recognized symbol. The AMCS listpresented here for adoption by the NSS is the same list presented in the lastissue of the Activities Letter except that water depth is given by a number ina square, rather than using the combined water depth-ceiling height symbol givenin the previous list. The AMCS list is presented here in a one page format. The32 symbols on this list can be effectively portrayed on a single 8 X 11 page,and includes all symbols in common use, as well as the geologic -symbols. The AMCSfeels it is important to include geologic symbols on all symbol lists to break theignorance cycle. Cavers never see them so they don't use them. Geologic symbolsshould be used on most cave maps. The statement that the NSS or AMCS adopt theUSGS symbols is of little help. The AMCS 36 symbol list should be adopted by theNSS and widely distributed. This should be as soon as possible as new lists of"standard" map symbols are proliferating rapidly.Vehslage, White, Russell~ Cravens, FieselerAbout the map symbols committee:5 August 19758218 SherrillLandover, Md.20785As best I recall, Vehslage, White, and Russell already have received copiesof both the symbols which I proposed and the accompanying manuscript. If not, orif you've mislaid your copies, please request new ones.Cravens and Fieseler are receiving copies of the map symbols with this letter;copies of the manuscript will follow in about two weeks, after I can arrange tohave it duplicated.DUE TO THE DIFFERENT TIMES AT WHICH EACH OF YOUR COPIES HAS BEEN MADE,therewill"be minor differences both in the symbols and in the text. A few changes havebeen made due to recent information from the British Cave Research Association,others have been made on the request of Russell, one on the suggestion of FrancoUrbani P., another because I think somebody was pulling my leg and I didn'trealize it.Making five identical sets of the thing would cost me about $30 and I don'thave the money. If you can't make do, then I suggest we wait until sometime nextwinter, when the So~iedad Venezolano de Espeleolog{a publis~es the whole thingand reprints will become available (in Spanish, of course) (Franco Urbani P. hasmade a beautiful translation of the manuscript ~)My position is fully stated in the manuscript. Hence, I won't address anyspecific subjects here, but will await questions from the rest of you.The one serious conflict between AMCS and my compilation is in showing water.It is necessary to be able to map bed materials, bed contours, high and low stages,and other things simultaneously with "water" -- in a single color. My use ofwaterlines, drawn with a flexible pen, is easier and clearer than is AMCS' use of

mechanical shading -- the dots, contours, speleothem symbols, and what not standout better among waterlines than within a uniform shading. If we are to useshading for water (and very few North American cartographers do so, I mightpoint out), then many of the other symbols on my list will have to be jiggered,also.The matter of length can be handled easily by having a "basic" list of adozen or 15 symbols (less than AMCS) and a "comprehensive" list (which could beeven longer than mine). Both would be "NSS Standard Map Symbols", each complementingthe other.Speleologically,Jim17Russell, Vehslage, MartinOn map symbols3 June 19758218 SherrillLandover, Md.20785What is "wrong ll with the existing set of NSS symbols is that there aren'tenough of them, primarily. There also are some inconsistencies, and they mightbe edged a bit closer to the VIS standard list, but mainly there aren't enough.This is argued, beginning on p. 20 of the ms which I'm loaning to Russell. Heis to forward this to you at the Convention as soon as he has read it (copyanything you like, first). It has 39 pages, which is more than either I or theNSS ought to afford to print up and send to the BOG plus mailing list. As I said,it's being published in Venezuela and should be available (in Spanish) before theend of the year.If the consensus is that the 1961 list has "enough" symbols, then my paperis an interesting but impractical exercise and should be turned down.Please note, Bill, that this is not "my" list, in 1961, it is Will "'bite's,et al list; also, it was never adopted as the NSS standard list -- it was onlyproposed to the BOG and then forgotten. The NSS has no formally approved list ofsymbols.A copy of the list of symbols will be mailed to Martin, care of etc, by Friday,if not sooner. He isn't getting a manuscript, because I have only one copy tocirculate and I don't want it getting lost in the mail for half the summer. Coveringletter will be included, though.What is "better" about the set I'm proposing is throughly defended in themanuscript which Bill is to send Vehslage, c/o NSS Convention after Bill reads it.It's much more comprehensive, it's rationalized, and it's nearer to VIS practicein most respects.Comments on Russell's cr~t~que of my preliminary list (substantially differentfrom the version distributed to the BOG and to Martin):The "committee" is not yet in existence; I've suggested to Vehslage that

18the Crowthers, for instance, be asked to round up a review committee. The listI'm proposing is my own work, although it was compiled from many sources andwith a great deal of assistance.You will recall that the research was done about 5 years ago, so somepeople currently active as cave cartographers, such as John Corcoran, were notincluded because they hadn't become prominant. You will note in the "Acknowledgements"the following western cavers: Ray de Saussure, Bill Halliday Carl Kunath(one of the very best), Jim Quinlan, yourself (Russell), Dick Schreiber,A. RichardSmith. Terry Raines was contacted but characteristically failed to reply. I admireRaines' work, but he has never been very communicative.There's no argument, to my knowledge, that there should be a condensed,"basic" list and an exhaustive "supplemental" list. I would suggest the followingfor the basic list:horizontal entrancepassagecross sectionunderlying passageunsurveyed (unexplored) passageslopevertical droppassage height (air-filled)stalagmites presentstalactites presentcolunms presentrimst one damsflowstone on floorblock breakdownpitdomesmall streamlarge streamlakeThis is a total of 18; more or less could be included. I'm not too concerned toargue over what would be appropriate, but 15 or 20 symbols should be the limit.It is simply impossible not to have conflicts with other lists. I mean, youphysically cannot come up with a list which does not have a few conflicts with"symbols commonly in use elsewhere to show a different feature." I·ve tried notto propose changing any symbol in common use in the US -- which is why I'm notentirely congruent with the UIS list of symbols, but there's no use trying toavoid conflicts with all other USA lists, not to mention avoiding internationalconflicts.It would be a good idea to change my pillar symbol, yes. How about this typeof hatching, it's often used overseas to indicate the bedrock wall of the ~ave:I.Both the basic and the supplemental lists should be adopted as the NSSstandard. Otherwise, we're right back to having no standardization. That's whatwe're trying to establish in the first place.The only outright conflicts between AMCSand myself are:massive flows tone I define this as "column"stalactites -- I use the USGS symbol for chertstalagmites -- dobedrock floor -- AMCS resembles my "boxwork" symbolWhen you say, "talus", Ithink you mean slab or chip breakdown. Talus is a

morphogenetic feature involving gravity erosion. Lots of chip breakdown lieswhere it fell, with no talus morphology.I'm also making a deliberate issue of "siphon", because there is hardly evera physical siphoning effect at these places. They are just low areas, traps,where water collects and fills the passage up to the ceiling. A true siphon, youwill recall, consists of two reservoirs connected by a higher (but air-tight)channel containing moving water under a vacuum.I'm not especially opposed to an "upper level" symbol, but the definitionshould make it clear that this is an uppermost level where two other, lower levels,also are present. It's not too logical to have an implied main level, and a lowerlevel, and an upper level, when there never are more than two passages involved.That is, people start thinking of geomorphic levels and terrace levels and olderand younger levels and pretty soon the map is full of implied cave history insteadof being purely descriptive.Your-water , depth sYmbol' comes from some other standard source, I know. Mine,from Audetat, is less likely to be confused with numbers standing for other things.I know of no other stateside cave map sYmbols list which uses ruled linesfor water. This is common overseas, but essentially never in the US. I don't thinkyou could make it stick, even if it were adopted -- which is why I'm not trying,even though the UIS calls for ruled lines. If I should agree to change this, thenI'd have to rework several of my other water-related sYmbols. It's not worth it.See p. 16 et seq in the ms for a.full defense.Your "maSSive flowstone" is the same as Vineyard's "column", which is the oneI'm using in preference to the older list. It's not that much of a difference thatpeople would be confused, but it's not quite the same.There's no difference between your "flows tone column" and an ink spot, whichis why I'm not using individual dots for anything in my list. An ink spot alwayshas to be associated with an obviously intentional marking on the paper, otherwiseit will be ambiguous.Your"dome" sYmbol could be reconciled with my "ceiling ledge" simply by addingdots between the dashes. Even so, there is no way, in your system, to representdomepits -- features with both height and depth in relation to the reference level(an intersecting passage). I guess I was thinking "vertical shaft", and it wouldn'tbe too good an idea to leave genetic cave interpretation up to week-end cavesurveyors. Can you modify yours to include alternatively pits and/or domes orboth in the same scheme of sYmbol?I agree that, ideally, bedrock floor should be mapped, not assumed. On theother hand, if bedrock floor is mapped over a large area, the symbol will causeproblems with mapping anything else. Try mapping a bedrock stream channel containingbreakdown, for example. It will become extremely cluttered, especiallyafter reduction. If there are speleothems on the ceiling above, it will becomeincomprehensible and require two or more maps, each showing one class of cavefeature - speleothems, water, floor materials. This is why I said "assumed" ifnot mapped. I won't argue over it, though, if you want to drop the "assumed" part.Boxwork is so rare that there probably would be no harm in retaining yoursymbol. Few opportunities for conflict. One other criticism is ~hat youcannot map the true areal extent of a bedrock floor as I can, because your symbolconsists of disconnected segments whereas mine is continuous•.I'll go along with your "human debris" -- my cave area has many more arrowheadsthan pots, so I naturally drew an arrowhead.You have no outright conflicts with UIS except your "column", which they usefor "stalagmite."19

20Let me object that AMCS has too many symbols for a basic list, also: Leaveout the "geology" -- most cave mappers aren't going to recognize faults or beable to measure strike and dip.Depth and height below entrance are meaningless unless there is an accurateprofile survey -- rarely the case.Profile trace clutters and, besides, very few profiles are ever published.Sump is rarely used.All floor symbols except breakdown are rarely used. Usually, only geologistsare going to map floor sediments. Spelunkers map breakdown because it gets in theirway, but they don't worry about anything else.Moving on to the text of your article:Many of your comments are addressed in the manusc~~pt; I'll reserve argumentsuntil you've had time to read it.The basic list should have an upper limit of 20 symbols, at most. AMCS is toolong -- and I'm not saying this just to be aggravating.Numbers are essential -- the depth of a pit, for example. You want to knowhow much rope you need, don't you?In the revised list, the height of a dome is in a dotted circle, not a circulewith a line under the number. That's a little less complicated.The purpose of having different geometric shapes associated with numbersstanding for different features is to prevent confusion. If the numbers standalone, more or less beside their feature, when there are several numbered features,one is not quite sure which goes with which. Also, it is much faster to recognizeshapes than it is to cognitively read and understand letters and numbers. Thereader can pick out a number in a square as belonging to the pit much faster thanhe can read the number and de~i~e that it probably applies to the pit.I used my "dome" sign because it already is in wide use. However, yours willbe more logical, if you can adapt it to domepits.I kept "natural bridge" because many people use something similar. It isquite true that there need be no formal symbol, that coincident upper and lowerlevels with a ledge sYmbol at each end of the lower level symbol means the samething. But there should be a defined example of this, otherwise many people willthink that we forgot about it.The flowstone symbol is widely used -- you mean, connect the squiggles?The wall line is broken at "flowstone wall" because we don't know where thebedrock wall is located -- we should only map what we can measure and "know" withsome degree of certainty.The crossed pick-and-shovel is used on small scale maps; on large scale maps,the outline of the diggings can be mapped with the "artificial floor ledge" symbol.Another example -- where the limits of the workings are not known, as in many saltpetremines, only a generalized symbol is appropriate.I'm trying to get us into agreement with the USGS and other conventionalgeological maps -- hence the triangles for chert. Unless the draughtsman isextremely careful,- triangles get out of alignment and their meaning (whetherstalactite or stalagmite) becomes doubtful. I'm trying to eliminate as many ofthese open-to-question symbols as I can.There's no mention of units on the list of symbols; in the manuscript, thesection on the title block provides that the type of units shall be stated in thetitle block. Presumably, if the bar scale is in chains and furlongs, then the wholemap is in chains and furlongs.As I already said, you can't avoid numbers on the plan map because very fewmappers provide profiles and cross-sections. Even a profile doesn't show ceiling

height variation, say. across the width of a large room. You can either providean inset map with ceiling contours, or you can provide numbers.My "bedrock floor" symbol is from Vineyard.21In summary: I like several of your suggestions, and I have a few for youwhich shouldn't do too much violence to the AMCS system. Please consider myarguments where I still disagree and fire off another round of discussion.My cover letter to the BOG, which went out last week with copies of myrevised map list (the one I sent to you this year) states that AMCS is going topropose their list as a substitute "NSS Standard." If you're not there, I hope youcan arrange for someone to provide copies to the BOG before the meeting is over, sothat the AMCS list can be considered, or sent to committee, or whatever is done aboutthis next time around.Speleologically,JimComments on Hedges' LetterBy Bill RussellThe detailed comments were especially welcome and from communications abetter list should develop. I like the new pillar representation -- in most mapswhere floor detail is shown it is not necessary to show the walls as the "cave" isfull of symbols and stands out well, but where it is necessary to show pillars thenew symbol is good. The upper level and lower level symbols actually are used onlywhere passages cross and do not imply a "level" but only a crossing above or below.The wording on the new list has been changed so as to make this more obvious. Incomplex vertical caves with several superimposed levels the plan view of the entirecave frequently can give only the horizontal exten~ of the cave, with most of thedetail given in profiles, insets, and cross sections. The objection that the AMeSsymbol for flowstone resembles an inkblot does not seem valid as unwanted ink blotsare rare and easily removed. The AMCS list uses a solid hatchured line for pits belowthe floor level and broken hatchured lines for domes, and combinations of these fora dome pit. Several years ago the AMCS decided to use broken hatchures for ceilingfeatures and the first used a dot between the hatchures, but these were hard to drawand were omitted. Hedges should be aware that most cavers use "syphon" to mean apassage full of water, whether or not any syphoning action takes place. The AMCSlist follows this common usage. Geology symbols should be included on the basic list;any surveyor who is able to map a cave can measure strike and dip. A dome pit is adistinctive feature that cuts through preexisting cave levels and perhaps a uniquesymbol should be provided for this, as for example, ~ , but many compromisesare possible. Water seems to be the main problem, and a discussion ofwater symbols follows excerpts from Hedges' article on cave maps.

22Excerpts from: "What Ought a Cave Map to Show" by James HedgesThe following are excerpts from a longer article by James Hedges on cavemaps. The parts of the article presented here are those sections dealing directlywith map symbols.ABSTRACTCave maps must serve a varied audience. While Level 2 maps (accurateOutline Surveys) satisfy the need for route guides during exploration t theycontain so little detail as to be of little reference value to persons notalready familiar with the caves shown. Level 3 mapSt showing passage topographyin addition to .passage outlinet are scarcely more useful. Modest additional efforton the parts of survey teams and of cartographers would clothe passage outlinesand slopes with geographict geologic t biologict and cultural data basic to thework of many specialists.Until cave surveyors, draughtsment and cartographers are possessed of alarger vocabulary of map symbols t they will be unable to conceptualize and toexecute highly informative maps. Most of the phenomena basic to modern speleologyhave been adequately symbolized at one time or another. In this compendiumt themost pictorial of these symbols have been rationalized and made stylisticallycompatible. Those previously advocated by the Union International de Speleologieand by the National Speleological Society (United States) are largely preserved.Speleo-cartographers face three major technical challenges: (1) to devisea means of presenting highly informative maps of large caves at small scales t(2) to devise an inexpensive method of rendering maps of multi-level caves, and(3) to devis'e more· easily unders tood maps of caves having great relief.Even the most detailed cave map will not be an effective vehicle of communicationif it be clutteredt cramped t lettered poorly, or in other ways offensiveto the eye. Cave cartographers should strive to produce maps which convey informationin a graceful manner.PREFACECave maps are the basic documents of speleology. An adequate map shows notonly the widths and trends of the passages. It contains, also, the location ofthe cave, directions for reaching it, a geological summary, an outline of hydrologyand meteorology, data on biota and their ecology, notes on historyt suggestionson scenic values, and comments on the accessibility of the various passages.The map should be a concise, encyclopaedic summary of the cave.Permanently recorded observations, such as printed mapst must be communicatedthrough time as well as across space. Effective communication depends upon theexistence of symbols the definitions of which are uniform throughout the worldand unchanging through time. Neo~gisms should be introduced only when needed toexpress new concepts or to record new percepts; in no case, should new symbolsconflict with those previously adopted. Individuality is preferred in layout tdraughting, and lettering, but cannot be allowed in symbolism.Most organizations which publish cave maps have issued lists of standardizedmap symbols for use by their member cartographers. The National SpeleologicalSociety (United States) is not among these, although a committee chaired by WilliamB. t-lhite proposed a list of symbols in 1961. At Dr. White's request, I have revised

23that list to include a broader selection of symbols and to make the symbolsrecommended more nearly compatible with those of the Union International deSpeleologie.Surveying and draughting techniques have been discussed many times. It isnot my purpose to review what is (or ought to be) matters of general knowledge.Nor am I concerned with the making of special-purpose maps. Rather, I would liketo deliver myself of a few thoughts upon basic cave cartography, upon the mostinformative, legible, and attractive means by which the survey data may bepermanently recorded. That is to say. I would like to discuss the geographiccave map.Most of the draughting suggestions given can be adapted to mechanicaldrawing method~. All symbols remain clear and unambiguous, regardless of thematerials and techniques used. However. all serious cave map cartographersshould consider that pen-and-ink methods. once learned, are the cheapest,quickest, and most versatile of all. Avoided is the expense of elaboratedraughting equipment, gone the stylistic restrictions of letEering guides, nomore the incompatibility of size between commercially prepared adjesive transfersand the scale of the cave being represented. The ideal of a unitary,synthetic cave map, in which all lettering and symbolic elements are complementaryin scale and style to the pe~ceived character of the cave, can be achievedonly by free-hand methods.COMPARISON WITH OTHER STANDARDSWith the few exceptions discussed below, all symbols proposed in thepreceeding section of this report are either identical With the symbolsrecommended by the UIS, are obviously similar to them, or represent featuresnot symbolized by the UIS. They were drawn from several sources (see: "LiteratureCited" and "Supplementary Readings"), but primarily from the "Proposed StandardMap Symbols (1961)" of the National Speleological Society (United States) and fromthe list of symbols adopted by the Union Internationale de Speleologie in 1965and published in 1966 by Trimmel and Audetat.Some of the proposed symbols are different from those defined as representingcertain features by the NSS, the VIS, or both. A few of the definitions setforth by the NSS were illogical or referred to non-existent features. These havebeen omitted, entirely.The major difference between this compilation and the UIS list is in theproblem of symbolizing water. European practice has favored hatched shading, whilemost North American cartographers have favored waterlines, dots, or other methods.An underlying principle guiding the selection of symbols adopted in this reportwas that only man-made features should be represented by rigidly geometric patterns.Natural features should always be drawn free-hand, for the sake of plasticity(after all, nature rarely is precisely geometrical). Thus, water, a naturalfeature, should be represented by a free-hand figure. Another, practical, reasonfor selecting'waterlines was that dots and straight lines would conflict with symbolsrepresenting clay, sand, and other bed materials, and with depth contours. Waterliningwith a flexible pen permits the superposition, in one color, of water, bedmatarials and (drawn with a fine tube pen) depth contour symbols on the same map.PROBLEMSOF REPRESENTATIONToo-Few SymbolsThe main deficiency in the Proposed Standard Map Symbols (1961) of theNational Speleological Society and in :aost other lists of cave map symbols is

24their limited scope. There are too few symbols included to enable a cartographerto portray all of the cavern features which are of po~ential interest to map users.This leads either (a) to the repeated invention of special symbols (Which defeatsthe purpose of having a standard list), or more often, (b) to the omission of data.Surveyors may neglect to record certain features because they are unaware thatanyone might be interested in somethinp, for which no symbol exists. Should such afeature be recorded by the survey team, the draughtsman may fail to include it onthe map out of ignorance of a means of portrayin~ it. An expanded list of standardmap symbols will help to educate map makers in the kinds of information which aredesired by map users and will enable them to present ~n~se data more effectively.Too-Many SymbolsMany map users, and some leading cartographers, suggest that a comprehensivelist of map symbols would be so complex as to be more confusing than helpful tothe average caver. In truth, the preparation of Level 3 maps requires the use onlyof about 15 symbols, all of which are in common usage and rather self-evident inmeaning. That an unabridged dictionary of the English lanRU8ge contains some 500,000entries has not discouraged most of us from learning and using 1/190 th that numberof words in every-day speech. At the same time, few of us could communicate accuratelywere we always restricted to a basic vocabulary of 5000 words.Too-Intricate SymbolsOf a piece with the objection about excessive numbers is the complaint thatsome symbols require more drawing ability than is possessed by the average cavecartographer. In fact, each symbol proposed in this repnrt is sufficiently uniquethat it remains clear and unambiguous, even when scrawled with a dull pencil upona muddy field notebook. Skill and artistry have very much to do with the attractivenessof the finished map; they have extremely little influence upon its informationcontent.Comments on Hedges' ArticleBill RussellIt is unfortunate there is no organization eager to print Hedges' article oncave mapping -- perhaps the NSS geographv and geoloRY section could begin a discussionof cave maps and map symbols. Space in the Activities Letter prohibitsprinting the full text of the article and Hedges' complete list 90 those interestedin the forthcom'in~ selection of a standard list by the NSS will have for themost part to rely on Hedges' comments. Though most of Hedges' symbols will undoubtedlybe adopted. there are so many that even if it were desirable they could notall be carefully considered, and many of his symbols are in agreement with establishedpractice and are probably the best that can be devised.However, in one important respect he does not follnw the VIS or the Al1CS list.This is in his treatment of water. Hedges feels that "only man-made features should

25be represented by rigidly p,eometric patterns. Natural features should always bedrawn free-hand, .for the sake of plasticity (after all, nature rarely is preciselygeometrical)." This need for "plasticity" would seem to be purely an aesthetic conventionof Hedges'. The symbol that best portrays a feature should be used whetherplastic or not. And in any case. the use of parallel lines to represent the surfaceof a cave pool, which is much more "precisely geometrical" than most man-made surfaces,would not appear to violate Hedges' convention. The erlBe of the pool isdrawn freehand in'both systems. It does not seem desirable to show both water andthe deposits under the water. If both are to be shown, either the bed deposits shouldbe shown on an inset, or the water should be printed in blue. And I cannot resistone last comment on style -- To me freehand lettering detracts greatly from thefinished maps. callinR attention to the calligraphy rather than the cartography andas commercial lettering guides and adhesive transfers are available in all usefulsizes. a resourceful mapper should not be forced to use hand letterin~.A number of letters on map symbols have been received from cavers who arenot members of the map symbols committee. All suggestions are welcome andnow is the time to let members of the committee ,know how you feal as once astanderd list has been adopted it will be more difficult to change a symbol.I will try to comment on the letters received in the next AMCS Activies Letter,but I can answer one question posed by the carefull map reader Bob Thrun.ySpeaking of symbols, what is the funny symbol on the Vent-anaJaball map?These are large tripods used to support a guano mining cableway.* * * *The following letter from Tom Cravens indicates his feeling that the work of.the CQmmittee is to reconsiie-differences between existing lists rather thanto develop the best possible list. Unfortunately the very number of-iists andsymbols makes even this task difficult . ,Dr. William B. W.o.ite210 Materials Research Bldg.Pennsylva~ia. State lTniversityl~iversity Park, FA 16802De~ Will,Tom CravensDept. of SociologyMeramec Community College11333 Big Bend Blyd.Kirkwood, Missouri 63122September 26, 1975I a~ ~itin5 to you regarding tte Ad Hoc Committee on Cave M~~ Symbols.~t me be~~ by sa~~ng t~at I Leel seriously limited with regards to my~nput to t~~.s CO!Il1ll:ttee due to a lack of background material. As you. maybe. aware; i ~as Q~aDl~ to at~end the convention and thus missed the reportedlyst~m~llat~ng oebate wh~ch l~~d to t~e cre2tion of this Committee. I didrece~v7 som~ ~a~er:als ~ro~ :im Hedg~s~ p~~s an accompanying letter (August 22,197~) ~n wh~c..... J. WaS aSKed to respop..o 1;0 t,hree Q.uestions. Due to the shortper~od ~f time involved, = have been unable to seek as many opinions ands~gest~ons f~vm knowledgeable ca-..e ma:ppers in the Midwest as I would have~shed.. I have, however, had an opportunity to obtain considerable input fromJerry V~neyard and much of the specific recommendations regardin5 choice ofcave symbols were provided by Jerry.

26In response to the questions posed in Hedges' letter of August 22:(1.) I favor a basic list of symbols which could be used in most situations.Additionally, a supplewentary list containing sywb0l.s whjch would be used onlyin special maps or in a't:roical situations. It sort. of appears that there arejust too many s:~bols floating around for them to be effectively used asstandard symbols. .(2.) I am in favor of developing the basic list by drawing from both the Hedges'list and AMeS's list. I really don't see that it is a question of building onone list as opposed to the other, but rather selecting the most appropriatesycbols from both lists.(3.) I am returning with this letter all the symbolz from both lists whichwere sent to me by Hedges. (Due to cost of Xeroxing, "this material is not beingforwarded to all c~ttee members.) I have indicated in the margins thosesymbols which should be part of a basic list and those which I feel would bestbe included in a supplementary listing. Symbols without marks were deemedinappropriate fer inclusion in either list.In addition to responding to Hedges' questions, I should like to addthat I do not think that a finalized set 0f symbols can be very effectivelydeveloped through a co~ttee st~~ctured such as this. I assume that weA.re sin'."ply functioning to more or less mediate a dispute rather than putforth a finalized "masterpiece".In closing, if you are in need of additional. comment, please do nothesitate to contact me.Tam CravensSTANDARD LEGEND FOR CANADIAN CAVER MAPSIn order to save time and effort in drafting cave maps I amproposing a standard set of cave symbols to be used on maps publishedin The Canadian Caver. Starting with this issue maps will be publishedwithout a legend, unless special symbols are used. A list of recommendedsymbols is given below and will be published (in a condensed form) ineach issue of The Canadian Caver. Unfortunately, there is no standardset of symbols in general use in North America so I have chosen a mixtureof those used by the C.R.G., the A.M.C.S. and the N.S.S. (as recommendedby James Hedges). Hopefully everyone will get together to producean acceptable list of cave symbols eventually.What must appear On every map is the name of the cave and atleast the province or state it is located in, a scale both in metresand feet, north arrow, the map units (ie. feet or metres), survey instrumentsused (preferably with some indication of the accuracy of thereadings) and the names of the surveyors. It is also usual to give thetotal surveyed length and depth of the cave. Other notes may be made atthe discretion of the draftsman. Those familar with the CRG system ofgrading may wish to use it. A good indicator or the accuracy of a surveyis the closure error on loops, and this should be quoted when possible.Peter ThompsonCanadian map symbols continued next page

27..• D. 0. ȯGravelFEATURENOTESSandCan be mixedClay or silt20 Dome with heightSlope (down in splayeddirection)Can be shown with slope(in degrees) if measured.~ Domepit with height40 and depthAir currentScallop or currentmarkingdirectionHeight above datumDepth below datum~ote on map if cave breathesor if air current directionchanges seasonally.In a dry passage inferredfrom scallop morphology.Position of survey stationshould be shownPassage heightMaximum heightGuanoStalagmitesStalactitesColumnsSoda strawsRimstone(gours)Active i.e. ~ater-filledgours should show crosshatching.Flowstone on wallsand floor

28FEATURENOTESUnderlying passageOverlying passageIf more than two passagesare suoerimposed, the planof the third (etc) passageshould be offset for clarity.LAbrupt drop with distance(down in hatcheddirectionIce-eJ-Unsurveyed passageCross-sectionLimit of penetrationof daylightSame indication should ~~given as to whether or notthe passage ends.Direction of view shown byarrow. Al~ x-sections shouldbe drawn horizontally.Under the most favourableconditions.Drop in ceiling height(down in hatched dir n .)Distance must be in sameunits as specified on map.R=ropeHL=handlineL=ladderApplied to perennial iceonly.Pool with depthStreamThis is used to indicateboth standing water anda pool in a streamway.~ = pool >6 ft deep.Siphon(or sump)Under "normal" conditions.Large breakdownSmall breakdown

ASSOCIATION FOR MEXICAN CAVEUAP SnmOLSPassagesSTUDIESGeology29crossing abovemain passagegtrike and dipvertical jointdipping jointvertical fault25ceiling hightdepth belm"datum----------75Q/dome withhightpit withdepthslope - down indirection of splaypoolFloor Depositswater depthdepth abovedatumsharp drop in floordown in hatchard direction~ survey stationvpotte1ry andarchological remains. cross sectionviewed in direction ofhalf barbed arrow------=:=.L---~---;:f--,/f--It__I sharp chanp;e inceiling hight law side hatchardclay sand gravel rocks-- - -- --- ~- - -oindividualboulderguanobed rockSpelothemsstlactite stlagmite column•mass of flowstone soda straws flowstoneon floor

1. Marion Smith 10. Bill Stone 19. Andy Eavis 28. Maureen Cavanaugh2. Bill Steele 11. Mark Stock 20. Pete Strickland 29. Terri Treacy3. Ron Ralph 12. Steve Zeman 21. Henry Schneiker 30. Terry Sayther4. Robert Hemper1y 13. Logan McNatt 22. Don Broussard 31. Tracy Johnson5. Pam Lynn 14. Mike McKee 23. Shari Larason 32. John Strickland6. Roy Jameson 15. Jim Smith 24. Robert West 33. Walt Peters7. Thomas Moore 16. Paul Fambro 25. Alexia Cochrane8. Gill Ediger 17. Blake Harrison 26. Andy'Grubbs9. Steve Ward 18. Jill Dorman 27. Peter SprauseArrived to latefor photo:Kevin HcGil1Barh RansomEric Va1a~nisDonald Spear

AlfCSACTIVITIES LETTEREdited by Bill RussellTyping and Editorial Assistance byPat AsnesSpring 1976 Letter No.4, May 1976This forth issue of the Activities Letter is less timely, but wefeel that it is more informative than previous issues. Peter Sprause'scolumn in the NSS News has kept k~CS members informed of current activityin Mexico and thus relieved the Activities Letter of some of the necessityof publishing after each major trip. This issue of the Activieies Letteris an atempt to meet the need for a place to publish maps and long~rarticles on Mexican caves. The NSS Ne'~s cannot publish accounts of everytrip to ~~xico, and regional and grotto publications will not reach thewidely dispersed membership of the AllCS. It is advantageous for the ~CSto use the NSS News for current information as this exposes many seriouscavers to the potential of Mexico. The AMCS does not have the concentratedmanpower to maintain a monthly publication. The Activities Letter wasbegan to brin~ timely information to AMCS members and maintain the idenityof the Association for Mexican Cave Studies as it was felt that the AMCSwould not continue to function without an active publication. The needfor information has shifted from timely reporting to longer articles andmaps; but we will still publish issues on recent developments when necessary.S$$$$$$$$$S$$$$$S$$$$$S$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$*** RESUnSCRIBE ***It's dollar time again -- with this issue the Al!CS Activities Letter completesits first year. ~~en the Activities Letter was first started, it was felt itwould be only a few pages, mostly news of current events, but it has becomelonger and more expensive. However, we will hold the subscription to onedollar although at this rate we cannot guar3ntee a full year. ~~en the moneyruns out we will ask ever-'one to resubscribe. This will keep me~bership listscurrent and if people have to send in money they can also send in articlesand information with their money. So send your dollar -- it will be wellspent -- and when it is gone we will ask for more. Due to 1.igh postal rateswe cannot continue to send Activities Letters unless you resubscribe. If youhave resubscribed prior to this notice. please let us know. as record keepingis sometimes informal.Bill RussellCopyright 1976 by glCS Hembership Committee

2Autopsy of the Gibbs Ascender by A. GrignardCasually translated by the staff of the AMeS Activities Letter fromSpeleologia Belgica, No.3, 1975.At the present time the speleological world of Belgian is infatuatedby the Gibbs ascender. This is due in my opinion to several factors: inthe mind of the public, that which is made in the U.S.A. is necessarilybetter, more carefully constructed; a clever publicity blow has done therest. Among 99% of Belgian cavers the choice of these ascenders has notdepended on practical observations on the ground but has been influencedin a totally subjective manner.In fact, what is the Gibbs all.about? Is it the solution to ourproblems? I answer no and I will give my reasons:This ascender IS light and more sturdy than other existin~ types andapparently well conceived. It is true it will permit extraordinarily fastperformances on long lengths of rope rigged away from all walls. Thus inthe deep pits of Central America (200, 300, 400 meters even) this equipmentis absolutely without equivalent. These grand pits are nothing butholes in the ground in which the entrance is in most cases in the open airand is not followed by any cave system. I admit that this kind of pit isfar from abundant on our old continent. Will all the Belgian c~vers whobought Gibbs go to Central America?Let us first look at the classic aspect of big European systems: theseare successions of pits separated by horizontal passages, sometimes long,difficult, and/or narrow. In other words caves are complex and acrobaticsar~.~ometimes required. These circumstances are often aggravated by thepresence of water and always mud which handicaps the equipment.Having set the scene. let us turn to the ascender itself and to itsinconveniences.1. The method of using the Gibbs to ascend implies bearing them on the legs.Those who climb with jumars will see immediately that the manuvers ofunhooking and of re-hooking with Gibbs involve more yoga than speleology.2. Moreover. the manipulation of Gibbs (rigging and derigging of the ropes)is rendered still more laborious by the fact that it is composed of severalindipendent parts. The builder having thought about it and having solidifiedtheM by charming little pieces of twine (or flexible metal). I invite youto consider the unhappy user: don't-Iose-the-pieces, don't-make-knots withthe twine, don't-twist-them-around-the-rope. etc.3. We will add further the presence of mud, already mentioned as veryimportant in the question of the functioning of these new inventions. Oneof my friends had a bad experience in the chasm Jean Nouveau (more than10 pits, -573m). It is a Question of G. Badino of Turin who. interested inthe method, quickly passed into the camp of the enemy. I myself made manyattempts (pit Vincent. -480m, in the Loubens-Henne system). I almostjoined the Prussiks~4. Also. if one uses as usual for ascending a Dressler and a jumar, they canduring the trip be used for a multitude of other purposes.Construction of hoistin~-p,ear: in this area I don't want to do injuryto my readers, all experienced cavers. to brin~ to mind the many and welltriedpossibilities of the Dressler. However, in spite of the words of thesellers, the possibilities of the Gibbs are practically nothing (the morphologyof the instrument will teach you that).And safety? Everyone knows the safety of the Dressler. ~~ny use it, someowe it even the pleasure of prac~icing cavin~ elsewhere than in the localcemetary; in brief, it works! But the Gibbs? These fanatics say: it slidesbetter on the rope than the Dressler. It's true but I find that what isn'tsaid is-that it slides in two directions.

35. I personally had the following experience in the R.A.C.: on one ladderI had several falls (voluntary!) depending on the Gibbs: these attemptsseemed more like free falls than like any other sport. I was never successfulin stopping a fall (not arranged of course). These attempts weredisplayed before reliable witnesses who were there to care for my multiplecontusions.Conclusions: The Gibbs is incomparable in all great verticals. In Europeone can conceive their use in certain systems: pits of Aphanice (328m), firstdrops of certain abysses: Pretta (130, 110m), Juhue (302m), Rabanne1 (130m),etc. The Gibbs is inconvenient and dangerous for all other uses.CommentGibbs ascenders are apparently being used in Europe for pruposes forwhich they were not designed. Europeans frequently use Jumars as a selfbelayon ladder climbs, and assume that Gibbs ascenders can be used in asimilar manner. The manufacturers failed to advise users that Gibbs ascenderswere not suitable for a self-belay, as few American cavers useladders for long drops and it apparently did not occur to anyone that aGibbs would be relied upon to catch an unexpected fall from a ladder. Thetests by A. Grignard should inform both American and European cavers thatGibbs are not suitable for use as a self-belay.* * * * * *Social Notes From AllOverAustin is the crossroads 0& ~peleology. Yesterday at the Kirkwood':aver House Michel Siffre was talking to Barbara ~cCloud. Michel was onhis way from France to cave in Guatemala and Barbara was on her way fromBelice to a summer job in Alaska. Barbara told Michel that he should pickup the books he left at her house. Michel said that he would try to cornethrough Belice on his lA'av home. 'achel' s ne'v book Dans les Abimes de la Terreis worth having just for- the pictures even if you c~nit read French.t-lantedA house in late August near the University to be filled with caversor a space in some caver house near the university. I figure I'll tryAustin living for a while (like 2 years), beginning September 1.Bill StoneEach map of Hoya de las Conchas has a personaly handicrafted north arrow.The north arrow was omitted from the original copy that was sent to theprinter so Peter Sprouse drafted an original north arrow on each of 200copies.

4Spring in ChiapasPersons: Blake Harrison, Jill Dorman, Bill Steel, Cindy Coeburn, MikeBoon, Irv Grahm, Bob West, Gary Napper, and Charlie.This group left Austin April 5 and arrived at San Cristobal, Chiapas,on April 10. From San Cristobal they headed for the village of Chenalo buttook the wrong road in the dark so had to spend an extra night on the road.The next morning they finally arrived and talked to the priest who informedthe cavers that the village dumped its sewage into the river that flowsinto the cave. Despite this information the cavers decided to go ahead withexploration and went down to the cave to w~tch the sewage-foam flaked waterenter the 40 by 80 foot entrance. At the end of the dry season the streamwas very low, about 15 feet wide and 2 feet deep. They missed meetingNorm Pace and a car from Canada as the priest told them the others hadleft. Pete Thompson with Linda Thompson, Christopher Smart, and Ian Drummonddrove out to see the cave despite the tales of the priest and met the othergroup. After a reconnaisance on the first day, the combined group pushedthe Chenalo Sumadero to where it sumped in a debri filled lake about 3500feet into the cave and perhaps 200 feet below the entrance. They had expectedPeter Lord to join them, but later learned that while they were inChenalo Peter was having appendicitis in Oaxaca.After a day of R&R in San Cristobal the group drove out the new 16Kmroad over the mountain to Sumadero Yochab. This new road saved them afour hour walk and everyone arrived at the 60 X 80 foot entrance refreshedand ready. They had found Norm Pace in San Cristobal so the group now 13strong started rig~ing Sumadero Yochab. The first day 9 people moved 8duffel bags of equipment and rigged the first 2000 feet to the base camp450 feet below the entrance. To reach base camp 8 drops had to be riggedincluding a 60 foot drop into a large lake, and four short ladder drops.Rigging was difficult as ropes and ladders must be carefully arranged tokeep the climber away from the force of the falling water. The next fivedays were spent in exploration -- the push crew of Boon, Thompson, andSmart spent the entire five days underground, resupplied by two surfaceto camp trips. They were able to push the cave only 300 feet furtherhorizontally and 100 feet deeper as for almost the entire distance itwas necessary to place expansion bolts in order to avoid climbing inwaterfalls. The ri~ging was left in the cave after the push trip and thegroup returned to San Cristobal for a day of rest. At dark they drove backto deri~ the cave, but next morning Bill Steel and }1ike Boon decided tomake a final push and spent 21 hours in a last attempt, but they were onlyable to explore a short distance further. The mornin~ after Bill and Mikereturned, Norm Pace, Gary Napper, Blake Harrison, Bob West, Jill Dorman,and Irv Grahm spent 14 hours derigging and carrying out the six duffel bagsof equipment. There was a total of eight bags, but two had been removedby the push crew. However, the next day when they started packin~ theycould find only seven duffel bap,s -- one was missing. The bag containedmore equipment than the group could afford to lose -- so they agreed topay ten dollar~ per person for three volunteers to return into the caveand retrieve the duffel bag. Bill Steel, Gary Napper, and Jill Dorman

volunteered to rescue the bag. They did not know where the missing bag hadbeen left, so they had to carry enough equipment to reach the base camp. Afteran easy trip in, the bag was found at the 200 foot level and the three volunteersbegan the return trip. When they reached the large lake at the bottomof the 60 foot drop the water was muddy and extremely rough. Water had coveredthe log the belay line was tied to and was apparently rising rapidly. Billgrabbed Jill and told her to get out quick. She jumped into the swift waterwith her side pack still on her shoulder. The water was deeper than shethought, her light went out, and the pack slipped down over her arms andtangled in the belay line. She gave a cry, but managed to make it across thelake. Bill then came across and tried to rerig the belay line above the lakelevel and dropped the rope. Jill climbed up and went for help. She reachedthe entrance to find the surface crew had just weathered a severe storm.Hail stones still covered the mountain but the storm was over and the riverwas beginning to subside under clearing skies. Boon and Harrison gatheredtheir equipment and went in to assist with the last section. They met Billand Gary about 400 feet into the cave and stopped on a rock to discuss thesituation. As the surface crew was reassuring the recovery crew that theworst was over, the cold water closed over their rock. They were surprisedas there was no sign of further rain when they left the entrance a fewminutes before. But the water was undoubtedly rising rapidly. The caversand their three duffel bags were suddenly in a precarious position. The twominute walk to the entrance became an hour's effort against the current.Finally they could not pull the duffel bags against the force of the watereven with the rescue pUlley, so they tied the bags off and ran for theentrance. The stream had risen almost against the vertical wall, leavingonly a narrow path -- until they came to a boulder wedged against the wall.The swift current prevented passage on the stream side, but fortunately,the cavers were able to squeeze through a small hole between the boulderand the wall just before water washed through their escape hole. Upon reachingthe entrance they discovered the reason for the sudden rush of coldwater -- the hail left by storm had melted producing a flash flood. Thenext day they returned and retrieved the equipment. The volunteers hadearned their ten dollars -- though Jill agreed to take five dollars and asubscription to the Canadian Caver.P.s. OnJill Dorman as toldto Bill Russellthe first day of rest in San Cristobal they had received a post cardfrom Austin with the news that the landlord was going to evict cavers fromthe Kirkwood Caver House at the end of the month. So after Yochab they feltit was time to start back to Austin. Bill Stone and Irv Grahm stayed inChiapas to look for new caves with the aid of advance copies of the newChiapas topographic maps. The return trip took 49 hours from San Cristobalto Austin where they found the landlord had relented and they could stay.P.P.S. While Yochab was flooding Mark Shawcross and crew camped at theentrance to Sumadero Chicja were hit by the same storm. Water rose rapidlyinto the camp and all the equipment could not be gathered in time and asunto and altimeter were lost. The group also met Eian Finn and crew atRanco Nuevo where they found that camping was no longer permitted at thecave.5

6Random Notes on MexicoCast of Characters: Bi1l Stone, Tracey Johnson, Sheila Johnson, HenrySnicker, Julia James, Neal Montgomery, Mark Stock, Jim Smith, MarionSmith, Pat Wiedeman, and Martyn Farr.On 1000' Pit LeadsFollowing our ThanksRivinR trip stop at the Santa Eulalia Mine, andbeing convinced that the 1000' pit was actually there, I wrote a letter tothe supervisor in Spanish, asking for permission to descend the shaft. Noreply arrived and we drove to the mine on Dec. 18. This time we were greetedby all the chief honchos of the mine. They showed us the reply letter,stating that, in essence there were many deep shafts in the mine, butunlike H.A. Walker suggested in the article, there were no tremendouslydeep na~ural fissures. After some discussion and scrutiny of the mine'smaps, we located what apparently used to be the pit which Walker mentioned.According to Sr. Kirshner, the Gerente de Minas, there previouslyexisted a natural shaft from the 600' level of the mine extending toperhaps the 1000' level where it pinched off. Another similar fissureran upwards from the 1600' level, but apparently made no connection. Atany rate both fissures are now part of the immense Potosi Chimney -- allman made, with approximately 600m of vertical extent and dimensions ofsomething like 150m X 50m wide. According to the mine blue print, if youwere to enter the chimney at level 6, a drop of approximately 1150' freecan be rigged. Too bad it wasn't natural.FlyingOf general interest to all, I suppose each of us has always wanteda bird's eye view after crashing through the El Abra for years on end.Well, anyways, Bob Stucklen from Montrose, Colorado, flew in with a Cessina172 like a dream corne true. So on Dec. 23 we flew up the El Abra -- theMonos cornfield is more than 3 times as big as it previously was --somebody was ambitious! We then flew up the west crest towards Tanchipalooking for holes on Neal Morris' map. Everything checked except for onevery conspicuous flaw: we saw a very large black hole, 150' diameter, withundercut walls about 4 miles south of Tanchipa. We have triangulated itslocation and the closest chop route appears to begin at the end of thePonciano Arriaga Airstrip. Anyone psyched for another Tanchipa chop? Wethen flew over Hova de 7.imapan and up to the Estrella Sink. Six passes overEstrella assured an end to the black hole myth. Yes, Bill, Cuesta is riphtwhere it is supposed to be! From the first sink south of Estrella we locatedtwo pits approxinately one mile to the east. '~e then bombed a straight lineof five rolls of toilet paper from the north most pit back to the sink.Continuing north, we located Sotano de JIojas Guandes -- a big pit, but only200' deep, east of the first big sink south of the Otate mine. Finishing up,we cruised over the mine and then back for more fuel.The second trip of the day was to be the lonr, one -- scout the ElSocavon ridge and the Xilitla plateau. \":e first flew to Aquismon and thenover to Golondrinas. Sotano de la Huasteca was verv impressive near La Laja,as was Golondrinas. Flyinp. down the ridge above Drinas to Tamapatz, we saw

one large black hole near the top of the ridge on the side facing Tamapatz.We estimated it to be 100'+ in diameter and a trail passed reasonablyclose by. Mike Shulte assured me this one is new to him, so there's onegood lead. We then hopped t~e ridge over to the La Parada valley. The ElSocavon dolina leaped out as we crested the west side of the valley. Thiswas the ridge we wanted to scout, the first two passes revealed little, thethird pass found what we were lookin~ for: a 150' diameter black hole,directly above La Parada. We took bearings on the lake at La Parada andmarked this one for a return. Going west we noted nothing large, with theexception of a huge, hear walled dolina north of Tancoyol and at the bottomwas a cornfield! We buzzed El Sotano as Marion Smith's crew hiked up fromEl -arro and headed for Xilitla. The high plateau is higher than mostwould believe; we read 12,500' off the altimeter as we flew by Cerro SanJuan. Nothing large appeared for a while -- although there is a large closedvalley above Xilitla with alpine type karst -- should be worth a hike up.Then as we rounded the east side of the range, we almost fell out of theplane as everyone leaped to get their cameras out the same window -- atremendous pit -- at least 300' in diameter with shear walls,faces CerroLa Cieta. We thought we might be able to see the bottom of the low side,but the high side disappeared into blackness. This then is the big pitwe've been hearing about from Valle de Guadelupe, San Juan, and Tampaxac.We have nearings, but the pit is well isolated at about 9500' elevation.Finally we buzzed our own crew at Guaguas just as the clouds closed in.On Black HolesUpon returning to Los Sabinos with all this good news, it tooklittle convincing (one good party) to round up 11 suckers to do the longhike into La Parada. Tw0. days later Marion's overloaded 4 X 4 headed forTancoyol. I left Los Sabinos one day later with Pat and Alex Cochrane. Thehike in was grim to say the least. We carried all 1640' of rope we plannedto use (funny how the number always was pushed higher anticipating a deephole!). By the time my crew arrived in La Parada Tracey, Marion, and Henrywere bouncing down the mountainside trying to beat the fog after a hard dayof karstwhacking on the plateau. The good news ••• they had found the hole -roughly 100' X 150' and a free drop from my side! The bad news •••it was only130-150' deep! Apparently the deception of depth was aided by a very darkgreen forest which covered the pit floor.The next day almost everyone did Sotano de San Isidro to finish thesurvey. This immediately turned into an underground swimming party whenJim Smith found that the lake siphoned. Later that afternoon Tracey andJulia were led to two pits near Saucito (formerly Rancho Clavo). Sotanode Saucito was 160' deep and Sotano del Puerco Muerto was 220'. The followingday Tracey and Marion returned to Saucito and the rest of the crewcrashed up the mountainside to enter the big hole--Sotano de la Hoya Verde.The drop, as anticipated, was ISO' free from the higher of two rig points.Very impressive hole -- for Tennessee -- well, you can't win 'em all!Almost everyone except Pat, Tracey, Sheila, and I did El Socavon thenext day. We diddled around La Parada, finding one pit: a 150' free dropinto a lar~e chamber with 3 skylights; this led do~~ another 100' verticalto a lake. The locals called it "Hoya Hondo."7

8Well, everybody packed out the next day, all the way from La Paradato Tancoyol in one day! 1~e briefly celebrated M~rk's birthday and they splitfor the States.Jova . de Las ConchasAfter dropping Pat off in Valles, we hiked up to the El Quirino plateauahove La Purisirna. The objective was to finish off loya de Las Conchas, whichTracey and I had previously entered over Thanksgiving with Eric lteans andJim Jacobs. The first day of exploration was to be a light push trip, 50~eal, Tracey, and I carried 1200' of rope up to the entrance. Thinps went~,ell until Neal noticed a !:inber rattlesnake on a ledg;e 1 1/2' above ourhead~ in the entrance crawl. Rather than ~olcst the monster, ve ~ingerlvdropped past him and into the first pit. We quickly rig~ed to the pointof previous exploration, 5 drops down. After this the drops got bigger. Fourl'"1ore drops ann we lancied in a waist deep lake. The passa~e continued as asewer and apparentl'1 ended in a sump 100' further on. Then Nenl found atight hole in the ceilin~ which bypassed the sump. This led to a 25' serdhairyclimb dmvn to a far more terminal looking sump. It had 2" air space,but t,eal ~-7as convinced the passaRe v!ent. so under he ~.;ent -- back intoIvadinp, passar-e! This went lOa' to a 4 second drop! Far out. We ran out ofrope at that point and returned to camp.The next day all ei?ht of us planned to finish Conchas. We nabbed therattlesnake ~Jith a pole and slip noo"e, thus removing that danger. All~!ent according to plan, for a ,,,hiIe . Just as ~eal was preparing to rappelthe big drop, ~oy Jameson came cra~hin~ through the sump saving that therehad been an accident. Sheila had fallen most of the ~JaV down the 25' climhabove the sump wben a handhold broke and had to be hauled out at once.Damage lJas uncertain, but we suspected a concussion and fractured ribs tostart. Pe were C) drops down fror.l the entrance and the picture looked p.:rimindeed. Sheila would obviously have to be hoisted out all 9 drops. Afternegotiating the sump back to the base of the 140' drop we ~ot down tohusiness: 3 ropes were rigged o~ tile orop, one static line for Julia toguide Sheila up the drop, one belay line and one haul line which we rigr-edfrom the top of the drop, one to one pulleys with a double jumar safety.Tracey and I did the auling; Neal belayed. The system worked so well thatJulia had a difficult tine keeping up tJith. heila. This system workedexcellently for the hi? drops. The narrowness of the rig points on the smallpitchs demanded a different systen. l~e rigged a 2:1 pulley system with autolocking jumar safety directly on Sheila's harness and hoisted from aboveusing one man. Bv this time Sheila was cold due to inactivity and had tohe placed in a wet suit. All went smoothly from there on. The entire operationtook only 5 hour!;. Sheila \"a5 taken to camp and it was decided to waittill morning before attemptinp. a trip do~~ the mountain. The following morning~ve drov~ to the hospital in Valles, 20 hours had elapsed from the timeof the accident. The X-rays revealed no hreaks. just a badly bruised headand body. It is evident that had there been any serious internal damageour rescue effort would have been fruitless.T\,;o days Inter ~"e picked up 1'vfartvn· Farr on the recommendation of ~ealand Julia (who had to leave) to try once al7ain to hot tom Conchas. Sheilawas well enough to hike back un without ~ear. We took the afternoon off inpreparation for what we knew was goi~~ to he a hear of a trip for 3 people.

The next day we left camp at dawn and Tracey, Martyn, and I arrivedat the four second pit by 10 a.m. Tracey descended and reported a mudsump -- the end. Not believing this possible, Martyn and I took down somerope. Sure 1 nuff a tight squeeze through the breakdown immediately lead toanother drop. I continued down this drop to another. Using all the ropewe had, Martyn came down and assured me he could free climb the drop, soTracey dropped the rope and went back for the other 4 sections. Martyndropped the next pit and disappeared for 30 minutes. When he returned hesaid he was down another 200 1 + to a big frop. Far out. Tracey dropped 4ropes do,vn the big pit and "went back for a 5th while Martyn and I blastedon down. A 109 1 drop led to a 33 1 and 130' drop. God, this mother wasp,oing! We ran out of rope again and started free climbing pitches -- 4of them. The passage was now dipping steeply -- quite a change from the"drop-level stretch" character of the uprer cave. "This went on to a 30'free pitch. We couldn't climb this one, so we tied all our slings top,etherand Martyn descended. He followed this another 250', free climbing a 20'and 70' drop to a solution boulder choice. Upon moving a few boulders itopened to a 40 1 drop, the terminu~ of present exploration. All the dropshere have waterfalls, apparently the cave is collecting tributaries thefarther down we get. This necessitated two carbides running at once toassure both didn't go out. Nicad packs are a definite advantage downthere. On the way out we stopped every 5~' to sketch the passage, measurerope drops, and estimate climbs done.9By Bill Stone1976 Conchas Expedition -Return to ConchasOn Friday, March 12, 19 cavers from Texas, Illinois, andEngland left Austin. In Mexico they rendezvoused with 18 other caversfrom Texas, Tennessee, Arizona, New York 1 and Indiana. ~ruch advanceplanning had been made; two group meetings had been held and variousaspects of the expedition had been discussed. The planning was to preparethe group for any eventuality and bivouacking in caves had been one of themain topics of the discussions. An advance team of Don Broussard, ShariLarason, Peter Sprouse, Bill Steele, Bill Stone, Terri Treacy, Steve Ward,and Steve Zeman left Austin Thursday evening and drove to Falls City inSouth Texas where they spent the night at Gill Ediger's. The next daythey left Texas, drove through Mexico, and camped that night at the RioSanta ~aria. Paul Fa~bro, Pam Lynn, and Mike McKee left Austin in Paul'struck and picked up Ron Ralph at the San Antonio airport. Maureen Cavanaugh,Alexia Cochrane, Andy Grubbs, Robert Hemperly, Logan McNatt, and TerrySayther left in Terry's truck and Jill Dorman, Andy Eavis, Blake Harrison,Roy Jameson, Thomas ~oore, Walt Peters, Peter and John Strickland, and BobWhst left in Blake's "Hog of Steel." The various parties spent the night atdifferent camping places in northern Mexico. Saturday, March 13: The Austintrucks continued driving and camped just pa~t the town of La PurisimaWhere the road toward Conchas takes off from the highway. Early in themorning the advance team arrived at the end of this road. They hired amule for rope and caving gear, hiked in and set up camp. Sunday, March 14:~i1e the Austin 19 hiked in, the advance team started to rig the cave.

10Ediger, Sprouse, and Zeman returned after rigging to the "sump." Steele,Stone, and Ward continued till they bottomed the cave at a siphon 2 dropspast the end of previous exploration. They returned at 8 a.m. After settingup camp, Broussard, Jameson, Larason, J. Strickland, and Treacy starteda surface survey to connect all the known caves of the area. Monday, lfarch 15;Tracy Johnson and Henry Schneiker arrived from Arizona by way of train, bus,and foot. They reached the ~eneral area Sunday night but couldn't find thecamp in the dark. Jim Smith, Marion Smith, and Mark Stock arrived fromTennessee in Marion's car. Two teams started mapping in Conchas. Ediger,J1cKee, Sayther, and Schneiker started at the surface and mapped down to wherethe second team started. The second team of Cavanau~h, Eavis, Jshnson, andSprouse started mapping at the start of the "sump" and mapped down to -348m.They bypassed the "big room." Hemperly, McNatt, and Ralph started mappingin the "Sotanito," previously explored cave in the area. They mapped about75 meters. Cochrane and Grubbs returned to the trucks with a burro foranother load of rope and gear. The surface survey crew finished the connectionof all the caves. Tuesday, March 16: In Conchas surveying continuedwith Smith, Smith, and Stock surveying from the bottom of previous surveyto the siphon. They dove the siphon to a depth of 4m. but found no leads.On the way out they derigged the last 200m of the cave. Dorman, Hwrrison,Hemperly, and Steele took a 100m rope and checked out and mapped the "BigRoom." Cochrane, Grubbs, and Jameson made a biology, geology, and photographictrip dOtvn to about 300m and on the way out they hauled up the 100mrope used in the "Big Room." NcNatt, Ralph, West, and Zeman finished thesurvey of the Sotanito, 213m deep. An attempt to find the Rendijas "fissure"failed because of heavy fog. Wednesday, March 17: Broussard, Eavis, McKee,and P. Strickland went into Conchas; they photographed on the way down andderigged the cave on the way out. They derigged to the top of the "twindrops." A hikin2 team located the Rendijas "fissure" but found it to be asurface feature 30' deep. Cochrane, Smith. Stone, Stock, and otherschecked out a SOm pit near Mojonera. On the way back they stopped atSotano de Canoas and dug the log jam out of entrance. They went down asfar as their ropes would go. Jameson hiked to San Jose and mapped asmall cave, Cueva de la Mesa. He also found several 20-4Om pits and wasshown Sotar.o de Nogal, with an entrance drop of about 80m. Thursday, March 18;Kevin McGill, Barb Ransom, and Eric Valainis arrived from Indiana in Eric'sbehicle. Donald Spear arrived from Texas on the bus. The rest of Conchaswas derigged. Smith, Smith, Stock, and others returned tu Sotano de Canoas,mapped, and pushed till it ended in a siphon lOO-12Om down. Broussard,Cochrane, Grubbs, and Jameson hiked to Nogal. They checked the entrance dropand found a going passage, but further exploration was prevented by lack ofmore rope. Biological collections were made and air flow was noticed. Severalpeople went on recon hikes but no caves were found. Friday, March 20:Cochrane,Jameson, Stone, Ward, and Zeman returned to Nogal and mapped down to 247mwhere they ran out of rope at the top of a sOm drop. Air flow was noticedat several places. Except for Broussard, Ediger, and Larason all the othersleft and hiked out. A hurro load of rope and equipment also left. Once thevehicles were reached the first stop was a tienda with cold refrescos inLa Purisima. The next stop was the Rio Santa ~ria. From here the expeditionsplit up with persons going in several different directions. Some peoplewent directly back north, some went on south to Mexico City, and otherpoints of interest. Several of the vehicles went throuszh Xilitla. The "HOGof STEEL" then went to Golondrinas. On their way back they met the Nogalcrew several times near Cruta del Palmito. The final depth of Itaya de lasConchas is S08m. This makes it the 5th deepest in the Western Hemisphere.[see the loose map of Hoya de las Conchas]Andy Grubbs

11First Exploration of NogalThursday afternoon Alex Cochrane, Don Broussard, Roy Jamison, andAndy Grubbs returned from a scout trip to San Jose two miles north ofConchas. The locals showed them a rather deep hole named Sotano de Nogalnear town. One entrance is a 260' free drop in very large passage. A5X5 foot hole led off the bottom to a 30 foot climbdown and a 30 foot dropwhere they ran out of rope. (They had to tie a knot 60 feet off the floorjust to do the entrance drop!) They reported air blowing strong enough toput out a carbide li~ht!So the next day, with great difficulty, we managed to rouse 5 people'from the 37 at camp to hike out again with roughly 750 feet of rope. Wearrived around noon at the double entrance (60 feet from the 250 foot dropis another 200+ foot drop which surely connects but has yet to be descended.)Steve Zeeman did most of the rigging while Steve Ward and I shot thesurvey in behind him. Roy kept book and Alex did a bio collection. Thepassage was so pleasant, dry, and spacious that Ward and I had no problemkeeping the survey right on Zeeman's heels as he rigged each virgin drop.Beyond the 30 foot drop was a 60 foot pitch, followed by a 140 foot dropwith a knot 30 feet off the floor. The room above this drop was the moststriking example of bedding exposure in a cave I've ever seen. Dippingalmost vertical, huge scabs just stuck out of the walls and floor. Slickensidesand an obvious fault wall were quite impressive. Beyond the 140 footdrop was a steep climbdown for 50-60 feet then another 100 foot drop intothe "Greccian Column Room." A 60 foot drop off here led across a crystallake, through more sinuous passage and finally another 50 foot drop wherewe ran out of rope. This was unfortunate as just 50 feet away was anotherl50-foot-plus drop. Que Lastima! The cave was still pushing a lot of air,even at that depth. The survey showed that the top of the 150'+ drop was800 feet below the entrance. The most significant differences in Sotanode Nogal are what will undoubtedly make it deeper than Conchas. One, Nogalis a "Paleo-Floodwater" cave, apparently taking huge amounts of drainagelong before San Jose was established. This circumvents the main cork injust about all of the San Juan plateau caves. The advent of farming allowedtons of silt to be sloughed off by arroyos everytime it rained. Since alldraina~e on the central plateau is internal, that silt only had one placeto go -- right down the tubes. Jamison reports a usable limestone depthof about 2700 feet from the plateau to the Rio Jalpan (altimeter readings).Almost all the San Juan systems consequently silt up at constriction pointsfar above the usable limit of limestone. Hence, since Nogal has none ofthe silt problems the other caves do, it is quite expectedly a clean, crycave as far as we pushed. Secondly, the evidence of a strong air flow asdeep as -800 feet indicates considerably more passage -- or a lower entrance-- something none of the other caves show -- almost all the others havebad air and organic debris near the bottom.Without stepping too far beyond reason, I would say that some May whenwe return, San Juan will have its second SOOm+ system!Bill Stone

12The Sierra de El Abra at QuinteroNovember 24-27, 1975Neil Montgomery, John ParkerJohn and I caught a bus down from the border aDd arrived at Quinteroearly on the 24th. We shifted loads of over 100 pounds each up the mountainpreparing for a seige on this littl; visited but promising part of the Sierrade El Abra. Leaving our gear at a radio relay station on top of the range,we began to explore the area to the west. Here we found many undistincttracks, some of them made by wood cutters from the village. Two leads werelocated during the day -- a pit about 30m deep dropping into a large passageand nearby the 40X7OmX30m deep collapse entrance to Cueva de las Colemenas,a cave visited several years ago by Bill Russell, but not fully explored.A major problem appeared during the day -- the area was crawling withticks. We each received several hundred bites and for night-time securityslept on the flat concrete roof of the radio relay station.On the 25th we relocated the 30m pit and descended it. To our dismaythe large passage below wuickly brought us to the·Colemenas entrance. Cuevade las Colemenas consists of one large chamber entered by several pits. Onlythe 40 X 70m collapse pit permits entry without rope. There is only onesignificant passage leading from the chamber. Tbis goes north 100m to wherea crawl leads to a deep, 3m diameter pit. The cave is well known to thelocal people, who· have exploited it for phosphate rich earth. In theirdiggings they opened up the northern end of the 100m long passage, revealingthe top of the deep shaft. We descended the shaft, a drop of 100m donein two pitches. At the bottom was the signature "German" which was a littlemystifying. There are no records of cavers having bottomed it.Next day we surveyed the cave (see map) and walked down to Quinterofor water. We were becoming dispirited from the tick bites, receiving manynew ones each day.New territory for the 27th: We followed a track north one kilOmeteruntil it faded and cut for another 600m to an "intermittent lake" shownon the Quintero topo map. These lakes are often pits. Colmenas is markedas one. The "lake" was not a pit (or a lake for that matter) but we didpick up a ~ood track there. This was followed one kilometer north to asmall settlement in a valley in the range top. The track continued northbeyond the settlement past numerous small pits and dolinas as it climbedout of the valley. Two of the pits required rope (30m) and we weren'tcarrying any. They did not look promising however being narrow and vadose.Nearly all of the important caves of the Sierra de EI Abra are remnantsof large phreatic systems. Still, a search of this immediate area may producesomething.The track faded one kilometer from the settlement and we followedsmall disconnected clearings for another km to an area containing four"lakes," directly above El Nacimiento (the Rio Mante source). We foundnothing here and attempted to drop down to the spring whose clear bluewater was driVing us mad, for it was a very hot day. We were stopped bycliffs 200m above it and headed back to the settlement and down hill fromthere to have that long awaited swim.That night we decided we were tired of being tick meat and left nextmorning. We had not covered much of the area.

'"entire passage has·solutional roofu/,,·t1~~i;Al~~~~~- ~4060flowstonewalls>ll 'e ,IJ t3 {d 9 'o~ t100mpit80100120DEVELOPED LONGITUDINAL SECTIONCUEVA DE LAS COLEMENASQUINTERO, MANTE, S. L. P.map reference Quintero F-14 -A-69coordinates 4945-25060Survey By N. Montgomery. J. Parker26 Nov. 75Suunto KB14 compass & PM5 clinometerDrawn by N. Montgomery Dec. 75earthblockages140m

CUEVA DE LAS COLEMENASintermittentshallow lake6m pitch from portholeQUINTERO, S. l. P.PLAN27m Entrance Pito 10 201.----'Iscaleall dimensions in meters30 40m. , JAfYdominent joint direction(vertical or near vertical)main pit, 100m in 2 or 3 pitchessmall pit connects tomain pit 6m downj~"\( ~\' dug.out crawlshallow pits \.false floormined in floor,\ crawl,~\very hotand humidmagN-=====true

13Date: January, 1975Destination: Acahuizot1a and Gruta Cacahuami1pa, GuerreroPeople: Diana Daunt, !lya Abo1ins, Don Coons, Skip and Kathy Roy,and CarlDiana, Ilva, and I were spendin~ a month in Mexico. We had made tentativeplans to meet Carl and the Roys at Acahuizotla, a small puebla about20 miles south of Chilpancinpo on the main road between Mexico and Acapulco.Skip and Kathy had been there a couple of years before. They had been shownthe entrance of a large river cave and so were anxious to return.As such plans go south of the border. I had only the slightest hopeof actually meetin~ them at the time and place agreed upon. As we pulledin we were more than delighted to see three mangie looking gringoes sippingtheir sangrias on the steps of the only tienda in town. Greetings and warshoopsand we soon found a place to camp just outside town under an overhangingroadcut in the old Acapulco road just outside town.Strategies of attack were the next event. Skip know of two entrancesto the cave. The upper sumidero where the stream disappeared and the lowerboca where it emerged nearly 3 kilometers away. They had tried to enterthe boca that day, but were turned back by waterfalls and Skip's coldallergy. It had been a near thing and the Roys were opting to go on toAcapulco the followin? day, but Carl had hiked to the sumidero after theearlier abortion, and so knew the way to both entrances. He was willing.We agreed to meet the Roys in Acapulco two days hence and began sortingthrou~h gear. Diana was suffering from Montezumas Revenge and would not beable to go.The two of us set out for the sumidero the next morning. We carriedtwo ropes since we knew there was at least one drop at the entrance andprobably more inside. I would have liked more, but it was all that wasavailable. A 30' handline drop ate our first line getting into the entrancesink. A 70' drop out the bottom of the sink put us into the cave dry. butout of rope already. We mana~ed about 1000' of passage in wetsuits andinner tubes. It was mostly wadinp. with an occasional short swim. A roarahead told us something was happening. Another 70' drop, this one in awaterfall. We soon found an overflow route that could be rigged dry, butwith no rope there was nothing to do but throw rocks. They hit in deepwater, but we could not see bottom for the mist.We were soon out and enjoying another sangria. The day was yet youngso we decided to have another go at the lower entrance. Diana and Ilyawanted to take a swim. so we all trooped off together. It's about 2 km tothe entrance, but nearly level going. We were surprised to meet two men andtheir children from Cuernavaca at the entrance. They were butterfly collectors.but had ventured into the cave as well. One of them wanted to returnwith us, so we all started together.We made about 700' without much difficulty. The water is deeper hereand swimmin~ is a mu~t for much of the way. Several 3-4 foot falls had beenlittle trouble, but a 6 footer was a little more of a challen~e. ! tried tolassoe an overhead projection, hut with little luck. Our Mexican friendtried it next and was able to ~o ~trai~ht up the chute to the top. This wastoo much for Carl. The noise and foam had begun to take its toll on hisner:es and he decided tn return. I was able to follow up the falls. whichturned out not to be the tiger we had feared. Another 100' and we werefaced with a fall of the same hei~ht as the last, but overhan~inp, this time.Try and try again could ~et neither one of us up. After half an hour wewere nearly ready to leave, but there's alwavs that one last try. A

14struggle and the key hold we had missed before put me at the top. rtried to haul my companion up behind me, but the force of the water wastoo much. TCere seems to be much more water here than at the upperentrance.r managed another 100' over yet another falls, but was then facedwith a l2-footer that was too much. Bolts would be the only way. r amconvinced that the best way through this cave is from the top, with a lotof rope. Downstream was a cinch! The falls on the way in were chutes, likea sliding board, on the way out.Back out in the sunlight r soon found out my new friends name wasMarc Antonio Narro and that he could speak a fair amount of English,although he was somewhat hesitant about it. He is a butterfly collector,mainly, and caves only on occasion. He knew of the Mexico City cavingclubs, but was not a member. He did not think they knew of this cave.A week or so of basking in the sun at Acapulco was next in or~er.The sun and waves seemed to put caving a long way from anybody's mind.I soon lost all support for a return trip to the river cave. Diana andr burned out (literally) before the others and decided to head for GrutaCacahuamilpa and the mountains. We did a side trip to Grutas de Juxtlahuacaand met the others a couple of days later.r had been hearing persistant rumors for some time about an exter.sionthrough a hole in the flowstone wall at the end of the commercial route.One of the guides assured me that it was there, pointed out the way andsaid there would be no problem in going any time we wanted. The Revengeand a bright sunny day took their toll on the others, but Skip and rdecided to go.We were soon at the end of the trail, took our leave of the tourists,and climbed up into the formations. r had looked for this hole the yearbefore and so was somewhat embarassed at what we found. There were threeholes, includin~ one large enough to walk through. Ahem, how well did youcheck that lead? The way opened into a breakdown jumble just behind theflowstone. A little poking got us up and into a room about 75' in diameterand nearly as high, but from there every hole seemed to choke within 50'.Finally the only way left was up. The wall was guano covered breakdown,but looked like it might be just climbable. Besides there was a notewritten in carbide on the wall of the room that read '~s nombres quincemetros mas ariba" with an arrow pointed up. We had been following arrowsand names most of the way so this seemed to be the place.r started the climb, but was a little hesitant. We had not brought arope so there was no belay. It turned out not to be as bad as r thought.There was one exposed move near the top with 50' of fall below, but it wassoon over. From a ledge I could see Skip below and what was more interesting,on the wall beside me were the "nombres mas arriba~ There was a cast ironpiton rusting in the wall with a loop of manilla line throu~h it. r had norope to belay with even if I had trusted the protection point. The only wayon was up a ~uano slippery overhangin~ chimney. It is climbable with a littlemore security and above I could see onlv blackness. (It wouldn't be a goodcaving story without that now would it.)I guess there's always next year. Both these areas seem to have ~oodpotential. If anyone is interested in trying them I would be glad to helpwith more information. I might even be convinced to act as a personal guidewith a little arm twisting. Drop me a line.Don Coons

15Trip Report, Christmas-New Years 1975-76Harold Goldstein, Cady Soukup, John Ferguson, Ron Tilkens, Neal Morris,Barb Vinson, Richard Minton, Mark Minton, Lew Fischer, and LindaBy Mark MintonOur diverse group met in Austin on Dec. 21 and proceeded to the border,where for the first time in several years we had hassles with long hair. Alittle waiting and a tip or two and we were on our way, unshorn. After theusual car trouble (a fire), we arrived in Valles where we took on supplies,and then headed for Mina Otate. The permission we had obtained at the collectivewas not checked (nor was anyone else's this time), contrary to reportsfrom earlier in the year. Our main goal was to map and finish exploringCueva de Diamante, first entered the previous Christmas and subsequentlyshown to be a major cave. Trips went into the cave almost every day for aweek. The route down from the Crystal Room as followed by A. Grubbs et al.last March could not be pushed further without blasting -- all leads downpinched out too tight, although definitely not at the "bottom" of the cave.The lead just above the Crystal Room noted by Minton turned out to be analternate route down, intersecting the Grubbs route two or three hundredfeet below. This route now carries all of the water entering this side ofthe cave, leaving the Crystal Room dry •. This area of the cave is extremelysharp and ja~ged -- gloves are mandatory.The tight canyon, the other major passages in the cave, turned outto be more exciting. The pit which halted last year's exploration was an87 foot drop which led in about a hundred feet to a 70 foot pit (which isdifficult to reach due to the necessity of changing levels in the canyon).Contrary to anything else in the cave, this drop was covered with a layerof mud. Scarcely fifty feet further a four second pit again halted exploration.On the way out of the canyon several Pleistocene remains were discoveredin an eroding gravel fill. Bone fragments, horse-like teeth, and amammoth molar were found, and samples were taken back to the University ofTexas in Austin.. All known passage in the cave waS mapped. The Crystal Room routebottomed out at about -900 feet; several hundred feet short of potential.The Canyonlands route remains to be explored: the top of the four second dropis about -500 feet, blows air, and takes water. In all we spent 289 man-hoursin the cave, and had 1450 feet of rope rigged in the cave at one time.Although trips went into Diamante nearly every day (and night:), mostpeople layed out every other day to rest. During these rests Barb and Nealdid a surface survey tying in the mine, Sotano de Otate, Cueva de los Indios,Cueva de Diamante, and Casi Mil. We also chopped around the Diamante sinknear the crest, but found only one small, blind 60 foot pit. Most significantly,we visited Sotano de los Bozos (alias Casi Mil) and decided a resurveywas in order. Total depth is actually less than 500 feet (Casi MedioMil?). Durin~ the time this cave was rigged, our total amount of rope underthe sink came to 2250 feet: (out of about 3500 we had along). Some photographywas also done in Indios. Althou~h we had intended to chop around the

16three large sinks on the way to Cuesta. it never got done. Nor did wecheck Sotano de Otate again. A careful. thorough exploration of the largebottom drop is warranted. but if it doesn't come soon it may be too late:the miners are dumping their tailings into the entrance:After eight days in the jungle we returned to Walles for much neededbaths,food. and rest. After a refreshing day at Micos. Barb and Neal returnedto the United States and the rest of us went to Los Sabinos todecide on further plans. Here we met Roy Jamison and Patti Mothes who hadjust completed several days of flying over the El Abra and had some goodsounding chopping leads. The next three days were spent hiking and chopping.but nothing new was discovered. One lead turned out to be Monos.unrecognizable from the air due to recent expansion of a nearby corn field.From there we also visited Higueron. (The "road" to Cueva Pinta is now inhorrible repair, making it virtually impossible to drive all the way in.)We then headed south to Mexico City for some touristing and to climbnearby Iztaccihuatl. We didn't reach the summit due to lack of ice climbingequipment (and enthusiasm), but did make it to the lower hut at 16.000 feet.That pretty well did us in. due to lack of acclimation: we went from Vallesnear sea level to the hut at 16.000 feet in less than thirty hours: Aftera stop at the famous anthropology museum, we returned northward.The next two days were spent at Huichihuayan trying to make some senseof the Cueva del Aire-Cueva del Brujo system (a couple of years earlierTom Ramsey and I had found a connection between the two). After severalhours, we determined that the two caves are merely lower and upper entrancesto what is essentially one very large room divided by breakdown and formations,and set on a steep angle. In an effort to reach the level of thelarge spring which resurges just below the caves, only a very muddy siphonwas found. The caves are still very actively used for religious purposesby the local Indians. although we encountered no problems.A brief visit to the Nacimiento del Rio Huichihuayan. a rather unusualSaturday ni~ht playing pool in a local tavern, and a drive to Xilitlaand Sotano de Huitzmolotitla ended our trip. After stopping ~or a finalswim at Nacimiento del Rio Mante. we returned to the United States after22 days in Mexico -- already making plans for next year.* * * * * *A Hot Caving Area Surpasses ExpectationsA recent trip to Sotano de Sauz just south of Big Bend by Gill Ediger.Dino Lowery. John Omnas. Ron Ralph. Terry Sayther. Peter Sprause. BethEverett. and Steve Zeeman found the cave to be larger and deeper thanexpected. The cave is 4000 feet long and 722 feet deep ending in a largeroom 100 feet in diameter, 2500 feet long. with an air temperature of 106°F.Blocks of ice were packed in to help combat the heat.During the exploration of Surnadero Yochab. Irv Grahm and Ian Drummond walkedto the rumored resurgence of the river 4 hours down the canyon. They founda large bat cave called Cruz Palal with water flowing from the entrance.

THEOTATES MINE AREA17SIERRA DE EL ABRA, TAMAULIPAS, MEXICOBy Neal MorrisLocationThe Otates phosphate mine is located on the eastern crest of theEl Abra just north of the San Luis Potosi-Tamaulipas state line. Withina short distance of the mine are four large, important caves: Sotano deOtates, Cueva de los Indios, Sotano de Casi Media Mil, and Cueva de Diamante.Access to the area is by the mine road which begins near El Salvador, Tamps.(Km 49.2), on the Inter-American Highway. To enter the area, written permissionis required from the authorities at the Ejido Collectivo "Laguna delMante" (formerly the Ponciano Arriaga Ranch, Km 25.3).Exploration HistoryMexican prospectors first began working the Otates deposits in early1974. Originally they reached the mine from the Ejido Olimpico by followinga small valley or arroyo up the El Abra's east face, however, the phosphatedeposits proved extensive enough to justify building a road in from the PanAm Highway. This amazing road had nearly been completed by December 1974when cavers first became aware of its existence.Our group was trying to reach a pit known from air photos (Rojas Grandes)by chopping up the east face of the range. Efforts to find a Mexican guide onthe Ejido Olimpico were futile. The local people said that it was too dangerousto climb right now -- dynamite blasts from the mine were unpredictableand could send large rocks crashing down the mountainside. They suggestedthat we drive around to the other side of the range and use the new miningroad: It did not take us long to take their advice. The miners and road crewwere extremely friendly and showed us two caves near the mine, Otates andIndios, which they had already explored in search of phosphate deposits(to explore a pit, the Mexicans would tie some brave individual to the endof a rope and lower him to the bottom). We quickly surveyed the two caves,except for the last drop in Otates which had to be estimated by rope lengths(see Trip Report, AMCS Act. News. 1:1).Later in December, two subsequent groups combined their efforts to chopa 5-Km trail south from the mine to the. star-shaped depression where itintersected the Tanchipa Trail to Sotano de la Cuesta. Two deep shaftswere discovered along this trail Sotano de Sendero and Sotano de Arbol.Sendero was bottomed at 712 feet. On this trip the search was started fora legendary black hole near Cuesta. Diamond Cave was also discovered, andits upper section was surveyed (Trip Reports in AMCS Act. News. 1:3,5 andD.C. Spe1eograph, Mar. 75:12-15).Another group arrived in January 1975. They explored Arbol to a depthof 540 feet and conducted another futile search for the black hole nearCuesta. They also chopped to three new pits south of the mine: Roya deRojas Grandes (-220'), Sotano de Arbol Sangre (-709'), and Sotano del TechoCrystal (-ISO'). This trip is written up in AMCS Act. News. 1:6 and in TheRoc Cairn, Spring 1975.

18The Otates phosphate mine is located in a small valley which cutsback into the Sierra for several hundred feet. Mining operations haveintersected a small cave passage which was filled by phosphate deposits.Just below the mine and the cave, a small arroyo leads down the mountainside.The arroyo, the cave, and the mine valley are in alignment and seemto be structurally related.Cueva de los Indios and Sotano de Casi Media MilThese two caves were once joined on an intermediate level, but theconnection is now sealed by massive flowstone deposits. It does not appearthat this system was ever integrated with either Otates or Diamante. Indiosand Casi Media Mil are both large phreatic passages which formed along E-W,N-S joints. There are no distinct bedding planes visible in Indios, and bedrockobservations are nearly impossible in Casi Media Mil because the entirecave is draped in flowstone.The Indios Sink is right on the crest of the El Abra, and the miningroad borders it on the south side. The collapse opening is 40 feet wide and235 feet long, and its walls are vertical, dropping approximately 40 feeton the low side and 60 feet on the high side. However, the south wall offersan easy climbdown along a joint. At the east end of the entrance sink is alow, wide room containing the remains of several stone walls which wereprobably built by Huastecan Indians. At the west end of the sink, a talusslope leads down to a flat, silt-floored passage where there are more archaeologicalremains. This passage is 20 feet wide, 40 feet high, and extendswest for 375 feet before it is intersected by an upper level crawlway. Thiscrawl leads north to a 60-foot drop (80' rope) into more large passage. Thispassage heads west and becomes plugged with flows tone only 350 feet fromCasi Media Mil. The joint along which this passage is formed appears on thesurface in the large dolina west of the mine, and this is the location ofthe 3xlO-foot entrance slot to Casi Media Mil.The Casi Media Mil entrance pit bells out quickly and drops III feetto a rock-strewn floor. To the east is a short passage which matches upwith the lower level in Indios. A few feet to the west is a 43-foot drop(a single 180' rope can rig the entrance drop and this one). At the bottomis a flowstone squeeze, followed by a climbdown which leads to the top ofthe last drop. The total depth of this drop is 305 feet (350' rope), butafter descending 50 feet against one wall, a large natural bridge is encounteredon which several people can work comfortably. Once below the bridge,there is a 217-foot free rappel. This section of the pit bells out into alarge, impressive chamber which is 120x70 feet near the bottom. The mud andgravel floor of this chamber is perfectly flat. There is a small pool inthe center of the room, and a drainage channel leads to a sump against onewall. Casi Media Mil is well-decorated and has one highly unusual formationat the top of the long drop -- the remnants of a large, hollow sphere. Itappears that flows tone was deposited over a mound of sediment, and later thesediment eroded, leaving only the flowstone shell. A smaller sphere iscurrently being formed by this process at the bottom of the cave.Cueva de DiamanteCueva de Diamante is located at the southeast end of the large dolinato the west of the mine. The cave has two small entrances. The most obviousone is in a sump at the end of the arroyo which drains the dolina. During

large storms, this arroyo sends floodwaters into the cave. A tight, deviouscrawl (unmapped) leads away from the sump and eventually breaks into largerpassage. The second entrance is an obscure 2x2-foot hole in the karst about30 feet south of the sump. This hole leads directly into the upper sectionof the cave, a 300-foot-long, steeply-dropping phreatic tube which averages6 feet in diameter. Several climbdowns, crawls, and pools must be negotiatedbefore reaching a series of wet, flows tone cascades known as Frog Falls(named for the numerous green tree frogs inhabiting the passage). Theseclimbs are difficult, and a lOa-foot handline is very useful: Just pastFrog Falls, a domepit is encountered (100' rope). Thirty feet down thisdrop is a partition which divides the cave into two distinct sections: theCanyonlands and the Shatter Zone (Crystal Room or Grubb's Route).Canyonland Section (basically a high, narrow crevice which requireschanging levels frequently to find passage, often with no floor or ceilingvisible and too tight to turn one's feet or head around in) includes, tothe right of the partition, a domepit parallel to the one in which the ropehangs. A 25-foot climbdown leads to the bottom of this parallel pit. Fromhere a walking passage quickly reaches the beginning of the joint-controlledcanyons where the chimneying begins. After going 75 feet horizontally andlosing 40 feet vertically, Size 28 Pit is reached -- a 22-foot drop whichcan be climbed by slipping down through a vadose trench if your waist issize 32 or less. It is an exposed climb, however, and should be rigged. Atthe top of this pit, a small fault is visible in beds dipping at 25 (seediagram). From here the tight canyon continues northwest for 125 feet. Thenit changes joints and heads northeast, first as walking passage and then asnarrow Z-canyon again. This trend continues for 325 feet until it is intersectedby a vertical joint with a dip of 60 (see diagram). Here the canyonturns due east and starts dropping quickly. A 16-foot chimney leads down toan 83-foot drop (lOa' rope). From the bottom, another 75 feet of canyon goesto a 66-foot drop (lOa' rope), followed by another 50 feet of canyon to anunexplored 4-second drop which is 788 feet above the estimated base level.Although the canyon walls in this section are mud-coated, the last drop isscoured clean and blows air. Plans have been made to continue explorationin December.Shatter Zone Section (basically vertical fissures and near-vertical,walking-size passage averaging 10 feet in diameter) continues, to the leftof the partition, another 35 feet to the flour of the first drop. From herea passage slopes 30 feet to a series of offset drops which descend 142feet (partially climbable, but best rigged with a single 175' rope). At thispoint the passage divides, and two parallel routes drop 260 feet beforerejoining (on the diagram, the line labeled "fracture" points at this split).The Floodwater Route is a small, wet passage northwest of the divide whichgoes 50 feet to a plunge pool above a IS-foot drop (35' rope). A small,jagged passage then continues 20 feet to the top ofa 66-foot drop ( lOa'rope) down the wall of a fissure (20 feet below the lip of this drop, itis possible to get off the rope and explore a short side room which is encrustedwith large crystals similar to the Crystal Room). The bottom ofthis drop is actually a bedrock "bridge" with the fissure continuing beneathit. On the west side a narrow slot drops into the fissure. On the eastside a climbdown goes to a window which provides a 125-foot drop down thefissure (ISO' rope). At the bottom of this fissure is where the parallelroute enters. The Crystal Room Route is a 40-foot drop ( 50' rope) intothe Crystal Room which is named for the six-inch calcite crystals encrustingits walls. This drop is located 25 feet southeast of the divide. In thesoutheast corner of the Crystal Room, a climbable fissure drops 60 feet,19

OTATES MINE AREASIERRA DE EL ABRA, SAN LUIS POTOSI 8 TAMAULIPAS,MEXICOsBASED ONSTEVE BAR~~~ TANCHIPA AREACLARK LILLIE ' CRAIG BITTING MAP AND FIERON TILKENS ' M~ARK MINTON ~~' DENIS BREINI~g SURVEYS OF DFIELD DATA ~O:~TVAN NOTE', A~~A:~R~'~i~~N NEA~~~::I~~U~2~~C~~:~L~ ~6C~~976 BYISOMETRI ERIZED BY DAVID' Y SOUKUP, TEIN,C BLOCK DIAGRA McKENZIEM COMPILED AND DRAFTED BY NEAL MORRIS.d7-Y::'/,//,/r'--_.__ .._-ENw'(i)®'e>~ G:l~ C9«J ~C9?fO\ec,e~ease'it\..e'lo\Scale in FeetGJC.C$)Exaggeration 1.5x~~=~=~1 Mendez ShaleI($I -e>

20but the handholds are unstable requ~r~ng that the drop should be rigged(75' rope) for safety. This is followed by a 35-foot chimney, aID-footclimbdown, a 40-foot, offsetting drop ( 50' rope), and a 20-foot drop(3D' rope). More climbdowns and a short, narrow passage soon encounter atight slot which opens into a l4-foot climbdown where the FloodwaterRoute is joined. The Crystal Room Route is the one normally rigged. Althoughthe Floodwater Route is more direct, it requires rigging longerdrops through razor-sharp passages. From the junction of the two routes,a climbdown and a short passage lead to the top of a 30-foot drop. Thisdrop can be rigged, but it is usually bypassed by doing an exposed traversealong the left wall to a 25-foot chimney. Below this drop, thepassage splits where the water takes two parallel routes. On the left aclimbable, small-diameter tube drops 40 feet before it becomes too tightand jagged for comfort (it could be pushed, however). On the right side,a tube 10 feet in diameter drops 100 feet vertically, via a series ofclimbdowns , to a 25-foot-long crawlway. This crawl leads to a hole whichopens into the top of a fissure. It is possible to slip through the holedown to a ledge which provides a rigging point. Below is an BO-foot dropto a partition, and although it is "climbable," it is better to rig itwith a ISO-foot rope which will reach past the partition to the bottomof the fissure. On the left side of the partition (unmapped), the fissuredrops about 20 feet to a lake where exploration was stopped by a constricted,razor-edged crawl. On the right side of the partition, the 3foot-wide fissure drops 15 feet to a window. Through the window, the fissuredrops 25 feet to a ledge and then 15 feet to the present deep point inDiamante, 907 feet below the entrance and 373 feet above the estimatedbase level. Here the fissure is 1.5 feet wide and 5 feet long. It continues4 inches wide at one end and drops through an 8-inch-wide hole at the otherend. Rocks dropped through this hole can be heard to rattle downward for ashort distance. This hole could only be enlarged by explosives, and eventhis would be a difficult task.Observations on Cueva de Diamante and the Mine AreaDiamante is a complex cave with an interesting history. The entrancepassage appears to be an old phreatic tube which intersected a zone ofintensely shattered bedrock in the Frog Falls area. The Shatter Zonepassages exhibit angular limestone blocks of great size range which havebeen recemented together. Resolution of the zone has produced razor-sharppassages which demand that explorers wear gloves and carry rope pads. TheShatter Zone passages lie directly beneath the dolina, which supports thetheory that faults and shattered bedrock have localized the formation ofthe large sinkholes found along the crest of the Sierra de El Abra. Incontrast, the Canyonland Section is formed along joints and is basicallyhorizontal, extending completely under the Dolina to the north before dipping60 eastward along a vertical joint. Such a dip in this location wouldsupport the theory that the EI Abra's eastern scarp is an anticlinal feature.Canyonland appears to be the oldest section of the cave. The floor isdeeply entrenched in places. Pleistocene mammal remains (horse, bison, andmammoth) were discovered in an eroding gravel bank in one area, however,most of the Canyonland is scoured clean. Canyonland still takes some floodwater,but most of the water is now pirated by the Fracture Zone passages,all of which are actively developing except for the abandoned Crystal RoomRoute. In the lower level of tbe Fracture Zone (once referred to as HandburgerHill), the water becomes divided among three passages which all pinchdown to razor-sharp crawls, ending exploration.

21In March 1975, a trip was made to continue exploration in Diamante.An approximate depth of 900 feet was reached via Crystal Room route. Therewas a minor accident below the Crystal Room when a handhold broke loosecausing a caver to fall 15 feet. The miners also showed this group a newpit (Casi Mil) between the Diamond entrance and the mining camp (See AMCSAct. News. 2:7).In June, a two-man team returned to the mine and explored the newpit. They estimated the depth at 735 feet and thus named it Casi Mil(almost 1000 feet), reported in AMCS Act. News. 3:5.Mid-July saw a special trip to the area with the purpose of locatingthe elusive black hole. This group rediscovered Cuesta by using a "ParrotBearing" 'as recorded in AMCS Act. News. 3:8,9 (Air-recon. has finallydetermined the non-existence of any black holes near Cuesta).The most recent trip to the area was during Christmas 1975. Diamondwas extensively explored and surveyed to a depth of 907 feet. Casi Milwas re-surveyed to a depth of 495 feet and re-named Casi Media Mil. Finally,a surface survey was made which connected the four caves near the mine. Theblock diagram with this article combines all of the survey work which hasbeen done in this area to date (See Trip Reports in this issue and in D.C.Speleograph, April 76:3-5). .Geologic SettingThe east face of the El Abra drops steeply down to the coastal plainproviding a spectacular view from abo~e the Otates Mine. John Fish haspostulated that the east face is a fault scarp, while William Russell hasargued that it is a steeply diPRing anticline. The block diagram depictsit as an anticline which sinks beneath the shale formations of the coastalplain. Also shown on the diagram are the two facies of El Abra limestonewhich have been described from other locations in the Sierra. The massive,unbedded reef facies forms a narrow band along the eastern margin of therange. while the back-reef facies is thick-bedded and dips gently to thewest forming the plateau surface. Many caves (most with phreatic origins)have developed in areas of faulting and intense fracturing which resultedwhen the range was folded. All drainage on the El Abra is internal. Baselevel for the mine area is the Nacimiento de Rio Tantoan, a large springat the base of the range. This gives caves on the plateau a maximum verticalpotential of about 1500 feet. Cave elevations on the diagram are elevationsabove this projected base level.Sotano de Otates and the Mine ValleyThe 125 foot entrance pit (150' rope) to Sotano de Otates is locatedon the £1 Abra's east face just below the Otates Mine. In fact, the mineis currently dumping its tailings into the Otates entrance, and the cave mayeventually be plugged. At the bottom of the entrance drop is a large room,from which a water channel follows a steeply sloping passage east severalhundred feet to a handline drop (40' rope). This is immediately followed bya narrow 600-foot shaft (625' rope) which divides several hundred feet fromthe bottom. Exploration of this drop has been difficult, and both routescurrently end in sumps. The lower sump is 800 feet below the entrance.John Fish (1975) has typed many of the caves on the El Abra's eastface as "paleo-phreatic resurgences" -- caves which were springs' when baselevel for the area was at a much higher level than today. Otates would fitthis category quite well. It is of phreatic origin, and the deep verticaltubes or shafts would have served to circulate water up from great depths.

22Diamante received its name from the numerous quartz crystals (HerkimerDiamonds) which are found in the arroyo draining the dolina and throughoutthe cave itself. These crystals are probably residual from shale formationswhich previously covered the El Abra but now have been eroded to the presentlevel of the coastal plain.The El Abra facies change depicted on the diagram is supported byobservations in the field. Bedding planes are absent in Otates and Indiosbut become traceable in the Diamante dolina and in the Canyonland sectionof Diamante. Further exploration and study in the Otates Mine Area shouldbe very rewarding.Geology ReferencesFish, John. 1975, Karst Geomorphology and Hydrology of the Sierra deEl Abra, S.L.P. and Tamps., Mexico. (tentative title), PhD dissertation,Dept. of Geology, McMaster University, Ontario.Russell, William H. and Raines, Terry W. 1967, Caves of the InterAmerican Highway. Bulletin I of the Association for Mexican CaveStudies, Austin, Texas.Note from PrestonAnyone planning on doing Cueva de El Chorreadero in Chiapas should havethe following equipment: a selection of pitons, piton hammer, bolt kit, andat least 30 feet of one inch webbing. Reason: When our group went throughthe cave in January, 1976, we did not have most of the equipment as we knewthe cave was rigged. However, a safety factor is involved since many of thepiton placements are marginal and additional backup pitons and in some casesbolts are needed, especially in the lower part of the cave.Preston ForsytheBiology ~~otesPreliminary study of pseudoscorpions collected this summer inYucatan by Grubbs, ~lcKenzie, Reddell, and Wilev has revealed a new genusfrom a cave in Quintana Roo.A ne\. Troglibitic Homopteran (plant hopper) was found this Christmasat Acatlan, Oaxaca, by Hike McEachern of the "School Bus." This is the 6thTroglobitic Homopteran in the world. T\.o are known from ~texico, two fromHawaii, and one from Au!';tralia.A new species and possiblv ~enus of Scolopendramorph centipede wasfound in Conchas. It is probably one of the deepest animals collected from~:exico; it came from t 1 1e botton of tt,e200' drop.PH r. Grubbs

Christmas in Acatlan23.Over Christmas, Terry Sayther, Shari Larason, Dennis Barnes,Marcia Cossey, Andy Grubbs, and Tom Byrd made a spur-of-the-moment allnight drive to Acatlan, Oaxaca,in hopes of heading off the school-buscrowd en route to Guatemala. We never ran into them though, but we hadplenty of caving to do while we were down there.We paid a guide to show us as many cave entrances as we could see inone afternoon. We saw five caves that afternoon, all of them close tothe roads and with a spread out distribution from ten miles north of thetown to ten miles south of town. They were La Cueva de Juan Sanchez, LaCueva de la Junta, La Cueva de Buenos Aires, La Cueva de Piedra Fria, andLa Cueva de Rio San Antonio. In addition to these caves, we also saw andchecked out a 3-D maze cave at our campsite. It was exposed by the excavationof limestone at a Mogote in the middle of a su~ar cane field. Thecave is slowly succumbing to quarrying operations, so we named it"Disappearing Cave."Our main activity was concentrated on the surveying of La Cueva deJuan Sanchez. The cave is located at the Nacimiento de el Rio Juan Sanchezand has a large, impressive entrance at the base of a 40m cliff. Immediatelyinside the cave, there is a large pile of broken pottery and manyobsidian blades scattered about on the clay slope. From here there isa gently meandering stream passage which is 20-30m wide and 8-lOm high.Soon after leaving the last traces of daylight behind, there is a largebreakdown room with a high wide passage leadin~ off to the left for ashort distance, with ·pottery and formations. Opposite this passage is anarrow side passage leading off the main passage to the right. This passagewas called "Cueva Oculta" taking its name from the writings of earlierexplorers who wrote the words on a boulder at the entrance. It ended inbreakdown where tree roots grew in from above. Throughout the main passage,there are terraces of conglomerated round cobbles of igneous rock ranp.ingin size from pea size to grapefruit size, and on the walls in many placesare scallops of varied sizes. There are several large breakdown rooms withhigh ceilings throughout the cave, and only in the high places are thereany formations.It took us two days to survey the cave and we did not finish. Late onthe second day of the survey, we carne to a large, steep breakdown slopeextending upward to an upper entrance. From this large breakdo~~ sloperoom is a side passage leading down to several large rooms. After some 13hours of surveyin~ that day, we decided to call it quits for a while afterpeering into the darkness of a huge bat room with giant breakdown blocks.We have indicated this as the "Big Room" on the map. T,Je don I t know how farthe cave extends teyond this and we didn't have time to continue.The tave, according to the local residents, is kno~~ by two names:La Cueva de Juan Sanchez (after the river) and La Cueva de Almolonga (aftera nearby community). The people sav that toda la cueva es seca en abril, butthat in agosto, great cuantities of water come out carrying logs and otherdehris.This area around Acatlan is very promising. There are numerous roadsamong the low rolling .hills of sugar cane fields and small anticlinal ridgesand areas of haystack hills. ~umerous dolinas can be seen from the roads.The locals s~eak of manv sotanos in the hills. There is not much depth potentialhere, but the deepest 'caves are not far away on the Huatla Plateau. Thereare going to be some long horizontal systens and sotanos enterinp. them fromabove in this area. ~e hope to return next dry season to finish Juan Sanchezand check out other caves in the vicinity.by Tom Byrd

jer_I') CIRCLE ROOW•LA CUEVA DE JUAN SANCHEZ(LA CUEVA DE ALMOLONGA)ACATLAN, OAXACASUUNTO a TAPE SURVEY, JANUARY 6-7, 1976.DENNIS URNES, TOll BYRD, WAR CIA COSSEY,ANDY GRUBBS, SHARI URASON, TERRY SAYTHER.DRAFTED BY TOll BYRD. •CEIUNG HEIGHTS IN llETERS,o 100 200I , ,! ttl.""~c:::..El NACJlllEHTOOEl RIO JUAH SAHCHEZ

· .'~ rosa3\27~~fill&I3~b:1::O:~C::OtTlUlUl:X::O:Ulrl tpoH-...Jt'T10Z",:;UH-...JUl>rlN;:r:rlM HH:xc::"Uo:X:-rl ZVl 0VlO'TJrl~O-...J~~:;UCXlrlH-...JHrl;S1-'0rl['1NZtrl~trlHo~o~trlUl>-'Jc::tJHtrlUl)lJdFRONT COVERPhotographed and printed by Gill Ediger::.:.f~.: '.".:.... '"'-.£ (;.""'-"-.jt~~'C"'"'(~:'":''''''::\''':::'''''l'''''''",,' .j..•••••.-'.:~..BACK COVERSalamanders Revenge by Dino Lowery

elev 1310mmeters 0Hoya de las Conchas50Ejido San Juan, Queretaro, MexicoSuuntos and Tape SurveybyD. BroussardT SaytherM. CavanaughH. SchneikerA. EavisJ. SmithG. EdigerM. SmithR. HemperlyP SprouseT JohnsonW SteeleM. McKeeM. Stock15 - 17 March 1976extended pro filethe200100150200Data reduction and plott ing byEllipse250Drafted by Peter S. Sprouse April 1976theBigRoom300350400o1020304050meterstotal traverse length: 950 m450total depth:508 mterminalsum~p~~~~::--terminalsump-508500

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AMCS ACTIVITIES LETTEREdited by Bill RussellProduction Assistance by Terri TreacyFall 1976Issue StaffJim SmithPeter SprouseBill Stoneletter No.5, Jan 1977Xilitla Plateau IssueThis fifth Activities letter features trip reports to the hi?h karstarea above Xilitla. S.L.? The first article by Bill Stone is a firsthand account of discovery as he walks through a new k.:lrst area. Thesecond article by Roy Jameson will bring you back to the cold reality ofcamping in the rain. ~lexican caving provides plenty of both.Tbou~h very promising, the rlifficulty of access and lack of knowncaveS has limited exploration in the high karst. The first cavers toreach this area were Ron Grirlgeman. Chuck Pea~e. Roger Bartholo~ew. ~n~other!'! in 1966. ·TI1ey packed up the steep tr-til fro·11 Tlamaya to just westof the prominent pinnacle of La Silleta, and checked several caves. Butaccess to the rest of the hip:h area '....as cifficult from this far ea~t -so exploration did not continue. About 196Q, T.~. ~vans and John FishcrosseJ the high karst and explored a cave that drained a lar~e area, butit siphoned after a series of small drops. :\0 other promisin~ caves werefound, and a brief reconnaissance on foot by ilill Calvert and Victoria Foewho crossed the hieh area and walked to San Juan at the south end of theLa Parada valley also failed to find any .promising caves.These early trips indicated that the high i

Summer In VallesMay 10 - June 17BillbyStoneParticipants: Bill Stone, Larry O'Loane, Roy Jameson, Patty ~Iothes,Tracy Johnson, Gary Stiles, Tom Strong, Louise Stronf,Don Broussard, Shari Larason, Gregg Astfalk, Paul GilletteThe 5 ~eeks between the Conchas Exp~dition and the end of Springsemester passed quickly. Ae barely finisned the rear end transfusionon the Bozo Jus before being sucked dO~1 once marc to the land '0sCltanos.::e drove '5traight from TUC'5on to Lobos in '32 hours. Gre~l! hacnever done a lonq drop before so W~ yo-yoed the 621' pit. After aday at ~acos and anoti1~r in Sotano del Arroyo, we headed for "Drinas":lOpin~ to swin~ into non's elusive hlowin~ air passa~e. Both days onthe trail were hot and sunny. ~s expected it rained the day we de'5cended. Two 300' lines down t!le fissure later we were pendulu::lingthroiJ~h the darkness in seare:1 of anything unusual. The most exeitin~discoverv was a can of Jr1EX sitting on a stala~ite way out in thefreakin~ hole 250' from the floor: After a spookY ascent through ourcampfire s1loke colu'un we beat a quick retreat to the Condesa.Gregg and Paul split for Tucson; Larry, Gary and I to :·licos. Twodays of careful preparations in an innertube under the falls later wearrived in Xilitla. Yep: Black hole time a~ain: I had a vague ideaof where the oig hole was; I figured any trail that would take 11S aboveCerro 1a Silleta where we could take bearin~s would do. Tne localsrecommended starting at El oaleon, 4 miles to the west.After discovering, amid heckles in Aquismon, that shorts weren'tin Vo~ue in the mountains we waited till we were a h~lf mile down thetrail before s~itching. Toe heat and humidity were al~ost unbearablein lo~g pa~ts. Anyone who has been to Xilitla and tilted back theirheads ~o view the towerin~ plateau can rest assured that that is precisely....llere the trail goes -- straight up: Yes indeed, 8 hours laterwe were still ascending - the trail had not leveled once. :-lebuloustrails, sparse population and confusing compass bearin~s (like why werewe headed we~t in~tead of east:) added to the adventure.tar above t;le sea of clouds' which covered Xilitla, we trod througha karst landscape which putS the Sierra de Guate~ala to shame.By du~k ue fin~lly cre~ted a ridge and began descending into a

3View across the botto~ of Hoya de La LuzThe fore~round is free of ve~etation due to fallin~water. So~e of the trees are over 100 feet hiRh.Lookin!> across Llano de CalHtllo tm·.....'r,l r.i~r:-., 1... i,a Lu~.t~e hil'hest !leak in the ':ititla Area. Llano de Caballois tvoic:l1 o~ th~ q

4large depression. Only in the last 100 yards did we realize that itwas a great alpine meadow, perhaps a half mile across. This, we discovered,was Llano de Los Chiquitos when a lone horseman.. greeted usthe next day at dawn as we huddled around our campfire. Cold? - therewas frost on the llano till 9:00 AM: Upon explaininR that we were insearch of a great hole near 1a Silleta he professed lack of knowledgeof its location -- but invited uS to look into another hole on the llano.Our trail weary minds could conjure up nothing but amazement as we strolleddown the 100' wide 50' high passage of Cueva del Llano de los Chiquitos.Yes, there are caves above Xilitla:: Two thousand feet later we encountereda series of drops. Having no rope we exited and packed off to theeast. Twelve thousand five hundred foot Cerro de la Luz towered aboveas we labored up the alpine pass. By noon we crested out at around 10,000feet elevation. Llano de Caballo was-visible below. From there we descendedstill again into Llano de Conejo. A farmer there showed us a view ofla Silleta. From the bearing and estimated distance I calculated thatwe were within two miles of the hole. To our incredible amazement thefarmer said he knew where it was::After a restless night in our hammocks we were awakened at 7:00 AMby the farmer who was ready to hit the trail. We were half asleep forthe first 30 seconds, at which point we were rapidly roused into realityby his super sonic trail speed. Within 25 minutes we had ascended 1000'+to Llano de Caballo -- (it took 4S minutes to hike down the day before).The pace continued to a large white cliff which I recognized from theair photos a8 just above the hole. We could have started a fire withthe psyche sparks which were flying off: Fifteen minutes of trail choppinglater we were standing on the edge of Hoya de la Luz. With theexception of £1 Sotano I have not seen a more awsome entrance. Rocktimes averaged 7-1/2 seconds free. What frustration to have all 3000'of our rope back in the truck:We packed out that afternoon to El Barrio on the Xilitla-Jalpanhighway and camped at the Rio Santa Maria.The next afternoon was spent in Jalpan savoring Peso snow cones tillwe noticed this guy breaking into the truck. Much to our surprise it wasTracy who had just arrived by bus for the Nogal push. That night we droveto the end of the La Purisima road and packed up for a ten day, 500 meteror perish trip to San J08e. Fully anticipating the hardships of goingdeep with only a four man crew we spared no food -- two duffels worthof culinary delights. Two more duffels totalling 2000' of rope completedour burro train which left at dawn the next day. After setting up campjust above the Nogal sink, Tracy, Larry and I descended the Itsecond" entranceto Nogal. Surprizingly it ended in a methane lake 140' down. Bow did weknow it was methane? Tracy says, "We used to do this in Arroyo", and stirsu~ an immense cloud of gas. Since he was swimming with his lamp on we weretreated to a fine 4 foot high fire display with. Tracy jumping about in themiddle:That afternoon we sorted ropes for the known drops in Nogal, as thathad saved considerable time in Conchas.By dawn Larry was suffering from a bad case of the'Zumas and decidedto remain in camp. We quickly rigged to the first lunch room, termino ofprevious exploration, about -800'. Ninety feet below we pendulumed acrossa deep lake and continued down a flowstone cascade. This was followedshortly by a large drop. Gary descended on a 300' line. This pitch,

dubbed "The 170" quickly led to anoth~r deep pitch. One hundred twentyfeet below Tracy stopped on a flowstcne bridge. From here a 100 footfree drop places one 1n the second lunch room. This large, silt flooredroom is about 1350' down. A quick inspection yielded no leads, ho~cvera fissure on the side opposite the rope opened into a 40' fre~ drop.From there Gary squeaked throu~h a tight fissure crawl to a 30' drop.We bypassed this via a crawlway and 15' climb to a small chamber. ~solution scoured stream pass3ge led off. By this time we had run outof rope and decided to bag further exploration.The next day we R&R'd it in our ha~ocks talkin~ to the large crowdof locals who wandered through camp. By dawn all four \"ere psyched topush the crawl. within 6 hours we were sloshing down the pool flooredpassage, having surveyed in from the first lunch room. The passagedropped in a series of 10' down climbs to a crawlway. A 3n' pitch offthe crawlway led "to a breakdown roo~. After some careful considerationconcerning the stability of this pile of rubble, which was perched directlyover the next pitch, three of us decided it was too risky. Tracy, howeverfelt it was perfectly safe. So to demonstrate its stability he pin~edit gingerly with his rock hammer. Three or four pin~5 and a half tonof ~ock down the pit later we decided it was safe: Tracy's "ReconstructionAlley" droppped 70' to a small room overlooking a vast black chamber.A 7S' free drop from there places one on the floor of the immense "Hallof Oztotl." Roughly ISO' x.IOO' and70'-100' high, it is the largestroom in the system. The survey later showed this room to be almostprecisely SOO meters below the entrance, and another large drop loomedahead: Unfortunately, we were out of rope again and gettin~ quitefatigued. Seventeen pitches later we staggered into the surface campat 4k~. Upon awakin~ that afternoon we realized that we had used allour rope in getting to the Hall of Oztotl. So the next morning Tracyand Gary hiked back to the truck for our 900' rope. Larry and I wentlead checkin~ to Milpas Viejas (later renamed ~ilpas Lejos). Sotano dela Ca1avera, located on the ridge west of Nogal was a miniature Cuesta;a lOa' free drop into a 100' diameter room with excellent cave pearls anddual light rays casting sufficient illumination so that lamps were unneccessary•Six other insignificant caves and pits are located way off on thewest ridge above :filpa "Lejos" and are not worth returninl1, to.Armed with another batch of rope, we went to work on Nogal again.It only took 3 hours to arrive at the Hall of Oztotl. !'1uch to our dismay,the next pitch (80') led to a mud sump. We left the cave rigged forphotos and started out. Just above the 30' crawlway pitch was a tightfissure lead. Tracy and I popped through to a 15' down climb. Thisquickly led to a deep pit. We rigged a 150' rope with a big knot on theend and I dropped in. The pitch goes free, all the way to the Hall of Oztotl,so I ended up dangling 100' off the floor just above the final pitch. Thisis definitely the easiest way in.Back on tne surface, Roy and Patty greeted us. Don and Shari arrivedthe next day. While we rested, they tied in the surface survey from ~ogalto Conchas.All descended ~ogal the following morning. Don, Shari and Patty tookphotos down to the l4Q' drop below the fault room. Roy and I deri~~edfrot:l the bottom to "The 170" where the relief teal!! of Tracy, Larry andGary took over. Everything was out by 2 A~1.Durin~ the following two days we finished up all the odds and ends.5

METERSSOTANODENOGALRANCHO SAN JOSE, QUERETARO, MEXICOSUUNTOS ANDR. JAMESONT. JOHNSONL.O·LOANETAPE SURVEY BYG. STI LESB. STONES. WARDMARCH - MAY 1976DRAFTED BY BILL STONE JUNE 1976~.III ,~4 '00!I !IIiIr-DATA REDUCTION BV ELLI PSEII I!Ir 200!'\meters300THE 170/NmIEntranceSfccmo LUNCHROOM400TRACySRECONSTRHALl.. OFOZTOTLHALLOFOZTOTl500JI.- 529

Roy dropped 3 pits an'i :l cave near CJ.::lp. the rest checked two bi~ pitsin La~una co:! la Cruz.. the largest a!.Jout 180' deep. According to thelocals a dirt road will also be built to San Josc through Laguna de lar.ruz. T;lis will .:l110·... onc to drive within lOt) yards of :~o~al.l'racy ;1rH.I \.ary split for Tucson \",hilst the rest headed for ~:icos.Jon 3:1d S:ldri left for .·...ustin. and Tom and Louise Strong arrived fromTucson.Our transfor:ned erclo." arrived at [1 Barrio around sunset two nayslater and made ~urro arrangements to haul 4 duffels up to Llano de Caballo.The hike up took onlY5 1/'2 hours. much to our surprise. t:nlike theprevious trip. the weather was foul. ~e chopped a ~ood trail into Hoyade 1a Luz (follow the orange flags) the following ~orning and rigged thedrop by noon. Larry. Roy and r descended as more clouds lapped in. Wethen commenced explorinp. the spooky Land of Luz. It is like no othercave or pit in 'lexica. The bottom measures about 60')' by 400' and islargely covered by a forest of immense (up to lOa' hip.h) trees which shadethe leaf covered floor. Lar~e blocks of breakdolo."n are hidden in the trees.A major stream Dl:'t ....ork winds acr05S the floor. The tributaries begin .3teach of the t:lree large '",aterfalls '.Thich cascade into the pit andculminate in a larg~ siphon pool. There were few leads in this lostworld. and those large enough to pass through h~d ice c(Jld strear.lSdumping in ••• ask Roy: To add to the stran~eness. the trees abovewere coniferious while those below were decidious. The survey took'3 days and included over 2 kilometers of "passage." ("Ie made the longcave list just ~oing around the entrance:) Book work and instrumentreadin~ were aided ~reatly as no carbide lamps were needed:~e surveyed two large horizontal caves in Llano de Caballo durin~tne remaining portion of our 8 day stay on the plateau and are convincedmuch more remains to be done. ~n immense cave is reported in Llano deGarza to the north.So there you have it. ~o~al was 529 meters deep with 18 fine pitches.This makes it the third deepest in the hemispLlere and believe me it is asubway compared to Conchas. Any ambitious soul could easily make itnumber two by surveying to the high side of the entrance and di~ging precisely13feet down in the silt sump at the bottom: And Hoya de la Luz?Why it was a rousing 189 meter free drop. It was defini~ely a fittingway for me to end my last big trip to Hexico (for awhile).~EWS :,Ei,,"S :JEWS ~EWS ~EWS ~CWS?lans are undervay to resume publication of the .\~CS ~ewsletter(the real Newsletter). Vol. V. ~o. 2 i~ almost ready for the printer.This issue will be afascinatin~ blend of old and new-trip reports fronyears a?o ~ixed with new information such as the co~plete never-beforein-;Hintaccount of the exploration of Sot;:mo de S.::Iuz. This is thecav~ in northern 'lexico eX;'llored ".lith blocks of ice to combat t.he 106 Fhcat. Publication of the Newsletter will free the Activities Letterfro~ the pressure to publish lon~er articles. Thus the Activities Letter canbe s!lorter, and more frequent and return to its original fOrl:1R.t of givingshort accounts of recent develop~ent and proposed trip5.

Xilitla PlateauJune 8-15byRoy Jameson7Participants:Roy Jameson, Patty Mothes, Larry O'Loane, Louise Strong,Tom Strong, Bill StoneAfter completing Sotano de Nogal in early June, a return trip wasmade to the highlands above Xilitla to explore and map the black hole,Hoya de la Luz. _ At Christmas time 1975 Bill Stone and others had s~ena large pit from the air near Cerro de 1& Luz, a 12,500 foot peak centrallylocated on the Xilitla plateau. In late May, Larry O'Loane, GaryStiles, and Bill Stone hiked up from El Balcon (near Xilitla) and locatedboth Hoya de la Luz and the long horizontal Cueva del Llano de los Chiqu1tos.On. June 8, after a very wet night, camped on the highway above Xilitl~at El Barrio, we packed over 1,000 feet of rope and a week's food on a rentedburro and began a five hour hike up to Llano de los Caballos, located thirtyminutes from Luz. Larry, Tom, Louise, and our Mexican packer, Ambarro Trejo,left early while Patty guarded our packs Bill and I took the Bozo Bus andmy honky car to El Balcon for storage. (Future trips should arrange packingat £1 Barrio, but since the town is located over 300 feet higher than themain road, vehicles are better left at El Balcon. One should also take sufficientwater for a 4 to 5 thousand foot climb.) Roughly an hour later weregrouped a thousand feet above the highway at a coke stand, then contouredaround the ridge to the east aftd a small village. Past a narrow gate thetrail trends north until reaching a small cemetery, then becomes indistinctand climbs rapidly for several thousand feet. Eventually the trail leveledout, crossed around a large dolina, crossed over another hill, and passedthrough Llano de Conejo, a large relatively flat dirt floored valley. Afterpassing through another village we checked a sink into which a stream flows.but it was choked with logs and mud. Since a lot of water enters in one largerand several small holes, digging should be undertaken on a future trip. Wefollowed the stream to the western end of the llano, then climbed a horribletrail 1000 feet 8traight up to Llano de los Caballos. This trait was so badthe burro had to be taken on a different trail by Larry and the ~acker. Aboutthis time it began to sprinkle, and as a cool day got colder we- got very strungout. Loui••'s knee and left ankle began acting up, so we were all glad toreach Llano de 108 Caballos and pitch camp. The five thousand foot climb to9,000' (+) had tired everyone, and so we rested for several hours.In the late afternoon Patty and I headed for Cueva de Campamiento, whichhad been briAfly checked several weeks earlier. The arroyo which winds acrossmost of the llano enters a cliff in the northern end. Bill had reported thata tresendous log jam made exploration past a 30 meter long entrance Toom unlikely.Armed solely with a flashlight, Patty and I carefully climbed over.around and under five and ten meter long logs and vegetative debris to theend of tbe room. We quickly opened up a passage 1 ~eter wide and 1 meterhigh, which could be entered by squeezing between some rotten and partiallycharred logs. I chimneyed past a small waterfall and over a lake until a 3by 4 meter passage opened 1n front of me. I followed it 30 meters to a climb

which would have been hazardous holding the flashlight and so returned tocamp with Patty for proper caving gear. After informing the others of our luck.we returned to Cueva de Campamiento and explored and collected for several hours.The cave is 394 meters 10nR and 24 ~ete~s deep, with several large rooms.some good chimneys, a stream with flatworms, and many speleothems. Flowstoneand columns abound. One rather strange "hand formation" became everyone'sfavorite; standing perhaps two and a half meters high, it consists offour stalagmite fingers cemented together and lying horizontal and one upright"arm." I claim it is a foot, but was voted down. The cave terminatesin a mud and leaf ba~ked sump, but needs to be rechecked in a drier season.Patty and I returned to the surface to a heavy downpour. A small streamin the previously dry arroyo was now entering the cave. We waited perhaps30 minutes until it got higher and we got colder, then removed outer clothes,which were stuffed into packs. and, retaining boots. sprinted a quarter mileacross the llano to camp. The llano was extremely wet; puddles joined toother puddles until it seemed the llano ~ere but one huge puddle: At campwe found Bill and Larry, who had no tent. han~ing in hammocks under ponchos.not really dry and quite cold. They had been cooking dinner when the rainbegan, and had to crawl into sleeping bags while in the hammocks when the rainrefused to quit. Pattv and I, extre~ely hun~ry after the day's exertions, hadno choice but to jump in our tent and consume several hard boiled eggs withoutsalt. Pots left out had completely filled by morning. prompting an estimateof a six inch rain. ~e wondered what Cueva de Campamiento would look like thenext day anc were glad we had left.In the morning we awoke to the sound of cows chomping on pots and defecatingaround the dead campfire. Larry demonstrated his talents at dispersingcaws (and bulls) by yelling, running and throwing rocks at them. Thiscontinued several days. Clothes left out to dry ran the risk of being eaten.like the green shirt of Patty's. My tent stakes were pulled up, and the yellowplastic ground cloth under the tent was pulled out and chewed through withoutdamaging the tent itself: Each day brought a new surprise.By noon on the 9th we were hiking northwest towards Hoya de la Luz tobegin exploration. The weather had improved; instead of rain the sun occasionallypeaked out through what began as higher clouds and later ended asfog. Hill, Larry, and I left first and chopped a trail 400 yards long downto the pit. This being the year for rattlesnakes (ref. Conchas and ~ogalexpeditions) I managed to step on a foot long specimen while carrying halfof the six hundred foot bluewater. Fortunately I jumped very little andavoided pullin~ either Larry or myself down on top of it. The snake wassluggish, but Bill dispatched it to preclude further incident.Eventually we arrived at the pit and chopped our way to a good tie offpoint over a karren block at the south east corner of the entrance lip.Patty, Louise and To~ soon arrived with the rest of the rope, so after aquick lunch Bill. Larry and I entered the pit. The others remained aboveand began chopping around the pit for the lip surface survey.Hoya de la Luz has a 188 meter entrance drop when rigged from the highest~afe point. Another safe drop of 125 meters from the "photographic rock"is also possible. Rigging elsewhere entails rappelling through vegetationand past loose rock. The pit measures 200 by 125 meters and is covered bya forest below. Thick underbrush and leaves almost completely cover breakdownand soil. Along the sides bare breakdown zones appear where waterfall.spray as much as 100 meters downward after rains. Three main waterfallsoccur and originate at various levels. The botto. is relatively flat. butat the eastern end a flowstone mound caps an unvegetated breakdown slope andon the western end breakdown slopes along the wall lead to several cave passages.Only one continues past the daylight zone. A set of climbdowns totaling10 meters ends when a stream disappears in breakdown. From the main waterfall

HOYA DE LA LUZTIUYfRSI LENGTH 2.2 .1l0M'~ASCerro DeQueretaro,La LuzMexicoA-\NmDf,rH 183WUf ASDU'TlD BY ROY JAMESON"wesoSOB\"Suuntos and Tape Survey 9,11,12 June 1976R. JAMESONP. MOTHESB. STONE100-'b,l. STRONG.T. STRONG\B'-···A'Unnv,'a.adB' .....do.n andWal., hit lonaM EYE RS

\I0YA DE LA LUZProfile B-B'Located bv air reconnaissance Dec. 23, 1975.Ground location May 24, 1976L. O'1o ....neB. StoneG. Stiles"HERSo,e' ....."50100150'Q3B--B'

near the bottom of the high entrance drop a stream wanders across the centerof the pit. (several other stream beds join it) and sinks in mud at the oppositewall. This represents a poor lead, but should be checked when dry.More p~~sing is an unchecked 10 meter wide and 6 meter high passage withlarge stalagmites located approximately 50 meters off the floor on the northwall. A prominant joint leads up to this entrance from the floor; the lowersection of the northeast wall is very straight and leads directly to the entrance.Either a rappell or a long joint climb could be attempted. but bothhave disadvantages: the rappell would require pendulum swings, and the jointclimb might require bolting. No subsidence trench is observed. The pit isformed in.~s6ive EI Doctor limestone. The top third dips about 20 degreeswestward and consists of easily observable beds of several meters thickness.It overlies much thicker beds dipping slightly east~rd. but wall depositsand staining make observation of beds in the lower 2/3 difficult.The pit was eerie and quite wet from the rain. It took several hours toexplore the bottom, andwhen'Larry and Bill began tandeming out the rainbriefly returned~ along with a fog which wafted over the ridge, then sank athird of the way into the pit. I was more fortunate and remained dry.On June 10 we returned to Cueva de Campa=iento and completed explorationand surveyed. The water level in the sump had risen nearly 2 meters.The next day Larry left for the US while we returned to Luz and surveyedthe bottom. Tom took telephoto pictures of the rest of us as we surveyedalong the walls and down the streams. tape running in between trees andthrough water spray. Carbide lamps were unnecessary, which made for quicksightings. Slightly over half of the 2.2 kilometers of surveys were "underground".the rest were made outdoors on a marathon chop around the lip thenext day. The terrain is heavily vegetated. and rock hopping makes movementeven more difficult.But to the north terrain was even worse. Karren blocks become highpinnacles, and travel is next to impossible. On June 13, Bill checked alead located half a mile northwest of Luz among the pinnacles, while therest of us hunted for Cueva del LLano de los Chiquitos. No one had anyluck; Bill nearly fell out of a tree trying to figure out where he was,and we took the wrong trail and ended up miles from our proper destination.On June 14, we fared only slightly better. Another cave in the Llanode loa Caballos is located at the extreme eastern end in a narrow ridgewhich extends several hundred yards out into the llano. Christened PopcornEverywhere Cave, or Cueva de Maiz Tostada, it is a single joint cave 190meters long. The entrance is pleasantly large, but after 40-meters popcornchimneys and popcorn crawls make for rough going. A lower level passage hascave pearls and bats; the cave ends in a series of muddy crawling rooms withseveral domes. The survey almost aborted several times due to popcorn lacerations,but in a fit of exasperation, Bill Stone saved the day at the edgeof the formation room: he wanted to erect a sign entitled "Oztotl SucksCave." And several days of limited food brought on a further witicism:"Oztot! must have been out to lunch when he made this cave." Tired of rain,cows. and popcorn we quickly left the next day for Valles, the Condesa, andMicos.11

12hotic DiseasesThe August 1976 issue of the TEXAS CAVER contains an article byC.l. Rushin on tropical diseases. Starting with the more common typesof diarrhea such as Amoebic and Bacillary the article then discussesthe more esoteric diarrheas such as Tropical Spruce. before moving onto cavers personal experiences with fun diseases like chiclero ulcerand beefworms. What every'caver needs before leaving for the southernjungle is a practic1e lesson on how to pull the bot fly maggots fromyour body after the peanut butter treatment. If you plan a trip toSouthern Mexico or are just interested in the grim details the AugustTEXAS CAVER can be obtained for SOC from Gill Ediger. Editor of theTEXAS CAVER. Box 842~. Austin. Texas 78712.CB'S Illegal inMexicoYou should not take your citizen band radio into Mexico. it mightbe confiscated. Their operation is illegal in Mexico as they use thesame cbannels as the Mexican police and fire departments. and the Mexicanauthorities are unhappy with the increasing interferance fromAmericans operating il1e~ally in Mexico.Flash: Report is now that Mexico is establishing its own CB bands.Check before you enter ~xico.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$For many years the exchange rate bewteen the Peso and the Dollarhas been fixed at l2.5~ Pesos to the Dollar. But over the last severalyears inflation has been more severe in Mexico than in the United Statesand the 12.50 exchange rate became unrealistic. The Pesos a touristgot for his Dollar would buy less and less and this made a vacation inMexico very expensive. So to encourage tourists the Mexican Governmenthas allowed the exchange rate to "float" - that is to let the Peso beworth what ever traders are willi~g to pay for it. This value has recentlybeen fluctuating at about 20 Pesos to the Dollar. The floatingrate has one unfortunate side effect - shops and restaurants are lesslikely to accept Dollars as they don't know what they are worth. Toavoid problems keep plenty of Pesos handy. Your Dollar will buy almosttwice as much as it would before the Peso was devalued - so now is thetime for a visit.

13Standardization of Mexican Cave locationsbyPeter SprouseThe CETE~AL 1:50,000 topographic maps rapidly bein~ produced for allof ~exlco contain a built-in aid for standardizing cave locations easilyand accurately. Each sheet is overlain by the Universal Transverse MercatorGrid System. This metric ~rid is accurate, easy to use, and usedand understood worldwide. Where each grid line intersects the margin ofthe map is the last three or four digits of a number that indicates thedistance in meters north or east of the grid origin. By scaling off fromthe north and east ~rid lines the exact UTM coordinates of a point maybe determined to the nearest 10 meters. A handy aid in this is the newArmy micro-thin protracto~ which includes a 1000 X 1000 M scale desi~edfor 1:50.000 maps.For example, the UTM for Sotano de la Joya de Salas is 2562.47~, 469.21£.Its true ur1 coordinates are actually longer numbers, these only allow us tolocate the cave on its host topographic map. Anyone planning on caving in amapped area could refer to the Cave Files and plot the coordinates of allcaves, leads, etc. on the map, thus virtually eliminating duplication ofwork.When working in a mapped area, determine the UTM for each cave, put itin your notebook, put it On the cave map, and notify the ~~S Cave Files.This system has the potential to be easily computerized. Here is an exampleof the cave location format:Cave~ame: Socano de la Joya de Salas State: TamaulipasCetenal UTH UNMap North EastNumber F-14-A-49 Coord. 2562.47N Coord. 469.21ERussians Gaining in DepthRaceRussian cavers have succeded in exploring the first cave systemdeeper than a ki100eter outside of France. Groups from Kiev and theCrimea reached the terminal sump of KILSI (or KIEVSKAYA) in Sept. 1976at a depth of -1,080 meters. Discovered in 1973, by 1974 it had beenpushed to -520 meters, and to -700 in 1975. It is located on the easternborder of Uzbekistan in the Pamirs-Alay Ran~e at an elevation of2500 meters. Russian Cavers are ~overnment emrlovees who have ~raduatedfrom a four year "school" of speleolo~y. This may put them in a positionto be the world's deepest cavers - but its not time to give up in ~exicoyet, even it we do have to pay for it out of our own pockets.Source: p. Courbon

14San Juan Area Nov 1976"eo?le: Tr~c,' Johnson, qenrv Schneiker, Blake Harrison, Jill norman,~ov Ja:neson, John '1all, ~Uke '..lhittiS?, Jeff Horowitz, PrestonForsvthe, Alex Cochrane, 5ill Stone, Frank SinneyThe gozo Bus crew arrived in La Purisima after a marathon 17 hour driveand tearned up with Henrv and Tracv for a week of rid~e walkinS!.A new road was followed up the west ran~e above La ?urisi~a to Las Tina1as. Although the locals could not have been friendlier there was a lackof promising karst. Several pits (up to 150') were bottomed before we left,but the ambitious hiker mav fine some pood leads in Builotla, 2 hours westof Tinajas.In the first attempt at 4 wheelin?, east of Conca, we lo~t a full daya~ we ~udlucked our wav frol!l Arrovo Seco to La~unillas (40km). This areais a raised volcanic plain and has dubious cavin~ potential. Returnin~ toConca via El Rayon and Rio Verde we found vet another new 4wd road ?oin~east from Conca. This one took us over half wav up the mountain beforestopping abruptly. t':e packed up for a 5 day trip, hiked up and set upcamp at Agua fr1a, south of Tierras Prietas and directlv above El Sabinito the road will connect all three when finished. During the next 3 days rnanyclo~ged arrovo entrances were found. Hours of futile diggin~ and squirmingyielded little. The two most promising pits found were not even descended,both near the south edge of the ranr,e. Frank free climbed one for 60 feetbut we ran out of handline. The other was roughly 30 feet in diameter and wellover 200 feet deep. Though it appears to take no water, it is situated atthe edge of the 2000'+ Santa Maria GorS?e and might go.On the last dav of scouting we decided to do some IonS? range hiking.Tracy and Henrv left for Tucson, Preston, John and I headed north and therest went south east. As always seems to be the case, the best leadscome when you have to leave. Roughly 5 miles north of camp we descendedinto a series offascinatin~karst features. Large streams appearing and sinkingin the same doline throu~h grass sumps. But the largest doline didn'tsump. Viewed from a distance the sink is about lkilometer long and half aswide - perhaps a 100 meter deep lip on the vallev side and the towerin~ mountainformin~ the hi~h side. A 7 meter wide stream meandered across the floorand disappeared into a spectacular 10 meter hi~h head wall of El Doctorlimestone at one end. Preston and I fired up our lamps and headed in.Five solution scoured free climbs (a bit hairy) led to a 20 meter free drop~ith the stream dropping in. Definitely a goin~ system: On the way outPreston dislodged a kev rock ho1din~ back a pool covered with 2" of vampire~uano. As I was in the middle of a sportin~ free climb at the time there wasno escape fro~ the surprise falls. Grim.Upon returnin~ to camp the others recounted almost losin~ Rov to a rockslide at a prornisin~ di~. All in all not a bad scouting trip. The arroyocave to the north is called Cueva de la Pena and ironically has a spectacularview of La?,unillas and the volcanic plain to the east. If the cave goes thatwav it mi~ht bottom at less than SOOm - but if it ~oes west, with all thatwater .••• ?Bill Stone

Entrance15Frog Falls75'drop144' dropCRYSTAL ROOM ROUTE40' drop56' dropDOME ROUTE~~ 15' dropCANYONLAND ROUTESize 28 Pit66' drop82' drop66' drop40' drop20' drop131' drop240' drop29' drop76' drop56' dropMinus 907'60' drop47' drop31' drop47' drop46' dropCUEVR DEL DIRMRNTEPROFILE; 3J5· ---7SCRlE: 1 INCH=lS0.Q FEfT172' dropMinus 1540'52' drop21' drop19' drop23' drop27' drop50' drop

16Caving in Puebla, Vera Cruz, and OaxacaAndv Grubbs, David ~cKenzie, Jame5 Reddell and CarMen Soileau leftAustin on the 15th of Dece:'lber and drove directly to the Cuetzalan, Pueblaarea. ahout 9nk~ ~~ of J~lar~, Coincidentallv running into the LordsC'eter :10..1 Sue alon

17The Joya de Salas ... UnsolvedThe exploration of El Sotano de la Joya de Salas was be~un by AMCSmembers in 1965 - yet 12 years later the cave has still not been bottomed.The recent ~~CS success in Sotano de San Agustin encoura~es us to take aclose look at the Joya's possibilities.September, 1973: A group of six Canadian, En~llsh and Texas caversfailed to pass the rimstone barriers that stopped exploration at -1,234 feet.On the way out Peter Lord and Blake Harrison stopped to check a lead thatgoes back underneath the drop that is just below the Angostura de Linda.A narrow, but interestin~ passa~e, Peter pushed on throu~h a squeeze whileBlake stayed behind. The passage dropped steadily down climb-downs to apoint where Peter estimated that he was nearin~ the level of the deepestportion of the cave. Se was in a low water passage that ended in a rims tonedam that came to ~ithin about 8 inches from the ceiling. Beyond, Peterlooked into a large rift passage running at right angles to the passa~ehewas in a "T" junction. There were absolutely no rocks" to be found, butby splashing water over the dam Peter estimated it was about a 70 foot dropto the bottom of the rift. The dam is rotten flowstone and could quicklybe chipped away with ,a hammer.Joya de Salas drains over 100 km 2 of land area. Past the Sima Terrible(-300 ft level) the passa~e becomes constricted and finally sumps at -1234 ft.It seems unlikely that the whole volume of water entering the cave goes thisway. Perhaps the rift passa~e will put us back on the route to the resur~ence.~o cavers have been to the Joya since the CETENAL sheet came out. Thesenew maps now rule out the possibility of a resur~ence to the west, leavin~the ~acimiento del Rio Sabinas as the only likely outlet - 1,400 meters below.Also the map shows several unvisited dolinas 1.5 km S.E. of Joya that lookvery promising.Pe ter Sprouselathmus of TehuantepecDec. 27-Jan. 6Don Broussard and David Honea Investi~ated an uninhabited re~ion inthe State of Oaxaca, lyin~ northeast of Juchitan de Zara~oza," looking forcaves. The area was rumored to have limestone and some cave potential.A few caves were found but were mainly horizontal and did not seem veryprom1sin~. The only access is bv backpackin~ and the limestone area isat least ewo to three days hike from anv vehicular transportation.David Honea

RETURN TO HUAUTLA~Jith t~e 1976-77 Christmas season, ~1CS cavers have ended their sixyearmoratorium on cav1n~ in the Huaut1a, Oaxaca karst re~ion. Four and onehalf weeks' cavin~ by several groups deepened the recordholdin~ Sotano deSan A2ustin to -766m and La Grieta ("The Fissure") to -420m. Since the decline·in local relations in 1970, at least two Mexican cavin~ ~roups havevisited Sotano de San A2ustin as did a ~roup of French-Canadian cavers inDecember, 1975. ~either of these ~roups have apparently undertaken any survevin~in the area. Bv 1976 several Americans were plannin~ trips to Huautla.Richard Schrieber was on the 1968 trip that bottomed San A~ustin and remembereddoubts about whether or not the cave was really completed (see CanadianCaver ~o. 3). Bill Stone wanted to push La Grieta (which had only beenexplored down a few drops) and back up Schrieber's group if they succeededin findinl't new passage in San Agustin.. . _--------------------------------------------------------------------------------~"For months we thought about San Agustin. Fantastic fissure. PoundinRwaterfalls. Beautifully banded walls. Swin~ing from led~e to.ledge. 3000+feet potential depth. Still goinjZ...... John Fish, Canadian Caver 1!3, 1970.-----On-Dec~T5~-S;h;febi;rs-;;;-ca;;yl;i-D;;-i;;;;;;;;d-[TX)~-i:-T:--D;;1;-(GA)~--·Steve Knutson (KY), Phil Odell (KY) , Richard Schrieber (GA), Jim Smith (GA) ,and ~ark Stock (TN) arrived in Huautla and they immediately rented a house.This ~roup entered a trunk passage in the lower part of San Agustin and bypasseda breakdown cnoke. entering virgin cave beyond. The new sectionof cave dropped downward with an increasing amount of water, and they surveyedin several trips from the entrance to a depth of -648m before turninp.back. As the ~roup prepared to leave, Bill Stone's truck arrived fromAustin carryin~ Frank Binnev (TX), Alexia ~chrane (IL). Jeff Horowitz (TX) ,Rov Jameson (TX) , Patty Mothes (TX) , and Bill Stone (TX). Thev decidedto continue the survev of San Agustin and Jim Smith decided to join them,while the remainder headed back to the U.S. in Richard's van. The newgroup pushed the ever deepen1n~ stream passa~e, (spmett~es measurin~ 30X30m).from a 103 hour camp at the -53Om level, surveyi~g to a depth of -766m. Thefurthest point of penetration was to about the -800m level, where two· waterfallsfunnel down a drop with a combined volume of 30 cubic feet per second.Activities also focused on La Grieta (The Fissure), which is higher andseveral kilometers away from the San Agustin do1ina. La Crieta was surveyedto a depth of -420m despite severe problems with the local Indians -several confrontations and rope-cutting incidents ocurred before a tenuousa~reement was reached with the authorities in Plan Carlota (apparently themunicipality that governs La Crieta). Arriving to au~ent the cavers atvarious times were Jill Dorman (IX), Blake Harrison (TX), Tracy Johnson (Al),Sheila Johnson (AZ) , Dave Kramer (Al), Tom Patterson (TX), Gary Stiles (AZ).and Dan Watson (TX).~evertheless, even if the boulder choke is forced, it is not likely that anysignificant depth will be added to the cave. John Fish, Canadian eaver ~3, 1970An unusual find durinR the expedition was the discovery of "Deer Cave".a multi-drop cave consisting of four drops (Max. 20m) endin~ in a mudflooredroom. This room contains many complete skeletons of what appearto be deer, alon~ with well defined tracks 1n the mud. Some of the skeletonswere flows tone-encrusted and were present at the bases of all the upperpitches as well. ~o evidence of human involvement was observed, nor didit appear possible that the deer had any possible means to exit. ~o sug~estions of a paleo entrance were present.

All in all, the work accomplished in Huautla was verv successful. Anew Western Hemisphere Depth Record was set at -760m. For the first timethe ~oal of a kilometer deep cave in Mexico is within reach. The r.aximumdepth potential for San A~ustin is reckoned to be about 1,200m with another250m more possible from connections· with higher caves. Unfortunately the firstand second efforts in San Agustin were not able to join forces in a sin~lepush as was hoped for - a combined team could have bottomed the cave.Public rela~ions in the Huautla re~ion as a whole have not changed as muchas was hoped. Although the officials in Huautla itself were receptiveto cavers and there is no lon~er a military roadblock at Teotitlan delCamino, ~the local inhabitants still have little tolerance for outsiders andespecially consider Grin~os fair game for extortion and harrassment. Onlywith impeccable ·credentials. a strong public relations drive, and lots ofpatience can a continuing effort succeed. An &~CS expedition is plannedfor this Spring.+900 m in Canada ?!!Rumors have reached our ears of a verv deep cave on Vancouver Island,Canada. "D.C.G. Cave" has reportedly been explored upwards from the entranceto +900 meter~. we are attemptin~ to verify this and will hopefullvhave accurate details in the next Activities Letter.Source: Paul CourbonFirst report from local cavers .is that this cave mi~ht be 0-6 or QMS Cave(for Quatsino Master System), but that they have not heard of any explorationto depths (or hights) of anywhere near 900m.Cueva de BrincoOver the Thanks~ivln~ holidays a large group of Austin cavers went toCueva del Brinco, 8 hours by 4wd roads ~.w. of Cd. Victoria, Tamps. On Saturday,~ovember 27. Sheila BaIsden, Bon Broussard, Andy Grubbs, David Honea,Janet Honea, Peter Sprouae and Terri Treacy formed two survey teams to mapup the waterfall passage at the end of the .main trunk and into the new areadiscovered on the May 1976 trip, while others took photos in the helict1tepassage. At a major junction beyond the waterfall Sp~ouse's team went left,and beyond where the passage supposedlY ended discovered a major streampassage which was explored for 80m and continues as a 4m diameter, streampa.8a~e goIng down the dip-(2 cfs). Wetsuits are needed for fUrther progress.Dan's team surveyed the right hand passage but stopped ma?ping before reachingthe point where ~eal Morris had reported a large passage sloping downdip.The next day (Nov. 28), Sheila, David and Peter started a "short" surveyoff the bottom of the Traverse Pit. This led through a ~uano area to a lowervadose passage which steadily dropped until intersecting an unusual phreatictube 60m long (dubbed "Silvertip Boulevard"). One end of the tube pinched toa reasonable digging lead while the other end intersected another stream passage- the fourth stream. The cavers surveyed down a long, steeply slopin~canyon passage to a point where the stream (trickle) was lost through a smallhole. Poking around for a while produced a passage which rejoined the streamat what was named Eternity Junction, the end of the survey. This point is533 feet below the entrance and is currently the deepest point in the cave.All in all, Brinco is now well over a mile long and has several passages ~oin~well.19Peter Sprouse

20SCHOOL BUS SCOOPSZOaUITLAN AREA~)eoT'lle : Ji~ {ode~aker, Loretta ?oer, Freddie Poer,?ete Strickland, ?restonrorsythe, Shad L'1rason. Bill Hayne, Gilbert Pena, Barbara MacLeod,Lis.;. ~Hl k, Grah'am Jordan. ;1axine '1iller.The iZirk'-mod 4;.lD 'caver school bus Ieft Austin ,dth 12 people and drovevia Cd. V'lUes to .\catlan in extreme :-lorthern Oaxaca. ~lernbers of the ?rouprr.a~e a detaile~ ~a? of the ~urial Cham~er in Cueva de Culebra, anrl thenjoined 'd th .>'1. "1)run and the Lord' s to map almost a mile in Cueva de laFincn :,. ..-.;~!" La~una 'Jerde. They checked Cueva de Caballo - (this cave r,;[SIndian h':1'l,..:-, .Ii.. .....'::'.:1 reportedly also a painted horse - hence the n!'l!"~)..,);1 the hill .1."JOVC ti1is cave was a pit tentively named Sotano 30nito :.liththe lar?est room vet found in the area. esti~ated at 30)x500 feet. After~e~ Years they dr~e to 7.oquitlan, Puebla a~out 30km north of Huautla,')axaca. T~is town is situated on the ed!'e of a karst area .1ust east ofthe crest of the high ran~e that borders the coastal plain north of Huautla.0n the fjrst day in the area the school bus crew (now reduced to seven)walked co the west and found a pro~isin~ area of closed vallevs. Theyca~ped here the next day and ·...ere barelv able to enter two lar~e st'=!eplvdrnpp1n~ river caves. The fir~t cave, Cueva del Rio Texococla, had anentrance 50 feet wide a~d 20 feet hin.h, and they were able to follow thiscave dm.rn two drops before t!lev ','ould have to ~et very wet to continue.I~ the next dol1na was Sotano ~el ~io COYO ~ealpa with a 175 foot entrancedrop. They r~~?elled down to a ledge where the drop narrowed and sprayfilled the shaft. It ·...as dec frled to return wi tl~ ....et: suits. The nextpromising cave. Cueva de Covomeapan wa~ located upstre;t°T\ ~10"?, t'l'! ~i.oCoyomealpa. The entrance to the cave '.Ins only four feet above the riverlevel and was scoured clean by floodwaters that freouently enter the cave.Thev were a'::le to follo\o.' this cave down 5 drops of 10 to 5'"1 feet co wherethe cave picked up some ....3t~r at an R~ foot dro~ and it was decided to ~ostponeexploration.The Zoquitlan area appears to be a promisin~ karst area as the riverssink in the pine trees and could, if conditions are ri~ht, ~o almost to sealevel.editorialBill RussellSotano de San Agustin has been pushed to -2500 feet, and several newcaves have been discovered to the north of Huautla that may RO even deeper.Mexican cavin~ has reached the point where the resources and orginazationrequired to fully explore these caves exceeds the present capabilities ofthe AMeS. To 8ucessfully enga~e in World Class cav1n~ the organizationallevel of the AMCS will have to be considerably augmented.

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AMCS ACTIVITIES LETTEREdited by Bill RussellLETTE R No.6 MAY 1977Issue Staff:PAT BITTnGERTERRI T~.EACYJAZmT !iO~mADAVID !!O:'lEAllILL STmmBILL STEELEPETER SPROUSEHUAUTLA ISSUEThis sixth Activities Letter features accounts of the exploration ofcaves in the Huautla,Oaxaca, area in southern Mexico. This area has someof the most challenging caves in North America. Here the natural hazardsof the underground are accentuated by the clash of cultures on the surface.The Huautla area was first located through a search of the 1:100,000topographic maps of Mexico when they were received by The University ofTexas Geography Department. vfuile no individual caves could be located,the area was obViously a karst area of high cave potential.- A reconnaissance trip by Bill RUssell, Tom McGarri'gle, and JohnKreidler indieated the area was promising and on a return trip with moreAustin avers they drove through Huautla to San }t1guel and asked a: localif the large closed valley below town had a cave at the bottom. He said,"Yes, all of the water goes into a sotano." Hearing this. four of usraced down the side of the dolius. It must have been a strange sight -four gringos in rain coats running full tilt down through the corn fields.Upon seeing anyone we would yell "Sotano?" and point downhill. The answerwas always yes. Within the next four hours we located the entrances ofthree of the deepest caves in North America -- but to realize this depthtook years of effort by cavers from around the world.FRO!IT COVERPool above Fool's Falls in Sumadero Yochib. Photo by Blake Harrison.BACK COVERDrawing by Dino Lowery entitled "Caver Eeware."This lair belongs to theIndian gods. Indians dressed in this manner should be approached withcaution.The cover photo on Letter Number 5 -- looking out of Hoya de La Luzwas taken by Roy Jameson. Photo credits were unfortunately omitted.Apologies to Roy and thanks for the fine photo?raph.ASSOCIATII"l~ FOR m:XIC~~ CAVE STUDIESCopyright ~!CS ~~mbership Committee 1977

2April 1, 1977, marks the 10th anniversary of the first descent intothe Sotano de las Golondrinas, Aquismon, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. OnApril 1, 1967, T.R. Evans was the first person to rappel into Sotano delas Golondrinas and set foot on the bottom of the world's most spectacularfree fall pit. The ~e~bers of the Association for '1exican Cave Studieswould like to take this o~portunity to both recogni~e the many hours ofeffort that T.~. Evans has done in Mexican caving and to express our·gratitude to ~.:'.• for his instrUI:1ental part in ~aking Uexican caving whatit is today.The discovery and descent of Sotano de las Golondrinas meant muchmore than breaking the depth record for a free fall pit at that time. It .marked the emergence into the world scene of the Austin caving commlmity.Golondrinas still has the longest known free drop; but, more importantly,its overwhelming impact makes it. the focal point for deep pit caving inMexico.Now, looking back. ten years, it seelllS clear that the strides made incaving in the last decade have been due in large part to the quality andstrength of the foundations laid down by T.R. Evans and the many otherswho created the AMCS. The, integrity of their speleology and publications,the exuberence of their caving, and their constant vigilance for safetyshould be a guiding force and inspiration for the future.On the eve of another promising decade, it is hoped that all caverswill strengthen their mutual bonds and realize their common goals. Muchof the world looks to the A!1CS for the standard by which to measure itsprogress in caving. We must reflect that trust in the quality ann integrityof the work that is done.David Honea.Janet HoneaPeter SprouseTerri TreacyTHE FIRST DESCENT OFSOTANO DE LAS OOLONDRINASby Bill DeaneIn December, 1966, T.R. Evans, Randy Sterns, and Charles Borlandhiked up into the mountains west of the small town of Aquismon in Mexicoto investigate the area for its caving potential. They followed a welltraveledmule trail leading to the town of Tamapatz. While on the way,Indians told them of a deep pit with many birds living in it. It wascalled the Sotano de las Golondrinas.Arriving at the awesome entrance, the three cavers were stunnedwhen they found that a rock dropped into the pit took more than tenseconds to reach bottom. This indicated a depth of over 800 feet. Thepit was not entered at this time due to the lack of a long enough rope.The morning of lurch 31, 1967, found twelve 'of us arriving inAquismon. Squire Lewis and Nancy Walters had come down from Pennsylvaniaand had given me a ride from Austin. T.R. Evans, Jon !oI.orse, Sid West, andBob Hugill had come from Maryland; Bill Cuddington, John and Sandy Cole,and Dan Hale had come from Alabama. Sandino Techo, a friend of the Coles thad come up from Xilitla, Mexico.

Soon we were packed and began the hike. It is only 15 kilometersfrom Aquismon to the Sotano. However, we found the going to be slow dueto the heat. That evening, the twelve of UR gathered at the edge of theSotano. Words cannot fully describe the impressive entrance. It is animmense no~e descending into nothingness surrounded Dy Jungle.Squire took out his railroad watch and began timing the largerocks we were. dropping into the pit. It was amazing to watch them falland fall and fall. Then we would hear a distant boom as they hit bottomand Squire would announce "11-1/2 seconds." This was rather amusingsince T.R. had told us it was a 10-second drop. This extra 1-1/2seconds meant that the pit was 200 to 300 feet deeper than the 800feet we had expected.Arising early the next morning we began our preparations for thedescent. Our main task was to rig the rope into the pit. Bill Cuddingtonhad brought his l180-foot section of one-half inch diameter Samson,2 in 1, Nylon Braid Rope.· Braided, the rope was about 40 feet long and7 inches in diameter. It looked like a giant white python. We carefullyunbraided it and laid it around the edge of the pit and secured theother end to a 70 foot rope wrapped twice around a limestone outcropping.The operation required most of the morning. We could see that the ropetouched bottom. tole knew that 1165 feet of rope was actually hanging in thepit.Since it was the efforts of T.R. that led to the discovery, he hadthe honor of being the first down. T.R. put on his rappelling equipmentand sat by the edge. Bill and John pulled up several feet of rope tocreate slack so he could rig on and ease over the edge. Great care wasneeded since the weight of the rope, 65 pounds, made it very awkward tohandle. Once over the edge, T.R. arranged his pack and began the rappel.He carried one of the walkie-talkies with him, but we had agreed beforehandthat except for emergencies there would be no radio contact until hewas on bottom. About 20 feet down, he pushed aside a small tree limb. Thiswas the last thing he was to touch besides the rope for the rest of therappel. From there on, the walls continually recede away as you go down.When you land on bottom, the nearest wall is 200 feet away.Our proceedings had been watched very quietly by about 20 Indians.The Sotano had been a common feature of their lives and I doubt if.theyhad ever considered that someday someone would go down it.The minutes passed slowly. I kept myself busy photographing thedescent. It was fantastic watching T.R. disappear into the blacknessbelow. Finally after 30 minutes we could see that he had reached bottom.A few more minutes passed while he derigged. Then came the radio call wewere waiting for. A very astonished T.R. informed us, "You won't believethe size of this place!" After giving us a brief description of the bottom,he began walking around looking for leads.In June, a second AMCS team cpnducted the plane table survey. Theyfound that the minimum possible drop happened to be where we had riggedthe second rope and was 1094 feet. It was a 1098 foot drop where we hadrigged the first rope. This broke, by 64 feet, the existing world'srecord held by the Lepineux entrance of the Gouffre de la Pierre St.Martin in France. Mexico had produced her first world's record.(Excerpted from NSS NEWS, Vol. 26. No • .3. March, 1968.by David HonQa.Reprinted fro~ the VTG Vol. 8, ~o. 2)3

TRIP REPORTSDestination: Cueva del Brinco, TamaulipasDate: lhrch 11-20Persons: Jerry Atkinson, Sheila Balsdon, Gill Ediger, Robert Hemperly,Katy Knighton, Thomas Moore, Peter Sprouse, and Terri TreacyReported by: Peter SprouseOur purpose on this trip was to push the leads left in Brinco fromthe previous Thanksgiving trip (see A}!CS Activities Letter J,l5). Hith theheight of the dry season approaching, we hoped for some good caving. Crossingat Brownsville Friday night was easy, except for finding our waythrough Matamoros, that is: We pulled into Victoria in the morning (~1arch12) for breakfast and headed north to Barretal for the long grind intothe mountains. We made it up to Conrado Castillo in a quick 5 1/2 hoursfrom the highway.After morning R&R on ~~rch 13, ~~o te~s entered Brinco. Thomas,Robert, Jerry, and Katy headed to the area past the waterfall. They pushedupstream from the Laguna Verde Cutoff and explored several hundred metersof new passage. Trash in the streamway hinted of another entrance but ifso the cavers stopped before reachinp. it. On the way back, they took awrong turn, accidently liscovering a new and bigger stremm~ay! They exploreddOl~ this until Y~ty took a 3 meter fall into a deep pool. She wasunhurt but shaken, having lost her helmet (poor chinstrap) and light intothe 4 meter deep pool. Meanwhile, Terri, Sheila, and I continued the surveyfrom Eternity Junction, the cave's deepest point at -162 meters. Our surveyended at -179 meters where we encountered sump mud allover the walls inthe dead end Pig Wallow. ~-le wrapped up leads on the way out.The next day was pretty much an R&R day. In the afternoon Terri andI sketch-mapped and partially explored Cueva X, a higher, vadose cavewhich may connect with llrinco. On March IS, caving spirit ran high incaap as Ediger, Jerry, and Robert prepared for a survey trip upstream fromthe Laguna Verde Cutoff. Sheila, Terri, Thomas, and I set off to explorethe entrance in town discovered the previous trip. The first team mappedover 300 meters upstream (but not the downstream way where Katy fell) toa point only 15 meters lower than the entrance. This continues and couldadd depth to the top of the cave when surveyed. Our team found that thearroyo cave in town had a quick end in dirt and debris fill, so we decidedto enter Brinco (sans Terri) to survey from the Laguna Verde, the bestlead. This is a place where a low crawl leads to a waterfall room with astream (the Rio Verde) passage taking off; it had 2 cfs flow in Novemberbut only a garden hose's flow in March. We mapped 40 stations downstreamthrough well-decorated passage with deep green pools. dropping steadily.I explored on past the end of the survey to a narrow squeeze with a goodlybreeze going into it. The next day our same team. plus Robert. returnedto the Rio Verde. We surveyed down to a constriction which had to be enlargedwith a rock to allow passage. I explored on alone through a sharp.swiss-cheesy area. Soon I noticed it was different than up to that point:the water, flowstone, and air movement were missing. So I backtrackeduntil I found a small hole going in the proper direction. This droppeddOlvn several climbdowns to a low rimstone area. Following the air I entereda low pool which I never reached t~e end of. Five to ten meters wideand with water often over my head. I followed The Canal for nearly 200

meters to where the ceiling narrowed in a constriction that threatened toblowout my light with its howling gale. Ahead in the distance was thepowerful roar of a great waterfall. Returning to the others we decidedto map down to the beginning of The Canal and then quit for the day. Ourlast station was 180 meters below the entrance, making this new sectionthe deepest portion of the cave.The following day, ~~rch 17, was to be our last day of caving inBrinco. Ediger, Robert, and Jerry set off to try to connect their downstreampassage (Katy Fells) with the Laguna Verde, while Terri, Sheila,and I returned to try to survey The Canal. Ediger's survey party mapped26 stations to a point which turned out to be close to Laguna Verde, buta connection remains to be realized. Beyond the last station, it wasdropping down and heading in the right direction. For our group, TheCanal was a cold survey. Even ,in wetsuits we were shivering. At theconstriction~re I had stopped, our lights did get blown out as wesurveyed and swam through. But strangely enough, once on the other sidethe roar of the impendinf waterfall was suddenly behind us! ~fuat hadsounded exactly like the roar of a distant waterfall was actually thewind in the constriction. A few shots later The Canal ended in a blankwall with the only wayan being up. We ended the survey and exploredahead, Sheila and Terri checking one passage while I took another. Soonwe joined up again, with the others reporting having passed several sideleads. Although the passage was still climbing, it still seemed likedownstream. Soon I left the others behind, running down virgin passagefollowing the air flow. Finally ahead I could hear the sound of echoingwater-not wind this time!· Continuing on, I entered a room with a stream,the largest in the cave and scoured clean and wet to the ceiling! Afterlooking a short ways to the right and left, I returned and met the othersa short way back. Together we explored left in the trunk, the directionof tne water and air flow. We went for over 100 meters to where swimmingwas once again unavoidable. Upstream also led to swimming. \.Je dubbed thisnew section "The World Beyond" so unlike the old cave it was. lle left thecave with shredded hands and wetsuits.We had a leusure journey back to Texas, stopping on the way at EIChorrito, where thousands of Christian pilgrims had gathered in a festivalto worship the Virgin who had appeared in travertine in the cave.So Cueva del Brinco continues to yield amazing discoveries. In fourdays of caving we had extended the cave's length from 2.1 kilometers to3.2 kilometers (making it the 12th longest cave in Mexico) and also increasedits depth. Take the air and water flow, add in the likely resurgence1400 meters lower and I think you can say that Brinco is just beginning.ATEA RIVER CAVE PUSHED - An Australian expedition to ~ew Guinea led byMexico veterans Julia James and Neil Hontgomery in summer 1976 found fossilpassages connecting into the river system, enabling them to survey 2-1/2miles of the cave. The river passage itself was explored for half a milebut it still continues.5PERUVIk~ EXTENSION - A French expedition to the Tarma area of Peru hassucceeded in pushing the siphon in Huagapo Cave (~ee Canadian Caver).They discovered 20~. of new passages adding 33m of depth to the cave.

5uestination: Sierra las Alazanas and Cueva los Hundidos, CoahuilaDate: February 10-14, 1977Persons: Sheila Ba1sdon, David Honea, Janet Honea, Peter Sprouse, andTerri TreacyReported by: Sheila BalsdonThe objective of our trip, besides having fun, was to check severalsinks (Hoya la Loba, Hoya Armenia, and Hoya 10 Sartenejas) in the Sierrade las Alazanas, near the town of San Antonio de las Alazanas. The townis located about 60 km SE of Saltillo. Driving as far as possible, weparked at an elevation of about 7000 feet. We continued hiking for severalhours up an old lOfginP- road eventually reaching a high ridge at about11,000 feet. We camped in the first sink, Hoya la Loba, for ~o nights.Drinking water was not available on the ridge and had to be brought upfrom the stream about 1000 feet below.Although the ridge top is a reasonably developed example of AlpineKarst, no caves were located in any of the sinks. This was most likelydue to heavy sedimentation in the sink floors and to the general youthof the development. Frost fracturing seemed to be an" important mechanismin the karst development.One family resides in Hoya la Armenia. Vegetation was typical ofhigh altitude areas and included pine, spruce, and aspen trees. Numeroustrees had broken limbs or trunks suggesting a recent heavy snow. On thesecond afternoon of our stay, it snowed 1-2 inches. The high altituderecord for snow frisbee was set at 11,000 feet on February 12. Thesunrise on the snow the next morning was spectacular as was a leisurelyhike back to the vehicle.Driving about 15 km S of San Antonio brought us to the vicinity ofCueva 108 Hundidos. After waiting in the tents for a rain shower to pass,we took the appearance of a brilliant double rainbow as a good omen. A30 minute hike brought us to the cave. We were not disappointed. The 'caveis developed in gypsum, the walls and ceiling show beautiful marbling ofgray and white bands. The large trunk passage reaches dimensions of asmuch as 150 feet wide by 30 feet tall, ending in breakdown. The cave wassurveyed, with a length of about 500 meters. He returned to the car afteran exciting midnight hike through the desert chaparral to the tune ofcoyote howls.We drove to ~~nterrey on Monday, the 14th. After visiting the Cetenaloffice to purchse maps, we gorged on cabrito and left for the border.Letter sent ~-1ay 2 from the French Readers Digest requesting slides ofSotano de las Golondrinas. Interested cavers with slides of Golondrinasshould contact them soon.l..]e are looking for our book "Natural l.J'onders of the t-Torld" for transparenciesshowing "Sima de las Golondrinas in ~1exico." Hould you be ableto send us a choice of transparencies on the subject or if not could youtell us an address where to make our request? Looking forward to receivingsoon your answer.C. Van HieuDocumentation PhotographiqueSelection du Reader's Digest5 ~ 7, Avenue Louis Pasteurn - BagneuxFRRiCE

HUAUTLA-PROLOGUETo those unfamiliar with the Huautla region before reading thisarticle, I believe it only fair to present a view from the other side ofthe fence. The Hazatecs have traditionally been one of the most isolationistoriented groups of the post }~yan-Aztec people. The building ofthe road to lluautla by the Mexican Government threatened their isolationcausing severe resentment towards outsiders.However, the communities within a reasonable distance of the roadssoon learned Spanish and their children went to ~~xican schools. Hostilitiesto outsiders eventually diminished in these areas. Unfortunately, newideas spread at a considerably slower pace in areas not in close proximityto the roads and resentment remains high. The Fissure lies some 2kmfrom the main road in just such an area.Traditional Indian religion in the Sierra Mazateca applied great significanceto caves. They were the portals to the underworld. Accordingly, aman would want to enter a cave for one of two reasons: 1) to commune withthe devil or 2) to search for his soul which he had lost in some unfortunatemanner.With this perspective, one might imagine the ~~zatec reaction whenHuaut1a became the mushroom capital of the world. Every true hippie within10,000 miles came to Huautla between 1965-1970 before the federales stoppedthem by roadblocks at Teotitlan del Camino. Visualize an Indian watchinga spaced out hippie eating a live turkey in the town square, as occurredin 1964, and you might understand their further intolerance of gringos.~uch of the problem which still plagues cavers in this area were broughtabout by the Hippie Era. Unfortunately, it was about this ti~e thatRussell, Evans, Fish, and other cavers were discovering Huautla.It· is a growing realization that the region is far from finished andthat we are faced with the monumental task of reconstructing public relations.The question most often asked of our expedition Christmas was lI~!hydo you do it?" In answer, we printed up 150 four page PR sheets in Spanishwith maps and pictures. We explained the purpose of the ~~CS inHuautla. In addition, the March expedition has the proper credentials andthe outward appearance of a serious exploration team. Anything less wouldnegate whatever progress we made last Christmas.7ADAY AT THE FISSUREby Bill StoneIn December of '76, Frank Binney, Jeff Horowitz, P~y Jameson, Patty11othes, Alexia Cochrane, and I left Austin for Huautla to connect withRichard Schreiber's crew in pushing Sotano de San Agustin. Schreiber's~roup had arrived a ~eek before in San Agustin, ?roreptly rented a house,surveyed to the -648m point in the cave, left a ~ajor going lead andwere preparing to split when we arrived. D@n Broussard and Jim Smith ~ecidedto join our ~roup as Schreiber's crew pulled out.We immediately set about w&rming up ani acclimatizinr, in some s~allerarea pits and decided to push Don' s infamous 'La Grieta,' 0 ;:het"'lvi~e kno~mas the 'Fissure.' A description of the cave;s notorious history would beproper for providing the correct settin~ for that which we were about toeJq>erience.

The Fissure t..as located by T.P.• Evans in 1965 on one of his preliminaryscout trips. In 1969 Don Broussard, David Honea, Meri Fish, andothers were exploring down several drops with a limited anount of rope.Don remained topside to watch the rope. Throughout the day, many localsstopped to chat and at no time seemed hostile. The whole scene changedabruptly when one of the locals decided to assert his dominance. After hegave several ~~zatec expletives and pointed to the rope, ~on decided thesituation was getting serious. As he turned to yell into the pit to thegroup below, a machete flashed, the rope was cut, and ten ~~zatecs weresprintin~ down the trail. Meri Fish~ who was climbin~ out on the rope,fell roughly 5 feet to the first ledge below the entrance. Had she beenl~ feet lower on the line, she would have dropped close to 100 feet downthe second pitch. Though shaken, no one was seriously injured. Don returnedafter a 4 mile dash for another rope and they hurriedly exited.ProfundldadenMetro••CUEVA de TORNADO(LAGR lETA)MUNICIPIO de PLAN CARLOTA,OAXACA, MEXICO•••MAPA HECHO Por la A.M.e. S.•..'00•••\:U===::: ?•••ao.Te'rmlno de E"ploraclon••• _0 '.77 ..-:=======::::::::::::::::::::::"?~...'0

9In 1970 a small group returned and mapped to the -400 foot level withoutincident. But due to further hostilities generated from near San Andres,cavers decided that the Huautla area wasn't worth the hassle at that time,and the Fissure project was scrapped.So, six years later, we were back in Huautla at the Fissure. ~erigged the entrance and Jim, Jeff, and Alexia rappeled in. Surely, thebad local feelings had ebbed we thought. As I was preparing to descend,one of the teenagers in the small group of locals that had gathered asked,"What will you do if someone cuts the rope?" That was all i needed to beconvinced we needed a guard. lV:hile the others rigged in, I stayed andchatted with the friendly local that happened by. All seemed well.About mid-afternoon two husky Mazatecs carne down the trail with loadedburros. They immediately stopped, stood up belligerently, and said,"Whatdo you think you are doing there?" I gave them my standard A!~CS introductoryspeech. They replied,"Where is your permission?" Since we had onlyverbal permission from the Presidente of Huautle and had left the consulatepapers in San Agustin, I was at a loss to present them with anything.They promptly demanded 50 peses, which is a lot of dinero to produce pitside.Naturally, I had nothing to give them and said so. I was immediatelyinformed that they were going to cut the rope.Well, I couldn't begin to write down the rash of thoughts going throughmy head at that moment. Neither of the culprits stood taller than my chestand couldn't have weighed more than 110 lbs. each. I convinced myself thatboth could be flipped into the cornfield if anything was seriously threatened.Nonetheless, that was to be a last resort as 20 peasants were watchingfrom the far trail. In the meantime, one of the two was scrambling tountie or cut the rope, while the other was attempting to throw a nooseover my head or whip me with his short rope.About this time, they threw my pack into the pit. Visualizing my lastJustrite lamp smashed to bits was the last straw. Apparently realizing---this, they snatched a 10m rope and ran like hell. I chased them 30 metersand gave up. ThrQugh all this the rope dido' t get cut or thrown in.Had our problems ended then, it would have made an interestingcampfire story. Two hours later, four somewhat smaller Mazatecs arrivedand said the Presidente wanted to see me immediately. They didn't seemtoo hostile and I convinced them to wait an hour. Finally I heard Jim'svoice below. All were up shortly and we had a quick conference. It wasdecided that Jim and Jeff would take all the gear and entrance rope andhead for the house with instructions to contact the Huautla police ifAlexia and I weren't back by morning. Alexia and I then hiked to PlanCarlota, arriving in a courtyard as darkness fell. One man produced a setof keys and unlocked a small door. Alexia looked at me and we both decidedwe weren't going in there until the Presidente had entered.Shortly the political entourage came and all entered the small roomwhereupon a candle was lit and the kangaroo court convened. An old manread an official letter stating that all hippies in the region. especiallythose possessing such "cosas ilictas" as marijuana and hongas (psilcybin)were to be hassled and could be fined up to 1000 pesos and imprisoned. Theythen demanded 500 pesos! The situation was serious as they spoke verylittle Spanish but were making the case clear that if we had nothing ofvalue we would spend some time getting acquainted with their jail. Theyeven went as far as to suggest Alexia provide some "services" for thePresidente. We stated our case for about an hour and for some reason(Christmas Eve, Belief, Boredom? 1) they let us go after we promised toreturn the next day and pay the 500 pesos. We hiked back to the house anda heavy conference insued. There was too much equipment to abandon theFissure, as it was left rigged, so it was decided to pull a politicalpower play.

11The next morning Francisco "Kissinger" (alias Frank Binney) met withthe Presidente of Huautla armed with a leisure suit, a briefcase, and 2copies of Inside Earth. Four letters were procured, addressed to the townssurrounding San Agustin. The letter to the "agente" of Plan Carlota wasdirect and explicit: These scientific technicians are not to be hassledand it is your responsibility to see that their work continues with nofurther obstruction. Frank and I hiked out to Plan Carlota where theedict was read aloud both in Spanish and Mazatec. The l1a50n apologizedfor the hassle and the rope rip-off and said we were free to visit thecave. No money was exchanged, although we did give the Presidente a bottleof brandy.In much higher spirits, we returned to San Agustin thinking that thematter had been settled. The Fissure was entered and pushed to -420m andstill going. Activity was then switched to Sotano de San Agustin, leavingRoy, Patty, and Jeff to return to the Fissure to finish the surveyand left no guard at the entrance save the bolt with chock backup ~e hadset 3m below the lip. The first person up the drop was very consternatedto find the rope cut just above the bolt, while in the cave, and the chockmissing too: The locals were plainly not to be trusted. (Between skirmisheswe did manage to push San Agustin to -2625 ft)EPILOGUEEight cavers and one rider left Austin for southern Mexico on ~ay 14thin 13i11 Stone's truck, "The Bozo Bus". They plan to spend three to fourweeks in 'fexico, first in the !Iuautla Area checking the Fissure, thenmoving north to near ~oquitlan to explore ~o poentially deep river caves.The cavers are: Bill Stone, Bill Steele, Cindy Coeburn, Cathy RoundtreeJeff Rorowitz, Steve Zeeman, Ernie Garza, and Terry Johnson, a10nB withCindy ~~ho is riding part way down.BRITISH rt4P ECUADOR'S LONGEST ~~ DEEPEST - A July, 1976, British Armyexpedition set off to investigate Cueva de los Tayos in southeasternEcuador. The cave was reputed by Eric von Danekin in his book "Gold ofthe Gods flto have been created by extraterrestrial beings, as evidencedby the rectangular passage cross sections. The group of" civilian caversand scientists that entered the cave found no evidence to support hisclaim -- the rectangular passage being formed in thin "bedded, well-jointedlimestone. Archeological materials were found near the entrance, identifiedas Pacific Coast materials about 3500 years old. The cave itself isquite extensive -- surveying showed it to be 4.9km long and 186m deep.Along on the expedition was .~erican ~e1l Arnstrong, the first man onthe moon, who got in his first taste of caving. Perhaps he would like togo to !iexico?from BCFA Bulletin 14

11SUMIDEROYOCHIBby Bill SteeleBlake Harrison's caver truck, the ltRog of Steel," pulled out of Kirkwoodon March 4 occupied by Blake, Jill Do~an, Joe Lieberz, Carmen Soileau,~like Van Note, Jim Smith, and myself. A 55-hour through drive netted thecrew the desired rendez-vous ~ate in Yochib village, north of San Cristoballas Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.}like Boon and Wes Davis from Calgary, Alberta. had been at Yochib forthree weeks prior to our arrival. They worked on rigging the cave in preparationfor the expected large turnout of AMCS cavers intent on finishing offthe cave. This was the fifth expedition to Yochib.Sumidero Yochib is an intelligent cave. Each step one takes in it mustbe calculated and confident. The water that flows in the entrance has beenestimated at 4~ cfs during its lowest ebb. enough to never allow swimmingupstream against the flow, but enough to allow strong deep water that canpull the unwary over an edge.Joining us when we arrived at Yochib were Norm Pace, Jean Jancewicz,Warren Anderson, and Chris Albers from Colorado. During the time spentpreparing gear and settling into a camp. Wil Howie from }lississippi andGareth Davis from Wales joined us, brin~ing our number to fifteen persons.The Canadians had rigged to the drop prior to Camp I. Boon and Weshad had a rough time of it entering with duffle after duffle of tacklenecessary to rig this vertical river cave. Some things had chanr,ed. Beneaththe first drop where we had swum a choppy lake the year before, nowwe could wade chest deep rough water guided by a rope. The long canalsoon after this lake was waded through in '76, now it was over one's head,requiring a 75m rope rigged to exit this trough.Along in Boon's gear was a phone line he had picked up to install toa prospective Camp II at the terminus of previous exploration. This consistedof one mile of wire on a foot diameter spool, two phones, and asix-volt battery power source. The two riggers had brought the line tothe end of the 75m canal. It.was felt by Boon that it wouldn't be feasibleto camp underground without daily word from the surface as to what the rainprospects were apt to be.The first day of cave entry by AMCSers saw three separate groups enteringwith the purpose in mind of securing both traverse rigging and phone linesall the way to a speculative camp lIon some flowstone deep in the cave.Hammocks were taken in to be strun~. The camping team was to be Gareth Davis,Howie, and Boon. Four days was to be the length of their intended stay.The initial rig~ing team consisted of Van Note, JanceWicz. Smith, Howie,and myself. Boon's desire had been for us to rig down to a Camp II, taking allgear found on the way with us. This ~urned out to be too much to handle. Bythe time we had reached Camp I. we had more 8ear than we could carry. letalone swim and maneuver. At Camp I, we deliberated and concluded that we shouldtake only gear we knew to be needed to get to Camp II, leaving the campersto carry their own gear down or camp at Camp I if the rigging wasn't completed.The phone line was being brought into Camp I by Soileau, .~nderson, }~bers, andPace. Beyond Camp I, Boon, Davis, and Davis were going to carry on with it toCamp II.From Camp I we headed down rigging into Bad Dreares. Ne found here thatthe rocks we had stepped on previously to cross the river were gone and thewater deep. For moments it seemed we would need to cross way above and boltdownwards. Van Note saved the occasion with a superb dive on pang belay byfour ready haulers. The wave he caught took him into a cul-de-sac ~~lere he

12could scamper up a wed~ed log and lead climb to a bolt on the other side.We rigged a 22m tyrolean traverse and avoided the floor thereafter inthis spot.Given the obstacle in Bad Dreams and the awesomeness of the firstvisit to such a cave by four of our five. we made it not to Camp II butto a point three pitches short of it. The camping team chose therein tostay at Camp I and work from there. Leaving Howie there. we exited thecave in time to hear the horror story of Pace being swept over a waterfall.He was alright. but for a time his comrades had felt certain he wasdrowned as they gazed at his unmoving electric downstream beneath a falls.The followinp, day those on the surface stayed there. It was assumedthat the undergrounders would rig on to Camp II. so given two days. Jancewicz.Smith. and I entered prepared to camp as well. ~\Ye carried rucksackscontaining all of our own sleeping bags. food. clothes. stoves: selfcontained.Upon getting to Camp I we learned that those in the dark hadonly succeeded in getting one trip in from there and had rigged on threedrops and two canals to Camp II. After three days they were burned, readyfor exit. Smith went out too, leaving Jancewicz and me to mind camp inthe large lake chamber of Camp I. Twenty-four hours passed before weawoke to the whoops of Van Note and Smith entering for a push. They werefed and tended to in the homeiness of our flowstone perch. I joined themthen. and we headed in for what \~e anticipated to be an enjoyable. highlytechnical bit of exploration.It was a long one. Down across the tyrolean, rappelling, swi~ing.traversing, hauling. At the top of Froth Pot we encountered new cave andset about in the slow reasoned approach to descending a drop where somuch water pours. It took two bolts, a pendulum cast off from an unseenboulder beneath a waterfall, and just the right projection to grab. Hewere hot and finding large majestic cave. It went; wind, water, passage.Beyond a couple of swims and rigged cascade downc1imbs, the rivernarrowed to a roaring gorge. We bypassed a couple of falls in an overflowwith deep clear pools. The descending water narrowed more and we ascendedthe wall on the right, staying high. They were all lead climbs, three leadclimbers one after another where you don't dare fall. On one flush wallclimb where our lamps cast downward could just light the foam of whitebelow, we thought of who may follow on later trips and rigged a long linefor a hand safety. We also had to return. .Eventually our exploration led us down to near river level onceagain. We had rigged what we had to and were down to one ladder and onerope. Our looks at the river showed the l.,ater slowly running to a wall andflowing beneath with no apparent air space. The ladder was dropped to waterlevel and Jim descended on the end of our final rope. He had an innertubefor safety and we payed out the line as he called for it. "One foot of airspace," he reported as the current pulled and he disappeared. We fed himthe line as his calls for rope kept up. Soon he was a loud shout away butit seemed to be an echoy one. In what was only moments Smith returned witha beaming smile. "Big cave, come on." Van Note and I entered the water andpulled ourselves through the duck to what could have been the outdoors forall the ceiling told us.

13I climbed up to the left. coating my soaked wetsuit with fine sand.The others took to the right wall. ~ie walked away from each other formoments. then followed a curving wall downstream. The passage was atleast 80m wide and certainly half as high. High on the walls we couldsee large white columns standing like supports. The room was silent. Forthe first time in Yochib there was no shouting for the least communication.The river calmed and ran level amidst large breakdown in the middle of thechamber. We walked the perimeter of the room and curved around to joineach other at the far end. The river ended here at a rather large, 10mwide, deep sump; Yochib's end. Logs were all about on the shore of thesump. The water idled, benighly moving toward the wall with motion hardto detect. I climbed around to look along the wall the water ran benaathand spotted my canteen that had avoided my grasp a year before. It bobbedin the slight current here at the sump end of the cave.Boon's feeling had been that convection currents brought rains inlate afternoon aaking that period one to avoid for caving. We had plannedon heading back to Camp I by IlA.M. but given the final room had stretchedthis time to 1 P.M. before we headed back up. The poing was s~ooth thoughquite wearisome to pull oneself up against the fierce currerits and acrossthe tyrolean traverse. .Jean had been occupying Camp I during our absence. On my advice, shehad not joined us exploring into Yochib. Instead, she had spent nearlyfifteen hours in camp alone, feeling out the darkness. For hours on endduring this time her ear had been against the receiver of the Camp Iphone in hopes of voices from the entrance. Times had been scheduled forphone transmission but all failed due to the one underground wrist watchhaving not been wound by the first camping crew and the light bulb pageron the phone line not working.Smith and Van Note exited in a procession that was an entertainingshow to view from the elevated perch of Camp 1. First, they scamperedfar below across breakdown to the shore of the lake. Crossing this, theyclimbed a ladder on the far side, 70m away, and then lit a throbbingwaterfall going upstream. For a half hour their lights rhythmically recededupstream, climbing, swi1llllling, leaping -- then the two of US werealone.lnthe course of the following 24 hour period we were visited bytwo pairs of cavers passing through trying their hand at seeing a bit ofYochib, now that it.was rigged. Both of these pairs made it only to BadDreams below Camp I and decided independently that a guide was a necessity,even given a rigged cave.Word was sent out for surveying equipment to be brought in and thoseinterested in photographing below to come in as well. The following.dayour camp solitude was pierced by the calls of several approaching cavers.It turned out to be all those from the surface that felt they wanted tosee the whole cave. As the group filed into our flowstone home, I sawLiebera, Boon, Howie, Soileau, and Cavanagh. We joined them in wetsuits,gave them a headstart, then traversed downstream to catch them. Coming upbehind them right before Froth Pot, I was able to explain the riggingand necessary moves coming up in the cave only three of us had seen before.Fairly smoothly, the 250 meters of recently explored cave was traversedby our party'of seven, to the large sump chamber. Here we spreadout and thoroughly checked out the final grandeur of Sumidero Yochib,converging on the sump. The idea was to survey the perimeter of the largesala. beginning at the sump, circling to the sump, then ~eading up river.

14This idea was thwarted given an undamped Suuanto. Jean and I began the leadout while Lieberz, dowie, and Boon slowed themselves by photographing alongthe way. All went smoothly through the new cave but concern was in the airabout the violent canals still above us, both before and after the dropnamed "the Stinger.;1 \fuile moving one at a time upstream tm..ard the baseof "the Stinger," Soileau ran into difficulty with the rigging, catchingher gear at a most inopportune spot. Standing waves threw her about, knockingher helmet back, cowboy riding style. With one inhalation of water,she began to sink with the look of drowning on her face. She was givenenough assistance to make it on through the canal. The call was too closeto accept and had left Carmen fatigued. On upwards to Camp I, she wasbelayed in any tight spot as our tattered crew gained in elevation. Camp Istill had plenty of provisions so Carmen chose to hold up there, watchingall the rest of us leave the cave in procession.The following day Boon and Gareth Davis entered on a "mission ofmercy," bringing the over-extended Soileau to the surface. "tie ~.yere alltogether now, the cave was rigged all the way to the sump, and a largeportion still remained to be surveyed. Smith, Van Note, and Harrison spokeup and headed in. In the course of an 18 hour trip they surveyed all thenew cave of 1977, finishing the survey~f Sumidero Yochib. They also derig~edall the way to Parachute Corner.Derigging remained. Two teams were decided upon, entering the cavehours apart. Lieberz volunteered to be independent, derigging the phoneline from Camp lout the entrance. Pace, Van Note, Howie, Jancewicz, andI headed in first to derig below Camp I. Two duffles awaited us where webegan up~o1ards movement. It to()l\.us five hours to get our accumulating gearand rope coils up to Camp I. Here, we weren't met by the second group sowe broke and cleaned up Camp I, then continued. Before reaching Fool'sFalls, ~o1e were met by the second group of Dorman, Harrison, Liebman, andWes Davis. Efficiently and safely we derigged out from there, ending atthe entrance with five full duffle bags of equipment. Yochib had beenexplored to the end, ending five separate expeditions to explore the cave.TIle survey was completed and the cave derigged. No one had suffered anyinjuries but not to say scares hadn't been experienced.EPTI.OGUE Rigging Sumidero Yochib in 1977, we had 27 vertical ropepitches, 23 rigged canal lines, and 11 ladder pitches. Ladders wereused with ropes alongside for self-belay or no rope in the case ofladder pitches where pools below eliminated the danger of falling. Wehad no ladder mishaps but did have tYO ladder peels due to fatiguedarms. ~iichael Boon, a caver of international experience, twenty someodd years of caving, and a veteran of every trip to Yochib, announcedthat he never wanted to tackle another like it. His feeling was thatit ~o1as the most technical cave, requiring the most caution and thoughtof any cave in his repertoire. The Canadian Caver has published accountsof the exploration of Yochib as it has happened, and will be publishingthe completed ~ap in the near future.

15An excerpt fro:!! a letter from !Jark Stock to Bill ~Iixon.the Windy City Speleonews, Vol~me 17, ~p'ril 1977.neprinted fromLast December I went to Sotano de San Agustin with Richard Schreiber,Jim Smith, Steve Knutson, Don Broussard, E.T. Davis, and Phil O'dell. Thefirst day we rigged down to about the -1250 foot level. The next day we gotto Schreiber's lead (he had been there ~lith so~e Canadians several yearsearlier) at the -1850 foot level. t~ile Jim and Richard were looking atRichard's lead, I found an obvious route through the breakdotYn, which wentto a passage going downstream. I worked my way back to the others, whothen started on the route I had found. We only got about 500 feet furtherbecause we ran out of rope after two drops.We had a day of rest, then E.T., Jim, Steve, Richard, and I tookseveral more ropes down to continue. Since we had nore than enough peoplefor a mapping crew it was decided to have a two-person push crew. Steveand E.T. volunteered to be surveyors, while the three obnoxious bastards(Richard, Jim, and I) were forced to flip coins to see which of us wouldbe stuck surveying. I lost. After a couple of hours of surveying (thepassage was narrow and sinuous), we heard Jim and Richard. They cameback reporting having found a huge lake which was a terminal siphon.Richard took my place on the survey crew so I could snoop out the lake.Jim carried the extra ropes back to Richard's old lead. I followed thepassage down to the lake and swam across it. It's kind of wierd swimmingacross a large underground lake when you're solo. vfuen I got to theother side (only about 100 feet, actually), I started poking around inthe breakdown. Afte~_~bout 45 frustrating minutes worth of dead ends,I found a way through. I got into a 15 foot wide, 40 foot high passagewith four times the amount of water that we had seen in the stream atany other point in the cave. I prorressed downstream, lowering myselfon the lips of pot holes. I reached a point, about 20 vertical feetbelow the lake, N'here I wasn't sure I could make it back. That is whereI wimped out. The field calculated elevation of the surface of the lakewas -2150 feet.After a day's rest, we ~erigged the cave. Richard wanted to leaveHuautla a bit early because he wasn't sure that he could get his vanout on ~~e horrible roads. When we arrived back at the surface, we foundthat a group of Texans had arrived.Our group, except Jim Smith, left the next day. Bill Stone drove hismonstrous truck back with the van to help pull Richard out of mud holes.His help was both necessary and appreciated.After we left, Jim, Bill Stone, Frank Binney, and Roy Jameson reriggedSan Agustin and pushed the route I had found. They reported hugeborehole passage with much water. At the end of what they found, therewas a fissure taking three times as much water as I had seen. At thispoint they wimped out (at least I don't think that they were out ofrope). They claim that,the surveyed depth of San Agustin is now over2500 feet, but then that may have to be rounded downward knowing theTexas exaggeration factor. The cave was definitely continuing at thatpoint, but drier weather would make things more pleasant. There is a verygood chance of connecting in hi~her entrances, perhaps as nuch as 1001feet higher. Supposedly, the cave can go 1500 feet deeper as well. ~~ybe~orth America will finally have something to natch Europe 'Hark Stock

16NEW YEAR'S DAY IN SAN AGUSTINan the afternoon of December 27. Shela and Tracy Johnson and GaryStiles arrived from Acatlan. Activity was shifted from the fissure toSan Agustin and many discussions were held concerning the various aspectsof the base camp and the assault plan. After a days rest and rope sortingGary, Jim. and I ri~~ed down 15 pitches to Camp II at -530 meters. Theround trip took only 7 hours and was especially delightful to Gary and Iwho hadn't before seen those magnificent waterfall pitches in the fissurepassa~e.The next day was a rest day and menus for the push crew were plannedfor the main assault. By 3:~O P.~~. December 30 all was ready. Laden withmonstrous duffle bags of equipment. rope, and food, our supply train~escended. Frank, Roy. Jim, and I comprised the push crew, while Alex.Jeff, Patty, and Garv the support team. l~at had been a delight tonegotiate on the ripp.in?- trip became an obstacle course with our bulkygear sacks. ~st of us rappelled with the duffle slun~ off a two meterteather attached to the rack. Even so the unbalance was annoying. especiallyon the tyroleans. Land ho! We soon arrived at Camp II -- a 6 by12 meter spacious flat sand bank elevated several meters above the cobblefloor. The passage was perhaps 15 neters wide and 20 high. ~earby theroaring water from the fissure dropped through the floor into the canalleading to the 2009' level. After some hot tang. the support crew bidadieu and head out. Ue would not see them again for 3 days. if all wentaccording to plan, at which time they would bring an additional 2 day'sfood and more rope. ~~e then set about the task of housekeeping at -530meters. Rome sweet hole! Since we had been up for a considerable time wedecided to take a sleep shift and beein work the next day (night?). Noone had a wat~~ so this was bound to be an interesting experiment. Therewas little to do around our cook rock except eat and sip an occasionalcapful of N~w Year's cheer (Aguardiente), so when that was done, wecrashed.I awoke first to the persistant roar of the waterfall and the greenglow of the cool-lite marking the bog (our outhouse). ~iscretely firingup a carbide lamp, since I really had no idea if I'd slept 5 hours or15 hours, I commenced work on my ratty Nam boots with a knife and a sewingaWl. Oh, yes. another thin~ we learned•••even the fine citizens ofSan Agustin will appropriate the shirt off your back -- while you're stillin it! After many warnin~s from Epifonio (our landlord) to lock thingsup. we still hadn't learned. As a result. my new pair of Nam boots disappearedfrom the doo~~ay they were dryin~ in, the day before the push.All t had left were soles and uppers (not really in one piece) of myveteran ~!ontana boots. Two hours later they were almost serviceable.After breakfast we crawled into our slimy. cold wetsuits ~d manyexpletives and bounced dm~ the passage witb all the rope we could carry.In short order, we had rigged to the 2125 level and swam across the lake.Not really knof,Jing where i1ark had gone. we split up. Jim. and Frank wentthrough the dry breakdown w~ile Roy and I swam several canals and arrivedat the sa~e place. A powerful waterfall was audible in the distance. Thishad to be it. Thirty neters of raunchy breakdown ~rawlinf' and we arrivedat the gorRe. I cannot use enough superlatives to describe this magnificentpassage. Fifteen cusecs of water thundering down a six meter widethirty meter high passafe. The ~ulticolored walls were perfectly smooth,polished like la~ specinens. The pools were aquamarine blue and crystalclear. m1erever a handhold or tie off was needed there was always asculptured solution hol~. Beautiful cascades and sporting free climbs addedto the exciteoent. 0n one pitch. the grand cascade. the water arched out5-6 meters into a 15 ~eter void. An excitinq tyrolean alon~ the side of

the falls had to be done with electric lights due to the high wind. Afteran endless series of climbs, cascades, and swins the passage enlarged to30 meters by 15 meters. Another 3~ meter swim and we arrived at a majorjunction -- 30 meter X30 meter passage -- ~oing both directions -- witha minor river in the down dip direction and a dry fossil river passa~egoing up. ~;e followed the river for 300 meters to a narrow canyon. "~other8 meter pitch and we're looking at the most sporting drop we'd seen yet.An additional 15 cusec stream came roaring out of the right wall andplunged into the pit adding its fury to the white water from the mainstream. Sporting indeed! Jim volunteered to check it. With some difficultyhe reached a ledge over-looking the next pitch -- nothing but blacknessand spray. How deep? ~ybe 10 meters -- maybe 100. At any rate, consideringall the factors we decided to stop there and begin surveying. Latercalculations showed this point to be about 80~ meters down (2625'). ~eestablished a permanent station some 30 meters above this point and comnencedsurveying out. We stopped shortly to check out an immense side room.Leading up from the main passage, it was up to 120 meters wide in places,perhaps 30-50 meters high. We barely scratched it in over 20 minutes, butchecked it enough to ascertain that it would serve us well as Camp III,should it be needed. After 10 more stations the survey was aborted.Judging from our carbide supply we had been at it for over 20 hours andsplit for camp. A fine sight indeed. ~~at a joy to shuck those wetsuitsfor some nice dry jeans and a wool sweater. After a fine dinner and moreAquardiente (we figured it was New.Year's Eve), the sand seemed farmore comfortable than our first night.The next morning I was at it again with the boots and several packsalso needed sewing. Between sewing and sipping. it became apparent thatno one really wanted to go caving and a rest day was declared. After halfthe Aguardiente was consumed we went about a lazy-crazy photo trip -- downroute '68. How brave. A lazy trip at -l~OO' !The next day Frank decided to remain at camp to welcome the supportteam. The rest of us surveyed in from the 2125' level and connected tnetwo surveys. We decided we could best utilize our free time then to scoutfor a dry bypass to the main canyon rather than attempt a frontal assault.The left hand trunk passage was more complex than we expected. H'e walkedup several hundred meters of one branch of it till we hit a stream. Jinand I followed this for 200 meters or so to a sump. We swam through allsorts of interesting portals and ducks, but no leads were to be found. Allthe passage in this section was just as finely polished and multicoloredas in the gorge. but seemed more re"cent. All the edges were razor sharpin contrast to the rounded knobs in the gorge. Another side passage offthis stream connected us back into the trunk. Amazing. Well over a kilometerof virgin cave. with no doubt much more if we had continued in the maintrunk. Downstream, we found where the additional waterfall originated.A short side passage led to a large stream resurgence. perhaps a piratedportion of the main stream. We followed this to where it dumped into thefinal drop. so it looked like no dry bypass was in order. After roughly16 hours we returned to camp. The support crew had made ~heir scheduledsupply run almost a day late. leaving us with two more days food and300' of rope. However. upon inspecting our carbide supply we found it tobe dangerously low. There was not enough left, even with our nicad packsto risk another survey trip. Thus, this small oversight along with ebbingenthusiasm led to the decision to leave the following morning. Frankand Roy started after breakfast while Jim and I cleaned up ca~p. Two hours17

1'1later Jim and I began the long climb. Ascending with those soaked dufflebags proved to be even worse sporting than rappelling with them. I becameso overheated on the 20~' pitch that I shucked my wetsuit top for the restof the trip. At each ledge we coiled the ropes to keep them out of thedriving waterfalls. Thus, the cave was left pre-rigged with cut to lengthropes below the 800' level to await the return expedition. All rope abovethe Canadian camp was derigged. A full IIlOon was shining in the entrancewhen we finally exited. Topside we heard familiar voices: Blake Harrisonand Jill Dortlan, who had arrived from Acatlan the day before, had seenlights in the sinkhole and came down to help. A party soon commenced backat the house. After several hours of swapping stories we faded off to awell-earned nights sleep.The rest of the trip was understandably anticlimactic. The fissurewas finally derigged by Jeff, Gary, Blake, Dave Kramer, and Dan Watson.Several days of scouting netted few going holes and a general impressionthat anywhere outside a 1/2 mile radius of San Agustin was hostile territory.An overland survey connectinf': Sotano del Rio Iglesia, Sotano deSan Agustin, Cueva de San Agustin, and Deer Cave was completed. DeerCave (Cueva de los Pajaros) was located by Frank Binney on one of theearly day hikes and proved to have more paleontological significancethan depth potential. ~umerous skeletons of what appear to be a largedeer were found at several locations, well within the cave. How theysurvived three drops to reach the big room at the bottom was not readilyapparent.An exciting day was spent fixing the Bozo Bus springs as mostall of them on the left side had broken during our maRy shuttles toHuautla and back. After another day of packing our small convoy of oneoverloaded VW bus and one crippled truck left Huautla. Within 5 nileswe had broken more rear springs. Things were looking grim. We loaded3 more people from the truck to the van and continued at a slow pace.The two remaining springs miraculously held. Again we figured we justmight make it. Then Dan smashed his oil filter on a rock. With the bus nowout of commission the only way to continue ~vas for the truck to tow it.And tow we did. By all rights both vehicles should still be on that road,but we somehow made it all the way to Tehuacan, a spring shop and a VWdealer.Bill Stoner..emember the 1973 ;~s S Convention is near ~·!exico. Hany of the I1exicancave areas are high in the 'lIountains and cool in the summer. so makeplans for a su~~er trip in 78.

19THE FORBIDDEN LAND RETURN TO HUAUTlAby Bill SteeleThe revisit to San Agustin at Christmas time by ~~S'ers and othersfrom the USA showed that indeed the deepest known cave in the Western Hemispherewas deeper. Georgia's Richard Schreiber had in mind ever since the1968 survey party he was on. the lead high at the end of the large walkingpassage taking off at -536 meters. vllien his team once again enteredthe Huautla area. rigged down to this lead and began poking around. theyfound going cave dropping mas abajo. Schreiber's Christmas crew was replacedupon leaving by Stone and company from Austin. This crew camped in Camp IIat -536 meters. exploring downward through a gorge named the Cascada Grande.They found some large chambers going off at -750 meters. These leads remainedas well as the enticing downstream pit lead that they gazed dO~Jnbeyond these side leads in the main stream passage. •The Chancho de Acero's (Hog of Steel) crew consisted of Blake Harrison,Mike Van Note. Jean Jancewicz, Bill Steele. Jill Dorman. and Jim Smith whenwe arrived at San Agustin one day prior to our rendez-vous date of 25 t~rch.Our meeting was to be with Richard Schreiber's crew consisting of he, }~rionSmith. Steve Knutson, Gerald }funi. Warren Heller. and Don Broussard. Thisgroup had arrived ~vo days earlier. 22 March.On the evening we arrived, only Knutson and Gerald Moni were at therented house standing on the south edge of the large doline of San Agustin.The others were underground, rigging and hauling in camping and foodsupplies for a planned five day stay at Camp II. They all exited mideveningafter having gotten their things to the -400m level.Early next day found those of our crew that haa never before seenthe Huautla area in astonishment at the scenery. Dolines couldn't be thatbig. The only flatness to be found were the floors indoors. Water? Oh. justgo by the church and take the trail dO~Jn to the entrance of Rio Iglesia,only 175m vertically downhill.Schreiber and Reller entered San Agustin late in the day of March 25planning on taking their food on down to Camp II, beginning the camp stay.After nightfall they returned to camp stating their psyche's hadn't beenready so they exited to try again another day.The six of us from the Hog were as a majority feeling ill. Three weeksinto high powered caving, we were suffering from far reaching ail~ents ofcuts and abrasions. sore throats. TP consumption, trashed gear, lovetriangles. and road weariness. Slowly we sewed up packs and wetsuits. bootsandharnesses, charged up batteries, packed up food, and attached shoulderpads to duffle bags. The earlier arrivals were ready to go so on 26 March.a Saturday. Marion Smith, C~rald Moni, and Warren Heller entered to carryon down to Camp II. The following day. 27 Ma~h, saw Schreiber. Knutson,and Broussard enter.The Hog crew was alone. All were ready to go in as well on the 27thexcept for Van Note. He had injured his ankle while swimming in some rapidsand asked for an additional day for re8rowth. Early on 28 ~~rch the sixof us that had come from Chiapas were ready to go into San Agustin. A notewas left inside the window of the Hog for Liebman's truckload coming inan unknown numbers of days. It stipulated how to enter the rented abode,what we were up to, and that they should prepare their gear for an undergroundstay. The note was left on a '10nday stating we would e~it at lateston Friday and they should ~vait for word on ~"rhat ~7as happening exploration~yise.

20Our group of six intended on rappelling down with canping provisionsfor five days, going past Camp II, and establishing a Camp III in theSala Grande de la Sierra }~zateca at -75Om. This was quite an undertakingconsidering that this was much deeper than any of us besides Jim Smithhad ever before been. Things went smoothly, descending. Jim Smith ledthe way following by Jancewicz, Steele, Dorman, Harrison, and Van Note.At -40')m we encountered a tricky maneuver at the base of the lastdrop in the fissure series. Smith stayed to advise all what to do soSteele led on dOTHO the 318' to keep momentum flowing. ifuile Jancewiczwas coming down the 318, aarrison suffered an injurious fall at thetricky ~aneuver preceding the drop. Confusion ensued due to the impossibilityof communicating up and down the pit. Not realizing anything otherthan a delay was happening, Steele and Jancewicz went on down to Camp IIto wait there for the other four. Up top at the 318, things were hectic.Harrison's fall dropped him to eight meters. At first diagnosis it wasfelt he had a possibly fractured collar bone, pelvis, fingers, and skull.He was given to bouts of delirium. Seeing his condition, Dorman becamehysterical and the decision was made for Smith to ac company her topsideand return ~vith a packfrarne to support the injured Harrison. Thosebelow had no idea of these incidents.Upon reaching the surface, Smith found that Liebman's truck hadarrived giving enough personnel to manage a rescue. In the ensuing 31hours, Lieberz, Liebman, Cavanaugh, Smith, and Van Note rescued Harrisonfrom -40Om and got him to the hospital in Huautla. It turned out he.hadonly a broken finger, cracked rib, and general soreness. This is thedeepest rescue accomplished outside Europe.~.fuen Jancewicz and I arrived at Camp II we found it empty ofcavers. All were on a trip deeper. We waited beneath a space blanketfour hours for our teammates, finally assuming a minor accident hadoccurred and they were assisting someone. It seemed minor because therewere only four of them, no one on the surface, and eight of us below forassistance. We bedded down in Camp II, anticipating the others to comeback the following day.Hell into a night's sleep, Schreiber's crew returned from below. Hyquestion as to what they found netted only a sump for reply. They'd gonetwo additional drops and had hit deep water with no outlet. Schreiber,Moni, and H. Smith had done this while Knutson, Broussard, and Heller hadsurveyed in another area near the bottom. There were still leads but thereport was that the cave appeared to be bottomed. On the day before thistrip, Sunday, Heller had led the climb at the end of Camino '68 and thecrew had found three drops and a long breakdown slope led to the lakeleading on below. The torturous breakdown down-crawl that ~lark Stock hadpioneered and had led to the lake area at Christmas time had been bypassed.This good news was greatly outweighed by the sump news.Still, no one from the surface. A full day had passed. Jancewicz andI decided to head up the 175 meters to the top of the 318 for provisionsfrom the others' packs, if there, and perhaps to piece together what hadhappened. I arrived there first and began to notice clues. First, Smith'spack lay there with items on the ground as if he'd dup, into it swiftly_Do~an's pack was unopened. Climbing along the traverse to the bottom ofthe next pitch, I saw a spent carbide trail. It wasn't a powder streak,but spots here and there, good carbide that had been spent from moisture;

a pack had fallen and spilled out its contents. Leaning out and lookingfar below, some eight meters, I spied a pack frame. Climbing down to seeit closer, I came upon' the scene. Blake's pack, a full duffle bag, layunopened. Van Note's had been emptied in haste, the contents damp andstrewn.about. A shirt with small blood stains below the nape of the neckwas there. Then, Harrison's vertical gear. He was hurt. He hadn't gottenhimself out of the cave. But how? The packframe had a name label on itwith Bill Liebman's name. Odd. How had he gotten there? t~y hadn't theycome for us? How badly was Harrison injured? There was no note to befound. We were 400 meters below the entrance, the accident was 28 hourspast, and we had not expressed any plans to leave the cave with thoseat Camp II. We were only to get what we needed and go back down. Itfelt like grave robbing to go through Blake's duffle bag.In Camp II, speculation ran rampant. Why, how, and how badly? Someonewill be in tomorrow. :Haybe we should exit. t.fuo wants to cave? ~:[ebedded down for another night hoping to see some surface people uponwaking. t~aking up brought us to the 30th. The plan for the day was forall people in Camp II to go to the bottom area. Dividing into two groups,one group would continue the survey to the sump found on the last trip,the other would go into the left hand trunk passage and survey it and sideleads.In the bottom area the left hand trunk was surveyed into by Schreiber,H. Smith, and ~nL Marion's underground journal entry reads:Richard, Gerald, and I mapped c 1590-1800 feet in branchingborehole passages to the left as you go into the cave. Wealso followed an incoming streao a ways until we encounteredsome very steep climb-ups. We mapped several side leads offthis main left branch. At survey station 844 Knutson's Suuantocompass got too cloudy to read. Finally, at 7:10 P.~. weheaded to Camp II.Broussard, Knutson, Jancewicz and I took the survey to the sump, plumbingits 29 foot depth as our last survey point. I climbed into a tight chimneytype fissure for over 30m above the sump but found no way beyond. Wethen began a survey upstream a ways into the Sala Grande de la SierraMazateca. Broussard led the way up into the void of this gigantic roomand we followed with the survey. It was immense. ~e stayed on the left walldeciding to survey around the perimeter to do it justice. The floor was asteep average of 25 degrees. Don could be seen way above as a shrinkingform. The ceiling of this passage continued at the same angle above a 22meter high crumbly dirt wall that ceased our advance. At the top of. thiswall the passa~e appeared to continue on. I attempted the climb, gettinghalfway up to a committment move and backed down. It would take lonp. mudpitons -- maybe made of re-bar to aid the climb up.Our survey down-climbed the opposite wall heading for a side roomcontaining a waterfall descending from the ceiling. !Je ended our survey21

22here and poked around for leads. This could very well have been the lasttrip into the area so we wanted to m~~e sure of all possibilities. Jancewiczand I followed the stream into breakdown below the waterfall, findinga gorgeous passaRe adorned with banded swirls of stone and solutionedflowstone. The others had said we had a half hour to check it, so weexplored to our dissatisfaction, vowing to return and survey.Arriving in Camp II on the heels of the other party, we learned thatReller had left a note stating he was exiting, heading ho~e to Boston.We hadn't realized he was doing so. Marion writes of the next morning:Don soon came, aroused our camp, and said he and Stevewere leaving. At c 11:15 r~rald said he was also leaving.So those who were-planninp. to leave slowly packed. Geraldstarted first with Richard. Richard was planning to takesome ropes to the top of the 318 and get some canned goodsand return to camp. By about 2 P.}!. Don and Steve had gonealso. I shot the breeze in camp with Bill and Jean eatinggorp. At 3:30 P.~. Pichard returned to camp saying, "Peoplewe have a serious problem," meaning that apparently Hellerhad pulled his pack up the 318 and that the rope did notget back down! We were trapped until someone from the surfacecame in. Richard had freeclimbed maybe 50' up and didn't evensee the rope. Also he swam the pool at the bottom lookingfor the rope. Don and Steve took quite a look also. Sooneveryone was back in camp -- all seven of us at Camp II.The situation was compounded by the fact that today Donhad taken his last insulin shot. The whole trip see~d to bequite strange and uncoordinated, especially because we don'tknow what's goin~ on on the surface, how badly Blake was hurt,and it or when wnyone would come into the cave. Don said thattomorrow he'll start feeling the effects of having no insulinand after three days probably wouldn't be able to get out onhis own. The group immediately elected to watch food consumptionmore closely.The following day, April Fool's Day, we awoke with endless speculationabout what to expect from the surface. My note (Steele) left when we enteredthe cave had stated that at latest we would exit on this day. Heller howeverwho had exited two days before knew there was plenty of food at the top ofthe 318, left by the accident crew. It was of course out of reach for itwas at the top of the ropeless pit. A trip to the bottom was decided upon.Jancewicz, M. Smith, Schreiber, and I took three hours from Camp II toWhere we carried on in the left hand trunk area at -75Om. Three leads werefinished off including the downstream tributary that ended at a sump. Fromhere we took to the waterfall passage off the Sa1a Grande de 1a SierraHazateca and began a survey into it. The survey led to a very wet pit thathad been overlooked on the probling trip Jean and I had taken into thepassage. We elected to return to the large room above to get the Samson2 in 1 that was there and see what happened below. lIarion writes:

23We retraced our steps to the new pit (I carried the rope) andsurveyed down it. I was first down, followed by Bill, Richard,and Jean. It was quite wet and was followed 40' later by aslope (rope needed) to a second 40' pit. In between watergushed from a 6" diameter hole in the wall like a fire hydrant.Steele, by clever use of his slings, got to the opposite sideof the pit. He rigged the rope and after getting me to tyroleanacross, dropped the pit, staying pretty much out of the water.The rope was 5' off the bottom. Ten horizontal feet later hefound an estimated 20' pit. This was ofcourse as far as wecould go. The second 40' drop actually measured 13 metersand had water pouring into it from two or three ways, one wayfrom down a flowstone area above.This twenty hour trip brought us back to a camp that had notchanged. Broussard had remained as inactive as could be to maintain hisenergy. In his journal he had written out details informing us what to doin case he was unconscious when someone finally came in from the surface.I was taught how to give a shot and tried once giving Don 7cc of insulinhe had managed to suck into a syringe. I gave it into his abdomen. The daywas spent in speculation about the surface folks and in whether or not anattempt should be made to scale the 318 in search of the rope somewhereaboveṪhe next day was Sunday, 3 April. It had been six days without wordfrom the surface. We had been trapped for four days. This was the day totry the 318. Broussard helped me set up a sling of j~ry-rigged climbingaids for the attempt. ';ole had eight bolts. !iarion's journal reads:Bill went around camp collecting slings, carabiners, and anythingthat could be used for chocks. Those who were going got asubstantial ration of hot food -- potatoes and some kind ofmeat, I think. Finally, at 11:25 A.M. Bill, Gerald, and Ileft. Bill went up the 60' and 180' drops first. I followed.Near the bottom of the 180' Bill tied another rope to themain line because the main line had a bad fray in it. OnceBill was up the 180' and while I was on rope I heard a commotionat the top of the 180'. Soon I heard Bill shouting,"People! People! ~fuoever you are I love you!" which causedgreat excitement for me and I too joined in the shouting andtold Gerald at the bottom of the 180' to go back to camp andtell the others. When I reached the top of the 180' I learnedit was Joe Lieberz who had shown up -- alone••••This reunionwith Joe was GREAT as of course it meant we were no longertrapped! Jean later said when Gerald walked back into campeveryone stood up and silently waited to see who it was andwhat he wanted. She thought someone had forgotten something.But then Gerald said that there was good news, the rope wasdown.Everyone but Jean, Joe, and I left the cave. Joe climbed back up the318 to bring down some of the food that had been there. Broussard, contraryto what he had anticipated his condition would be after three daysof no insulin, packed up and headed out. A discussion ensued between ~funi

24and myself about trash and abandoned gear. It was evident that more thanfootprints were going to be left behind. l~OW that the rope was down andan exit was possible, somewhat of a rout happened. These fellows were allleaving. They'd had enough. Though when our group first arrived they saiethey could stay three weeks or until the cave ~ias done, they were going.1~e had vowed to clean San Agustin as was known by the entire group, yetstill, articles were left lying around Camp II as these cavers headed out.tfuni stated that he had buried his trash but refused to tell us where itwas so it could be dug up and hauled out of the cave. l~utson had broughtin a $10 sleeping bag so he could leave it in the cave. This amazed us assome of us had believed in the "nothing but footprints" slogan. Nothingbut footprints, sleeping bags, clothes, canteens, insulite pads, dufflebags, crushed cans, ropes not used, batteries, 25 cans of food not opened,and medicine was left. It was a rout.Jean and I moved do~~ passage to the quieter location of Camp IIA.I 3ad sent a note out with l~rion asking Jim Smith and Van ~ote to comein for a push. We waited, our spirits high. After a period of sleeping,we awoke to the first day of our second week underground. Several hourslater a holler was heard proving to be Kim Hastings and Van ~ote. Kimhad only done a 120 foot deep cave in New Enrland before and was hereat Camp II at -536m. They brought bad news. Due to the triangle that hadbeen an issue the whole expedition of Smith, Dornan, and Harrison, thevehicle was leaving. ~o support now existed to carry on exploration orde-rigging or hauling back anythinE to Austin. After much deliberation~e decided to leave camp intact and go to the surface to arrange forunneeded gear to be taken in the truck. He then would continue in thegoing lead below and survey it. If we found it to keep going, we wouldleave the cave rigged and wait for Bill Stone's group coming down in onemonth. If an end was found then we would atteopt to de-rig to the baseof the entrance pit, ride buses back to Austin, and have Stone bring gearback in Y.ay. The prospects didn't seem appealing but Van ~~ote had saidthe truck was certain to be leaving, giving no recourse.Our exit only happened to the base of the 318 where Van Note yelleddown for us to remain; someone was coming in. My feeling was that some ofthe previous day's routers had succumbed to guilt and were returning fortheir articles littering the cave. I'd just found Schreiber's sleepingbag, clothes, foamy and duffle bag at the base of the 318. IVhen the descendingform of someone reached the base of the drop, it was Steve Zeman.He and Dino Lowry had flown to 11exico DF, bused to San Agustin, and hadbeen hastened by Broussard to get down to us and save the expedition. Wewere overjoyed. ~le didn't need to leave. They brought both news that theHog of Steel vehicle wasn't leaving and luxury food stuffs of cheese andsweets. Once again. the 3l~ had been the location of a chan~e.Our five descended to ~amp II and settled. ~y this time everyonecamping was coug3ing with ~hat was later diagnosed as bronchitis. Zemanand Lowry were worn out from a non-stop trip from Austin so were contentto han~ in ca~p, resting. ~~en we awoke the next day, we readied for a longtrip. I ~yas the last to don !!IY wetsuit but found the zipper to be broken.An operation follOtled that cancelled the trip. The final product of ourlabors was a corset-like wetsuit top, laced and looking ~edieval. Itbecame a pull-over top.~e waited one more day to optimize our energy and psyches. The tripto the going lead would be long. All seemed right so on 6 April we beganthe trip downward fron Camp IrA to the goinr, do~mstream lead. The tripthrough t~e gorge area was smooth. Behind could be heard the delight ofthe newcomers at the beauty of the banded marble appearing walls. It was

deeper than Lieberz, Zeman or Lo~~ had ever been. ~fuen we arrived atthe end of the last survey. we faced virgin cave. I rigged the next drop.Jancewicz joined me in the torrent from above and was sent on do~~ toexplore ahead. We then began the survey. ~fuen the shots had been recordedand all others were do~~ the next 10m shaft, I heard a shout from above.It sounded like Jancewicz so I assumed she had explored around so~ehowand was coming down the ropes. Instead, it turned out to be Jim Smith. Hehad come in solo from the entrance, had found our note at C~p II sayingwhere we were going, and had sought us out.We all descended into new cave. Smith and Jancewicz led explorationwhile our survey follo~ed. There was more water in this passage than hadbeen seen elsewhere in the cave. Several climbdowns were done in the waterwhere it poured into pools below. There was much swinming between drops.Finally, after setting stations in this downtrending passage, we caughtup with Jim and Jean at a sump. Jim had dived into a sump with a linebeing dealt by Jean. He had, after two meters, come up into air space.This stretched 5m and then sumped again. It didn't look good. A belayerfor another dive would have to do so while already beyond one sump andtreading water. ~ot an appealing project. The ceilings character didn'tgive an impression of going cave beyond.Our team of six members began de-rigging from this sump at -859m.~le had been out of camp for 24 hours when we returned laden with allthe ropes from below. It was April 7; we were expected on the surfacelate on the next day.De-riggingWe had a very surmountable chore" in front of us in deriggingSotano de San Agustin. There were six of us in Camp II and three personson the surface. Of these three, only Broussard could be expected to lendmuch support. lolhen Camp II was cleaned up we had two full duffle bags plusa large pile of ropes. In addition, we also each had a rucksack containingour individual camping gear. Our plan was to exit from the cave with thesecamp packs and return to Camp II to de~rig in stages from there. Hehauled all gear from Camp II to the base of the next pit and headed outfrom there. Smith and Lieberz, being last in the procession of our leaving,followed up hauling the total burdens upward. They got all ropes andthe two duffles to the base of the 318, two drops (80' and 180') aboveCamp II.The 180 had eaten one rope already. A knot needed to be passed sone5m up the drop where two ropes were tied together where the fray had been.Being first up on our exit, I encountered the worst fray of my verticalcaving life some 30m above the point where the other had been. The sheathof the Bluewater II was totally gone with six inches of inner core showing,looking like taunt rubber bands. This was tied off with a figure 8,bypassing the da~aged area. The pit this happened in is a Goldline dropif ever there was one.~¥o days after leaving the cave and follOWing an Easter in ~u3utla.six of us reentered San Agustin to ~ork further on de-rigging it. :hetwenty SOI!le odd cans left by Schreiber at the tor of the' 318 '"ere emr::ied,crushed, and the food dU!'llped in the stream to be flushed ~l71th the torrentsof the coning rainy season. The 313 took c';r team seven ho,1r., to noveeverything up. Lieberz ~lOrked the tcttom, eying on eear. Jan·;:ewicz ',7asst~tioned on a ledge 2:) Il!eters dm.ll that every lead hung up on. ZeT.an.Jim Smith. and I did the muscle at ~oo while no~an f~d t~e junar safetybrake. T'le had a separate ~aul line, making sure it '-,1d the nain climb:bg25

line didn't cross; nylon against nylon could sever a rope from the beatof friction.In the course of a long, 20 hour trip, our six derigp,ed the growingload up t'"NO drops. ,~e had all above the 110' following the 318 when ~yeheaded out with individual loads of rope to be dragged out to the house.The fissure of San Agustin had proven to be a poor place to rig fro~ aboveand pull gear up. There were just too many spots the gear hung up on. Thedecision thusly ~yas made for the fissure to be derigged "ant-like;" individualburdens climbed with through the narrow confines of the fissure'srift. This proved to work. Within four hours on the next trip in, thefissure was empty of all.Camp I, the sight of the Canadian's 1968 stay, proved to have twoduffles of plastic containers, food, and cans. This was added to thesurmounting pile and moved on. The broken 160' pitch above Ca!!lp I wasaccomplished by spreading people out on ledges up its distance whilepulled from above. It worked. By the end of this second full trip ofderigging, 18 hours, all gear was moved to the base of the entrance pit.The final derip.~ing effort was accomplished on the 8th of April,1977. All eight of us that were left at San Agustin hauled the sevenduffle bags and more than 50 coils of rope up the 260' entrance drop andcarried loads to the rented house on Kelty packframes.The next day we left for Austin.Bill SteeleEach person who receives this Activities Letter is a member of the Al~Sand should have his membership card. If you do not yet have your cardsend a note to Box 7672 and we will send you your nembership card •.. ,.: t.·ii~~:-

27HUA~~ AREA SURVEY: Following the successful overland surveys of theOtate Mine, the San Juan plateau, and the Silvertip Cirque in '1ontana,many ~1CS cavers have taken note of the usefulness of this type ofspeleological tool. Not only does a c~puter generated plot show whichpassages are likely to connect in an extensive system, but they alsogive us keener insight to the spepeogenesis of the caves in a particularkarst area. The former was used to great advantage at Silvertip lastsummer •••knowing that that raunchy crawlway will connect gives muchgreater enthusiasm to the push crew.Besides the obvious advantages in the field, such a survey is apowerful graphic media for the final bulletin. TI.e reader immediatelyunderstands what is going on ~n the area -- which are the major systems,where they are located, and perhaps some insight into the full potentialof the system. .With the ultimate goal of a comprehensive bulietin on the Huautla,Oaxaca, karst region, we began the overland survey in January. Jim Smith,Jill Dorman, and I connected Rio Iglesia, Cueva San .\gustin, and Sotanode San Agustin with our ~atum point at Sr. Villega's house. Later, in.~~rch, Bill Steele and Jean Jancewicz surveyed to La Grieta (Sotano delCerro de Plaza). These segmer.ts were then connected with the main cavesurveys. Downstream San Agustin 'vas surveyed by the cast of thousands(R. Schreiber, M. Smith, J. Smith, M. Stock, T. Davis, S. Knutson,D. Broussard, F. Binney, B. Stone, R. Jameson, G. Moni, W. Heller, w.Steele, J. Jancewicz, S. Zeman, D. Lowry, J. Lieberz) from December,1976, to April, 1977, during three separate expeditions. La Grieta wassurveyed Dec 1976-Jan 1977 by R. Jameson, P. Mothes, J. Smith, A. Cochrane,F. Binney, J. Horowitz, and B. Stone.. All other data for the plot (i.e., the long straight segments) wasreduced from published maps for which we are awaiting the original notes.Three notable observations can be made from the maps: La Grieta,thought to be a sure connection to San Agustin in January appears to bein a parallel drainage system, independent of the San Agustin system.Cueva San Agustin is ~ery close to Rio Iglesia in two places. The downstreamend of Rio Iglesia lines up almost exactly with the "upstream"dry trunk of lower San Agustin. A connection between Cueva San Agustin andRio Iglesia would make that system 662 meters deep and almost 4km long.A double connection to San Agustin would make "La Sistema de San Agustin"992 meters deep (5th in the world) and the longest cave in Mexico --over 10 km. On the other hand, tf La Grieta goes as deep as San Agustinand the higher sinkholes on the San Andres P~dge or on Cerro de Plazacan be connected, the "Sistema del Cerro de Plaza" would be approaching-1200 meters!gill Stone~-1e have just received a copy of the original survey notc:s for ~otanode San Agustin fron John Fish. A new more accurate nap of the IIuautlaArea should soon be available.

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30Medical Report On The April 1977 Expedition to Sotano de San AgustinMore injuries due to caving were seen in my four weeks work at Sotanode San Agustin than I have ever seen before on any other expedition or longcaving trip. There were some problems which I consider to have been handledvery poorly. There were some which utilized outside medical assistance.But most problems the crew members took care of themselves. Ilearned from the help I gave and the observations made, and I would like toshare my education with you.A list of the medical problems is fonowed by the drugs and materialsmost commonly used. M!Jst medical care was self-administered. I assistedonly a few cavers.The medical problems include abrasions, cafes, common cold, concussion,cramps, diarrhea, dislocated cottar bone, facial lacerations,broken finger, hand sprain and puctures, headaches, hypothermia, insufficientinsulin, loss of voice, nausea, ribs bruised, sore throats, urinaryinfection, and weariness.A wide variety of antibiotics were taken due to the various types of infectionsdisplayed. Penicillin by injection was taken by one caver once a dayfor several days due to a severe sore throat suspected to be strep. Anothersore throat accompanied by fever took Erythromycin and gargled warm saltwater three times a day. Tetracycline (Achromycin) was taken for a feverand cold in another caver, for a sore throat in another, and by anotherspeleologist to help control a urinary tract infection.The sore throats were all easily acquired due to sloppy kitchen habitssuch as drinking from group water jugs. Weariness after· long cave trips(20 to 30 hours), weakness due to other infections (colds), unaccustomed ,-yelling up and down drops and going without.insulin in the case of the diabeticlowered the bodies' defenses and allowed yet other infections such as sorethroats to begin more easily especially toward the end of the expediton.Two varieties of cold capsules were taken by various cavers. Contacwas taken as a strong, sure symptomatic relief from the common cold.Ornex was taken when the caver planned to go underground because it containedno sedatives and no antihistamines which may cause drowsiness insome people. The obvious remedy - rest - was often ignored because equipmentand tra.sh was still below ground and there wer~ several cavers anxiousto finish de-rigging so that they could head back home. Hence theypushed themselves too hard. This was a skeleton crew; there were no extracavers to help de-rig while the ill ones rested.Lomotil was used by almost all the cavers. Diarrhea hit everyonesooner or later but I only heard of two people wh 0 were nauseated and onlyone of those developed stomach cramps which she suspects may have beendue to the lomotil in the first place. Plain lomotil is best to use for simplediarrhea because its morphine-like action simply shuts down the intestinewall action and allows your insides to grow accustomed to the new bacteriainvasion. Streptomagma, entero-viforma and lomotil with neomycin kill

off the bacteria in your intestine and should be used for severe diarrhea.But they kill both good and bad bacteria, so you should take the minimumamount needed and follow recovery with yogurt to return a few good bacteriato the plumbing.31Caution: Lomotil is a drug related to the morphine family of narcotics.rts activity is limited to relaxation of intestinal muscles because itis poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Although little isknown about this absorption process, there is evidence that childrenabsorb Lomotil more efficiently than adults. This absorbtion ~ill causerespiratory depression and can cause death. Joung children should notbe given Lomottl, and older children as well as adults (due to individualvariation in absorption) should be carefully watched for signs of overdose.Initial signs include dryness of skin and ~ucous membranes,flushing, hyperthermia, and vapid heartbeat. These symptoms ~ay beginas late as 30 hours' after ingestion. The Physician's Desk Referencestates, "LOHOTIL IS NOT A..~ I~OCUOUS DRUG A.~D DOSAGE RECO'rIENDATIO:ISSHOULD BE STRICTLY AD'HERED TO, ESPECIALLY H CHILDRL~~. II (Emphasis theirs.)Terry SaytherVitatnin pills (multiple, C, and B-complex) were available on a kitchenshelf in the house, but only four people took regular advantage of theseextra nutrients. Extra vitamins and minerals are needed during times ofsomething as trivial as tension and stress. Illness and excessive wearand tear on a system cause the body to need more than an average vitaminintake. Many meals prepared on the surface were lacking in the vegetabledepartment. Small amounts of potatoes,tqmatoes. raisins. plus a varietyof fruits barely supply the daily minimum. Since every caver there wasill and worn and torn, everyone should have availed himself of the vitaminsupplements.Aspirin and non-aspirin were taken often. More than 50 Datril (nonaspirin)and over 100 aspirin were consUIned for headaches, fever andsoreness by the total crew of 19. There was only one caver with a migraineproblem and he carried his own prescription. Several cavers who tookaspirin would have been kinder to their stomachs if they had taken Datrilinstead but non-the-less some form of aspirin was needed and used.Vaseline was used on caver's skin where wet-suits were expected tochafe or had chafed.- More antibiotic cremes for bad wet-suit chafes shouldhave been brought. Noxema was a good salve for rashes, chafes. dry skinand massages.Elastic bandages were important items. The sprained hand and anotherhand (broken several months earlier) were wrapped in the two inch elasticbandages. They can also hold gauze pads on wounds. The broke'n lingershould probab.ly have been wrapped but was not. The trivial woundswhich normally use 'bandaids were largely ignored. The large numbersof cuts and scratches made it impractical to try to cover each small openingin the skin. Hands became pruney and soft due to being wet for ten or twentyhours at a time and received-cuts easily. Gauze pads were used on the facialinjuries in the accident but did not see much use elsewhere.

'32One caver alInost lost her voice and several sore throats were influencedby trying to conununicate over the roar of waterfalls. }"1:ore whistles couldhave been used to reduce wear and tear on throats.Two people t each of whom did not wear a wetsuit, became cold enoughduring waiting periods on two separate occasions that preventive meas uresfor hypothermia were taken. One caver wrapped up in a space blanket withother cavers who also wanted to get warm and kept a carbide light goinginside this "tent" for more warmth. Another caver removed his wet clothing,put on a dry shirt and huddled over a carbide light. Many cavers sweatedin their wet-suits when ascending but this is a small price to pay consideringhow cool the same people became when it was necessary to inactivelywait for thirty minutes or mor e. Obviously this is a wet-suit caveand should be treated as such.Urinating in wet-suits was a common problem for the speleologistsunaccustomed to the subtleties associated with wet-suits. One caver wasunder t~"\e wrong opinion that urine is acidic whereas urine is basic due tothe ammonia present. He rubbed spent carbide in the legs of his wet-suitin hopes of neutralizing the assumed acid. This compounded the basic problemsince he was forced to wear his wet-suit the remainder of the trip. Hereceived a burn on his thighs which turned into a severe skin abrasion whichwas actually bleeding before the trip was over. He walked bow-legged fortwo weeks afterward.Weariness became a recognizeable malady toward the end. Personalproblems slowed recovery from weariness but good group morale speededup recovery. Group morale was boosted through social intercourse andgroup discussions in the evenings.On one of the trips down to Base Camp II which involved carrying largeamounts of underground camping equipment a caver neglected to clip a safetyline leading across a fissure to the top of the 97 meter drop. When his duffelbag unexpectedly shifted it pulled him off the climb and he fell seven metersto a flat sand floor. He sustained a broken finger, bruised ribs, mild concussion,facial lacerations around the left eye, forehead am cheek and adislocated collar bone. A broken back was at first suspected. The personnelnearest the accident were not sufficiently familiar with first aid and panicked.First aid measures were given for shock and facial lacerations. The surfacewas notified and then a long laborious rescue was begun. A strong pain reducerwas administered. He was strapped to a backpack frame and pulledup each of the fourteen drops. An intravenous injection of vitamin C andcalcium was given to reduce shock when the victim reached Sala Grande,a big room near the surface. On the trip out the collar bone apparently relocateditself. Once on the surface, he stayed in the Huautla hospital fortwo nights and then tried to finish recuperation in the house rented in thetown of San Agustin. In the hospital the facial lacerations were largelyignored, so there will be some scars which could have been reduced ifbutterfly closures had been used, or eliminated if the doctor in Huautla hadbeen capable of facial stitches.

33Since hindsight has always been easier than foresight, here is my 0plmonon the rescue after having talked to many of the rescue crew after the fact.An observation of a shoulder jutting up into the neck, a head twistedat a seemingly extreme angle and a cracked hardhat (Ultimate brand) withblood over the face, as the cavers present observed, would cause me tolook for serious injuries. A suspected broken back (or neck vertebra) isserious••• Real serious. Hauling a person out of a vertical cave trom-365 meters is the last thing I would want to do, especially since therewere several sleeping bags, food for six people for five days, stove andfuel, cooking pots, a flat dry area at the scene of the accident, and strong,competent cavers, two of whom knew a lot of first aid, only three dropsaway ( 97 meters" 55 meters, and a 24 meter drop further). Two caverswere already down the 97 meter drop and were not explicitly notified ofthe accident.·If the victim had been seriously injured the rescue would have killed hirn.Dead. A backpack frame is useless when dealing with a broken back in acave. It is not IIbetter than nothing"because it gives a false sense of security.Hauling a person up drops in a cave is rarely a smooth operation.To subject a person to being pulled up drops for 20 hours i:a liable to drivethern into shock if they were of sound body to begin with. 1,2 The victimshould have been bedded down while the most cornpetent first aider availablewas summoned to the scene. Knowing now that he was not severelyinjured in the first place means that he could have prusicked out of thecave under his own power after a day or two of rest. He would not havesubjected the rescuers to such pain, both physical and rnental, as theyunderwent. The rescuers thernselves needed various degrees of firstaid af ter they were out of Sotano de San Agustin. The crew which was thenat Base Camp IT later suffered from the surface crew's weariness causedby the rescue.Later, as one person left Base Camp n at -530 rneters he sornehowmanaged to drag the rope up the 97 meter drop without getting it back down.Two days later, after some of the crew had been underground for five daysthey decided to exit the cave for rest and more food before sorne of themreturned for further exploration. One of the crew is diabetic and had usedhis last supply of insulin on the fifth day since he planned to re-stock on foodand insulin before returning. Upon finding the rope rnis sing from the longestdrop in the entire cave, he returned to base camp and tried to rnaintaina reasonable blood sugar level while waiting for a caver frorn the surfaceto enter and re-establish the missing rope.IIInsulin is a horrnone produced by the pancreas••• This horrnone isnecessary for the body's proper use of food••• II 3 Actually insu.1in isnecessary for theorgans to properly use food. The rnuscles require adifferent hormone which a diabetic still produces. While waiting for therope to reappear the diabetic ate very little food; only enough to keep his bloodblood sugar level within reason. When the blood sug~r level drops too lowthere is too much insulin and food is needed. At Base Camp II the problemwas too little insulin and a high blood sugar level which meant the kidneyswould overwork in filtering out the excess sugar and urination would befrequent and large volumed. For two and a half days blood sugar levelwas estimated by the frequency of urination. Every six to ten hours was

34considered normal. The diabetic did not go on caving tripe:; away from basecame and slept as much as possible. Worrying was excessive by the thirdday since he had been told by doctors that a diabetic would stay alive fiveto eight days without insulin under ideal circumstances.Once the rope was down the drop the diabetic was on the surface in sixhours, tired, but estimating that he probably could have prusicked outunder his own power even on the sixth day. Of course he would not havehad any problem at aU if he had had sense enough to bring extra insulin inthe cave to begin with.These are my observations and opinions which I share with you. I donot claim to be a qualified first aider. I do claim to periodically re-readand re-educate myself on first aid practices. Panic and wrong decisionsare impossible to outgrow. We try to reduce their frequency.Donald L. Broussardthe diabeticEdi ted by Nancy Boice1. Kodet and Angier, Being Your Own Wilderness Doctor. 1972.p.138.2. Alnerican National Red Cross, First Aid. 1976. p. 60.3. Eli Lilly and Company, Information for the Patient, NPH Bulletin. 1976p. 1.EVALUATIONACCIDENT REPORTS: These accident reports have been compiled by the editorfrom interviews with those present. Every effort has been made to makethem as accurate as possible, but in the brief space available all thathas been attempted is a short factual account. ~~y other influencesundoubtedly contributed to the accidents and their aftermath, such asthe cavers' mental and physical condition, and their previous undergroundexperience. But these factors do not lend themselves to brief analysis.Sumadero YochibJim Smith, ~tike yan Note, and Bill Steele were establishing a"trail" along the main river passage in Sumadero Yochib. Smithclimbed to a higher ledge and Van ~ote requested a handline. SoSmith lowered a section of webbing and Van Note climbed up. Jim Smiththen tied the webbing to serve as a fixed line. The webbing was loopedaround a corner so as to ~ang in the most advantageous place, and BillSteele climbed to the ledge. On the next trip into the cave, Bill Steeleclimbed up knOWing the line was looped around a corner. ~tlke Boon wasimmediately behind and when he grasped the webbing for an assist, thewebbing popped off the corner and Boon swung out over the water. Hewas able to retain his hold on the line and avoid falling into t~e~~ter upstream from the 40 foot Froth Pot drop.Analysis: Care should be taken in rigging so as not to allow the ropeto be pulled off corners and clinbers should be aware of this possibility.

Bill Steele, Jean JanceWicz, Joe Lieberz, llike Boon, !lill Howie,~~ureen Cavanaugh, and Carmen Soileau were exiting from the terminal roomin Sumadero Yochib. Jean was leading, next was Bill Steele, and followinghim was Carmen Soileau. As Bill reached the upstream end of the Canalbelow the Stinger, he yelled back, "No carabiners. :Io carabiners." to tellCarmen not to clip into the line, as was done on the other canals. It wasnot possible to use a carabiner as two ropes had been used to rig thecanal and they were tied in the middle with a knot too large to passthrough a carabiner. Ibis knot was located in a swift section of the canalwhere the flow of the current produced foot high standing waves. Carmenfailed to hear 3il1's warning due to the noise of the water and when shereached the knot she was unable to pass and was washed back. She movedforward again and was again.forced back and under the water and came uptangled in the rope with her hard hat turned sideways. As she appearedto be tiring, Bill Steele jumped in and followed the line -to Carmen. Hetalked her into releasing her carabiner and by breaking the force of thewater was able to lead her past the knot. Carmen was weakened by the struggleand would have been in serious trouble if Bill had not been able toassist. After falling on the next ladder, she was belayed to Camp I whereshe rested for 24 hours.Analysis: The rigging could have been improved so as not to use a knot,but the rigging team used the ropes they had. Perhaps a briefing beforedifferent sections would help, and the necessity of close attention tothe problems of other cavers is pointed out by the incident.35Carmen Soileau, Cris Alvers, Warren Anderson, and Norm Pace wereon a trip to lay a phone line to Camp I in Sumadero Yochib. ~orm Pacehad climbed down a ladder and was reeling out the phone wire whileclipped into a canal rope. This rope was strung between the end of thecable ladder and a bolt above a waterfall at the downstream end of thecanal. The bottom of the cable ladder was held in place by passingthe ladder through an unlocking carabiner attached to a bolt at thebottom of the ladder. As Norm Pace strung the line the buffetting forceof the water popped the rope out of the carabiner, giving enough slackto drop Pace over the lip of the next falls where the force of thewater held him against the end of the rope beneath the water. At firstup-side down and unable to breathe, he was able to right himself andin the process created .a, breathing space where the water arched overhis hard hat. The people at the end of the rope tried to free him butwere unable to budge him against the force of the water. ne was heldbelow the surface of the water and the team above could see only hiselectric light glowing beneath the water. Pace hung in this position for15-20 minutes. They finally considered him dead. The rope was thenloosened from the top bolt. This additional slack enabled &orm toescape from the water. His calls were heard from above and first thoughtto be another party coming out of the cave.Analysis: Locking carabiners should be used on all rigging where thereis any possibility of the rope being popped through the gate of thecarabiner by intermittent loads.

36Jim Smit~ Has followinp, Blake Harrison and Jill Dorman on Jim's firsttrip through Sumadero Yochib. About one hour into the cave the p,roup beganto cross the pool above Fool's Falls. This pool is about 20 feet in dianeterand is connected to the falls through a narrow channel of swift water.This section is normally traversed by climbing down a cable ladder intothe pool. then following a line across the pool and climbing up to a ledgewhere the line is tied. But to some this is not the obvious way to go -following the water looks like the way into the cave. Once a caver entersthe narrow channel. it would be impossible to hold against the swiftcurrent which would sweep the helpless caver over the 70' ~ool's Falls.When Jim Smith carrying 5 cable ladders reached the pool. Blake and Jillhad climbed to the ledge and were not visible from the pool. Jim startedto enter the narrow channel, but had second thoughts and braced himselfacross the narrow entrance. As Jim considered entering the channel. Blakecame back and yelled to him to climb to the ledge. which he was stillable to do.Analysis: A potentially serious situation was caused by Jim's unfamiliaritywith the cave and lack of guidance from the rest of the party. As everyonecannot be continually supervised, perhaps a pre-trip briefing would beadvantageous.Sotano de San AgustinJim Smith, Blake Harrison, Jill Dorman, Bill Steele, and JeanJancewicz were the last of several groups carrying equipment down toCamp II in preparation for a long stay in the cave. Bill and Jean hadtraversed a ledge and descended the next drop -- a 318 foot slightlyinclined fissure. Jill and Jim were waiting as Blake began the traverse,noving himself and a heavy duffle bap, along, but not tied into a fixedline. When Blake came to an aWk~ard spot, he stopped to ask advice,whether to clip himself and the approximately 40 pound duffle bag tothe line. As he asked, the bag shifted and Blake and the bag fell 20 to25 feet on to a san~y floor, bouncing off the wall on the way down.Blake suffered a broken finger, lacerated face, cracked rib, and probablya concussion. After the fall, it appeared he ~ight have a brokenback, broken pelvis, a skull fracture, and his collar bone appeared driveninto his neck. Blake compained of neck pains as well as general painthroughout his body. His hard hat, an Ultimate, was fractured, and undoubtedlyhelped reduce his injuries. Blake was securely tied to a pack frameand moved up 15 drops -- approximately 400 meters vertically to the surface.Analysis: It is probably best to plan difficult traverses before theattempt and if lines are properly rigged, they can offer safety.Whether inmediate removal after an accident is desirable has been debated.Perhaps if the victim is suffering mainly from shock, it might bedesirable to keep him comfortable until he recovers and can aid in his ownrescue. However, there are medical problems that require immediate attention.Jill Dorman and J1m Smith were on the way out of Sotano de SanAgustin on a derigging tri~. On the second drop below Camp I in the fissureseries. Jim was free-climbing a rigged drop with· 500 feet of coiled ropewhen he fell fro~'about ten feet up~the climb. He landed on a sandy flooron hands. feet. and head, apparently suffering no serious injury.However, as he climbed toward the surface, the pain in his hand grewworse, and later it was found he had broken a small bone in his hand.Analysis: Extra care should be used when carrying heavy loads, andderiggers should resist the temptation to free climb.

37EditoralsIt is always painful and usually unpopular to voice criticism in ourorganization, but certain event!,! in the past year merit the attention of thewhole clan as they may indeed be the sign of what's to come.AMCS cavers have traditionally been one of the best groups of verticalenthusiasts in the United States, not due to an attempt to form an exclusiveclub, but because all were drawn in different manners by the spectacularchallenge and excitement of deep Mexican caves. Until as recently as twoyears ago nothing had come along that our well tested single rope techniquescouldn't handle. Many cavers lapsed into an euphoria of disconcern fordanger that was bred by technique familiarity. Even Golondrinas can bea "whimp drop" after 4 or 5 times (viz. nude, upside down, by lawn chair,and 5 minute descents.l,). Unfortunately most of the "leader types" gotsucked into this syndrome of ignoring danger.The second problem to arise came from the need to fill ones speleovehicle with sufficient cavers to defray the outrageous cost of gasolineand maintenance. This usually results in rather unbalanced expeditionswith everyone from novice to expert and the neighborhood dog. Seldomis there going to be a trip with an "ideal crew'~ An ideal crew is one inwhich: a) Everyone is socially and psychologically compatible b) Everyonehas roughly the same magnitude of caving ability.Normally, small deficiencies in either of the afore mentioned attributesof the crew have little affect on the outcome of a trip. However,when the caving becomes demanding to the limit, variations in that "idealcrew" can blow the lid on safety underground. The past two years haveseen a tremendous ·upsurge in very deep caving. Great depths, and moreimportantly, large quantitites of moving water are changing the rules ofthe game. Sooner or later we will have to learn to play by the rules orsomeone is going to buy it.Almost all the accidents of this past year stem from the above mentionedproblems. Norm Pace's near catatrophe in Yochib would never have occurredhad there been a locking carabiner on the bolt. But how could anyonehave known that it would happen since that manner or rigging had "always"been" dependable before? The lack of equal caving ability, or unfamiliaritywith a crucial move, has been responsible for two of the deepest rescuesin the western hemisphere. "Sheila Feels" in Conchas should have had ahandline rigged before the accident occurred. Those of us in the lead werenot thinking. Our eight person team was clearly divided in ability. Failureto recognize this and rig accordingly finally caught up with us. Thosethat have recently done the trip to San Agustin's Camp II know the triteawkwardness of tre tyrolean from the bottom of the 140' drop to the top ofthe 318'. Considering the heavy traffic of cavers with bulky packs enrouteto Camp II, it was only a matter of time before someone unfamiliar with

3~the spot would make a smaU slip. I know I had a bear of a time gettinga wet 50 lb. duffel down to Camp II.In mentioning these accidents, I aln in no way attempting judgement.The point is that several lessons can be learned from our mistakes. HopefUllyall will benefit from the close calls of a few. As new areas likeZoquitlan open up, it appears that wet caving is here to stay. Thosewith experience in such caves would do well to discuss wet-ca~ riggingwith the rest of the clan. Knowledge of when and when not to use a jumarsafety on a handline in rapids could make the difference between blissfuUyskimming up stream or being sucked under.Deep push crews and support teams need to be tight units - as closeto the "ideal crew" as possible. One person's ill temper toward the othersin a tense situation can affect the psyche of the whole team. Great strengthCOlnes from camraderie. Strength also comE:S froln continuity. If one ortwo people are always rushing on ahead, who will be there to throw thema line as they are being swept over the falls? Group decision making isalways better then blindly accepting the most fanatical view. As the holesget tougher then we had best get tough on safety.Bill StoneSotano de San Agustin is pe:rhaps the most beautiful cave in ~rorthAmerica as well as the deepest, and so is destined to be frequently visited.If each person left even a small a~unt of trash, the cave would soon resemblea garbage dump. Each group entering the cave should be strong enoughto remove whatever they bring in. If the energy or time does not existto remove the trash from the cave, clearly the group is operating dangerouslyclose to their limits; and has no capacity left to deal with theinevitable minor problem, much less a serious injury. There is no depthbelow which caving is so difficult and demanding that leaving equipmentbehind is a necessity. as all caving needs a ~rgin of safety. Of course,in the case of an accident or serious problem, people come before equipmentbut leaVing ~~terial in the cave should be a rare occurrence. Every tripshould budget their time and man power to remove their equipment. Thosewh~want to preserve the cave should not have to remove the trash left byothers.The Alles stands behind the feeling that conservation practices shOuldbe maintained regardless of how deep a cave is or in what country a caveis located. We feel a~palled that established speleologists would turn theirheads away from accepted conservation policies in favor of an easier exitfrom the cave. Sotano de San Agustin, the deepest cave in the Western Hemispherewas left littered with abandoned bags, personal gear, uneaten food.and rubbish. Those who left this material were fully aware that other membersof the expedition were against such practices but proceeded contraryto these wishes. Sotano de San Agustin was derigged by a skeleton crew of~~CS cavers. All material abandoned by the 1977 expedition. all left bythe 1976 ~~xican party, and all abandoned by the 1963 Canadian expeditionwere cleaned up leaving a clean cave as our deepest one.AMes

()----~__z:.------------:,.-ASSOCIATIO~ FOR ~mXIC&~ C~ViMEMBERSHIP CO~1ITTEEBOX 1672 UT STATIONAUSTIN tE~~s 18112

AMCSACTIVITIeSNewsLe TTe Rno. 7

AMes ACTIVITIESNEWSLETTEREditor: William RussellStaff: Gill Ediger, Margaret Hart,Peter Sprouse, Bill Steele, BillStone, Terri TreacyNUDber 7, Nov. 1977AMCSBox 7672 UT StationAustin, TX 78712Copies of the AMCS Activities Newsletter Number 6 can be obtained from theabove address for $2.50 post-paid. Back issues Numbers 3 and 5 are still availablefor one dollar each. The' next issue of the Activities Newsletter will coverthe Thanksgiving and New Year's trips and should be available this Spring.With this issue the format of the AMCS Activities Letter has been changed.The publication will continue with the name AMCS Activities Newsletter. Eachissue will be larger and they will be sold by the issue. This new format willallow more photographs, longer articles and large maps. Articles and trip reportsare solicited from all who cave in Mexico.International NewsThe Ten Longes t Caves in MexicoThe Ten Deepest Caves in MexicoTen Days at La GrietaMap of La Grieta (Back pocket)Purificacion AreaSummary of ExplorationDiscovery of Cueva de InfiernilloCueva de Infiernillo & Cueva del BrincoFurther Exploration in Cueva de InfiernilloLa Sistema Purificacion: A Theory & a GoalMap of Purificacion SystemBetween the Cold and the GloryBack to the Bird PitsPoem in Honor of Returning HeroesGetting Down in PenaPeter SprouseBill Stone & Peter SprouseBill StonePeter SprouseJean UbicoPeter SprouseMaureen CavanaughPeter SprouseTerry SaytherBill StoneCathy Roun treeBill Stone2568181820232728303132Front Cover:Back Cover:This spectacular photo of Cueva de Infiemillo was taken by CharlesFromen of Houston. To obtain the picture ~he photographer had toclimb a tall tree in the arroyo."Long Drop" in Sotano de los Lobos, S.L.P. by Bill StoneCorrection: Cover photo on AMCS #6, Sumidero Yochib, was by Norm Pace. Ourapologies to him for miscrediting his photo.ASSOCIATiOn FOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIESCOPYRIGHT AMCS MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE 1917

'International NewsTHE SIERRA DE GUATEMALA :aves havebeen closed, report the personnelat the Rancho del Cielo BiologicalStation. !he newly formed ejidos onthe mountain delivered a letter tothe station last fall protestingvisits by cavers in the last severalyears who had not secured permissionin the villages. !he biologists suggestthat permission might still beobtained to cave by requesting suchfrom the proper officials and carefullyexplaining the purpose of thevisits, which has apparently beenmisunderstood. This does B.2! affectJoya de Salas where arrangements arethe same as always. All this suggeststhat caves could be closed in even thefriendliest areas if your presence andpurposes are not explained to the localofficials. It is likely, however,that this incident is in part relatedto the recent formation of the ejidosand their corresponding assertion ofpower.THE ITALIANS have surpassed Mexico indepth. A new upper extension in Antrode la Corchia pushed it to a depthof 935 m.(Paul Courbon)BRAZIL'S LONGEST CAVE, Gruta de' SaoMateus, is now 20.5 km in length.(Paul Courbon)WHERE DOES SAN AGUSTIN STAND: PaulCourbon writes that Sotano de SanAgustin, -859 m, is probably the 14thdeepest cave in the world. Apparentlythere are some problems with the surveyswith other deep systems. TheSima GESM, Spain, is reputed to be900 m deep but has only been surveyedto -415 m. In the Garma Ciega - Sumiderode Cellagua system (also Spain)the bottom survey at -970 m is lowerthan the known resurgence and an errorof 40 m has been discovered by Polishcavers in the first 500 m ofdepth. And finally the depth ofAustria's Hochlecken-Grosshohle,-877 m, is in question by a 20 mdifference in two surveys in thefirst 150 m. So, amongst all thatis where San Agustin stands.A NEW U. S. DEPTH RECORD has supposedly.been established by a connectionbetween California's Bigfoot andMeatgrinder caves, combined to be363 m deep (Neff's Canyon cave,which has held the record for over20 years, is 357 m deep). Hopefully,we will have a verification of thisin our next issue.IT WAS A GOOD TRY, but members ofthe Independent Grotto of Arkansas(non-NSS) "fell" somewhat short intrying, to show a writer/photographerfor Outside magazine the proper techniquesof caving. Outside is a newmagazine by Rolling Stone whose purposeis to purvey outdoor activitiesto the mass public. As the grottowas leading the writer through RorieCave, lGA member David Smith attemptedto climb to a high lead above apit without a belay and accidentlypeeled off, hitting two l~dges beforelanding 40 feet below (suffering badcuts and bruises). Oh well •••CB RADIOS, which have been illegal touse in Mexico, (see ActivitiesNewsletter #5) are now permissible.The change of policy came about inNovember 1976 - apparently the governmentdecided that tourists neededCB's to summon the "Green Fleet"(tourist patrol) when in trouble.FOOTPRINT CAVE is now Belize's longestat 4 km. The survey is part of2

International NewsTom Miller's ~aster's research atMcMaster University.THE RUMOR we reported in issue 5 ofa very deep Canadian cave has turnedout to be little more than that - arumor. The cave, D6, has actuallybeen surveyed to +110 m by the VancouverIsland Cave Exploration Group.Meanwhile, Canadian caver, Paul Griffiths,apparently checking pits above the cave in hopes of a connection,has generated publicity in thenew media claiming the existence ofa 900 m deep cave. Sounds likecounting your chickens before theyhatch.IN THE SAME VEIN, the first issueof the new Belgian publicationSPEALP reports that Greek cavershave found a new deep shaft calledPropantes. The Greeks claim it hasa minimum drop of 418 m (El Sotanois 410 m) but they apparently havenot even descended it yet!THE 1978 NEW GUINEA EXPEDITION willreturn to the Atea Kanada riversink, reports Dr. Julia James ofSydney, ,Australia. The Atea Kanadais an awesome river cave with a lowwater flow of 12 cu-mecs (Yochibaverages 1 cu-mec, or m3/second),located on the remote Muller Plateauin Papua New Guinea. The Atea Kanadahas a steep gradient and it islikely that many vertical pitcheswill be encountered in the exploration;these may have the full forceof the Atea River flowing over them.The required perserverance to explorethis ultra-technical cave is matchedby its world-record depth potentialfrom sink to resurgence. The Aussiesare planning on fielding up to 60people, including 30 active cavers,for 2-1/2 months. Anyone for a swim?A 1000 METER SHAFT has reportedlybeen found in Austria. It has alarge waterfall entering 150 mintothe drop. A 500,m cable with 22 kgweight "swung free"in the shaft andbased on this they estimate a dropof 500-1000 meters. It is so farundescended.(Jim Smith)THE 1977 AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO GREECEhas returned and correspondent, JimSmith, has sent details of explorationon the Astraka Plateau. Duringthe first two weeks they descended25 p~ts in the 20-60 m range andextended "Hole of the Married Women"an additional 8 m past where theBrits claimed the passage was tootight! This impressive cave beginswith three spectacular drops: 131 m,52 m and 91 m, all free. In anotherarea the group descended two moreimpressive virgin pits: Tripa Spera63 mand Tripa Opedius 132 m freefall.The group then hiked up theProvetina area and descended bothProventina and Epos Chasm. Smithdescribes Proventina "the firstdrop is 165 m sheer to a ledge. Thenext drop is 207 m freefall - a massiveshaft." This totals to 372 m,less than the 376 m drop in Golondrinas.Winding up the trip, they bottomed158 m deep Gailo Tripa near Ele~phantopos, a large pit the Brits hadlocated, but had descended only 30 m.TAG BRIEFS: Alabama' s Small Cave hasbeen pushed to a depth of 156 m,making it the second deepest cave inthe state just behind Fern.Pushes by Marion Smith, RichardSchreiber, et al have led to a 3-1/2second freefall pitch in BloodstoneCave, noted for its shaky breakdown3

International Newsin the entrance area. The latestattempt ended with Smith dangling atthe end of a 75 m rope in a respectablesiz~d waterfall - the drop stillgoes: Cavers are hopefull to connec~this with Scotts' Barn Cave lower onthe mountain for another 150 m+ cave.E. T. Davis and crew are working,on connecting Odyssey Cave with Elno'sCanyon, another potentially deep systemfor the east. ~Marion Smith)ACCIDENT IN HUNDIDERO-GATO (Summarytranslated from the GESM JournalMalaga, Spain) Ten to twelve hoursinside Hundidero-Gato, a large Spanishriver cave, the group encountered aheavy rapid. Jose Manuel Vera tiedin and attempted to attain a ledge onthe apposite side. The force of.thewater proved too much and Vera wascarried downstream. At this point hecalled for help. His belayers pulledwith all the force they could, butsucceeded only in pulling Vera beneaththe surface. An attempt was made toreach Vera on another line. but therescuer immediately realized he hadno chance against the current, andit took 15 minutes of "titanic effort'·'to retrieve the rescuer. The groupagain tried to pull Vera out, untileveryone had bloody hands. Finallythe rope went slack and Vera's bodydisappeared. The overextended groupthen retreated to a dry chamber wherethey waited 2 days for the rescueparty to help them out.Overextension: just where is itwhen you've gone too far to get backagain? When you can go down in a cavegravity helps you along. Drops aredown. The biggest worry in rapellingis in going down too fast. But comingout is up.· It's not easy and it'sslower. Up ropes, up climbs and up-stream.Streams add an additional factor.Their currents flucuate in strengthwith the width of the walls. Judgementmust be sound in any spot dealingwith a strong current or rapids. TheSpaniards have learned a hard lesson.We've done a couple of large descendingriver caves in Mexico and havebeen fortunate in judging obstaclescorrectly. There have been close incidentsto be sure. But hopes arethat we'll never have to write a reportlike the one above.SILVERTIP SUMMARY: With the 1977 summerseason AMCS cavers again set up anextended camp beneath Silvertip Peakin the Bob Marshall Wilderness Areaof Montana. The primary objective,Meanderbelt Cave, was explored toroughly -246 m before the passagepinched. Exploration of this cavethe previous season had stopped at adeep pit, thought to be a sure connectionwith Getout Cave. This connectionwould have yielded the deepestcave in the United States. Undaunted,the cavers located Hole in the Wallhigh on the south side of thepeak. This cave was pushed to anice plug terminus at 118 m. The "dig"continued in Sunray Cave's amazingphreatic tube. After many sessionsMike McEachern finally broke throughto a lower entrance - Sunset Cave.During the last few days a new cavewas discovered between Meander Beltand Sunray which was pushed to -124m despite its very narrow dimensions.The cave continues and may connect tothe system, but due to the latenessof the season and difficulty of explorationit was left for the followingyear, hence the name Cop-OutCave.4

The Ten Longest Caves in Mexicoby Peter Sprouse1. SOTANO DEL ARROYO, S.L.P. 7200 metersFirst reported by F. Bonet. The survey was begun in 1971 by AMCS members,and the present length was reached in 1972.2. CUEVA DE KAUA, Yucatan 6707 metersA large maze cave, the extent of which is not known. Survey begun by theAMCS in 1973 and reached its present length in 1975.3. SOTANO DE SAN AGUSTIN, Oaxaca 5900 metersAlso Mexico's deepest cave. Survey initiated by AMCS cavers in 1966.In 1968 a group of" largely Canadian cavers (MUCCC) pushed the cave toan apparent end at 1860 meters. However, in 1976 AMCS cavers from Georgiaopened up a new passage and subsequent mapping by the AMCS hasbrought the cave up to its present length.4. GRUTA DEL RIO CHONTALCOATLAN, Guerrero 5600 metersA large river cave parallel to Gruta del Rio San Jeronimo and below GrutaCacahuamilpa. Surveyed by an AMCS team in March and April of 1974.5. GRUTA DEL RIO SAN JERONIm, Guerrero 5600 metersLarge river cave, slightly less in length than nearby Gruta del Rio Chontalcoatlan.Surveyed by the AMCS in April of 1973.6. CUEVA DE CHICHICASAPAN, Puebla 5235 metersA complex stream cave, surveyed in 1977 by Mexican, British and Americancavers. Additional passage has been explored but not surveyed.7. CUEVA DEL BRINCO, TamaulipasDipping complex cave, elevation 1900 m.is continuing.5200 metersSurvey begun in 1973 by AMCSandSur8. GRUTAS DE JUXTLAHUACA, Guerrero 5098 metersSections of this cave are commercialized by tne federal government.vey by AMCS members in November 1971.9. CUEVA DEL NACIMIENTO DE SAN ANTONIO, Oaxaca 4570 metersThis large resurgence cave was mapped 1973-1975 by the AMCS.for its spectacular cave biology.It is notable10. CUEVA De LA TINAJA, S.L.P. 4502 metersClosely related to Sotano del Arroyo. Partially mapped in 1947 by zoolo~gists from the American Museum of Natural History, the AMCS surveyed thecave in the mid-1960's.

The Ten Deepest Caves in Mexicoby Bill Stone and Peter Sprouse1. SOTANO DE SAN AGUSTIN, Oaxaca 859 metersSurvey began in December 1966 by an AMeS team which carried the survey to-280 m. In December 1968, a group of Canadians and Americans pushed thecave to a siphon at a depth of 612 m. Eight years later AMCS cavers fromGeorgia pushed a side passage .which was explored to -648 m. AnotherAMCSteam surveyed this passage to -760 m while exploring on to the -800 mlevel. In March, the current deepest point was reached when the explorersencountered a siphon in another passage at -859 m.2. LA GRIETA, Oaxaca 665 metersAMCS cavers first began the survey of this cave in December 1968, reachingthe 90 m level. In December 1976, a larger team surveyed to a constrictionat -401 m. The survey was continued in May 1977 to a depth of 665 m and alength of 4200 m.3. SOTANO DEL RIO IGLESIA, OaxacaSurveyed in December 1967 bythe pitches in the cave, thea mud choke.535 metersCanadian cavers (MUCCC). The large.st of allChristmas Shaft. is 142 m. The cave ends in4. SOTANO DE NOGAL. QueretaroMapped by an AMCS team in May 19·76.a mud floor.529 metersAfter 20 pitches the cave ended in5. SOTANO DE LAS GOLONDRINAS. S.L.P• 512 me tersA large open air shaft. with a free drop of 333 m from the low side and376 m from the high side. AMCS members surveyed the pit in June 1967.In December 1969 a fissure was discovered in the floor by Indiana caverswhich was then surveyed to -512 m.6. HOYA DE LAS CONCHAS. Queretaro 508 metersMapped in March 1976 by a large AMCS expedition. Bottomed at a siphonwhich was dived to a depth of 4 m but it continues down.7. SOTANO DE BUQUE. QueretaroSurveyed by an AMeS team during theat a sump which has not been dived;lished.502 meterssummer of 1972. Exploration was stoppedthe map of this cave has not been pub-8. CUEVA DE DIAMANTE. Tamaulipas 466 metersAMCS surveying teams mapped this Sierra de El Abra cave to -120 m in December.1974. In March of the following year the depth was extended to 300 m,then in 1976 to -466 m. Exploration in this cave is difficult due to verytight canyons.9. HOYA DE LAS GUAGUAS. S.L.P. 464 metersAnother large pit similar to nearby Sotano de las Golondrinas. In June1968 AMCS cavers surveyed it to a depth of 422 m. Additional mappingin July 1977 through a lower breakdown section to a siphon showed it tobe 464 m deep.10. CUEVA DE SAN AGUSTIN. Oaxaca 458 metersSurveyed by AMCS cavers in December 1969 to the bottom at -484 m. but thismap was never published. In December 1970 MUCCC cavers resurveyed thecave. obtaining a depth of 458 m. An overland survey in 1977 to a higherentrance may add 20 m of depth.

Ten Days in La GrietaAMes Huautla Expedition, May 1977by Bill StoneDuring the past year the Western Hemisphere depth record has been brokenno less than three times during three separate major expeditions to th~ samecave: Sotano de San Agustin. The terminal sump at -859 m, reached by theMarch expedition marked an end to exploration in the lower system short ofusing diving equipment. The quest for the first 1000 m deep cave outsideEur-Asia could now only be realized by a connection with a higher entrance.During the January and March expeditions we connected all the area cavesvia an overland survey. From the computer plot of this data La Grieta stood93 m above Sotano de San Ag~tin. However, the big revelation was the surprisingdensity of caves around the village of San Agustin. Cueva San Agustin(-484 m) was 134 m above Sotano de San Agustin and appeared to be a sure connectionto nearby Sotano del Rio Iglesia (-535 m). Rio Iglesia on the other hand,came very close to the upstream trunk in Sotano de San Agustin. A double connectionwould yield a system 992 m deep. Hence the plan was formed. The teamwould "warm up" checking the Cueva.. If no connection was made we would moveinto Camp I at -300 m in La Grieta.'mE WARM UP: We arrived in San Agustin on May 17 and set up operations in thetwo story fieldstone house used by the three previous groups. Cavers on theexpedition were Gary Stiles (AZ), Tracy Johnson (AZ), Ernie Garza (CA) , SteveZeman (TX), Jeff Horowitz (IX), Bill Steele (TX), Cathy Rountree (IN) and myself.After sorting ropes and equipment for the 19 kno-;,n). drops in Cueva SanAgustin we split into two groups. The rigging and scouting team consisted ofZeman. Horowitz, and myself. We were given a 6 hour lead to rig to the bottom(-484 m) and would be followed by Steele, Garza, Johnson and Stiles who comprisedthe push/de-rig team. Unlike most of the area's deep systems which lie atthe bottom of immense dolines and take active surface drainage. Cueva San Agustinsits high and dry on top of a rounded hill. From an exploration viewpointthis allowed for a rapid trip as bulky wetsuits and heavy-water gear could beleft behind. t~ile rigging we found it advantagaousto sling each persons'ropes with a long tether rather than attempt to carry eight coils over ourshoulders. Each rope was labelled for the drop it was to rig in the knownparts of the cave. Four other ropes were designated "push" ropes and could becut to length for new drops shoUld the cave go. At about -300 m we noticed ahigh lead, 10 m off the floor at the top of an overhanging flowstone wall. Withsome difficulty! managed to freeclimb it, and followed the passage 150 m or so8 Previous page The 60 meter drop beneath Camp I in La Grieta. (Bill Stone)

to a drop. t returned and dropped a line to Zeman and Horowitz. In shortorder we bottomed the 20 m pit--no go. We did, hOw~ver, disGover severalclusters of 20 cm selenite needles on the sandy floor. About this time thepush crew arrived. ~~ile they surveyed the new passage we continued riggingand lead checking. The final (19th) drop in the Cueva is a spectacular 110 m,mostly free drop into an immense room 200 m long and 50 m wide. We circumnavigatedthe room with both teams checking every conceivable hole. No leads werefound so we began derigging. At first, each person could carry a coil or twoup the rope with him. More tackle amassed at each drop and we wer forcedto hoist equipment out the final 4 pitches. Each major drop would find someonesleeping while waiting for others to finish climbing. We exited the cavewith all equipment 24 hours after entering. No connection had been made.After a day's rest we commenced operations at La Grieta. Formal permissiotwas obtained at Plan Carlota precluding further political problems. This however,did nothing to assure that the rope would not be cut and stolen by someneedy Indian. We proceeded to develop two escape routes. In December voicecommunication had been made between a small crawlway, some 15 m from the usualrig (chop) point, and the main 60 m entrance shaft. After some poking aroundHorowitz and Johnson managed to freeclimb to the bottom. This new entrance,dubbed the Hobbit Hole, was our main insurance. To be doubly safe I pendulumedThe La Grieta camping crew with full camp and cave gear.(Jeff Horowitz)9

The rigging team of Stone, Horowitz and Zeman with the ropes for Cueva de SanAgustin. (Gary Stiles)some 5 rn under the entrance lip and. bolt r-igged the first drop. This beingdone, we untied the rope from the boulder above leaving an "invisible" rope.In an emergency, the most agile lead climber could then freeclimb out from thebolt. While all this w~s being done the rest rigged down 11 drops and 4 tyroleansto Camp I. The tyroleans were added as a safety precaution for haulingheavy loads on otherwise simple traverses.INTO CAMP~: The next two days were occupied preparing packs, sorting foodand resting. Menus were planned to sustain six cavers· in Camp I for seven days.All the food was laid out and split up, leaving each of us to decide upon thebest way to carry the burden. More equipment: full wetsuits, double Ni-cadelectric packs, and dozens of cool-lites for the heavy-water we were expecting.A massive bolt kit, first aid kit, close to 30 pounds of carbide, fiber-fillsleeping bags, large Yucatan hammocks and wool campclothes--all were methodicallystuffed into ever expanding duffel bags. This was topped off by the standardarray of vertical gear, plus extra ascenders, carabiners, carbide lamps and webbing.All this added up to packs weighing between 50-70 pounds.By morning, May 23, all was ready. All equipment was shifted from thehouse to the truck for the ride to San Andres on the western edge of the SanAgustin Dolina. Camp bags were lashed to pack frames for ease of transport10

to the entrance. From San Andres we slowly descended the winding trail to thebase of the La Grieta doline. 300 m below. Then, like a precession of ants,we rappelled in. When the last man was down, Horowitz pulled the entrance ropeout and hiked back to San Agustin. This surely must have amazed the small crowdof locals there!Following experience learned during the two previous camping expeditions,each caver was self contained for 7 days underground: i.e. food and equipmentwere divided so that if someone could not get to Camp (as happened due to theaccident on the March expedition) the others were not left without some essentialitem. To aide in transporting the heavy packs we attached a 2 m webbingtether and suspended it off the rappel rack carabiner. This way, one couldrappel down awk'oiard pitches with minimal difficulty. Other times the tetheraided in dragging the pack through a tight crawl or lowering it down shortclimbs.Within four hours we arrived at Camp I. I t was 5: 30 p.m., and the generalconsensus was to establish camp, eat dinner, and begin the push next day.Camp I was situated at the bottom of a 55 m drop, approximately 300 m belowthe entrance. The dry fissure passage averaged 4-5 m in width and was brokeninto three 10 m long tiers by 5 m climbdowns. Beyond the last tier the passageplummeted into a 60 m shaft. The hammocks had proven a wise decision as therewere few flat spots for sleeping. Once everyone had set bolts for their hammockswe surveyed the area. Certain essentials had to be taken 'care of ifcamp was to be functional. A kitchen area was designated, then food was inspectedfor damage and stored in a nearby alcove. Water was obtained from aflows tone drip some 30 m down the passage from the kitchen. The BOG (outhouse)was dug in a small sand-filled chamber 15 m from the water supply. This done,two of us rigged the 60 m drop while others cooked dinner.The following morning we split into two teams and left camp after a heartymeal of granola, dried fruit, milk and tea. Steele, Zeman and I formed therigging and exploring team, while Johnson, Garza and Stiles brought the surveyalong behind. We quickly negotiated the 1/2 km of known passage below the 60 mpitch. Virgin cave lay beyond. Our six man team, a tight procession until then,broke into the designated groups. The cave continued as a narrow vadose passagewith sharp solution carved blades projecting from the walls and floor. Duringthe future trips this passage became known affectionately as the "Torture Chamber."Five hundred meters further o~ the ceiling lowered to a pool with 25 cm airspaceand finally a 20 cm crack. Zeman and I hammered on the crack for over an hourbefore Steele managed to squeak through. All this work was to no avail as 60 mfurther on he got to a 12 cm crack. Somewhat reluctantly we headed back to deliverthe bad news to the survey team. At one room along the way I stopped tocheck a small fissure leading downward. This quickly led to an active streamdropping down a new series of cascades. After assuring myself it continued Ireturned to find the survey party had shown up. A brief conference ensued.They elected to continue surveying to the pinch while we pushed the new lead.With Zeman at the point we traversed an amazing series of canal swims and exposedclimbdowns through cascades. For the next 2/3 km the passage alterna~edbetween large steeply sloping breakdown floored rooms, sometimes reaching dimensionsof 30 m wide and 15 m high, and long stretches of narrower canals andcascades. Usually each large chamber would be preceded by a termination of thewater passage and a 10 to 15 m climb through breakdown; Throughout this entire11

stretch only four pitches were rigged, none of which were greater than 15 m.We soon arrived at a complex breakdown blockage where two major cave streamsdisappeared. An additional 3 cusec (ft3/sec) stream had entered via a narrowfissure shortly before the blockage. Steele managed to find a route through themaze which led to an L-shaped breakdown room. He located a stream which sumpedafter a short distance. With no obvious leads we returned to meet the others.At the Junction Room we found Garza patiently waiting. Johnson and Stiles hada hot lead and were off pursuing it. They soon returned jubilant over a newgoing passage which had led to a 15 meter pit with a large amount of water dumpingin. Matching descriptions led to the conclusion that their waterfall dropintersected our route just before the first big room. We dropped all extra pushtackle at the Junction Room and began a retreat through the Torture Chamber.When the last man prusiked the 60 m pitch it ended a 15-1/2 hour trip.We awoke at 4 p.m. on May 25th. Our time schedules were already startingto shift. At breakfast everyone chowed down to the usual granola and fruitplus an extra quart or so of mashed potatos to boost carbohydrate levels. Eachof us methodically re-loaded carbide bottles, checked electric lights, pickedup new cool-lites and survey gear. Groans could be heard from the lower tieras Johnson, Steele, and Garza crawled into their cold, slimy wetsuits. One byone we racked in and began our daily commute to work. We rythmically stridedthrough the Torture Chami:ler, each move and key hold being memorized for the longtrip out. At the Junction Room we again split into two 3-man units. Steele,Johnson and I were surveying from there through the Stile-Johnson route to thelower cave. The other three were to rig ahead through the large cascade andphotograph down to Mazateca Shores. the sand-banked room just before the breakdownmaze which had stopped us on t~e first trip. We arrived at the 15 m cascadedrop expecting to see an elaborate bolt rig for a free dry rappel. Insteadwe found the rope leading directly down the 4 cu-sec chute. This provedsporting enough to be of interest and a pleasant cooler to our over-heated wetsuits.We christened it The Refresher: After eight hours of surveying wecaught up with the photo crew at Mazateca Shores. TIley decided to return tocamp after lunch, leaving uS to ponder the breakdown. We were all beginningto feel the effects of back-to-back endurance trips. Steele and I were soonsleeping.beneath a space blanket he had thoughtfully brought along. Johnsonwas still fired up and plunged on through to have a look at the L-shaped room.It must have been close to an hour later when he returned saying that he hadbeen to the sump and thought there might be airspace beyond. It required acommitment though, a full dive. This didn't seem too ·promising so we returnedto the breakdown maze looking for a by-pass. An hour's work netted a connectionback into the upstream passage above Mazateca Shores where Steele was sackedout in the space blanket. In our state of semi-sleep we debated for almost ahalf hour, unable to decide if the breakdown and the L-shaped room sump werewordl another 20 hour trip. We slowly retreated, leaving 3 ropes and a bolt kitfor the next push assuming at least 3 people would be willing to return. Atthe Junction Room we found 3 wetsuit tops. A vote of confidence! We all smiled,this crew had it together. Two hours later we could smell dinner at the base ofthe 60 meter drop and sprinted into camp. We had been caving for 19 hours andit was 1 p.m. on the 26th. Speculation was raised as to whether Horowitz wouldwait until the 27th for Steele and Garza to exit or come in solo to check up onus. The question answered intself just two hours later. An echoiub yell camedown the SS m pitch above camp and everyone reached for their hardhats. Grinningand ready for action. Horowitz arrived only to find everyone sitting around the12

stove in a semi-catatonic state. He reported having had an interesting trip in.Since he had salad. no one was at the entrance to pull the rope out for him, sohe used the Hobbit Hole. As 15 disbelieving ~~zatecs watched, he tossed hiscave pack down 'the small crawl, entered feet first, then dragged his duffel bagof camp gear in behind him! Steele and Garza then left camp for San Agustin.Steele was to return after a day on ~e surface and Garza wo~d remain .1thRountree as topside cre~·. The rest of '.15 headed for the halamoc~~ at 6 p.m. T,]eawoke at 12 o'clock, refreshed - funny. only 6 hours slaep after being so tired.Horowitz said h~ was ready for action, so we sent him on an ~~portant ~ission-w~~ it 12 noon or 12 =idnight?! He had left ;is duffel n~ar the entrance andhad to ascend anyway. When he returneciwe discovered (·le :lad slept not 6, but 18hours and it was "Friday the 17th•.This was a "rest day" for Camp 1. Two rough trips had taken their toll onboth our bodies and equipment. Those who didn't wear gloves spent several hoursrepairing their lacerated hands, vowing not to make that mistake again. Mostof the day was spent playing cards (Poker for M&M's) and eating. We racked outaround midnight assuming Steele would wake us on Saturday morning.BREAKTHROUGH: Steele arrived on time bringinp, a few extra luxuries: breads. batteries,gloves. merthiolate, and a spare wetsuit top. Rountree and Garza hadhiked over to the entrance with him to guard the rope while he rape1led. Wepacked up for a long push trip as this might be· the last chance we had, at goingdeep. At Mazateca Shores we discussed the approach to be taken. All equipmentwas dropped except for standard cave packs. Following 30 m of breakdown crawlwe arrived at the L-shaped room. A high lead was visible ,as a looming blacknesssome 20 m above us. Zeman and Horowitz headed for the sump and I started freeclimbingthe house-sized boulders. At the toP. two fissure passages led off.I chimneyed down one to a 20 m drop. A waterfall was audible in the distance.When Steele arrived he somehow managed to find a bypass downclimb and got to thebottom. Johnson also found a lower route through the breakdown, joined Steele,and continued on. Stiles and I could find neither route and returned to MazatecaShores with Horowitz to bring the survey through the breakdown, assumingthe others would return soon with a going lead. By the time we reached Zeman,who was sleeping in the L-shaped room. we could hear hoots from the other twoheading out. No go. The lead petered out a few hundred meters further on andthe water~all was found to be just a trickle in a side dome. One-by-one wedownclimbed the breakdown toward the sump. Steele felt sure all the cave streamswere entering this sump. Time for some committments. Steele and I swam to wherethe ceiling hit the water and looked around with an underwater flashlight. Incrystal blue water we could see a passage. perhaps 1 m wide and 2 m deep, continuingunder the ledge. A belay line was payed out which I tied around my wristwith a slip knot. I took a deep breath and swam 2 m or so before heading up.Airspace! I yelled back hopiHg someone would hear me. They did, so I continuedon to check the lead. I swam close to 60 m of deep canal passage before comingto a deafening waterfall. We were back in the cascades: When I returned to thesump I found Steele coming through. He had found a 7 em x 4 em airspdce alongthe ceiling where a carbide lamp could just be passed through. Both of us swamback for a conference. The canals were very cold in our tattered wetsuits. Theplan was for Stiles, Johnson and I to survey through the sump to the cascade atwhich point we would explore for 2 hours then begin survey back. This way thesecond survey team of Steele, Zeman and Horowitz could traverse the canalsswiftly and begin at the cascade without getting overly cold. Past the canalswe traversed the sinuous canyon passage on a series of solution pendants 10 m13

Water purification consisted of six drops ofClorox per gallon in La Grieta. (Bill Stone)A typical Huautla underground camp pack.(Gary Stiles)

above the roaring cascades. At times the upper route woUld give out and wewould be back in the canals swimming for 50 m or so at a time. Sections ofthis. nassage had the most remarkable solution flutting any of US had ever seen.Half mete.r wide blades would project from passage walls and extend verticallyfor 10 m or so. In other places the rock was dissolved so it formed only askeleton of what used to be the stream floor. The thinner projections of rockin these areas sometimes were less than 5 cm in diameter, yet 1 m long! Thismade going extremely difficult as it was impossible to tell when a footholdwas going to break off~ We soon reached our two hour limit and commenced thesurvey. Some four hours later we connected with the other team and headed out.It was 6:45 a.m., Sunday. At 9 a.m. we reached the Junction Room. Wetsuittops were again dropped here for the finaJ push. Everyone was back at Camp I~y noon concluding a 21 hour trip.· Realizing that we could be underground asmuch as three more days Johnson headed for San Agustin to inform the surfacecrew. We were originally due to leave the cave the following morning. Thecamp crew then hit the hammocks for another 18 hour sleeping blitz.Our eiRhth day underground was spent in camp repairing equipment. Severalof us had ·bought new Viet Nam boots (Korean made) for the expedition and wereastounded at their state of disrepair after only two weeks of caving. Three orfour hours work with a sewing awl usually returned them to a functional state.Wetsuits, unfortunately, could not be repaired since they never dried out enoughfor the glue to hold.BOREHOLE! Johnson arrived at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday with news that it had beenraining hard. The rainy season was due soon. Carbide and food were also gettinglow. This would be the last trip of the season. Along with some extraprovisions he had brought in a hand calculator. A half hour's work showed thefurthest survey station to be 542 m (1778 feet) below the entrance. La Grietawas now the 2nd deepest cave in the hemisphere. We suited-up for the last timeand smoothly negotiated the now familiar passage. Within four hours we reachedthe limit of exploration. The stream canyon led on just as before: canals andcascades. This time it was Steele, Zeman and Horowitz in the lead planning aminimum four hour exploration blitz before surveying back. One rule we had beenenforcing this trip (as always) was that all explored passage be surveyed. Johnson,Stiles and I began surveying in. We soon came to an apparent sump. Johnsonwent freeclimbing high up the wall and I went low, not sure of where the othershad gone. The passage continued beneath the ledge with a 5 cm airspace. Wedove this one too, arriving at the top of another 10 m cascade. For the next1/2 km we surveyed through more canals and cascades. Gradually we left the waterand began traversing large breakdown. With each survey shot the passage openedup until all we could see was a great· blackness ahead beneath the 15 m higharched roof. For close to six hours we had nothing but 30 m survey shots. Theroar of the river could always be heard below the breakdown. Speculation ranrampant. Was this part of some old super system? Whatever it was, it was biggerand longer than any known passa~e on the plateau and heading down on a steep150 dip. San Agustin was not far away, but if we continued on this dip therewas a possibility of going underneath. Our speculation was never answered forwe soon heard the push team. They were just as dazed as us. Beyond the trunkpassage continued even more cave of similar dimensions (20 m x 15 m), but· theyhadn't followed it. Several hundred meters further they had descended a riftleading into a steeply dropping chamber over 60 m wide. At the bottom theyencountered another cascade and canal passage. From there they surveyed out.15

Home at -300 meters in La Grieta.(Bill Stone)

With two leads 'beckoning we began the retreat.- The strain of a long trip beganto show. Every time our. process:f,on° stopped people dozed off. Only when we reachedthe L-room sump did we really wake up. All tackle (600 m of rope t pads, and boltkits) was derigged back to Camp I, the last person arriving at 6 p.m. Wednesdaynight after a 26 hour trip.During dinner we worked through the numbers. Total depth, verified laterin Austin, was 665 m (2181 feet). Length was over 4 km. The general plan W;lSto pack camp and degrig the entire cave on Thursday.DERIGGING: Following a brief 12 hours in the hammocks we slowly roused ourselvesto the task at hand. Personal gear was packed first. Wetsuits werenot needed above Camp I so those were also packed. All cans were crushed andplaced in a community garbage pile; everyone carried a share of this out. Whatremained of the camp food was finished off in a final gluttonous breakfast. Wethen scoured the campsite for trash. Not so much as a gum wrapper remained.By noon Thursday everyone had their camp packs ready for the ascent. Horowitzascended first with just his camp pack, intending to make a second trip forrope. The rest of us machos in camp decided we could each carry a fifth of theimmense pile of tackle up to the entrance in one °shot. This amounted to roughly120 m of wet, muddy rope per. person in addition to a 60 pound camp pack: Itall sounded so easy the night before. Johnson got 10 m into the 55 m pitch above camp before deciding that something had to be rearranged. Things were abit unbalanced with a 100 pound cave pack! Everyone later agreed that it hadbeen one of the most difficult ascents of their careers. Once up this. pitchwe shuffled half the load at a time up successive pitches and climbs. At about-150 m I met Garza on the way in from the surface to help derig. Things wentsmoothly from there on. Steele and I reached the bottom of the 60 m entranceshaft by dusk with six duffels of equipment. Horowitz and Johnson had gone backdown to finish derigging. After freeclimbing the entrance at the top of ouremergency rope we bolt rigged a pulley with a Jumar safety and began haulingequipment bags up the entrance pitch.10 hours.We had been underground for 10 days andEPILOG: A computer generated map of the area showed that we had stopped only3/4 kilometer short of a major upstream lead in San Agustin. If a connectioncan be made between the two caves the resulting system will be 952 m deep(3121 feet) and over 13 km long. Limits of endurance, however, will necesitatea second camp at -500 m for the ~eturn expedition.THINK DEEP[see loose map of La Grieta at end]

PurificacionAreaSummary of Exploration by Peter SprouseTwo large cave systems in this mountainous region west of Cd. Victoria,Tamaulipas have been the focus of an ongoing AMCS project. The survey ofCueva del Brinco, elevation 1900 m, was initiated in August 1973 and underthe direction of David McKenzie and Peter Sprouse has achieve~ a length of5.2 km and a depth of 197 m. Cueva de Infiernillo, at 1100 m elevation, wasdiscovered in April 1976, and a survey co-ordinated by Charles Fromen andPeter Sprouse has reached a length of 4.1 km and a depth of 216 m. It nowappears likely that the two caves may connect; this is supported by the factthat a considerable amount of air flow enters Brinco while a large flow alsoexits the entrance of Infiernillo.Following are three reports of recent survey trips. These represent allof the work to date done in Cueva de Infiernillo, while accounts of all previouswork in Cueva del Brinco may be found by referring to the followingpublications: AMCS Activities Newsletter, nos. 5 & 6; AMCS Newsletter, vol. V,nos. 2 & 3; NSS NEWS, vol. 31, no. 11.Discovery of Cueva de Infi.emillobyJean UbicoDate: April 9-18, 1976Persons: Cathy Barnes, Mark Conover, Charles Fromen, Erin O'Hare, Jean Ubico,Harry Walker, Dorothy Walker, and Bruce Wilbur.Under the guidance of Senor Antonio Grimaldo, a 78 year old, local sawmillofficial, our group located and explored several guano caves in Esperanza Canyonbefore heading up to Senor Grimaldo's house in the· mountains. Severalyears ago Grimaldo and nine other men built a narrow mountain road on which totransport lumber, which we headed down in the morning to reach the embarkationpoint for an exploratory hike. The inexhaustible 78 year old Senor macheteddown vines and limbs to clear the semblance of a trail for us through the thickjungle vegetation. Huge boulders blanketed with slippery moss form an obstaclecourse along the river bed that winds through the canyon. And then we came uponit: an enormous, black cave mouth some 35 meters straight up the face of thecliff. During the rainy season a giant waterfall cascades out of the entrancedown to the river below. The Senor had once shown the cave site to some Americantourists who merely took pictures; our crew began immediate plans forentry.The next day the most experienced caver-mountaineers of the group, Charles18

Chaining a passage in Cueva de Infiemillo.(Tom Byrd)and Harry, were elected to scale the steep cliff face. The rest of us mannedstrategic points on the boulders to photograph the ascent into the cave mouth.The climbers tied a rope around a tree adjacent to the top of the cave andrappelled down at an angle to the entrance. A second climb was necessary tofree the entangled rope from the trees. A line was then dropped from the mouthto the cavers at the base of the cliff, and thus began the seven hour ascentof the novices supervised by Mark. A dense, tropical rain further slowed theupward trip. The main entrance of the cave measures 20 m in width with aceiling-of 25m. Piles of boulders intersect smooth sand banks along thegradual descent of the central passage. Clear puddles of water in which tinypieces of wood have been deposited dot the sandy areas. The wood indicatesthe possible existence of an upper cave entrance from which debris would becarried by the water through 1000 m or more of rock. Our exploration of themain passage was halted initially by a 6 m deep lake with a siphon and thenby a 23 m shaft with water in it. The side passages, however, proved to berambling and of varied feature. One in the vicinity opens into a compactroom filled with thick, pudding like mud.Dinner that evening consisted mainly of breakfast bars, as our rations atthat point were rather limited. With a great amount of rustling, we huddledtogether for siesta under the crinkly, flourescent space blankets.Unfortunately our body heat was absorbed in a short time by the cold sandbanks. At about 4 AM the cave exploration resumed. A pit in the rearof a dome shaped room with five entrances descends some 12 m and then opens19

into another major passage. The pit was not entered due to lack of properequipment; we did, however, investigate the path out of each of the fiveentrances. A strong wind blows down these passages, a further indicationof a possible upper cave entrance. A series of fifteen foot travertine damsline one lengthy passage; 60 em stalagmites in the shape of bushes cover thefloor of another.In the morning four cavers rappelled down the cliff, while Cathy,Charles and Mark completed the partial mapping of the side passages. Atotal of 1158 m of cave was mapped in 50 different stations. The extent ofthe area that remains to be explored may be virtually infinite. The backpacksweighed heavily on the two hour return through the jungle to the van.A symbolic walking stick and rock etched with Grimaldo's initials awaited uson the windshield of the blazer. Concerned about our welfare, the old manwas on his way down to the cave. .After stopping in the mercado in Cd.via Reynosa.Victoria, we returned to TexasCueva de Infiernilloand Cueva del Brinco by Peter SprousePhase I: May 6-13, 1977Persons: Ralph Batsche, Mike Connolly, Charles Fromen, Carmina Fromen,Peter Sprouse, Terri Treacy, and Harry Walker.Terri Treacy and I spent two weeks caving in the Cueva del Brinco vicinitywith two groups of cavers. On Friday, May 6, we left Austin for Houston wherewe joined with Greater Houston Grotto cavers, Ralph Batsche, Mike Connolly,Chatles Fromen, Carmina Fromen and Harry Walker and headed south to the landof caves. We crossed th'1'Ough Reynosa the next day and on to Cd. Victoria,Tamaulipas. Driving part way up the mountain we camped near Paso de laMuerte that night.The following morning, May 8, we drove on to Sr. Grimaldo's house atLa Curva. Here we packed for the hike down to the large cave being exploredby the Houston cavers, which Grimaldo informed us is called Cueva de Infiernillo.We planned to stay in two days, all setting off with heavy packs exceptfor Carmina, who stayed at Sr. Grimaldo's house. We were able to drivewithin a kilometer via a new logging road yet the rough hike still took· 1-1/2hours. After dropping down into the canyon we found ourselves following upa 15 meter wide arroyo with truck sized smooth boulders. Soon this arroyoended abruptly in a sheer cliff face 40 m up in which was the huge entranceto Cueva de Infiernillo (the Cave of Hell). During times of flood, a powerfulwaterfall must fall from the entrance, evidenced by the usually dry 3 m deepplunge pool and ensuing arroyo. The only access to the entrance is by aninteresting climbing maneuver; Harry and I did a steep bushwhack up the leftside of the arroyo until we met the sheer cliff face. Here we were 25 mabove the lip of the entrance and could rappel down to a ledge leading into20

the cave. We pulled our rope down behind us and rigged it down the 40 m dropto the arroyo for the others to ascend. My first impression of the cave wasof the strong wind blowing out of the entrance. I had never seen anything likeit in my life. The entrance measures 20 m X 25 m, yet still a piece-of flaggingtape, .5 meters long, would flutter 70 degrees off of horizontal! Hmm!Promising cave.Once we were all in we hiked on down the trunk passage towards our campsite.We were to camp down the right hand passage about 300 m in past wherethe main passage forked. Halfway there we noted a right hand. side passagenot shown on the survey. Terri and I explored down this major inlet for about150 m (50 m vertically) to a large, deep sump. It appeared to flood upwardsto contribute to the entrance flow. Continuing on down the main passage wecame to the fork - or so we thought. A steeply climbing passage took off tothe left blowing air. But just a little further on was the major fork in thepassage, so we went on down to camp. After setting up camp we all went downto the end of the right hand passage where Terri and I suited up to investigatea large lake. This is a definite sump with a dipping ceiling and about7 m deep. This sump also apparently floods upwards. We collected some rareAsellid isopods here. Afterwards Terri and I returned to the main passage toinvestigate the left hand lead which the other had also missed in their previoussurvey. We explored quite a ways with air blowing in our face, climbingup a continual 30 0 dip. We ran back down to camp for the night.The next day the others decided to push our ascending passage of thenight before. Terri and I elected to pursue the main passage to see what itdid. We explored several new side passages of fair promise before reachingthe end of their survey. The passage was climbing steeply up to that point,over ancient rimstone and deep dry plunge pools. Obviously the river thatonce flowed here now travelled a deeper, unknown route, with only a strongwind beckoning us on. We reached a seemingly unclimbable flowstone fallsjust as the voices of the others floated to us from above. Their passage hadreconnected into our 400 m linear distance from where it had taken off: Upon a high balcony opposite the flowstone they had connected in after partiallyexploring a series of high ascending tubes that appeared to be the sourceof most of the air in our passage as,well as theirs. They began to surveyback to the main passage. With a boost from Terri I managed to find a routeup the climb and explored on ahead. The passage split into at least six ways I explored a while before giving up. Returning to where Terri was we exploredinto a lead there which split into three passages which also continue. We thenwent back to camp for the night.We packed up the next day (May 10) and exited the cave. The others' surveyhad brought the length of Infiernillo up to 1.8 km; the depth must be somewherearound 130 m so far. Altogether a most promising cave surely to be oneof Mexico's longest and perhaps deepest - determined exploration should bringrich discoveries. It is on the same frature zone and some 4 km away and 800 mlower than Cueva del Brinco - so it may connect, though this would require aserious effort. It appears to be primalrily a fossil resurgence however, so.the main Brinco drainage may still go on down to the Zona de Manatiales 600 mlower than Infiernillo.Wecontinued on up'the mountain for further caving, returning to the Brinco21

area on the l?th. The Houston cavers departed for Texas leaving Terri and meat the Brinco camp to wait for Ediger's crew to arrive for the Brinco push.(See ~~CS Activities Letters #4 & 5 for previous exploration accounts.)Phase II: May 13-22, 197iPersons: Sheila Balsdon, Gill Ediger, Preston Forsythe, Margaret :-Iart,S~ari Larason, Thomas Moore, Diane Perwien, Peter Sprouse, and Terri Treacy.While waiting for t:"le rest of our crew. Terri and I occupied ourselveswith unfinished leads in Brinco in the area of the cave near the entrance.The first day, Friday the 13th, we entered the ::;econd l=.ft hand passage andmapped into the downstream lead to where a second stream passage came in.We surveyed up the incoming stream to a low stream hellycrawl. We netted183 m of survey in a 6 hour trip. The next day we were preparing to enter thecave to continue the survey when we heard the unmistakeble sound of Ediger'struck grinding up the mountain. Soon it arrived CArrying Sheila Balsdon,Gill Ediger, Prestcn Forsythe,· Margaret Hart, Shari LarasoI1, Thomas Heort,and Diane Per~ien. After much hoo-haair.g Terri and I continued on inte thecave and surveyed downstream from the previous night's stream junction. Oursurveying tied in to the cottom of familiar Traverse Pit, creating a linklong missing, as well as part of another link to the first stream. Another6 hour trip with 171 m mapped. .On May 15 the other::; were rested from their journey and ready to cave.Ediger led Margaret (her first Mexica~ cave) and Diane (her first cave anywhere!)to the Loser's Paradise area and did some lead checkin6 • Terri,Thomas, Sheila, and I returned to the Canal, the caves deepest point at-180 m, and brought the survey up to the limit of exploratio~ of the previoustrip. From there the trunk of the World Beyond lEd on into the unknown. Wenetted 532 m in a 17 tour trip.The 16th of 11ay was an RS·R day. On the 17th Eeliger, liargaret and I walkedup to look at an interesting entrance above town that Ediger had bean shown bya local. l:t takes some air. Quite close by we found a slightly higher entrancetha~ blew air and a stream could be heard inside. In the afternoon two team~returned to the World Beyond while Diane and Shari dug in a lead near theentrance. On the trip into the cave Ediger made a phy:~ical connection upstreamfrom Laguna Verde to the limit of exploration below Katy Falls. 1n the WorldBeyond Ediger, Margaret and S~eila surveyed upstream for 20n m before the coldlakes convinced them to quit. :he passage continues upstream with air movementgoing downstream. Preston, Terri and I charged into the downstream"River Beyond" with nearly continuous 30 m shots. After about 25~ m of \Jidestream trunk the passage enlarged into a huge room 30 m X 50 m X 20 m containingan immenl:ie flowstone mounta.i.n - dubbed the "Throne ':If Gztotl." BeyC'ndthe stream continued as ever, thro1:lgh long de",p lakes and under breakdown collapses.With the setting of our last station ~e had mapped 937 ~ that day ~d22

increased the cave's depth to -197 m. I explored on ahead another 100 m andsaw no end in sight - indeed, the water flow seemed to be increased and thepassage ahead took quite a bit of air. We exited after 17 hours.The 18th we rested, and on the 19th Thomas, Sheila, and Margaret wentinto Brinco to Laguna Verde where they attempted to su~y the connectionEdiger had made. They mapped partway up to the end of the other survey.Ediger, Diane and I did a·, surface survey from Brinco through town up to thatwo new high cave entrances. We mapped 60 m upstream into Entrada del VientoAlta to the bottom of a 10 m dome. Here a fault was visible, the chert bedshaving about 10 em displacement. The dome is climbable, but requires a belay.Into Entrada del Viento Baja we surveyed 40 m to a pinch. I squeezed onthrough and explored another 60 m downstream in tight passage. It will probablyconnect into the Brinco system but will requi.re a lot of work - a connectionwould add considerable depth.By a"long shot this was the most successful trip into Brinco to date.The cave's length was increased from 3.2 km to 5.2 km in the cave's largestand longest passage. The configuration of the cave was totally changed anda defin!te trend established. The cave has been extended 1 km to the south,lBay from the assumed resurgence to the north. It seems to be trapped in aminor syncline that has captured stream flow along its axis. At some point(which could be a long way off:,) it may break through this, dropping downand doubling back. Such an occurance would also break the recent horizontaltrend and again result in increasing depth. The cave thus far has dr~pped197 m of a projected 1400 m potential. The new discovery is so vastly differentit almost doesn't seem like the same cave. The well integrated dippingstream maze has intersected a large horizontal stream trunk 1.5 km long (sofar). By all indications this passage will continue a long way in both directions.Further Explorationin Cueva de Infiemillo by Maureen CavanaughDate: July 29-August 6, 1977Persons: Terry Sayther, Tom Byrd, Sheila Balsdon, Maureen Cavanaugh, JeffHorowitz, and Peter SprouseJuly 29: After much soul searching about "Mexico or Convention" our crewheaded resolutely south. The 2 a.m. border crossing'at Matamoros presentedno problems and we arrived in the Victoria square in time for sunrise andbreakfast. After an assault on the mercado it was time for a swim and:- watermelongobble in the El Careen canal. A ruthless bout of seed spitting ensued,but the mountains beckoned to us • •• A wet and muddy road was anticipateddue to the rainy season but it was very dry. That evening we camped at thePaso de la Huerte campground and watched the rising of a billiant full moonflooding the valley below with an eerie silvery light. The r.reather was warmbut pleasant and we all felt exhilarated to be out of the sultry lowlands andinto the dry mountain air.23

July 30: The next morning we paused for a few minutes about a kilometer fromPurifieac!on for a first glimpse of our quest, the Cueva de Infiernillo entrancewhich is situated in a cliff face 35 • aboft the head of the Canon deInfiernillo. Looking west across the valley fro. this point (towards Sotanode los Novios), Terry spotted a road that comes down from Dulces Nombres toa settlement called La Jcya and a mine. Possible cave entrances were notedon that side of the valley. Next we stopped in the far end of the villageof Ejido Purificacion (La Curva) for a few minutes to chat with that very fineold gentleman, Senor Antonio Grimaldo and to inspect the (now) famcus airplanedoor pigpen. Senor Grimaldo remarked that it haem.' t rained in about threeweeks; mentioning that a waterfall comes out of the entrance of Infiemllloduring times of heavy rain. After a few refrescos we drove down to the end ofthe logging road and began our 2-1/2 hour descent into the arroyo with 20-30kilo backpacks. There is no trail and the hillside consists of loose karstblocks covered with dead oak leaves. Fiendish thorny vines caught on clothesand backpacks and caused occasional cases of tanglefoot. Returnees beware:THAT SILENT MENANCE, POISON IVY, IS EVERYWHERE! General consensus was that apriority on the next trip would be to establish and mark a good route down thehillside. The arroyo was a welcome change and we were surprised by a smallcold spring gurgling out of some talus which provided enough water to sit downin. The entrance was close by and in another 15 minutes we were at the bottomof the cliff admiring the 20 X 25 m entrance 35 m up and contemplating the cold2 m deep spring fed pl'~ge pool at its base.Jeff, Peter and I did the climb to above the entrance and Peter rigged his45 • Goldline which barely reached a ledge by the entrance. The view was fantasticand cool brisk breeze blew out the entrance. After packs were hauled upTerry, Sheila and Tom prusiked up and we backpacked through impressively largetrunk passage (over slipper] breakdOwn) to our predetermined basecamp 500 minside the cave. This was the beginning of five days underground.August 1: Two survey teams were formed to start on tha day's work. Peter, Jeffand Sheila began to survey up the left.. fork of the main passage while the otherteam of Tom, Terry and myself mapped up the middle fork. The middle fork wasyour basic booming trunk passage with passage width up to 20 m and ceilingheights ranging up to 25 or 30 m in some places. and abounding with promisingside leads. The middle fork initially trended downwards to the level of theentrance and then gradually up for the remainder of the survey. The last 150m we surveyed up tiers and cascades of dry flo,~stone and rims tone d3DIS thatcontrasted nicely with the dark grey scoured ~alls. A brisk breeze was blowingtowards the entrance and was especially strong in one ?lace where the ceilingheight dipped to 3 m. The terminus of our 8 hour, 666 m survey brought uS intovoice contact with the other crew and Terry climbed up another flowstone slopeto establish visual contact. They shot down 35 m from a balcony to a stationTerry established. They had mapped 714 m in their survey, which was a rehashof a Greater Houston Grotto survey, necessary to get a running vertical profileand add passage details to pinpoint locations of numerous side leads. Totalsurveyed length in the cave was 1988 m.August 2: Day 2 underground again saw two teams in action. Tom and I returnedto the middle fork to photograph and to complete the final'l46 m of the mainpassage loop left from the previous day's survey. Sheila, Jeff and Peter mappedin the Confusion Tubes, which proved to be fairly complex. The Tubes are a24

series of parallel ascending (+30 0 ) vadose tubes 1-2 m in diameter with pitsleading off at an angle of -70 0 • Past the Tubes was a T-junction. Followingthe air led them to another large junction room with three passages leadingoff from a lake (Lakeland). One lead took air and headed back. The otherblew air but led to untraversible Frustration Lake and the third led to anotherlake with a good wind that could be traversed on one side. It led into a largebreakdown trunk, past the Bucket ( a retable done by holding onto the edge ofa rimstone dam) and under some natural' bridges or "Puentes de Oztotl." Thesurvey was terminated and Jeff explored on to a large room with a climbdown.Then they retreated back to the Confusion Tubes and tied up another loop. Theyhad mapped 636 m in their 11 hour trip. The cave now had 2780 m of mappedpassage.August 3: Sheila, Peter and I mapped north off the other large junction roomthat was before the Tubes, while Terry photographed the surveyors in actionand checked leads. Tom and Jeff returned to the Tubes for a photographic tripand joined us later on. We mapped past GHG stations and started into virginpassage. Average passage size was about 3 X 2 m. The survey was stopped by anunclimbable 8 m pit taking air. Three hundred and fifteen meters were surveyedon this trip, bring the cave length up to 3095 m.After returning to camp Peter and Sheila decided to take a look at the SandCampsite activity in Cueva de Infiernillo.(Tom Byrd)[foldout map of Purificación area followed this page]25

Room which was down passage from basecamp. I t had flooded since the previoustrip 11 weeks before and the entrance to it sUmped. They 100ked at the lefthand sump and decided that it was up 6-7 m. On the way back to camp Peter noticedthat the air flow was going up and was surprised to notice a large domein the ceiling. Two passages appeared to be going off of it about 25 m up. Itis unclimbable but perhaps someday the top will be found. When he returned tocamp Peter measured the cave temperature of 590F.August 4: Jeff, Peter and I went back to the end of the furthest survey whileTom, Sheila and Terry mapped to the right at the T-junction and into the Tubes.Peter, Jeff and I mapped through big trunk passage trending 160 0 with a goodwind coming out of it." Eventually the passage lowered to a crawl but by followingthe air through a breakdown maze Peter found a parallel trunk passagethat continued. Our survey stopped at the end of the crawl and on the wayback to camp we tied up another loop in the Tubes. Meanwhile Tom, Terry andSheila gave UP in disgust at a pit after malJPinS!: 50 m in 30 stations in the Tubesand returned back to camp. This combined with the 864 m of our survey broughtthe cave length to 4 km.August 5: Jeff was developing a bad cas"e of poison ivy and mildew was beginningto set in. It was time to think about heading out after five days underground.Grimy cavers' hearts were gladdened by the t1\ought that soon theywould be out romping in the sunshine, washing off the sweat and mold of fivedays in the sparkling cold waters just beneath the entrance. Yahoo! Tom andI returned to tbe middle fork for some last minute photographs and to finishdetails on the vertical profil"e. When we returned to camp everyone else wasgone and after a quick packup we headed foT. the exit. After days of semidarknessthe first sight of brilliant blue sky and green trees seemed an incrediblylush and welcome sight. I yearned for the rejuvenating catalyst of sunshineand water, nature's best alchemy. As I reached the entrance I was surprisedto find the others standing and sitting listlessly about. Why weren'tthey already frolicking in the water below? I set my pack down and walked tothe edge and looked down, and looked ••• and looked again. NO WATER, not onedrop. I realized immediately that it must be a result of God's perverted senseof humor; Oztotl would never play such a mean joke.Peter rappelled down first with his backpack on. The first part of thedescent, against a wall, went smoothly but when he reached the free part ofthe drop his backpack pulled him over backwards and· in extricating himselfhe scraped his arm badly. The rest of us suspended our packs from our rackswith a carabiner and a short length of rope and.rappelled down to the ledgewith no problems. Jeff and I came down last and lowered packs to the base ofthe cliff. Peter decided to leave his rope rigged permanently to avoid havingto repeat the entrance climb on return trips.The hike up the mountain took an hour and a half and soon we were back atLa Curva eating delicious goat's milk cheese and tortillas courtesy of Senory Senora Grimaldo. That night we camped at the Paso de la Muerte campgroundand drove down the next day (August 6) for another swim in the El Carmen canal.After comida at the Restaurante San Carlos we cruised north at top speed. TheCustoms official at the new bridge took one look into the truck and shudderedin disgust, and soon we were back in Austin with good stories to tell, havingproved that you can go caving in Mexico in the summer time.Credits:Many thanks to Peter Sprouse for the use of survey and trip notes.

La Sistema Purificacidn: a theory and a goalbyPeter SprouseAs these trip reports and accompanying line plots imply, the cave potentialis immense. At this point, if Brinco and Infiemillo were connected the combinedsystem would be around 800 meters deep. The passage length required fora connection between the two, now 5.2 km and 4.1 km respectively, could be anywherefrom two kilometers to ten. The downstream and downwind passage inBrinco is currently.heading nearly due south and doesn't appear to be likelyto change trend any time soon. Geomorphic evidence suggests it could maintainthis trend for up to 15 km to the south. Additionally, the major likely resur-.gences located 10 and 20 km to the north of Infiemillo amount'to a poten~ia~linear extent of 20 - 40 km. In comparison, the current linear extent of theworld's longest cave, The Flint Mammoth Cave ~ystem·cf Kencucky (length297 km) is around 10 km. The potential for density' 'of pas::>age development in thePurificacion system is probably similar to Flint Mammoth. Yet the potentialfor vertical development is some 20 times greater. From the springs of theRio Purificacion to the high karst of Rancho Nuevo is a vertical gain of over2000 meters. It is interesting to note that thus far there has heen no verti~al work involved, with the notable exception of the ropework required to getup into the cliffside entrance to Infiemilfo.So we are indeed embarking on a project of immense potential that couldproduce the world's deepest and longest cave, although its realization admittedlymay take many decades: All survey data is now computerized and storedon permanent file at the University of Texas and line plots similar to theones used here will be used to show the continuing development of the system.Meanwhile a serious program of study and survey will continue in the fieldthe likes of which has not been seen in Mexican speleology.27

PURIFICACIONAREATAMAULIPAS,MEXICOLINE PLOTS COMPILED BY PETER SPROUSE AND DAVIDMcKENZIE BASED ON SURVEYS BY THE ASSOCIATIONFOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIES 1973 -1977. TOPOGRAPHYAND ENTRANCE LOCATIONS FROM 1:50,000 TOPO MAPS.COPYRIGHT 1977 PETER SPROUSE.Cueva del BrincoLENGTH 5.2 KMplanENTRANCELENGTH 4.1 KMCueva del Brincoair,waterair,watero

Between the Cold and the" GlorybyTerry SaytherProbably a high percentage of you out there consider Northern Mexico a regionof desolation and boredom which is crossed on the way south to the GOOD STUFF.Another high percentage of the Activities Newsletter readership has probablynever considered it at all, having travelled through it at "night or while asleep.The caves of Northern Mexico have traditionally been used for recreational weekendcaving. Mostly these trips revisit a small number of well-known caves includingGruta del Palmito near Bustamante, N.L., famous for its spectacularlybig rooms and well decorated walls; Gruta de Carrizal near Candela, N.L., smallerbut also highly attractive (especially for those" tending toward webbed toes); andGruta del Precipicio. Although visitation has not become frequent yet, ElusivePit should probably be added to this list since its entrance drop (about 140 m)is a strong attractant to many. Visitation of these caves is a custom handeddown from one caving generation to the next, and as such is not news. Onceactivities of this sort are weeded out, it becomes easy to report on those remaining.Because only a few people do exploration in Northern Mexico, there is littleleft to report.Probably the most interesting of recent events is the visitation of a vertical.~ave near Candela by South Texas cavers including Craig Bittinger, Paul Duncan,Fred Paschal and others. As yet unnamed and unmapped (at last word), preliminarymeasurements indicate a depth of over 120 m. Another vertical cave, Cueva delMilagro, south of Monclova, Coah., was investigated by Austin cavers, PrestonForsythe, Shari Larason, Thomas Mpore, Bill Morrow, Ron Ralph and Terry Sayther.It was explored briefly down to a depth of about 35 m where two drops of 30+ mwere encountered.Additionally, several medium sized caves in the Sierra la Ventana ridgeextending to both the north and south from Elusive pit have been visited andmapped (Blake Harrison, Ernst Kastning, Bill Morrow, Al Ogden, Sandy FlintOgden, Ron Ralph, Terry Sayther, and many others). A number of these caves areassociated with archeological material such as pictographs on nearby shelterwalls. Many of these same cavers have become involved with documentation ofthese and other pictograph and petroglyph sites in the area.In spite of the proximity of Nueva Leon and Coahuila caving areas, littleelse has been done recently, and much of the area remains virtually untouched.In all directions from the Monterrey-Bustamante center, and especially to thesouth and west, there is tremendous potential for AMeS-type speleological i~perialism.If you have been involved with, or are aware of other worK (or workers)in any part of Northern Mexico, please notify either me or the editors of thisNewsletter so that such material can be included in future issues. Additionally,information on Indian Rock Art sites throughout central and northern Mexicowould he appreciated.28

Rappelling the high side drop of Hoya de las Guaguas.(Bill Stone)

Back tothe Bird PitsbyBill StoneSummertime in Austin is frustrating. To a caver that is. Montana is nice,but far away. So is Huaut1a, but the rains have come. With only a three dayweekend to spare neither of these seemed feasible. Frank Binney once told meof a two day trip to Sotano de Soyate, but it took four days to recover. Withplans for the upcoming Xilitla Bulletin .in the works Hoya de las Guaguas seemedthe logical target for a weekend endeavor, as this was the only remainingmajor cave in the area lacking a map. Caver opinion was clearly divided tothe moment of departure from Kirkwood Central on Friday, July 1. The rationalpoint of view (it's at least 16 hours driving to Valles plus a 3 hour backpack)gradually lost out to the fanatical faction (we can map the whole cave, divethe sump and still have time to hit the Rio Huichihuayon~)Guaguas is a spectacular hole. The few who have been there rate it secondonly to Golondrinas. The cave consists basically of two immense interconnecteddomepits, each over 200 m high and 200 m in diameter. The shortest way in isa 147 m drop from the low side of the pit, and the controversial high side dropwas reputedly -229 m. In order to accurately plumb both drops a 410 m spoolof thin guage wire was procured. Following the usual last minute personnelshuffling Peter Sprouse, Gill Edig~r, Bill Steele, Andy Grubbs, Katy Knighton,Audry Larken and I piled into my truck and were off to Guaguas.Despite the shortness of time we stopped at Aquismon long enough to greetSr. Ramirez, the new presidente, and obtain a letter of permission. Much toour delight we were informed that the road to Tampaxal was finally being built.From El Limon the road traversed the valley and climbed almost to the westerncrest before becoming impassable. Even so it cut well over 2 hours off thehiking time from La Pimienta.WeA forty minute hike Sunday morning brought us to the gaping precipice.rigged on the high side with a 430 m line (overkill?).Steele, Grubbs, Ediger and I formed the two bottom survey teams and rappelledin. Sprouse, Knighton and Larken began the surface survey by unreeling thewire spool at the high side datum. Once measured they began the long processof rolling it back up onto a stick. Meanwhile, the bottom teams surveyed twoloops around the entrance chamber closing on the touch down point. The lowside drop was also wired despite a heavy downpour topside. Following lunch.~ surveyed down the long chute to the lower chamber. Ediger and I then took30

the right wall while Steele and Grubbs went left. The immensity of thischamber is rivaled by few caves. The high vaulted ceiling looms 200 m overhead.Light from the entrance is still visible as deep as -430 m: Steeleand Grubbs shrunk to specks as they traversed the far wall 200 m away. Thirtymeter survey shots hardly made perceptible progress. Ediger and I surveyedfor three hours in an apparent straight line. Once the loops were tied, Edigersketched in the detail for the "hole" of our doughnut survey and headed out.The rest of us surveyed through a near guano sump and down the phreatic tubeSteve Zeman and I had found several years before. The passage was somewhatdrier and the sump at the end had receded close to 10 m vertically. With thesurvey complete Steele and I dug out our diving masks while Grubbs fished foran evasive, blind crayfish. No one had any luck. Grubbs missed the critter,but was highly successful in murking up the sump. Steele kicked around. decidin~not to fre~ dive. Following some indecision I cracked a lightstick, turnedon my nicad and dove it for 6 m or so with Steele belaying. The ceiling continueddown on the same dip with no signs of a change so I turned around and gavea yank on the belay line. Steele then pulled me to the surface. Surveyeddepth to that point was 465+ m (1540 feet). Only a dry season push with divingtanks will tell if Guaguas is really finished. We returned to the entrancechamber well after dark and began the long prusik. Sprouse and Ediger providedsome diversion with a spectacular 200 m glowing cyalume "waterfall." In returnSteele ignited several strips of magnesium. We drove home the following morningafter a dip in the Rio Pimienta. The high side drop was later measured inAustin at 202 m with the low side 147 m.POEM IN HONOR OF RETUR.~INGHEROSDown through the cornfieldsOn precarious slopesHeads filled with vaporsHoping high hopes,Past cana crazed MazatecsThirsty for ropes,March the disciples. of Oztotl.Bent with the weightOf overstuffed packsBuried in BluewaterRattling their racks;One more grain of granolaWould have broken some backsOf these brawny children of Oztotl.Bent on descentOf impenetrable gloomForsaking bright hillsideFor dank dripping room,Living for daysWithout use of a broom Brave brethren of Oztotl.For over a weekTo chimney and crawl,Gliding down dropClawing up wallPlunging the sumpThey follow the callOf the Great God Oztotl.Now battered and bruisedThey ascend from the depthsTheir dope stash is emptyTheir muscles crave rest,But Salvation is certainFor they answered the testOf Omnipresent OmniscientOmnipotent OmniverousOztotl.Cathy Rountree31

'Getting Down in Peiiaby Bill Stone-It had almost been a year since the discovery of Cueva de la Pena whenour group arrived at Rancho la Presa, S.L.P. Preston Forsythe and I had locatedthe entrance on a long hike from Tierras Prietas during November of 1976 andhad unsuccessfully been trying to return since then. This time the trip cameoff, even though we could only afford a four day blitz from Austin. Along withPreston and I were Shari Larason, Margaret Hart and Jeff Horowitz.At Rancho la Presa we were greeted with enthusiasm as close to 30 townspeoplefollowed us up the mountain. The hike to the entrance was short butstrenuous in the hot September sun. Ripe Guayabas along the trail proved to.be palatable thirst quenchers.We soon crested the dollne edge. Cueva de la Pena lay beneath a striking30 m high headwall of limestone 1/2 km away. A 6 m wide arroyo wound sinuouslyacross the fields of Heloti before abruptly diving into the wide gash whichforms the entrance. Here we unloaded our backpacks and sorted equipment. Inaddition to standard equipment we had brought close to 400 m of rope in highanticipation of a deep system. Shari, having forgotten her helmet remainedtopside, leaving the rest of us to the task at hand. The entrance series wascomposed of several 6-8 m handline pitches followed by a stream passage.about this area were disgusting piles of vampire guano. Following a 6 m pitchwe arrived at the limit of exploration; a 13 m drop. From this point on wecould easily have been in any of the San Juan Plateau caves. The generouslysized passage continued only a few meters past the 13 m drop before intersectingwith an even deeper shaft, 25 m. The rock throughout this portion of thecave was extremely fractured and natural tieoffs proved scarce. Sometimes thisnecessitated wasting up to 15 m of rope just to achieve a safe rig. We. greatlyregretted having left the bolt kit in the truck. Beyond the 25 m pitch (whichhad a knot halfway down) came four more "nuisance" drops; 8 m, 12 m, 5 m, and11 m. At this point things started looking up. Preston, who had descended the11 m shaft first, greeted me .with a smile as I undid my rack; "Looks like wehave a deep one." And a deep one it was - 45 m down the wall of a fine 10 mdiameter cylindrical well. Almost .expectedly, another drop loomed just a fewpaces from the touchdown point. It was as if the entire cave were but onesingle shaft with a few ledges stuck in for entertainment. Three more pitchesof 16, 12 and 6 meterS and we were left with but one snarled chunk of goldline,and of course another shaft: We dropped rocks and estimated it at 15 m or so.After tying off to the rope used on the last 6 m pitch I rappelled in. The~trewn32

ope never touched the small ledge where all our rocks had somehow landed.Instead it led downward into an ever expanding blackness that defied illuminationfrom my waning carbide lamp. About 30 m into the drop I looked up tofind the rope snagged on a projection some 10 m above. No amount of maneuveringwoul~ free it and I was forced to ascend. Once freed, the end driftedinto the shaft with a swishing sound all too indicative of a rope to shortfor a successful descent. I continued climbing and swung to the 15 m ledge,whereupon Jeff rerigged the drop utilizing 20 m of excess rope from the 6 mpitch. After passing the knot I continued down into the void. At its largestdimension the shaft was close to 35 m in diameter with a light waterfall followingthe rope. I finally reached a 3 m wide ledge with but 10 m of ropeleft. Beyond, the drop continued. Rocks bounced for 5-6 seconds before driftingout of hearing range. There was little else to do but re-carbide andascend. We had reached our limit for the day.The final pitch was taped at 71 m freefall. and we began the long processof surveying out and derigging. Save Horowitz' spectacular sump diving exerciseto retrieve a rope out of the deepest lake in the whole cave. the remainderof the trip was routinely arduous. After 17 hours, 15 pitches and 284 mof vertical work we exited into the moonlit doline just before sunrise.Cueva de la Pena--------!--......Hoya de las Conchas[see loose map of Cueva de la Peña]33

CUEVADELAPENAPROFI LEmetersoRanc ho La Presa; SanLois Potosi; MexicoSuuntosand Tape Survey byP. ForsytheJ. HorowitzM. HartB. StoneSeptember 25, 197750Data reduction and plotting by EllipseDrafted by Bill Stone October 1977Drop lengths are shown on the profileASSOCIATION FOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIES-The LedgeDrop23m10012 mHorowitzSunkSunk,II~j45m150o!1020!30!me t e r s200The Ledge-- DropEntranceThe 71250The 71Special71 mN m----------,\, '"\-Perimeter of ShaftI at widest po i n tIII,- - - - -2844-6 seconds

LAGRIETAPlan Carlota, Oaxaca, MexicoMunicipio de Huautla de JimenezSUUNTOS AND TAPESURVEYDecember 1976F. BinneyR. JamesonA. Cochrane P. Mot hesJ. Horowitz B. StoneMay - J un e 1977Hobbi tHoleShaftNote Connections:A Hobbit Hole to Main ShaftS: Main Shaft to Lower LevelsE. Garza G. St ilesJ. Horowi tz B. StoneT. Johnson S. ZemanW. St eelePassageTotal Traverse Length 4100 mTot al Dept h: 665 mData Reduction and Plotting by EllipseDrafted by Bill Stone June - September 1977Ropes required to rig each pitch are shown on the profileASSOCIATION FOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIESENTRANCEAREACanadianMainShaft--60m.....~HObbit....... ' '. . Hole011 lJU " .....:.....J.ProfileMETERSo50NDropc1969100Continues80m150o!50!100!150!200IMazatec a ShoresMETERS200oCan ad i anTu b e s "(proposed)250Camp~17The BlackSI ide70m\1\The 200b15m300cont i nuesr350Torture400continues5mTheJunct ion Roo mTheBottleneckTermi nus 19768cm=~----...

asscciation for mexican cave studies box 7672 ut station austin ...

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