Number 11 December 1980 EDITORIAL Publisher The caves and caving in Mexico are spectacular, Association for Mexican Cave Studies and it is not surprising that they have attracted world­ Editors wide attention. The dramatic increase in the number Terri Treacy, Dale Pate of active cavers in Mexico over the last two decades Staff has had, and is going to have, a significant impact on Jerry Atkinson, Anne Baxter, Steve Boehm, J ocie Hooper, Mexican caves and their exploration. For the most Jeff Horowitz, Peter Keys, David McKenzie, Mike McWhirter, part, this impact has been very positive. The discover· Martha Meacham, Bill Mixon, Johanna Reece, William Russell, ies, studies, and accomplishments have been carried Mark Shumate, Peter Sprouse, George Veni out cooperatively, and with continuous emphasis on Translations their preservation by the\MCS, several Mexican Jose Cavazos, Steve Robertson, Peter Sprouse caving groups, and various groups from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Recently, however, this impact has been showing negative signs. The two most serious areas are that of cave vandalism and rivalry. It has always been an AMCS policy that cavers conserve the fragile cave en· vironment; this means carrying out all personal belong­ ings, including garbage and spent carbide. Caves are a 2 Mexico News wilderness; some of the last wilderness left on the 4 International News entire planet-let's keep them that way! 8 Long and Deep Caves of Mexico The unexplored caving areas of Mexico are vast; Peter Sprouse 10 Xilitla Karst-Project Report therefore, rivalry and unfriendly competition are Jerry Atkinson 13 Sistema Huautla-Project Report pointless and non-productive. It has always been Sergio Zambrano 18 Tilaco-Project Report AMCS tradition to cooperate with groups that are William \{. 1':1Iiott 20 Sierra de Guatemala-Project Report actively working in a cave. The cooperation enhances Terri Treacy 24 Purificacion Area-Project Report the quality of the work and avoids overpopulation of James Reddell 30 A Eulogy to Dr. Federico Bonet Marco the caves. Initiative, not rivalry, is the key to success Don Broussard 32 Golondrinas... j Otra Vez! and satisfaction in the discovery and exploration of James Reddell 37 Recent Biological Discoveries in Mexico caves. Bill Liebman 40 The Piloztoc Connection We would also like to take this opportunity to Peter Sprouse 42 Unstudied Karst Areas of Mexico clear up some of the ambiguities of the AMCS. The .lames \{eddell 46 Caving in Western Mexico AMeS was conceived in 1962 by several Texas cavers Dale Pate 54 The Exploration of Sumidero de Oyamel for the "advancement of knowledge of Mexican caves." Mark Minton 61 Across the Sima Grande Through the years it has remained apolitical and un· Russell, Sprouse 64 AMCS Cave Map Symbols structured. Today the AMCS as an "organization" is George Veni 68 The Caves of Cuesta Colorada only a post-office box and a small closet where the Steve Knutson 71 Sumidero de San Bernardo publications are kept. It has very little in the way of Bill Stone 74 Short Penetration Sump Diving structure-no actual membership, no meetings, no Peter Sprouse 80 La Silleta officers, no office. It docs occasionally produce a David McKenzie 86 Computer-Drawn Passage Walls newsletter or a bulletin, but again, even this aspect has 90 Book Review little structure-the existence of the publications 91 Letter-Carta relies exclusively on individual initiative. 92 Traduccion de Editorial In essence, the AMCS is a set of ideals: To explore and study the great caves of Mexico; To preserve the wondrous beauty and magic of these caves; To pro­ duce a high level of quality in our surveys, studies, and publications; To impart a deep respect for the lands, caves, and peoples of Mexico; And to achieve these ideals in a friendly and cooperative way. The AMCS Activities Newsletter is published by the Association The AMCS is not a political, national, or rival for Mexican Cave Studies, a non-profit group dedicated to the conser­ group. It is open to, and includes, all cavers who share vation and study of the caves of Mexico. Articles, maps, and photo­ these ideals. The Activities ewsletter is a tangible graphs on caving and speleology in Mexico are solicited. A list of example of this, and we encourage everyone to parti­ publications and prices is available on request. cipate by send ing in their trip reports, articles, maps, photos, etc. The newsletter is an invaluable repository ASSOCIATION FOR for the vast amount of information that is continually MEXICAN CAVE STUDIES being acquired. By developing a feeling of unity, we P. O. Box 7672 U. T. Station all stand a better chance of achieving our common Austin, Texas 78712 goals: to explore and learn about the caves we all think are magnificent-the caves of Mexico. Copyright 1980 by Association for Mexican Cave Studies Dale Pate Printed in U.S.A. by the Speleo Press Terri Treacy Mexico Nevvs

Three Florida divers of the NSS MEXICO DESCONOCIDO is a monthly Vertical Section have mapped over outdoor magazine published by Editor­ 1100 meters in a largely submerged ial Novaro in Mexico, D.F. Virtually cave on the coast of the Yucatan every issue contains references to Peninsula called Cueva de Xcaret. caves in Mexico. Number 47, October Ned DeLoach, Sheck Exley, and Karen 1980, is perhaps typical in that re­ Exley found that diving was hampered spect. It contains a well written by a strange phenomena: ceiling silt article on the rescue of the Polish disturbed by exhaust bubbles would cavers fron Sotano de San Agustin, collect on the fresh water/salt water with excellent color photographs. contact, and create a "false floor" Another well illustrated article de­ effect suspended in the passage. scribes the karst landforms around The system has a wide main entrance Taxco, Guerrero. Elsewhere, mention and several cenote entrances among is made of a Cueva de la Malinche, a the ruins of the Mayan city of Xcaret. pictograph cave near San Agustln Mez­ It is the longest mapped underwater quititlan, Hidalgo. There is an cave in Mexico. account of a helicopter trip to a South of Xcaret, the divers deep canyon in Durango in search of explored the extensive cenote system a cliff dwelling. Parking the hel­ of Nonec. Visibility was so clear icopter at the canyon bottom, the in the underwater tunnels that from author climbed 3 hours to reach the the main cenote, the light from an ruin, located in a shelter 10 meters adjacent cenote could be seen 116 wide and 2 meters high. meters away. Troglobitic isopods The featured state in this issue two centimeters long were seen in is Coahuila, and many caves are men­ the salt water (lower) layer. tioned around Torreon: Cueva del Source: Sheck Exley, Tabaco, Cueva de Candelaria, Cueva de Caving International No.8 los Indios, Cueva Tlaxcalteaca, Cueva del Coyote, Cueva del Aguila, Cueva del Macho, and Cueva Hundida. Several Paul Duncan and members of the of these are apparently those described Greater South Texas Grotto have by James Reddell elsewhere in this been exploring several deep caves issue of the Activities Newsletter. in the Sierra Sabinas, near Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon. One cave has a large chamber with three pits in the floor, and has been mapped to a A group of Austin cavers visited total depth of 100 meters. Another Pozo de Gavilan near Galeana, Nuevo pit has been bottomed at around Leon in May 1980. They initially -200 meters. The owner of the ranch failed to recognize it because the is encouraging the cavers in the lake, normally 100 meters below the hope that they might find a water entrance, had risen to within 30 source. Down the range, and consid­ meters of the surface. Apparently, erably lower, is the large resurgence recent recharge had raised the water of Ojo de Agua. table in the gypsum plain. Source: Paul Duncan Source: Tom Byrd Members of the Greater Houston meters above the entrance, but could Grotto have encountered a second not get close enough to swing in. sump at -150 meters in Sumidero de In July 1980, seven of the Cebolla, a stream cave 35 kilometers Houston cavers entered Sumidero de south of Monterrey- This sump lies Cebolla with scuba tanks to dive only 60 meters from the upstream the first sump. The dry summer had sump in Cueva de las Colaciones, a opened a 10 centimeter airspace at resurgence cave formed on a cliff, the sump, which they passed through from which tumbles the 45 meter Cas­ to find a second entrance, Cueva del cada de las Colaciones. The 6 km2 Tabaco. From a junction room near La Trinidad valley drains into Sumi­ this overflow entrance, they explored dero de Cebolla. Houston caver Bill down to the second sump in a 17 hour Campbell was the first to enter trip. Cebolla in 1970, exploring 150 meters Another attempt to reach Cueva to where the passage was blocked by de las Colaciones was made by Fromen, logs, sticks, and mud. Over several Dick Cruse, Michele and Dave Bolton years Charles Fromen and Mike Connally in September 1980. After 2-1/2 hours made several unsuccessful attempts to of slinging a grappling hook, Fromen pass the blockage. In 1976, Fromen managed to pull himself into the and Marc Conover dug through, and waterfall entrance. The stream, explored 170 meters to a sump. Fromen flowing at a rate of 100 liters per then attempted to gain access to second, sumped out after 30 meters. Cueva de las Colaciones by rappelling Source: Charles Fromen down the cliff from a rig point 50

o CUEVA DEL SUMIDERO DE TABACO CEBOLLA

1st siphon

-100 Preliminaryl1ap

2nd siphon ,/ /' -169 meters CUEVA DE LAS COLACIONES

GLA

3 France Spain

The Pierre St. Martin system In the Picos de Europa, the Lan­ has passed 40 kilometers in length. caster University Speleological Soci­ Connections are close but still ety has pushed Sima Tera to -550 me­ elusive with the grotte d'Arphidia, ters. They had stopped at -484 meters reseau de Arres Planeres, gouffre in 1979. No.3 de Bourrugues, and SC 60. The Pozu del Xitu, explored last French divers have been quite year to -356 meters, has now been active in long and deep cave dives. pushed to -831 meters by the Oxford The Emergence de la Finou has been University Caving Club. pushed to 2100 meters in length, and in the Emergence de l'Infernet, The Speleo Club de la M.J.C. de divers have penetrated 1100 meters. Rodez has connected Torca de los Ca­ The Emergence du Ressel has been ballos to Cueva del Valle, making a pushed by a Geneva groups to 1150 23 kilometer long system with a meters, depth -56 meters. The Speleo through trip of 10.6 kilometers. Club de Paris claims a "cold water Source: Claude Chabert depth record" (!) for their -99 meter dive in fontaine des Chartrea. Source: Claude Chabert During the summer of 1980, two more Spanish systems passed below the kilometer level. Cavers of the In March 1980, French diver Groupo Espeleologico Badalona con­ Patrick Penez succeeded in diving nected Sima B.15 (elev. 2200 m) with 40 meters through the sump at the Fuente de Escuain, providing an 1105 bottom of the 1358 meter deep reseau meter deep through trip. Unusual Jean Bernard. He found a descending drought conditions opened up sumps passage that went 300 meters to an 8 that normally would be closed. meter drop. The depth at the bottom In the PSM karst along the of this drop, 1410 meters, is a new French border, a Spanish-French world depth record, although not sur­ team pushed the new Sima Budoguia veyed. down to a depth of 1195 meters. Source: Paul Courbon They stopped at the top of a large waterfall. Source: Paul Courbon

Italy

Climbing efforts in early 1980 Turkey by Italian cavers to connect Antro del Corchia with Abisso C. Fighiera French cavers have explored have resulted in the discovery of a Turkey's second and third deepest series of high galleries and break­ caves. Sakal Tutan dudeni is 303 down areas. This passage ascends meters deep, and Sakal Tutan deligi 180 meters thus far, and is still is 302 meters. going. Source: Claude Chabert Source: Sottoterra 55 4 Honduras U.S.A.

In spring 1980, an American Wyoming's Great Ex Cave has expedition led by Steve Knutson been bottomed and connected to a investigated the 2700 meter "cloud resurgence cave, Great Exit. A forest" karst of the Montana Santa laser theodolite survey between Barbara. Their major find was Sum­ the two entrances, and a survey idero Maigual, bottomed at -420 between the lower entrance and the meters. lowest point in the cave, show the Source: Steve Knutson depth to be 429 meters, (1408 ft.), a new u.S. depth record. Efforts to survey the connection have been Texas hampered by a low, 300 meter long watercrawl in wetsuit shredding rock. Honey Creek Cave, a resurgence Source: Louise Hose west of San Antonio, has been opened up after successful attempts to lower the water level in the low airspace American cavers continued explor­ canals. Rapid mapping progress by ation in Montana's Silvertip Cirque Texas cavers has racked up 4.2 kilo­ during the summer of 1980. The main meters of survey. The cave involves focus of the expedition was Blood swimming long distances with low Cave, where a new southern extension ceilings. was discovered through a window in a Source: Gary Poole domepit. This section has crossed underneath Silvertip Mountain and out under the cirque to the south, giving Sorcerer's Cave in West Texas rise to hopes of another entrance. has been connected to nearby Appren­ New surveys brought the length of tice Cave through a short dig not Blood Cave to 4 kilometers. While a far from the entrance. This added connection with Blood still proves a few meters to the cave, which re­ elusive, the main Silvertip System mains Texas' deepest at 178 meters. grew to 9.6 kilometers after a con­ Completion of mapping to the upstream nection with Tipfish Cave and further sump in the Sirion River brought the mapping in the Bell section. total length to 2440 meters. Source: Mike McEachern Source: George Veni

Ronald Langston, 33, a diver Texas cavers hauled dive gear from Rome, Georgia, died in a small to the downstream sump in 0-9 Well cave near Sublinga, Georgia on for a dive attempt in July, 1980. August 1, 1980. Although he was an This Crockett County stream cave experienced diver, he apparently is one of the state's longest wasn't familiar with cave diving. (1400 m) and deepest. Divers Using a "pony" tank, he entered a George Veni and Steve Damon found sump alone, with no dive line. His the sump to silt up at 5.4 meters tank floated out a short time later. depth, deepening the cave to 101 He had apparently taken if off in meters. a constriction. Source: George Veni Source: The Potomac Caver

5 A thirty year old Denver caver, artifacts and burials left by early Bruce Unger (NSS 10663), drowned Hawaiians. Interestingly, some while exploring in one of the Lost important burial chambers were pro­ Creek granite caves in Park County, tected by booby traps, such as Colorado, on August 9, 1980. Bruce, perched boulders with tripping Louise Hose, Tom Strong, and Scott mechanisms, which seemed to have Trossen followed a cold 600 l/s stream been subsequently triggered by the 80 meters into the cave where Bruce many volcanic tremors. began ascending a steeply sloped Kazumura Cave, a long known water chute. While attempting to tube at the eastern end of the bridge over the rushing stream at island, was mapped by the expedition the top of the chute, Bruce slipped to 11.55 kilometers. Thus, it pass­ and his leg jammed in an underwater es Kenya's 11.1 kilometer Leviathan crack. Attempts by his companions Cave to become the world's longest to help him were thwarted by the lava tube. The expedition held force of the water and a lack of high hopes for the vast flow on 4170 foot holds. They were repeatedly meter high Mauna Loa, stretching 50 flushed down the chute, while water kilometers over a vertical range of forced Bruce under. The body was 3200 meters. Upward pushes in Kau­ completely inside the underwater mana Cave, a tourist cave near Hilo, void, and could not be pulled out. and at the bottom of the flow, showed A retrieval team of 8 cavers came it to end after a kilometer, with the in the next day, but also failed to cave being surveyed to a length of remove the body from the crack. 2 kilometers. They point out however, The body was successfully retrieved that exploration on Hawaii's vast lava two weeks later with a winch and fields has hardly even begun. pulley system. Source: Chris Wood, Source: Louise Hose Caving International

During the summer of 1980, an Rapid growth in West Virginia's eight member British expedition Friar's Hole System has recently made spent a successful five weeks inves­ it third longest in the U.S. at tigating lava tubes on the island of 60.75 kilometers. Bill Stone and Hawaii. Twenty-four kilometers of Bob Jefferys completed the waterfall passages were mapped in many caves. climb in the Monster Cavern room in The initial objective was the recent July, 1980, discovering 200 meters 1974 Mauna Ulu lave flow on the south of canyon passage. In September, slope of Kilauea (1228 m). Apua Cave, a large group hauled in diving gear a large, well decorated tube, was for Stone to attempt the downstream mapped, totalling 1.3 kilometers. Crookshank sump, only to find the Two other 300 meter long caves were sump open due to a summer drought. mapped in this flow. Further west Over 2.5 kilometers of large passage on Kilauea, Ainahou Ranch Cave was mapped to another sump. High proved to be almost 7 kilometers leads with airflow provide hope for long; however, broken up in the mid­ more progress towards the suspected dle by a large collapse. This sys­ resurgence, over 11 kilometers away. tem, and several others, contained At the northern end of the system, 6 a considerable amount of passage has leads in Roppel are heading for 17 also been surveyed in the area of kilometer Crump Spring Cave and other the Rocky River II. The Friar's Hole potential connections. System now stretches an amazing 6,280 Source: Bob Anderson meters end to end in maximum linear extent. Kentucky cavers have been busy Sources: Dug Medville, Roy Jameson in the caves surrounding the 345 kilometer Flint-Mammoth Cave system. Recent explorations have opened Whigpistle Cave now has 26 kilo­ up a new section at the bottom of meters of surveyed passage. In the West Virginia's Walt Allen Cave. A first part of 1980, a major upper base level crawlway was pushed through level extension was pushed into a tight squeezes, lots of mud, and a ridge to the south of known parts long sump to a streamway. Downstream, of the cave. Many leads are with­ a canyon crosses above the stream and in a few hundred meters of the leads to a large trunk passage. This Sinkhole Plain. Northtown Cave is was surveyed 450 meters to a terminus. a new find with 3.5 kilometers of Several tight leads and an elusive passage, and prospects are good for wind still provide hope of a connection a connection with nearby Roppel to nearby Shinaberry Cave. Cavers Cave. should note that access to this cave Source: Don Coons is very tentative at this time. Source: Bob Anderson Hot Cave, a new find in Perry County, Missouri, could provide the The survey of Roppel Cave now long sought link between Mystery stands at 36 kilometers. An inter­ Cave (25.5 km) and Rimstone River esting recent discovery was the pre­ Cave (22.5 km). Tex Yokum and others sumed upper reaches of Flint-Mammoth's have thus far explored about 5 kilo­ new Hawkins River. Whether a connec­ meters of passage, heading towards tion can be made or not is problematic Mystery. for a permanent sump marks the up­ Source: Steve Boehm stream limit in Flint-Mammoth. Other The World's 1000 meter systems 1. Reseau Jean Bernard, France 1410 meters* 2. Complexe de la Pierre Sainte-Martin, France and Spain 1332 meters 3. Sistema Huautla, Mexico 1222 meters 4. Sima Budoguia, Spain 1195 meters 5. Snieznaya, USSR 1180 meters* 6. Gouffre Berger, France 1148 meters 7. Schneeloch, Austria 1111 meters 8. Sima B.15-Fuente de Escuain, Spain 1105 meters 9. Sima GESM, Spain 1098 meters 10. Lamprechtsofen, Austria 1024 meters 11. Reseau Trombe, France 1018 meters

*Need verification by surveyor resurvey. Source: Paul Courbon 7 Long Caves of Mexico

1. Sistema Purificacion, Tamaulipas 36,795 2. Sistema Huautla, Oaxaca 21,300 3. Sistema Cuetzalan, Puebla 21,000 4. La Grieta, Oaxaca 8,782 5. Sotano del Arroyo, San Luis Potosl 7,200 6. Actun Kaua, Yucatan 6,700 7. Atepolihuit de San Miguel, Puebla * 6,502 8. Gruta del R10 Chontalcoatlan, Guerrero 5,827 9. Gruta del R10 San Jeronimo, Guerrero 5,600 10. Grutas de Juxtlahuaca, Guerrero 5,098 11. Sotano de Las Calenturas, Tamaulipas 5,078 12. Sumidero de Jonotla, Puebla 5,000 13. Cueva del Nacimiento del Rlo San Antonio, Oaxaca 4,570 14. Cueva de la Tinaja, San Luis Potosl 4,502 15. Sotano de Japones, San Luis PotOS1 4,500 16. Sima Zoquiapan-Cueva Piloztoc, Puebla 4,107 17. Sotano del Rlo Iglesla, Oaxaca 4,100 18. Sima del Borrego, Guerrero 4,007 19. Atepolihuit de San Andres, Puebla 4,000 20. Cueva del Rro Jalpan, Queretaro 3,440 21. Actun Xpukil, Yucatan 3,353 22. Cueva de la Laguna Verde, Oaxaca 3,350 23. Sumidero Yochib~ Chiapas 3,316 24. Cueva de El Chorreadero, Chiapas 3,280 25. Sumidero La Joya, Guerrero 3,100 26. Atepolihuit de Nauzontla, Puebla 3,066 27. Sistema de Montecillos, San Luis Potosl 3,022 28. Sotano de Huitzmolotitla, San Luis Potosl 3,002 29. Sotano del Tigre, San Luis POtOS1 3,000 30. Boca del Rlo Apetlanca, Guerrero 2,750 31. Actun Loltun, Yucatan 2,682 32. Sistema Santa Luc1a, Puebla 2,500 33. Cueva de Juan Sanchez, Oaxaca-Veracruz 2,493 34. Grutas de San Cristobal (Rancho Nuevo), Chiapas 2,250 35. Xocomanetlan, Guerrero 2,223 36. Grutas de Estrella, Mexico 2,100 37. Sotano de Yerban1z, San Luis Potos1 1.980 38. Grutas de Tenextepec, Puebla 1.920 39. Cueva de la Mantilla, Michoacan 1,900 40. Cueva de la Puente, San Luis Potosl 1,830 41. Cueva Tecolo, Puebla 1,830 42. Sistema Guayateno, Puebla 1,782 43. Cueva San Fransisco, Chiapas 1,750 44. Sotano de Matapalma, San Luis Potos1 1,722 45. Sotano de Agua de Carrizo, Oaxaca 1,693 46. Grutas de Balankanche, Yucatan 1,600 47. Grutas de Xtacumbilxunam, Campeche 1,600 48. Cueva de Los Sabinos, San Luis Potosl 1,500 49. Sotano de Tlamaya, San Luis Potos! 1,500 50. Zacatecolotla, Guerrero 1,500

* Formerly known as Sumidero de Atepolihuit. Peter S. Sprouse Deep Caves of Mexico

1. Sistema Huautla, Oaxaca 1,222 2. Sistema Purificacion, Tamaulipas 895 3. Sotano de Agua De Carrizo, Oaxaca 848 4. La Grieta, Oaxaca 760 5. Cueva de Diamante, Tamaulipas 621 6. Nita He, Oaxaca 600 7. Sotano de Trinidad, San Luis Potosi 559 8. Sotano del Rlo Iglesia, Oaxaca 535 9. Sotano de Nogal, Queretaro 529 10. Sotano de las Golondrinas, San Luis Potosl 512 11. Hoya de las Conchas, Queretaro 508 12. Sotano del Buque, Queretaro 506 13. Sistema Cuetzalan, Puebla 490 14. Hoya de Las Guaguas, San Luis Potosi 478 15. Cueva de San Agustin. Oaxaca 458 16. Sotano del Barro. Queretaro 455 17. Sotano Itamo. Veracruz 454 18. Sotano de Tlamaya. San Luis Potosl 454 19. Cueva de la Pena, San Luis Potosi 448 20. Nita Nanta, Oaxaca 445 21. Atepolihuit de San Miguel, Puebla * 443 22. Sotano de La Joya de Salas, Tamaulipas 376 23. Cueva de El Chorreadero, Chiapas 345 24. Cueva de Xocotlat, Puebla 339 25. Grutas de San Cristobal, Chiapas 330 26. Sotano de los Hernandez, Queretaro 330 27. Sotanito de Ahuacatlan. Queretaro 320 28. Hoya de Zimapan, San Luis Potosi 320 29. Cueva de Santa Cruz, Oaxaca 314 30. Sotano de Javalin, Queretaro 308 31. Sotano de los Monos, San Luis Potosi 291 32. Sotano de Soyate, San Luis Potosi 287 33. Cueva del Rancho de Agua Amarga, San Luis Potosi 283 34. Sotano de Vasquez, Tamaulipas 275 35. Sumidero La Joya, Guerrero 257 36. Sotano de Huitzmolotitla, San Luis Potosi 245 37. Sotano del Macho Rey. Queretaro 244 38. Sotano de Otates. Tamaulipas 244 39. Pozo Melendez. Guerrero 229 40. Sotano de Ojo de Agua, Queretaro 228 41. El Sotanito, Queretaro 225 42. Sotano de Sendero, Tamaulipas 223 43. Sotano de Sauz, Chihuahua 220 44. Sotano de Co~timundi, San Luis Potosl 219 45. Sotano de la Cuesta. San Luis Potosi 217 46. Sotano de San Francisco, San Luis Potosi 217 47. Sotano del Arbol Sangre, Tamaulipas 216 48. Cueva de SaIto, Queretaro 215 49. El Socavon, Queretaro 214 50. Sumidero Yochib, Chiapas 213 51. Sumidero de Tenejapa, Chiapas 209 52. Sotano de la Navidad, San Luis Potosi 200

all units in meters Peter S. Sprouse PROJECT REPORT

THE XILITLA KARST

Peter Sprouse

View of the Xilitla cone karst from the top of La Silleta. (Terri Treacy)

The extensive Xilitla karst discoveries today. The pit is area of San Luis Potosl and Queretero Sotano de las Golondrinas. was among the first studied by spe­ A considerable amount of infor­ leologists, namely Dr. Frederico mation on caves of the Xilitla area Bonet in 1953 and Dr. Robert W. Mit­ has appeared in AMCS publications, and chell in 1958. It was the scene of been documented. I am currently com­ the blossoming of Mexican caving dur­ piling, with John Fish, information on ing the 1960s. By the middle of the the area for an AMCS Bulletin, hope­ decade Sotano de Tlamaya had been fully to be published in 1981. The bottomed at 454 meters, setting a geographic boundaries of the area to Western Hemisphere depth record. In be covered are as follows: on the 1967, the world's deepest freefall pit north, the Rlo Santa Marla; on the was descended, and still yields new east, the Inter-American Highway;

10 on the south, the Rio Moctezuma; fault between the Agua Nueva and on the west, the eastern edge and EI Doctor formations. It of the San Juan Plateau, which was was explored in 1966 and 1968, described in AMCS Bulletin 7. Ele­ but no mapping was done. vations in the area range from 100 to 2900 meters above sea level; vegetation changes correspondingly from lush tropical jungle to high pine and hardwood communities. Karst landforms are spectacular throughout the region, with some of Mexico's best examples of cone karst located south of Tampaxal. Although the number of document­ ed caves in the area currently totals 206, there are undoubtedly hundreds more remaining to be discovered. Field efforts towards the Xilitla bulletin have necessarily been lim­ ited to completing accurate surveys of major caves in the area. When the bulletin is published, it may then serve as a framework for future work. Several mapping trips were made to the area in 1980, and help 1S needed to survey other major caves in the coming months. In March, 1980, 13 cavers par­ ticipated in survey and exploration work at Sotano de las Golondrinas. (See article in this issue.) Don Broussard led continued mapping ef­ forts in The Crevice off the bottom of the entrance pit, while other supplemental survey work was done on the pit floor. A surface survey was done to the west to tie in nearby Sotano de Guadalupe, a 22 meter deep cave, significant mostly for its Cobble trail from Tamapatz to Sotano de fauna. las Golondrinas. (Dale Pate) During April, the same group spent six days in the La Silleta area. (See article in this issue.) Several other significant caves They mapped Sotano de La Silleta, need mapping and would be good for Cueva de La Silleta, and five new groups looking for a project. caves. These include: In late August, another AMCS group attempted to collect troglo­ SOTANO DE TLAMAYA - Needs to be sur­ bitic crayfish in the sump pool in veyed. This 3 kilometer long, 454 Roya de las Guaguas, and began the meter deep cave is one of the largest survey of Cueva de Oxtalja near in the area, yet lacks a good map. Tamapatz. Oxtalja is a 150 meter It will be an extensive mapping pro­ deep cave formed along a thrust ject.

11 CUEVA DE POTRERILLOS - Located near ping. It 1S located 1500 meters the village of Potrerillos, 1 kilo­ northeast of La Linja, north of meter west of Ahuacatlan, S.L.P. La Laj a. Needs mapping. SOTANO DE LA LAJA -A 100 meter un­ CUEVA DE MURAUT - This is a descended shaft near La Laja, first 450 meter long cave that needs map­ located by aerial reconnaissance. ping. It lies 300 meters southeast Needs checking and mapping. of Muhaut, south of Tamapatz. If you are interested in any SOTANO DE SIETE SEGUNDOS and SOTANO of these projects, or in the Xilitla DE LAS PENAS - Two undescended pits, Bulletin, please contact Peter with 6-7 and 5 second rockfall times Sprouse, P.O. Box 8424, Austin, Texas, respectively, that need checking. 78712. We are also looking for con­ tributions of good photos or slides SOTANO DE LA LINJA NO. 2 - A large to help illustrate the bulletin. pit 100 meters deep and needs map-

~ lEU 181 '8' 181 181 181 ;;;;tla 181 IElI 181 IElI IElI 181 I(;]~

G G Se comenzaron los estudios de la region karstica extensiva de Xilitla ~ W~ en S.L.P. y Queretaro en 1953 por el Dr. Federico Bonet, y por el Dr. W G Robert Mitchell en 1958. Aunque ya se han documentado 206 cuevas en la G region, sin duda quedan centenares para descubrir. ~ W~ Peter Sprouse y John Fish estan juntado informacion de la region para W G producir un boletin AMCS. Ademas de proporcionar la informacion recolec- G~' tada, servira como base para futuras investigaciones. I W~ En las sigientes meses, se necesita ayuda para topografiar unas cuevas G principales en la region. Algunas de las cuevas importantes que no estan G~' levantados son: Satano de Tlamaya, Cueva de Potrerillos, Cueva de Muhaut, I ~W Sotanito Occidental, Sotanito Escondido, Sotano de La Linja No.2, Satano m\ de La Laja. Si tiene interes en alguno de estos proyectos, 0 en el boletin, G~' W comunicase con Peter Sprouse, P.O. Box 8424, Austin, Texas 78712. W r 1(;]1 181 181 181 lElI 181 '81 181 '81 181 '8' IElI 181 18@

TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES

LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS

12 PROJE.CT RE.PORT HUAUTLA C!) PROJECT Sistema Huautla Gerald Atkinson On May 9, 1980 the Huautla Pro­ ed below the town with an armed ject composed of Jerry Atkinson, Jill guard quietly dozing in the hot sun. Dorman, Jan Fitzsimmons, Bob Jeffreys, Winding our way down to the Sotano Dino Lowrey, Mark Minton, Doug Powell, amidst whirring movie cameras, we Henry Schneicker, Ron Simmons, Jim added our energy to this already Smith, Bill Steele, Bill Stone, and massive international effort. De­ Steve Zeman succeeded in connecting spite language barriers and sheer Li Nita and Sotano de San Agustln, fatigue, the victim was successfully achieving a total depth of 1221.5 pulled out of the cave on the 22nd. meters and a length of 21.3 kilo­ After the general hubbub died meters. This brought Sistema Hua­ down, the expedition settled down to utla up to the number 3 slot on the the spring objectives, one of which world depth list. It is the only kilo­ meter deep cave outside of Europe. The spring activities culminated many years of work in the area, as the first connection between any of the Huautla caves was realized. Although the potential through-trip would be quite spectacular, it nonetheless will be a rare event, as the Li Nita­ San Agustln breakthrough required the use of diving gear through a series of 4 sumps. The connection occurred late in the expedition, which was fielded from February 21 to May 21, and came as the crowning event in what was an extremely eventful trip. On the eve of departure, the expedition was notified that a member of a Po­ lish caving team had received a ser­ ious back injury in Sotano de San Agustln while attempting to give aide to a fellow teammate with a broken ankle. Upon arrival in Mexico City the next day, our group learned that at least one of the injured men was still under­ ground and that our assistance was requested. Twenty hours later found us in the middle of a wild array of tents strung around the San Agustln schoolhouse and a bar­ rage of inquiries in French, English, German, British, Spanish, and Po­ Rescuing Josef Cuber of the Polish Expedition lish. A PEMEX helicoptor lay park- in Sotano de San Agustln. (Henry Schneiker)

13 was the possible connection of Sota­ Distractions aside, the main no del Rio Iglesia to Sotano de San focus of the expedition became Li Agustln. Although several hass1e­ Nita, which means "Flashlight Cave" intensive trips in Rlo Iglesia net­ in Mazatec. Discovered on December ted about 400 meters of new passage, 29, 1979 by Ernie Garza and others, all leads choked or led back to it had been pushed to -162 meters known cave. The main passage itself prior to the spring expedition. had silted shut at the -400 meter Two trips down predominantly dip­ level, precluding any digging at­ slope fissure-type passage brought tempts in thE: lower reaches wl,ich the depth to -525 meters and the are nearest to Sotano de San Agustln. length to a little over 2 kilometers. Another cave that received con­ At this point, the bottom dropped out siderable attention was Nita He of the cave in a series of water (Deep Cave in Mazatec), which had shafts that led the third attempt to been discovered, but not entered, -681 meters. A fourth assault from the December before. The cave was the surface reached -812 meters, and explored down a series of spectacu­ a decision was made to establish a lar shafts and large rooms to a camp at the -630-meter level. A sump at -599 meters. The sump pre­ total of twenty-seven days were spent sented a rather dismal diving pro­ in this camp during three separate spect, and a general lack of airflow stays of seven, seven, and thirteen in the lower portions would seem to days. preclude any possible connection The first push from camp seemed to the larger caves. to be stymied when the team discovered

The entrance series of Li Nita. (Bill Stone) 14 SISTEMA HUAUTLA - 1980 OAXACA. MEXICO LI NITA

o

SOTANO DE SAN AGUSTIN Y(-355)

500

CAMP1 (-630)

PROFILE - 225 0 right

1000

1221.5 S'PHON (-1221.5) METERS

GLA Li Nita. (Bill Stone)

a sump at -825 meters, but careful camp. Unfortunately, the sump con­ checking uncovered a high-level gal­ tinued well beyond the air capacity lery bypass. This led to another of the small tanks being used,and the sump at -1020 meters and the discov­ team turned to pushing other leads. ery of the Mil Metro, a higher-level A series of digging and aid-climbing trunk passage at the -1005-meter lev­ trips succeeded in extending the el. With several high leads to cave an additional kilometer to yet check, the team left for the surface. another sump at -1030 meters. In During the second camp, a combi­ what was to be the final push of the nation of digging and aid-climbing expedition, a last-ditch diving at­ brought US to a dig within 50 meters tempt was made on the -1030 sump. of Sotano de San Agustln. Elsewhere, With only 2 meters of dive line left, a nasty fissure was negotiated to a Bill Stone emerged in the East Red­ new downstream sump at -1028 meters. ball Canyon of Sotano de San Agustln As this sump was plotted to be only after having dived four shallow sumps. 130 meters from San Agustln, the team Thus, ironically, an expedition that opted to surface and return with diving had begun with a near tragedy had gear for the sump and explosives for made the first major connection in the dig. the Huautla system and broken the Accordingly, an attempt was made kilometer mark in Mexican speleology. on the -1028 sump early in the third

16 Jim Smith and Bill Stone preparing to dive the 1030 Sump in Li Nita. (Ron Simmons) r 'e. '0' ,e, .e, ,e, Sis;:ma ""Hu~:'tla .e, ,e, "., ,." ,e, ,e~

8 La primera conexion entre cualquiera de las cuevas profundas de Huautla, ~ Oaxaca, fue descubrida despues de varios anos de trabajo en la region. La ill G ~ conexion entre Li Nita y Sotano de San Agust1n fue hecha e19 de mayo de 1980. ~ G~' Despues de cuatro viajes para dentro de Li Nita, el grupo bajo 812 metros y se hizo una decision para establecer un campamento al nivel de -630 metros. G I En tres diferentes ocasiones el grupo paso siete, siete, y trece d1as respec·· ~ 8 tivamente en este camp amento, haciendo un total de 27 dias. Del campamento ~ subterraneo el grupo encontro varios sifones, perc encontraron otros pasajes G G para pasarlos. Finalmente, despues de varias excavaciones y escaladas ~ artificiales alcanzaron un sifon a -1020 metros. Bill Stone, en equipo com- ill lli~ pleto de buceo, paso este sifon y tres mas sifones. Emergio en el Sotano G 8 de San Agust1n. El Sistema Huautla tiene un total de 1,221.5 metros de pro- ~.

~el fun,:~dad I:' 21'~G~0 me,:~os d,:, lon~:,tud. 'SI 'S' lei 'st 'e' 'Si 'St "J

17 PROJECT REPORT ASOCIACION ALPINA DE MEXICO, A. C.

Grupo Expedicionario

XAMAN-EK

TILACO

Sergio Zambrano

Our first V1Slt to Satano de Tilaco, Queretaro was over Easter week of 1975. At that time, Raul Perez Mart1nez, Hugo Montejo, and I (all members of the Asoci- acion Alpina de Mexico, A.C.) ex­ plored the cave to the 150 meter level. We returned 8 months later, in December of 1975, to continue our exploration. Raul P. Martinez, Enrique Mendoza, Guadalupe Hernan­ dez, and myself (all A.A.M. members) explored down to the 250 meter level with the cave continuing downward. During Easter week of 1977, we re­ turned with Gabriel Barrera join­ ing our group. Our explorations ended at the 350 meter level. We returned in November of 1980 and reached the 500 meter level before running out of rope. On March 24, 1980, members of the Grupo Expedicionario Xaman-Ek and the A.A.M. reached the bottom of Tilaco. A sump was encountered at a depth of 600 meters plus. A group of cavers from the U.S. joined us for the purpose of making a sur­ vey of the cave. The survey was done to the -175 meter level. A joint expedition is planned in 1981 Sergio Zambrano at entrance of Satano de to complete the survey. Tilaco. (Dale Pate) 18 Raul P. Martlnez in the Salon de las Columnas. (Sergio Zambrano)

TUaco

La primera visita a Sotano de Tilaco, Queretaro fue durante la Semana Santa en el ana 1975. En aquel tiempo, los espeleologos Raul Perez Martinez, Hugo Montego, y Sergio Zambrano (Miembros de la Asociacion Alpino de Mexico, A.c.) exploraron el sotano hacia la profundidad de 150 metros. Volvieron ocho meses despues para continuar su exploracion. Raul Perez M., Enrique Mendoza, Guadalupe Hernandez, y Sergio Zambrano (todos miembros de la AAM) exploraron hasta 250 metros can la cueva continuando hacia abajo. Durante la Semana Santa de 1977 regreso este grupo can Gabriel Barrera. Sus exploraciones terminaron en el nivel de -350 metros. En Noviembre 1978, llegaron hasta 500 metros antes de que se les acabo la cuerda. En el 29 de mayo 1980, miembros del Grupo Expedicionario Xaman­ Ek y la AAM llegaron al fonda del sotano. Encontraron un sifon al nivel de mas de 600 metros. Un grupo de espeleologos de los Estados Unidos se juntaron can la intencion de levantar la cueva. Una mapa estaba hecha hasta el nivel de 175 metros. Otra expedicion colectiva esta planeada en el futuro para completar el levantamiento.

19 PROJECT REPORT Sierra de Guatemala

William R. Elliott At least 115 caves have been then there have been five trips to reported in the Sierra de Guatema­ the area with several caves surveyed la region, a front range of the and studied biologically. Sierra Madre Oriental in southern One of the goals of the Bulle­ Tamaulipas, bordered (roughly) on tin is to document about 65 caves the north by the Rlo Guayalejo and that have been biologically sampled, on the south by the Rlo Boquillas/ and other caves as well. The caves Comandante. Familiar towns in the and pits of the area harbor a wide area are Encino, Joya de Salas, variety of cavernicoles that have Gomez Farlas, Chamal, and Ocampo. attracted biospeleologists from Mex­ Since the first AMCS trip to Gomez ico, the U.S.A., Switzerland, Italy, Farlas in 1964, there have been at and Japan. The fauna ranges from least 70 speleological expeditions blind Astyanax fishes in the lowlands to the area. The major cave of in­ to many species of troglobitic plan­ terest, Satano de La Joya de Salas, arians and arthropods in the high­ has been visited eleven times since lands and in between. The cave 1965. This satano continues to fauna is one of the more spectacular frustrate the designs of vertical in North America. Reports on the speleologists despite its great caves and fauna of the area may be depth potential. found in AMCS Bulletins 1, 4, and 5, Cave types abound in the area. and many issues of the AMCS Newsletter Satanos in the lowland Gomez Farlas (now moribund). area often have short arroyos lead­ In November, 1979 I mailed a ing to multi-pitch fissures and blind detailed Bulletin proposal to 25 in­ fish pools. Deep, open shafts are terested cavers. Old surveys and found in the Chamal/Ocampo area. photographs have appeared and the Many small blind pits are found in AMCS files have disgorged many old the highly karsted highlands, along trip reports, sketches, and Bill with 376 meter deep Satano de La Russell area maps. I am currently Joya de Salas. Small phreatic compiling a lengthy chronology of caves and spacious, well-decorated all the t rips I know 0 f to the area. "grutas" are found in many areas. This will be a basic reference for Some caves, such as Cueva de los writing many of the cave descrip­ Misioneros, appear to be abandoned tions in the Bulletin. We hope to resurgences. Cerro Partido, a vol­ receive contributed articles on canic peak of Miocene age southwest geology/physiography and archaeol­ of Ocampo, has several lava tubes, ogy. Reddell and I are updating complete with troglobites. a fauna checklist and will write an In 1978, James Reddell and article on the fauna. I have draft­ I conceived an AMCS Bulletin, Caves ed many maps and now have 22 inked of the Sierra de Guatemala, Tamau­ and several others nearing comple­ IIp~ Mexico.--Work has been pro­ tion. The Bulletin will probably gressing slowly since then. A pro­ contain 40 to 50 cave maps and gress report by me appeared in AMCS many photographs. It may also in­ Activities Newsletter #10. Since clude a detailed area map to aid

20 Lake in Sotano de Caballo Moro. (William Elliott) future field work. Considering the planarians were discovered in a pool known distribution of caves (near and sent to Dr. Roman Kenk. They roads), there may be many hundreds are the first ones from a lowland left to be found. Finding caves is cave in the area. A new species of difficult because of the rough ter­ troglobitic Ptomaphagus beetle was rain and dense forest. For in­ also found in Man antiales in January, stance, two large sotanos were dis­ 1979. David McKenzie will soon have covered by airplane reconnaissance the map of this cave ready for ink­ in 1969, but have never been ing. We also investigated areas visited. northwest of Ocampo where we locat­ In August, 1979 Paul Duncan, ed a 25 meter pit, Sotano del Monu­ Jim Clements, and Wayne Russell mento, near Aniceto Medrano (Allende). visited Cerro Partido and discovered Craig and I collected in the pit and a new lava tube, "Tubo del Piso Colo­ made a sketch. We were amused by rado" near the peak. Duncan rappel­ the shaky ladder that had been plac­ led down a 6 meter pit which hung in­ ed by locals in the pit to aid an to a lower level like a stovepipe. apparently aborted dig at the bottom. Further details are forthcoming. We continued to Los Flores and La In September, 1979 David Mc­ Laguna, on the west side of the Kenzie, Craig Rudolph, Frank Endres, range, where we hiked up to Joya de and I returned to Cueva del Ojo de Don Juan Mesa. The Joya was a nice Agua de Manantiales and finished our large dolina, but the rumored sota­ survey in two days. The current no proved to be only 8 or 10 meters length is 1293 meters, depth 56 me­ deep. We then drove back to Chamal ters. A few crawlways were left for and out to Cueva de los Misioneros, future surveyors to take on. Blind a cave I had not visited since 1969,

21 where we explored, collected, and scending the 41° slope at the south­ photographed. McKenzie rappelled east end of the dolina was treacher­ 40 meters into a pit at the end, but ous because of loose talus. Duwain, ran out of rope before reaching bot­ Del, and I surveyed the satano, which tom. has a 49 meter entrance drop to a In November, 1979 the eleventh slope that plunges into a large, deep expedition to Joya de Salas was made. lake (see photo). A few fish were I have not received a written report noted on this trip, but we didn't of this trip, but Bill Stone, Mark spend much time looking at them. Minton, Bill Steele, and others push- The lake had a population of hybrid ed a new system of shafts paralleling eyed and blind fish in 1970. We the old section of the satano. Ap- surveyed along the right wall, then parently little depth was added to across the lake on tubes and into a the survey. (See article in this Acti- 163 meter long passage with a second, vities News.) During the same trip, smaller lake and a terminal crawlway Terry Sayther, Denis Breining, and that was not pushed for lack of time. Margaret Hart hiked 5 kilometers Back at the large lake I plumbed the north of Joya de Salas, then east depths in two places at 4 and 15 me- to check out sinks and intermittent ters. A strong current moves the lakes marked on the topographic clear water to a siphon at the north sheet. The sinks were heavily over- (far) end. At a constriction, I es- grown with scrub and thorns. No timated the surface flow at about caves or particularly interesting 1 or 2 kilometers per hour (my features were seen. They connected speed in a tube), and the volume with a passable road leading south flow at 10-20 m3/sec. It would be to "La Trementinera." interesting to see a dye trace be- In January, 1980 I travelled tween here and the Nacimiento del with six cavers from Texas A&M Rlo Frlo, 15 kilometers to the north- (Barbra Vinson, Duwain Whitis, east. We surveyed 326 meters in the Steve Boehm, Del Holman, Sheila cave, which is 67.5 meters deep be- Jones, Heather Fannin) and two other low the entrance, or 196 meters in­ biologists (Craig Rudolph and Jenni- cluding the dolina. fer Matos). We surveyed Cueva de The next day we hiked to Cerro los Misioneros and found it to be Partido to see Cueva del Cerro Par- about 450 meters long and 60 meters tido. The volcanic peak was too deep. Boehm and I descended the pit overgrown to locate the cave in the at the end, only to find terrifically short time available, but we did col­ bad air. Boehm's carbide lamp would lect fauna in a one-room cave on the not burn, so he prusiked up by elec- south side. nvo species of blind tric light while I somehow managed to milliped were taken, and some other sketch the bottom and note a muddy arthropods as well. I noted an ap- pit at the end where a rock rattled parently unexplored pit in a small down for seven seconds. It took cone on the south side of the Cerro. most of our energy to climb back up. We returned to Texas the next day. The air did get progressively better Apparently Satano de los Guaca- toward the top of the 50 meter pit. mayos was visi ted in January, 1980 The next day we were guided by by Mike Wharton and others, but full Alfonso Herrera to Satano del Caballo details have not yet been obtained. Moro, which I had last visited in 1970. No other trips have been made Alfonso, a local rancher, had been in to the area in 1980, to my knowledge. the satano with T.R. Evans and others A trip I planned for May never gelled. in 1969. The large, overgrown Dolina Much more field work could be done del Caballo Moro was surveyed by half to add to the Bulletin, but the work of our crew and proved to be 128 me- could be endless, so at some point ters deep to the lip of the pit. De- we will just work up what is avail- 22 able and publish. Rumor has it that I need finished maps of Sotano de Roy Jameson may resurvey Sotano de La Joya de Salas and Sotano de Vas­ Vasquez this fall. This would be quez. I could use some expert welcome as the old map was never fin­ drafting help on a myriad of small ished and Vasquez is probably the maps. Color slides or black and world's deepest (about 275 meters) white prints of Salas and any other blind fish cave. It is hoped that caves would be appreciated. I someone will be able to do some geo­ can copy the slides to black and logy work in the Sierra de Guate­ white negatives and return them mala for the Bulletin. promptly. Photos, trip reports, No deadlines have been set for maps, and other material should be the Bulletin, but I hope to have sent to me, Bill Elliott, at 2225 it ready for publication in 1981. North Parkwood, Harlingen, Texas 78550.

~ lSI lSI lSI 1(;)1 lSI lSI 101 lSI lSI lSI 1[;]1 101 lSI IEIi ~

ml' Sierra de Guatemala m,' W William Elliott esta trabajando en un boletln del AMCS tratando con ill 81' las cuevas de la Sierra de Guatemala, un parte de la Sierra Madre Oriental ~81' en el sur de Tamaulipas. La region esta rodeado al norte por el Rlo ~ Guayalejo, y al sur por el Rlo Boquillas/Comandant. Desde 1964, se han 81' localizado 115 cuevas, y estudios biologicos extensivas se han realizado. ~81' ~ El boletln incluira descripciones de las cuevas y de 30 a 40 mapas y varias fotograflas. Contendra reportajes de la biologla de las cuevas. ml' Elliott espera recibir articulos tratando con la geologla, fisiografla, y ~81' W arqueologla de la region. Posiblemente incluira una mapa detaIlada del 8 area para facilitar futuras exploraciones. ' Elliott espera publicar el boletln en 1981. Aunque sin duda hay cientos m,' W~ de cuevas por descubrir, ya es la hora de publicar la informacion en un solo ill 8 informe. El informe sera de ayuda incalculable para futuras exploraciones 8 en Ie region. Si tiene algun interes en la region y el boletln, favor de ~ ~W de ponerse en comunicacion con William R. Elliott, 2225 North Parkwood, W 8' Harlingen, TX 78550. 8 ~ LLSi lSI 1[;]1 lSi lSI 101 lSI lSI 1(;)1 lSI 1[;]1 101 1[;]1 1[;]1

PACK IT IN • •• •

PACK IT OUT!

23 PROJECT REPORT i~OVZC1'O ESPELEOLCGICO ~ 0+ ~1"lC"~"

Terri Treacy

Since the last report in Activ­ previously explored by a non-PEP ities Newsletter #10 J project mem­ group, who unfortunately saw fit to bers have spent 3-1/2 months in the write on the walls with carbide Purificacion area. The length of soot, and leave spent carbide in the Sistema Purificacion has increased passage and cans in the terminal 8833 meters, bringing the total sump. Below the Gonzo Pit, this length up to 36,795 meters. Due to passage was surveyed for 1000 meters some new loops that were surveyed, down climbs, rope drops, and canals the adjusted depth of the system to the sump at 683 meters below the is 895 meters. highest point of the system. One large chunk of these kilo­ meters came with the connection of Sumidero Oyamel to Upstream World Beyond. (Please see separate arti­ cle in this newsletter.) A side passage J off the connection area, yielded an additional kilometer and a half of passage. The Dragon River begins with a series of swims in a wide passage with a very low ceiling. The passage continually becomes nar­ rower and the ceiling rises. Eventu­ ally the passage takes the shape of a narrow canyon with gravel bars, shallow pools,and small cascades. At one point a large flows tone mass fills the passage; the only way on was a belly-crawl in water underneath the mound. Growing from the under­ side of this flows tone was a forest of helictites, spawning the name Maca­ roon Saloon. Beyond, the sound of water cascading down Dragon Falls could be heard. This flows tone cascade led up to more stream passage with deep, green pools and gravel bars. The passage walls were composed of highly sculptured and sharp limestone and calcite. The passage was explor­ ed a short way beyond the survey; it appeared to be pinching down. At the opposite end of the World Beyond, below the Fool's Paradise, the Angel's Staircase section was surveyed. This section had been Angles' Staircase. (Don Broussard) 24 Another section of Sistema that had been explored, but not mapped, was the Valkyrie River in Valhalla. About 200 meters below the entrance,the water of the Val­ kyrie River flows from a large, deep sump through a pleasant stream pas­ sage of sand and gravel bars and clear pools; beautiful formations adorn the ceiling. The passage nar­ rows to a canyon filled with deep water. Louise Hose placed fluores­ cein dye in this stream as part of her thesis work, and when the down­ stream section was surveyed one month later the canals were still vivid green. Down in the lower portion of Sistema, 2 kilometers were added to the Confusion Tubes. Dozens of loops were surveyed in the unique, multi-level maze of bedrock tubes. Generally, the tubes are pleasant walking-size passage, though, occa­ sionally they shrink down to crawl­ way size or open up into large bore­ hole. Naming the tubes is all part of the fun of "tubing," and some of the names adopted were Misty Bore­ hole, Carrot Tube, Potato Tube, Mrs. Lubner's Tube, Octupus Tube, Red­ neck Borehole, and Silly Rabbit Tube. The Hall of the Angles. (Don Broussard) Throughout the rest of the sys­ tem smaller mapping projects were undertaken, including the fall 1979 karst area has numerous caves, though connection of the fifth entrance to time only permitted the exploration Sistema through Cueva del oso. On and mapping of a few. Most were the surface, much overland surveying blind pits, 10 to 60 meters deep, and cave hunting was done. To date filled at the bottom with sediment there are 65 caves in the Purifica­ and debris. cion area which have been mapped, or Sotano de la Cuchilla, to the in a few cases only sketched. A north of the Cueva del Brinco en­ pre-numbered, aluminum tag has been trance, is a multi-drop cave which placed at each entrance. The main was mapped to -177 meters where it purpose of the tags is to avoid ended at a hopeless pinch. The confusion and duplication; some caves main route to the bottom consisted in the area have been "discovered" of 8 rope drops between 10-20 me­ 4 and 5 times! ters long. The nastiest drop, Rock A couple days were spent on Drop, was named for the chunks of the highest point of the ridge (2700 rock that continually peeled off as meters) in the Mesas Juarez area people lowered themselves past sev­ searching for caves. This intense eral sharp ledges. The longest drop,

25 120 meters deep), and Cueva de Te­ colote, (1341 meters long, 106 meters deep). El Hundido, the large open-air pit discovered by PASS ca­ vers in 1973, was descended and the bottom checked for leads, but noth­ ing was found.

Sistema in flood

In addition to the usual project mapping and exploration, Louise Hose has spent several months doing field­ work for her master's thesis on the geology of the cave system and sur­ rounding area. She will be finishing up in early 1981 and her results will be available at a later date. In December 1979 she had a unique experience of observing Sistema in flood. Following are a few inter­ esting statistics. During a 50 hour period, Louise measured 19 centimeters of rainfall. She and Joseph Lieberz made daily trips to check stream flows in the upper part of the system. "The stream activity had been high. The normal trickle of First Stream had a flow of 1.5 to 2 liters per Helictites in Sistema Purificacion. second. Another stream of similar (Dale Pate) size flowed near the Bat Room (the Bye-Bye Stream - ed.). The Chute had not been flowing before the rain, but Chevron Drop, led to a large room we observed an 18 to 20 liter per (20 x 30 meters) noted for the chev­ second flow during the rain. I ron fold in the ceiling. Snow Drop spent several hours in Tin Can Alley; was by far the prettiest drop. The it had an estimated flow of at least rappel down a white flows tone dra­ 15 liters per second." pery led into a room which was named Two days after the rain finally December Madness for its abundance stopped, Louise and Joseph made a of pure whi te flows tone formations trip to Infiernillo. "Two springs which sparkled like a fresh snow­ cascaded down the cliff walls down­ fall. Over a kilometer of passage stream from the Infiernillo entrance. was mapped in Cuchilla; many of those Each spring had a flow of approx­ meters came from pushing side leads imately 10 to 20 liters per second. which either looped back into the At the base of the cliff below the main passage or pinched off. entrance, two springs gushed more Other caves in the area were than 50 liters per second of water." explored and mapped, including s6­ After a treacherous ascent into the tano de las Calenturas, (5 km long, cave they discovered that the nor-

26 SISTEMA PURIFICACION Municipio Villa Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Preliminary Plan '00 .00 '00 '00 '00 .00 '00 1000 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Based on a Suuntos, Brunton, and tape survey 1973 -1980 by the PROYECTO ESPELEOLOG'CO PURIFICACION

LENGTH: 36,795 m DEPTH: 895 m DRAFT: Peter Sprouse - OCT. 1980

CUEVA DEL BRINCO

SUMIDERO DE OYAMEL " PROYECTO ESPELEOLOGICO PURIFICACION ASSOCIATION FOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIES mally dry boulders were quite wet to near normal flow, however evidence and slippery. "Just beyond day­ of recent flooding in these areas light there was a pool of water which was observed. Upon their return to necessitated wading. Finally, at the upper portion of the system in the 4-Way Junction we encountered Brinco they observed that the water the sumps." At this point the sumps, flows were almost back to normal. normally below Camp I, were up 52 "All the springs were dry except the meters from their normal level. perennial ones used as water supplies. "Since Camp I was under 24 meters The Chute and Tin Can Alley both were of water, we took our backpacks up down, but still flowing. Below the the now dry East Passage. Along system, large rivers were flowing the way we found the high water in the normally dry canyons of In­ line. The flood, issuing from the fiernillo and Hervores." Eleven days sumps, had reached -827 meters be­ after the rain had stopped Louise low the system's highest point, En­ and Joseph returned to the Infier­ trada de los Franceses. This was nillo portion of the system. "The a rise of about 64 meters above the Main Sump had dropped 24 meters since surveyed level of the sumps. The our first visit six days earlier. passage we camped in, which is also Camp I formed the shores of the Main the main throughway into the system, Sump. The sounds of the cave were had been closed by a sump only a few still present, but quieter, and most hours previous to our arrival." of the front portion of Infiemillo During this time Louise and had dried out, leaving no evidence of Joseph were experiencing incredible, the very recent flood." loud rumbling noises. Fearing at Two weeks later Louise made a first that a wall of water was going trip to The Canal, at the end of the to come rushing at them, they later Rio Verde in Brinco. "We discovered concluded that the noises were the that The Canal had flooded to the result of rooms and domes opening ceiling since my trip the previous up to the cave's barometric system month. Sistema Purificacion had def­ as the water receded back into the initely been sumped-off at both ends. sumps. "In the evening I returned This cave, and probably many other to the lakes to gather water and once caves in Mexico, are much more dan­ again the passage roared. The sound gerous in early winter than commonly was rhythmic, but different from what thought. They deserve our respect we had heard before. It was a low as well as our curiosity." pitched noise similar to water being Following is a list of the drained from a sink. I sat at the people who participated in the edge of the lake and watched the above mentioned projects: Jerry shoreline. After about a minute, Atkinson, Sheila Balsdon, Don small waves with an amplitude of 5 Broussard, Leslie Clarfield, Ruff millimeters were on the lake. They Daniels, Frank Endress, Paul Fambro, pulsed in the same rhythm as the David Honea, Jocie Hooper, Jeff sound. The water level was dropping Horowitz, Louise Hose, Peter Keys, so rapidly that I could observe the Joseph Lieberz, David McKenzie, change. Since we had placed our Martha Meacham, Dale Pate, Peter stone water-level marker 80 minutes Quick, James Reddell, Steve Robertson, previous, the water level had dropped Elizabeth Ross, Randy Rumer, William 60 centimeters." Russell, Mark Shumate, Peter Sprouse, The two took a trip back to the Peter Strickland, Terri Treacy, and Nile River, four kilometers from the Lisa Wilko entrance. Water levels in the stream along the way seemed to be back down 27 In December 1979, Don Antonio Grimaldo Camero died at his home in Puerto Purificacion at the age of 81. Don Antonio was a great friend of cavers in the area. He had spent most of his years in the sierras, except for a period during the revo­ lucion. His home was always open to travellers in the mountains, and many cavers sheltered there over the years. Don Antonio had a great knowledge of the caves of the area. He guided Charles Fromen and others to the entrance of Cueva de Infiemillo in 1976. He had complete confidence that Brinco and Infiemillo would be connected, as they were in 1978. Don Antonio's departure leaves a great void in the sierras. PSS Don Antonio Grimaldo. (Terri Treacy)

lir'81 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 1(;)1 !8llJ

, Purificacion ml' rn Debido a los esfuerzos de los espeleologos del Proyecto Espeleologico ill ml' Purificacion, el Sistema Purificacion ha alcanzado una longitud de 36,795 ~GI' rn metros y una profundidad de 895 metros. La conexion del Sumidero de Oyamel anadio 2.5 kilometros al sistema (vea el articulo en este boletin). Un ml' pasaje cerca de la area de la conexion, el Dragon River (Rio Dragon), rendio ml' rn dos kilometros adicionales. La seccion aguas abajo del World Beyond (Mundo ill G Mas AlIa) fue levantado mil metros sobre subidas, tiros, y canales a un G ' sifon en el nivel de -683 metros. Otro chorro, el Rio Valkyrie, fue mapeado ~' ~rn aguas arriba a un sifon, y trescientos metros aguas abajo. En la porcion ill 8 baja del sistema, la Cueva de Infiernillo, mas de dos kilometros fueron 8 levantados en los Confusion Tubes (Tubos de Confusion) un laberinto Gnico ~ ~rn con niveles multiples de pasajes tubolares. ill 8 Otras cuevas en la region que fueron levantados son: Sotano de la 8 Cuchilla--mas de un kilometer de longitud y 177 metros de profundidad. ~ ~rn Sotano de Las Calenturas--5 kilometros de longitud y 120 metros de profun- ill 8 didad. Cueva del Tecolote--1341 metros de longitud, 106 metros de profun- G ~ didad. El Hundido--un hoyo grande que fue descendidad y el piso fue exami- ~ I nado pero ningGn pasaje fue encontrado. ill 8 Louise Hose, una geologa estudiando el sistema tuvo la experiencia ~G singular de observar Sistema Purificacion durante una indunacion en diciembre, I ~I 1979. En un periodo de cincuenta horas, 19 centimetros de lluvia fueron 81' medidos. Chorros en Cueva del Brinco que previamente estaban secos tenian ~81' ~ corrientes de 10 a 20 litros de aguas por segundo durante la inundacion. Los sifones de Infiemillo subieron 64 metros arriba de SU nivel normal. m Indicaciones de inundaciones fueron observadas desde el Nile River, a 4 ~GI' Wkilometros de la entrada de Cueva de Infiernillo. Tambien se observo que R El Canal, 180 metros bajo la entrada de Brinco se habia sifoneado. Louise G advierte que esta cueva, y quiza otras en Mexico, se inundan mas frecuentemente ~ I en el inviemo de 10 que previamente se pensaba. ill B 8 ~, 181 lSI 181 181 181 lSI 181 IE)! 181 181 181 '81 1(;)1 'iJ

28

Dr. Bonet, like other biospe­ leologists from Spain (including Candido Bollvar y Pieltain), ght to Mexico an expertise and usiasm for cave biology not n there at that time. Already ng published several papers he Collembola (springtails) of n, he immediately began an ac- program of collection and study he then virtually unknown cave endogean fauna of Mexico. His ecting forays, frequently in any with Bollvar y Pieltain, him throughout much of the try. Until the work of the ciation for Mexican Cave Stud- in the early 1960's, virtually ything known about the cave fauna exico was the direct result of work of Dr. Bonet and his col­ Although he published sever­ ajar papers on the Collembola of co, which included many troglo- c and troglophilic species, his r contribution to Mexican cave ogy was certainly his pioneering ections. Bonet's studies on Mexican caves not restricted to biology, however, he published three important re- s on the caves of different re- gions in Mexico. A deep knowledge 1906 . 1980 of stratigraphic geology assisted him greatly in his speleological work. The first of his reports on Mexican Federico Bonet Marco was born cave areas was published in 1953 and on October 18, 1906, in Madrid, Spain. covered the caves of the Sierra de He received his Doctor of Science de­ El Abra. In the same year he pub­ gree from the Universidad Central in lished a volume on the caves of the Madrid in 1931, becoming Professor of Xilitla region, which included maps, Zoology at the Escuela Veterinaria, careful descriptions, and meteorolo­ Universidad de Madrid in 1932. He gical and biological data. It re­ remained in this position until he mains an outstanding report and was emigrated to Mexico in 1939. In 1940 certainly as good as anything being he became head of the Department of done in North America at the time. Zoology of the Escuela Nacional de His final major contribution to Ciencias Biologicas, Instituto Poli­ physical speleology was a detailed tecnico Nacional in Mexico City. study of the caves of the Cacahuamil­ During the latter part of his career, pa region in Guerrero and adjacent he held a position as a stratigraphic Mexico. This study, richly provided geologist for Petroleos Mexicanos. with maps and photographs, is an out­ He died in Mexico City on June 10, standing contribution to our know­ 1980. ledge of the caves of Mexico.

30 A final word should be said the geology and karst hydrology of about his other work of great value this area. In 1963 a paper with Dr. to the study of Mexican speleology. Jacques Butterlin defined the major In addition to many highly technical geologic formations of the Yucatan reports on the geology of the Sierra Peninsula; also included was a geo­ Madre Oriental and other areas, he logic map which remains the best published several papers on the gen­ available map for the Peninsula. eral stratigraphy of the Sierra Mad­ The death of Dr. Bonet marks re Oriental. In particular, his the end of the first era of the guides to the geology of the Inter­ study of Mexican speleology. His American Highway between Ciudad Vic­ contributions, both geological and toria and Tamazunchale, prepared biological, to the study of Mexico for the 20th International Congress and its caves will remain for many of Geology in Mexico in 1956, are of years models to follow. great value for an understanding of James Reddell Photo by: Robert Mitchell

Select Bibliography

1942. Notas sinonrmicas sabre el 1947. Monografia de la familia Neel­ D.F. Congr. Geol. Internac., orden colembolos. Ciencia, idae (Collembola). Rev. Soc. 20th Sesion. Mexico, 3:56-59. Mexicana Hist. Nat., 8:131-192. 1956. Excursion A-14 (sentido norte­ 1943. Sobre la clasificacion de los 1947. (with C. Tellez). Un nuevo sur). Itinerario Taninul, onocopoduridae (Collembola), genera de esminturidos (C01­ S.L.P.-Tamazunchale, S.L.P. con descripcion de especies lernbola). Rev. Soc. Mexicana pp. 93-117 in Estratigrafia nuevas. Anal. Esc. Nac. eiene. Hist. Nat., 8:193-203, pis. del Cenozoico y del Mesozoi­ BioI., 3: 127-153 22-23. co a 10 largo de 1a Carre­ terra entra Reynosa, Tamps. 1944. Tullberginos de Mexico (Collem- 1953. Cuevas de 1a Sierra Madre Orien­ y Mexico, D.F. Congr. Geol. bola). Rev. Soc. Mexicana tal en la region de Xilitla. lntemac., 20th Sesion. Hist. Nat., 5:51-72. Univ. Nac. Auton. Mexico, lnst. Geol., Bol. 57. vi + 96 pp., 1963. Biostratigraphic notes on the 1945. Nuevas generos y especies de 11 pis. Cretaceous of eastern Mexico. hipogastruridos de Mexico pp. 36-48 in Geolugy of Per­ (Collembola). Rev. Soc. Mex- 1953. Datos sabre las cavernas y atras egrina Canyon and Sierra de icana Hist. Nat., 6:13-45, fenomenos erosivos de las cali­ El Abra, Mexico. Corpus pis. 2-6. zas de la Sierra de EI Abra. Christi Geol. Soc. Ann. Field Mem. Congr. Cient. Mexicana, Trip, May 23-26, 1963. 1946. Laboratorio de Zoologia. Bol. 5:238-273. Informacion Esc. Nac. eiene. 1963. (with J. Butterlin). Mapas geolo­ BioI., Mexico, 4:105-117. 1956. Excursion A-14 (sentido norte­ gicos de la Peninsula de Yuc­ sur). Itinerario Cuidad Vic­ atan. I.-Las formaciones cen­ 1946. Mas hipogastruridos anoftalmos toria, Tamps.-Taninul, S.L.P. ozoicas de 1a parte mexicana de Mexico (Collembola). Rev. pp. 69-91 in Estratigrafia de 1a Peninsula de Yucatan. Soc. Mexicana Hist. Nat., del Cenozoico y del Mesozoico lng. Hidrau1. Mexico, 17(1): 7:51-62. a 10 largo de la Carreterra 63-71, map. entre Reynosa, Tamps. y Mexico,

rGI I(:JI I(:JI I(:JI 181 I(:JI IGII 181 l(:Ji I(:JI I(:JI I(:JI 181 I~ ml Federico Bonet Marco ~. ill El Dr. Federico Bonet M. murio en la Ciudad de Mexico el 10 de ~ 8 Junio, 1980. El Dr. Bonet fue un pionero en la recoleccion de fauna ~ de las c~vernas..-d~ Mexico. Sus contribucion:s geologicas y biologicas ill ill~ al estud~o de Mex~co y sus cuevas permaneceran como ejemplos admirables~8 8 m I(:JI IElI I(:JI 181 I(:JI I(:JI 181 I(:JI I(:JI 181 I(:JI I(:JI 18

31

Don Broussard

On the last day of December, west section of the Crevice has 1978 Beth Dayton, Bob Lloyd, Kath­ breakdown wedged between the walls erine McClure, Russell Hill and I which comprises suspended floors rappelled into Sotano de las Golon­ sometimes cemented together with drinas. The objective of our trip flowstone , but occasionally held in was to finish checking leads in the place with only a wedging action. A Crevice in order to finish the map thin layer of mud has coated the which John Bassett and Neal Morris rocks in sections of the upper half; began in 1969. Although we were whereas in the bottom half of the camped 350 meters below the surface Crevice,thick mud covers everything. for three days, we were able to main­ Although no new passages were tain communications, via C.B. radio, found, while Russell was prusiking with the topside crew of Cynthia up the 43 meter Grieta pitch he dis­ Van Hoosen, Ken Smith, and Mike covered rocks falling past. I had Mooney. prusiked up the pitch before he did After reaching the bottom of and chimneyed with Beth to the ex­ the drop on the first day, we rigged treme west side to check a lead in the first two pitches past the awk­ the half-meter wide, breakdown chok­ ward chimney/crawl areas at the. top ed crack. No airflow could be detec­ of the Crevice. The second day was ted through the breakdown, thus, we spent checking the rest of the Cre­ decided it wasn't worth chimneying vice for passages possibly missed on further down through the precarious the previous surveys. The goal was boulders. Apparently the rocks I to find a way past the mud plug tossed down the crack came out some­ where Golondrinas now ends at -512 where above Russell, so I assumed meters. Air could be felt blowing the crack did too. strongly through the constricted Our base camp on the floor of area at the top of the Crevice, but the entrance chamber was spread out since the passage bellows out into on a flat clay-feces area in the low comfortable dimensions below the con­ end of the six acre floor. Water striction,no one has been able to was a fifteen minute walk up the trace the airflow to any particular breakdown floor to a seep in the side passage. wall above some black flowstone, but In myavocational opinion, the the entrance to the Crevice was only Crevice is a series of fractures a couple minutes from our sleeping secondary in solutional importance bags. Katherine found a swallow with to the fracture which formed the en­ a slight wing injury. Her new friend trance chamber. The east end of perched on her shoulder for two days this series of fractures was solu­ listening to Katherine play her flute. tioned into the large offset dome­ Three mouse-sized rodents were ob­ pits through which a caver rappels. served scurrying over various areas The west end had less vadose water of the floor. Perhaps they can live in it and retained its parallel­ off the young coffee bean seedlings walled crack appearance. In this sprouting over much of the sunlit narrower west end, there are two ma­ bottom, but how did they get there jor horizontal side passages, one in the first place? 24 meters above the other and par­ On the third day, the surface allel to the vertical "trunk" crack. crew told us of hail falling on The passages intersect it at both their heads and of hot coffee the of their ends. There was possibly local coffee grower had supplied. very little phreatic development in We had noticed a cold breeze flowing these small side passages, just vadose down the breakdown slope and across enlargement and wall collapse. The base camp. Everyone had already put

(Paul Fambro) 33 cave I hadn't pushed yet. Sheila Balsdon, David Honea, and I rappelled in the first night we ar­ rived. I was first on rope. It was rather eerie rappelling for 45 min­ utes in total darkness and not know­ ing for sure that the rope even reach­ ed the bottom until I was on the bot­ tom! The night was spent to the accompaniment of the birds twittering incessantly. The next morning Peter Sprouse came down to sketch in the entrance chamber, while Randy Rumer and Peter Quick came down to help Sheila, David, and I rig the Crevice. We stopped at the top of the Grieta pitch be­ cause at this level is the nasty crack where I had stopped last year, and where we began surveying this year. The crack was easily climbable to a hole in the floor which dropped 3 meters to a steeply sloping shelf looking out into a shaft. We thought at first this was the 43 meter Grieta pitch, but it may not be. On the way out, at the room where the nasty crack began, we stopped at a lead which I had seen before, but not map­ ped. The 4 meter long, but low, pas­ sage turned 90 0 into a large break­ down maze. We mapped a few stations into the maze and called it quits. Bob Lloyd in the top of the Crevice. It had been a long day of Crevice (Don Broussard) pushing. As I squatted on top of a boulder trying to make sense out of my survey notes, Randy crawled up, on extra shirts and were glad to be Peter Q. wiggled away, and David on the bottom. The surface crew had scrambled off somewhere else. The ice crystals growing on their mus­ three came back raving about rooms taches. By the time everyone on the big enough to stand in, formations, cold surface had waited for the last and enough passage descriptions to caver to prusik to the top they wel­ convince me that it really does go. comed the activity of pulling out 50 We left the maze for a future map­ kilos of rope. ping trip. The Crevice still goes!

Return to the Crevice

Over a year later, in March MAP of 1980, I returned to check out the Crevice once again. The rocks next page bouncing down past Russell Hill in '79 meant that there was still some

34 r Editors' Note: On the Mar~h 1980 360 meters below entrance trip to Sotano de las Golondrinas, an enormous quantity of garbage was found on the floor of the pit. ~f-"- All of the trash, which included an assortment of batteries, boots, cans, cooking pots, plastic, and paper was packaged into three large SOTANO DE LAS GOLONDRINAS bags and hauled out of the pit. Many thanks go to the crew for LEVEL I PARTIAL PROFILE OF THE CREVICE hauling the garbage out. Please

P,ov'SIQnal map by 0 B'oussa'd and P Sprouse, based on a map by cavers, take all of your belongings J Bassett, G Ed,ger, and N. Moms, and on slJIveys by the AMeS 1975 -1980 and trash with you when you leave a cave. And should you have the misfortune of encountering trash which others have left previously, please do your share in helping to

view looking north clean up.

o (

GAIETA 460 conlinues to -512 m

@ lUO ••'.,S.,"."

~' '0' 'a' 'a' 'a' ,." G:;on~:;na$ ,a, 'a' ,," ,a, 'e' ,a, ~

~ Debajo de la inmensa entrada del Sotano de las Golondrinas, La ~ S Grieta se extiende hasta los -512 metros y alIi termina en lodo. Una S corriente de aire en la entrada de la fisura he causado que various ~ m~ grupos traten del hallar una manera diferente de segiur adelante. Los m S utimos dos esfuerzos de espeleologos texanos conducieron a una fisura ~S que circula hacia otras y continua metiendose a ambos la fisura principal I ~m y un laberinto de cantos rodados. Este laberinto esta parcialmente

ml' explorado y levantado. Esta area puede ser extensiva, pero mas explora- ml' m cion t topografia sera necesaria para averiguarla. W S El Grupo encontro mucha basura de otros visitantes. Limpiaron el S ml' sotano completamente, y esperan que pueden conservirlo muy limpio en ~' m el futuro. W S S filii 113~GI IGI IGi 10! lei IGi IGI IGi IGI lei IGI IG!=ID

35 I>elightful by the O're covered in

~eatly wrapped in Or Trussing gutt

Trash can Rubbish coul All things I ving make Some waste; it's just IIow things are done.

Yet though Outtasight lJnderneath the groun Ranging over cavern

Trash is outta bou Fteturn the gifts Entrusted to our A subterrain of Strains eyeles lJnder calcit cu Rimstone wa Excrement s excreme Swine wer n' t desi

36 Recent Biological Discoveries in Mexican Caves

James Reddell

In the Tenth Anniversary issue troglobite in this family in Mexico, of the Association for Mexican Cave the other being known from the Sierra Studies Newsletter (vol. 4, no. 1, de Guatemala. 1973),1 prepared a summary of the Other exciting species of ter­ biological work of the AMCS during restrial troglobites known from this its ten years of existence. At that area include a new genus and species time,145 species, including 64 trog­ of chactid scorpion (now known from lobites, had been described on the three caves), three new species of basis of collections made by members eyeless pseudoscorpion, a blind tar­ of the AMCS. In the eight years antula, blind harvestmen of the ge­ since that report was written, work nus Hoplobunus, the most highly cave on the biological collections of the adapted centiped in Mexico (a new AMCS had continued unabated. An add­ species of the scolopendrid genus tional 168 species, including 86 Newportia), blind millipeds belong­ troglobites, have now been added to ing to several families but still the Mexican cave fauna as a result of largely unstudied, and three species the collecting efforts of AMCS cavers. of eyeless trechine beetle of the A large part of the material obtained genus Mexaphaenops. This last find during the last 18 years remains un­ is particularly notable in that no­ studied, particularly that mater- where else in Mexico do more than two ial collected in the Purificacion, species of trechine beetle occur in Huautla de Jimenez, and Cuetzalan re­ a single area (and then they belong gions. The purpose of this brief re­ to very different genera). Further­ port is to summarize work in these more, there are only four other and a few other areas. Most of the species of the genus known; thus, species collected during the last almost half of the known species of few years remain undescribed, but the genus occur in the limited con­ many will be published in a forth­ fines of the Purificacion area. coming biological bulletin of the Another remarkable aspect of AMCS. the cave fauna of the region is the Purificacion Area, Tamaulipas: presence in it of four species of The first collections to be made in troglobitic aquatic isopod. Unde­ this area were by Roy Jameson and scribed species of the delicate, David McKenzie in 1973. This early elongate isopods of the genera Mex­ reconnaissance trip resulted in the istenasellus and Caecidotea occur in discovery of several of the more the sump lakes in Cueva del Infier­ notable species known from this re­ nillo. A new species of Speociro­ gion, but by far the most exciting lana is known only from Sotano de finds were not to be made until the las Calenturas, where it is fairly Proyecto Espeleologico Purificacion abundant in the deeper lakes in that got well under way. The only trog­ cave. Species of Mexistenasellus lobite described from the area is a are know from caves and springs in blind leiodid beetle, Ptomaphagus Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Poto­ (Adelops) mckenziei Peck, from Cue­ Sl, and Veracruz. The nearest re­ va de California and Cueva del Brin­ cords of Caecidotea are in Texas to co. This is only the second known the north and Veracruz to the south.

37 Speocirolana is a widespread genus area as early as 1966, anJ troglobi­ ranging from Coahuila south to tic millipeds, collembola, and cara­ Puebla in the Sierra Madre Oriental. bid beetles have been described. The most spectacular discovery in The most notable finds, however, the area, however, was a species of have been made during the recent marine-derived isopod of the suborder expeditions to La Grieta, Sotano Valvifera. There are no records of de San Agustin, and other caves. this suborder from caves in the New One discovery stands out more than World and only one or two doubtful any other: the largest and most records of its occurrence in fresh­ highly cave adapted scorpion known water. Its presence in the stream from caves in the world. This in the World Beyond in Sistema amazing new genus and species was Purificacion is amazing. found first by Roy Jameson and Patty Cuetzalan Area, Puebla: Al­ Mothes in Cueva del Escorpion. It though some collections were made in has more recently been collected at this area in 1973 and 1976, little of depths up to 820 meters in Sotano this material has been studied. The de San Agustin, La Grieta, and Li only troglobite described from the Nita. Study has shown that its area is the spirobollelid milliped closest relatives are the small Reddellobus troglobius Causey. This troglobitic and endogean species is the only New World troglobite in of the genus Typhlochactas. Other the order Spirobolida and is a good notable finds in the Ruautla re­ indication of the unique fauna of gion include the first completely this region. Among the more unusual eyeless tarantula in the world, one animals known from the region are specimen of which was found in La several species of blind spider Grieta. (including a blind tarantula), glo­ Xilitla Plateau Area, San Luis merid millipeds (commonly referred POtOSl and Queretaro: A few small to as pill millipeds because they collections were first made in this roll into a tight ball much like area in the late 1960s. Recent pillbugs, with which they can be collections have included specimens easily mistaken), a possibly trog­ of blind planarian, a completely lobitic scorpion of the genus Vaejo­ eyeless diplurid spider, a new re­ vis, and a troglobitic beetle of the cord for the troglobitic tarantula genus Mexisphodrus. Recent finds Schizopelma stygia (Gertsch) (pre have included a new species of trog­ viously known only from caves near lophilic crayfish of the genus Pro­ Ahuacatlan), and new species of cambarus, subgenus Villalobosus-.-­ blind millipeds and harvestmen. This brings to three the number of Most of these collections remain crayfish known from the caves of the unstudied. area, more than in any other part of Aquismon Area, San Luis Potosi: Mexico. A few recent collections have been San Pablo Zoquitlan Area, Pueb- made by Peter Sprouse, Terri Treacy, la: Few collections have been made and others in the area, but all re­ in this interesting karst region, main unstudied. The most important but these give promise of many ex­ find since the initial collections citing things to follow. Included in the 1960s was of an eyeless cray- in the fauna is a new genus and spe­ fish of the genus Procambarus from cies of snail belonging to the fam­ the sump pool in Roya de las Guaguas. ily Charopidae and a completely eye­ This species, collected by Andy Grubbs, less spider of the genus Nesticus is the only troglobitic crayfish in (only the second species in Mexico Mexico north of Oaxaca and Veracruz to totally lack eyes. and possibly belongs to a subgenus Ruautla de Jimenez Area, Oaxaca: (Scapulicambarus) not previously A few collections were made in this known to have cave representatives.

38 The significance of this discovery caves, in areas reasonably well known is that the deep base-level waters now, still produce startling finds. of more northern Mexico may har­ Only in the most intensively studied bor a very distinctive fauna. regions (Sierra de Guatemala, Yuca­ Potrero Redondo Area, Nuevo tan Peninsula, Sierra de El Abra) Leon: Recent collections were do we have any hope that we have made in this poorly known area by found the majority of the species William Elliott in May 1980. The present. And even here we cannot only material identified from his be all that sure. As an example, collections are the carabid beetles. two recent collections made in Surprisingly, a series of small eye­ Sotano del Arroyo and Sotano de la less beetles proved not to be trech­ Tinaja, two of the best studied ines but instead were representative caves in Mexico, produced interesting of a new blind species of Rhadine. specimens: in one, a new record for The only other record of blind the rare troglobitic mysid, Spelae­ Rhadine from Mexico is from Cuesta omysis quinterensis (Villalobos), de Chipinque, Nuevo Leon, collected and in the other a new species of in 1969 by Stewart Peck and lost troglobitic pseudoscorpion. These until a few weeks before Elliott's two casual collections point up specimens were identified. These vividly the need for collecting by two species are most closely relat­ any caver willing to stick a small ed to Rhadine persephone Barr from bottle of alcohol in his pocket and Tooth Cave, Travis County, Texas. take a few minutes to turn over This indicates that the northern rocks or look in a pool. end of the Sierra Madre Oriental, (Editors' Note: All biological col­ sorely neglected by cavers, is poten­ lections must be labeled with the tially of great interest. following information: 1) Name of The most interesting thing cave and its location, including the about all of the recent biological state. 2) Name of person(s) who work in Mexico, most of it quite collected. 3) Date collected. incidental to other goals (such as Print this information with a pencil mapping record setting, and basic (ink will smear in alcohol) on a reconnaissance), is that we still small piece of paper and put the know appallingly little about the paper in the bottle. Send the col­ biology of Mexico's underground. lection to the AMCS, P.O. Box 7672, The recent collections in Mexican Austin, Texas 78712.

o =;osp':~eo';~ia ""~ r , ':esu:en ':e ':'ex:ana'''' ".. ~ Un resumen de las colecciones biologicas del AMCS de 1963 ~ W a 1973 se publico en el AMCS Newsletter, Vol. 4, No.1, 1973. ml' En aquel entonces, se habian descrito 145 especies, incluyendo ami' w 64 troglobios. Durante los 8 anos subsiguientes, otros 168 es- W G pecies adicionales, incluyendo 86 troglobios se han anadido a 8 la fauna subterranea de Mexico. Este articulo es un resumen del ~ W~ trabajo que se ha realizado en varias regiones de Mexico desde W G 1973. G ~ "... "" "" "" '''' '0' '0' '''' ".., ,@ ,,,. ,,,J

39 The Piloztoc Connection

Bill Liebman

On Christmas evening, 1978, in in color with dark gray-black lime­ Cuetzalan plans were made to investi­ stone. The shale seam cross section gate a 4.1 second virgin pit in exposed in the wall of the passage Cueva Piloztoc. The cave was found is very contorted with individual in late 1977 by Peter Lord who explor­ layers broken and discontinuous. ed it a short way to a 3 meter drop. Many kink folds are visible among In the late Spring of 1978 Peter, the contortions displayed in the Rick Rigg, and others continued the walls of the passage. This explains exploration and mapping to 300 meters the ease with which the passage where they encountered the deep pit formed where it is. Unlike the and they timed rockfalls at 4.1 sec­ walls, which you can pull pieces of onds. Low on gear and time, the pit broken rock out of, the ceiling is was left to go unchallenged until of good gray-black limestone. This the next season. Cueva Piloztoc is upper section of cave exhibits signs perched high along and at the oppo­ of frequent flooding in the form of site end of the valley from Sima stringers of clothing and debris Zoquiapan. A connection seemed in­ hanging off of protrusions in the evitable. walls. Considering the frequent December 16 found Rick Rigg flooding and the ease of erosion (ID), Will Howie (MS), Jim Eyre of the shale out of the country rock, (England), Gareth Davies (England), it is not surprising that this sec­ Alejandro Villagomez (Mexico), and tion of cave is devoid of formations. myself (CA) getting the usual late Upon reaching the pit, a few morning early start. With visions rocks were tossed to stimulate our of uncertain depth and a possible senses, and then we began the task connection to Sima Zoquiapan a kilo­ of rigging. Looking across the pit, meter away, we loaded ourselves down you can't help but notice that the with gear and ropes. Cueva Piloztoc shale seam does not continue in the is located in a large sink, a kilo­ far limestone wall. The pit is meter long, 500 meters wide and near­ formed on the plane of a vertical ly 200 meters deep. Lying to the fault. The lip of the pit serves north, at the opposite end of the as a launching point for the debris sink is the 62 meter entrance shaft pile and over an hour was spent to Sima Zoquiapan. cleaning loose material away from A relatively small stream enter­ the edge. Finally the rope was ed the somewhat hidden entrance to lowered into the pit, and we all Cueva Piloztoc. The entrance is made the descent. The bottom of small by Cuetzalan standards. You the pit was unimpresseive. In fact, can stand up inside, but that's it was down-right disappointing. about all. The passage is 2 meters It was triangular in shape, about high and averages 2 meters wide. 4 meters on a side. Not too big It took about 30 minutes for us to for a 4.1 second drop. There were scramble down the first few hundred 3 leads off the bottom, all of them meters of cave to the lip of the crawlways. pit. The upper portion of cave is We crawled off down the largest mostly walking passage with a few of the leads, a hands and knees areas where you have to stoop. The crawl that takes the main flow of passage is eroded out of a thinly the stream with a little airflow. interbedded shale seam that is black After about 10 meters we got to a

40 1-1/2 meter waterfall and more tion. Everybody was rather burned out crawling. We crawled and periodi­ from having crawled at least a half cally stooped on down the passage kilometer and knowing we had to return for well over an hour. Due to the through that nasty stuff. We discussed logistics of six people in crawling the merits of getting this new section passage, we were moving very slow. mapped and getting the heck out. No­ This however, gave one the opportun­ body really felt like mapping, but we ity to take in the features of the all knew the rule: Map what you scoop! cave. This portion of the cave was So we broke into two survey teams, and in limestone, unlike the upper por­ leapfrogged back through the crawl to tion of the cave that is a shale the pit- seam. The passage is very low and At the bottom of the pit some very narrow. The average height of fossils were preserved in the lime­ the passage is 1.5 meters and width stone. I did not view them, but about a half meter on the floor, their description matches the cre­ becoming narrower towards the nearby taceous pelecypods and cephlapods ceiling. The passage evidently has I have encountered in nearby Cueva eroded down to the present floor La Providencia. The climb out of which is a very resistant basal con­ the pit was interesting. The lime­ glomerate, typical of most caves in stone is a muddy brown color with a the area. Not being able to pene­ high concentration of lensoidal trate this resistant unit, the pas­ chert interbeds. As you ascend the sage has eroded sideways, forming pit, the concentration and the thick­ an upside down "T" shape. Many ness of the chert layers reduces bends and half meter waterfalls and drastically. The chert is much more cascades constitute the continuation resistant than the limestone and of the passage. Interesting soda weathers out as ledges, sometimes up straws were seen in various places, to 3 or 4 inches wide protruding from including some which stair-stepped the wall. As you climb, the far wall downwind in helictite fashion. Many overhangs the pit, and for a short chert lenses were present in the way you are virtually against the walls of the muddy brown colored wall. The wall recedes again and it limestone. is once more free the last 20 feet Finally, word came back that to the lip. we had entered a borehole up ahead! After everybody was up top we This passage immediately split, go­ got the measurement of the pit... ing two directions. To our right, it was 226 feet deep. We exited about 60 meters away, we could see the cave at midnight, having spent daylight. Wandering over to the 12 hours underground. It was driz­ light, we found a large lake at the zling outside and a might chilly. bottom of a beautiful sunlit shaft; We warmed up with some hot Boon Stew a deep one. Although none of uS upon our return, mellowed out, and had visited Sima Zoquiapan, we as­ got some much earned sleep. The sumed that we had made our connec- Sewer was bigger!

Cueva Piloztoc Este art1culo describe la Cueva Piloztoc en Cuetzalan, Puebla, y su conexion con Sima Zoquiapan en diciembre 1978. Las dos cuevas quedan en extremidades opuestas de una dolina que tiene un kilometro de longitud y 200 metros de profundidad.

41 Unstudied Karst Areas of Mexico

Peter Sprouse

Despite the intensive explora­ Only a few caves are known in this tion over the last two decades, the large (5000 km2) area. caves and karst of Mexico remain poorly known. Many significant karst areas have not been visited. This article will describe some, Coahuila but by no means all, of the karsts SIERRA LA GAVIA (G14A83 Reata). (limestone, gypsum, and lava), that A desert limestone ridge with two are largely uninvestigated and likely caves, "Cueva (Guano), Cueva Prieta", to be fruitful for cave exploration. shown at 1300 meters elevation. These areas represent large voids in our knowledge of the caves of Mexico. LOS LIRIOS (G14C35 San Antonio The descriptions here are made in de las Alazanas). Near the town of the hope that groups investigating Los Lirios are several high lime­ these cave areas will send in re­ stone ridges with good cave poten­ ports to the AMCS. The following tial. Peaks at 3700 meters, base list will generally describe areas level at 2000 meters. rather than specific leads, as was the case in an article by William HUACHICHIL (G14C44 Huachichil) Russell in Inside Earth No.1, (Rus­ Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. Three sell, 1972). Many of the leads ridges up to 3000 meters near Hua­ listed in that article remain un­ chichil. Cave indicative features checked. are shown on the topo: "Cerro la Areas are grouped by state and, Cueva, Canada la Cueva, Cerro las if available, the Detenal 1:50,000 Cuevas." topographic map is listed in paren­ theses. These maps were used to de­ scribe most of these areas, and Guerrero should be considered essential for field use. The UTM coordinate grid PLAZA DE GALLaS (E14A67 Pilca­ on these maps provides a good method yos). Plaza de Gallos is located on for recording cave locations. I have a limestone ridge 15 kilometers west listed high and low elevations for of Taxco on the road to Ixcateopan local areas, although these should de Cuautemoc. The map shows several not necessarily be interpreted as dolinas at elevations up to 2400 me­ the vertical potential, which can be ters, with nearby base levels at 1400 affected by any number of geological meters. and geographical factors. TLAMACAZAPA (E14A68 Taxco, E14 A78 Iguala). A 2200 meter high uvala karst plateau containing the village Chihuahua of Tlamacazapa, base level 1200 me­ RIO BRAVO RANGES (covered by sev­ ters. Located 10 kilometers east eral topo maps). A string of isolat­ southeast of Taxco, and 15 kilometers ed limestone ridges extends northwest south of Dos Bocas. Good cave poten­ from Ojinaga along the Texas border. tial.

42 Nuevo Leon HIDALGO HIGHLANDS. A large, SIERRA EL AZUL (f14A35 Sierra e1 high (2000+ meters) area along the Azul). Nuevo Leon and San Luis Potosi. Inter-American highway between Tam­ A 2500 meter high, 1400 meter base azuncha1e and Actopan. Some caves level range with a "Cueva de los Ris­ are known, but many parts of the cos" marked on the map. Located 30 area remain uninvestigated. Grutas kilometers southeast of Matehua1a. de Xofafi, an unmapped, but we11­ known cave northeast of Laguni11a, POTRERO LAS HOYAS (F14A36 Mier y is a complex descending cave that Noriega). A 2000 meter high range 1S rumored to be quite deep. with cave indicative localities: "Canon 1a Cueva Caida, Canon las HIDALGO LOWLANDS. The eastern Cuevas, Arroyo Cueva Urbana, Picacho flank of the Hidalgo highlands. This e1 Socavon." Base around 1400 me­ area undoubtedly contains large caves ters. Located 15 kilometers south­ as does the adjacent Cuetza1an to the west of Mier y Noriega. east. Northeast of Ixmiqui1pan is another well-known, but unmapped cave, CANON DE HUASTECA (G14C25 Garza The Grutas de Tono1tongo - a hot water Garcia). A series of highly folded resurgence cave. The nearby Laguna limestone ridges with good cave poten­ de Meztit1an is rumored to myster­ tial, stretching west to Saltillo and iously drain at times. A large river beyond. High elevations 2000 meters, is reported to go underground east base 900 meters. Several caves known. of Grutas de Xofafi. LA VENTANA AREA (G14C46 Rayones). A high limestone area, 2700 meters, wi th a large "window" 100 meters wide near the top of a ridge. This en­ Mexico trance, La Ventana, apparently opens MONTE GRANDE AREA (E14A58 Tenan­ in the bottom of a large pit. Cavers cingo). A karst plateau 10 kilome­ have not reached it. Base level ters southwest of the religious 1n the area is around 1100 meters. shrine of Cha1ma. Elevation 2300 meters, base 1500 meters. GALEANA AREA (G14C56 Galeana). A 2500 meter high gypsum karst SIERRA LA GOLETA (E14A66 Amate­ plateau lies 10 kilometers south­ pec). A wide range, elevation 2200 west of Galeana and 6 kilometers meters, with several caves marked southwest of Pozo de Gavi1an. Base on the map: "Caverna Pedro Ascencio, level may be around 1800 meters, Cavernas Leona Vicario, La Cueva level of the Galeana plain. Good (three of these)." Located 50 kilo­ potential for deep gypsum caves. meters northwest of Igua1a. LA POZA (G14C66 San Jose de Raices). A gypsum karst area 15 kilometers north of Pabil10, at an Nayarit elevation of 1800 meters. Two fea­ tures marked on map are "Dolina" LA CUEVA (F13B81 San Pedro and "Resumidero." Ixtacan) . Two features called "La Cueva" and "La Cueva Prieta" at 1400 LAGUNA SANTA ROSA (G 14C6 7 meters, base level 500 meters, possi­ Iturbide). AS km2 po1je sits at bly in volcanics. Located in a remote an elevation of 1500 meters, whose area 30 kilometers east northeast of water probably resurges to the E1 Venado. northeast at a wet weather resur-

43 gence on the road from Linares to and very promising. Iturbide, elevation 600 meters. Limestone peaks in between rise up MICaS (F14A89 Damian Carmona). to 2400 meters. A 700 meter high karst ridge cut through by the Rio Valles at Micos. Base level 100 meters. Few caves are known in this highly karsted San Luis POtOSI range. SIERRA LA TRINIDAD (F14A65 Guadalcazar). A gypsum karst ridge. 6 kilometers northwest of the town of Guadalcazar. Elevation 2100 me­ Tamaulipas ters, base 1800 meters. MESA LA LIBERTAD (F14A48 Llano SIERRA EL PINAL (F14A68 Saito de Azuas). An extensive, 2000 me­ del Agua). A massive limestone ter high limestone karst ridge flank­ ed by two parallel ridges. Base karst ridge, 1800 meters with sever­ level 800 meters. Good cave potential. al parallel karst ridges. Base lev­ el 700 meters, 20 kilometers north­ east of Cd. del Maiz. LAGUNA LA ESCONDIDA (F14A58 Ocampo). A wide limestone karst PAPAGAYOS (F14A78 Cd. del Maiz). ridge at 1400 meters. Base level Four hundred square kilometers of is probably at 400 meters in the closed drainage, tropical karst. Malpais Lavafield, although this A series of north-south ridges with also has underground drainage. large uvalas and several poljes. The ridge contains several poljes, High points at 1800 meters, base including Laguna la Escondida. A level at 500 meters. This area is very promising area located 20 south of Highway 80 between Antiguo kilometers west of Ocampo. Morelos and Cd. del Maiz. Few caves are known. SIERRA DE TAMAULIPAS. A large limestone uplift southeast of Cd. SIERRA TREJO (F14A85 Santa Cat­ Victoria. Pits and karst have been arina). A ridge 6 kilometers north­ seen on top from the air. A large east of Santa Catarina with a cluster unmapped "drive thru" cave, Cueva of deep dolinas or pits on its western de Cuarteles, is mined for phos­ slope. Elevation 1600 meters, base phates northwest of Aldama, off level at 1200 meters. Highway 180.

LLANO EL RESUMIDERO (F14A87 San SIERRA CUCHARAS (F14A59 Loma Francisco). A gypsum plain, eleva­ Alta, F14A69 Quintero). The north­ tion 1000 meters, with sinking ern extension of the highly cavernous streams. Six kilometers southeast. Sierra de El Abra, this 35 kilometer of San Francisco. long ridge extends from the the north­ ern El Abra pass to the Sierra de LAGUNA GRANDE (F14A88 Alaquines). Guatemala. Elevation 400 meters, Six hundred plus square kilometers of base level 100 meters. Several closed drainage, tropical karst. springs emerge at the base of the A southern continuation of the Papa­ range including the large Nacimiento gayos karst. Contains a 4 km2 polje, del Rio Mante (see Exley, 1979). A Laguna Grande. Located north of few large caves are known in the Highway 70 between Cd. Valles and southern section. In a rumored pit Rio Verde. A few caves are known, above Quintero, rocks bounce for but the area is mostly unexplored 12 seconds to water.

44 Tabasco Reports, maps and photos are Northern extensions of the requested from all caving projects Chiapas ranges in Tabasco are known in Mexico for AMCS publications. for their cockpit karsts (Jennings, It is also hoped that groups caving 1971). However this promising area in Mexico will practice good cave remains almost entirely uninvesti­ conservation and extend utmost courtesy to landowners and local gated. inhabitants. It is generally AMCS policy to apply local names to caves. Should a cave not have a name, then Veracruz the name of a local place or nearby COFRE DE PEROTE. A volcanic feature is usually given. area of good lava tube potential. One tube, Cueva del Volcancillo, has been mapped to a length of 590 References meters and a depth of 140 meters and may continue (Reddell and Exley, Sheck,1979, jNacimientos: Elliott, 1974). AMCS Activities News Letter More information on these areas may No.10, p.22-31. be obtained from the AMCS and its Jennings, J.N.,1979, Karst, The publications. In Austin, the AMCS MIT Press ,p. 192. maintains files on the caves of Mexico and also a collection of Reddell, James and William Elliott. topographic maps. The Detenal maps Trip report, Cofre de Perote, may be purchased in Mexico, D.F. at Veracruz. AMCS Newsletter V.1:7-13. Balderas No. 71 P.B., Col. Centro, Mexico 1, and in Monterrey at 15 Russell, William 1972, Mexico, what de Mayo 545 Oriente, Escobedo y needs doing. Inside Earth 1:8-10. Zaragoza.

[ 181 101 181 181 181 18! 181 101 181 181 181 18! '~ [;J

~ Regiones no estudiados del karst mexicano [;J [;J~' Muchos regiones de karst en Mexico no han sido visitadas por ~ espeleologos. Este artlculo describe varias de estas areas (de cal- W I iza, yeso, y lava) cuales son, por su mayor parte, inexploradas. [;J~' [;J Estas descripciones se presentan con esperanzas de que grupos inves- I ~ tigando estas regiones proporcionaran informes al AMCS. Las regiones [;J estan agrupadas segun el estado en que se localizan, y si es disponible, ml' ~ se da el numero de la mapa topografica DETENAL 1:50,000. W

181 18! 18! 101 181 18! 18! 18! 18! 101 181 181 ISE= II!

PRACTICE CAVE CONSERVATION

45 Caving in Western Mexico

James Reddell

Entrance to Cueva Hundida ln the Sierra de San Lorenzo. (David MCKenzie)

Despite the proximity of north­ made in the last ten years. This western Mexico to western Texas t New entire area holds considerable prom­

Mexico t and Arizona the vast limestone ise for significant caves. The lime­ areas of Chihuahua t Coahuila t and Dur­ stone exposures are extensive t and ango have been seldom visited. In there are many rumors of large caves 1977, I wrote a summary of our know­ throughout the region. ledge of the caves of Chihuahua and On June 6, 1980, David McKenzie, Durango (AMCS News. vol. St nos. 2-3 t Mark Shumate, and I left Austin with pp. 84-93), in which I listed seven the intention of checking some of explored caves for Chihuahua and four the many leads in southwestern Coa­ for Durango. No new caves have been huila, Durango, and Chihuahua. I visited since that time. The caves was hopeful that we would find some of Coahuila have been a little bet­ good biological collecting caves ter studied, but with the exception since all of the large caves that of Cueva del Porvenir south of Cuatro had been previously visited contained Cienegas, no major finds have been a rich fauna. In this we _were dis-

46 appointed, partly because of the time passage about 5 meters wide and up of year and partly because some of to 3 meters high. It ended in a our better leads could not be visited breakdown choke after about 25 meters. this trip. We mapped Cueva del Vapor, which is situated at the base of the Sierra and has a large opening 10 meters wide and 5 meters high. A break­ Sierra de Texas down floored passage extends back South of Cuatro Cienegas in the for about 50 meters before ending Sierra de Texas, the topographic map in collapse. To the left of the showed Cueva de Tabaco. We were main passage, a low crawlway extends startled to see a highway sign point­ down a short slope before it drops ing the way down a paved road to 3 meters into a high 200 meter long "Cueva de Tabaco." Certain that we walking passage. A strong air- were on to a great start in some com­ flow throughout the cave indicates mercial or semi-commercial cave we that additional passage might be soon arrived at an impressive monu­ found. Cueva del Granjeno is locat­ ment. This consisted of a large ed on the opposite side of a ridge platform on which had been built from Cueva del Vapor and is entered large stela-like pillars. On these by a steeply sloping sinkhole into were inscribed the names of the which some water runs. At the bot­ heroes of a battle in which Benito tom of the entrance slope a narrow Juarez had saved the archives of winding passage about 1.5 meters Mexico which had been hidden in wide and up to 3 meters high extends Cueva de Tabaco. The cave itself, for approximately 100 meters before however, was somewhat less impres­ washed-in silt makes it necessary to sive than the monument. It consis­ dig to continue. Airflow indicates ted of a single dusty chamber about that the cave may be much longer. A 6 meters long and 8 meters high, white scorpion, and numerous dead with only a narrow sloping fissure troglobitic millipedes indicate that leading from it. the cave is of possible biological interest and it should be revisited during a wetter time of year. Cueva del Guano, once called Cueva de Agua because of a now dried-up stream in Sierra de San Lorenzo it, was entered through a rubble At the town of Coyote we found floored sinkhole between two lime­ an excellent guide who took us to stone ridges. A scramble down this the Sierra de San Lorenzo, where I slope leads into a large breakdown had heard of a cave containing a floored room. After about 75 meters lake with blind animals. Our guide a mine shaft intersects the cave. proceeded to take us to six cave Beyond the shaft the cave changes entrances: Cueva del Vapor, Cueva character and becomes a steeply del Granjeno, Cueva del Guano, Cueva sloping passage. The bottom side de los Indios, Cueva Hundida, and an of this slope soon ends in break­ unnamed cave. Cueva de los Indios, down, but it is possible to walk supposedly once a long cave, had along the upper part of the passage only a short crawlway left following for several hundred meters to where a collapse of the entrance. Cueva a narrow passage leads into an exten­ Hundida was a large sinkhole about sion of the main passage for a hund­ 15 meters in diameter and 10 meters red or more meters before apparently deep. This drops into a large break­ ending. The most notable thing about down floored room, but we did not the cave was an enormous number of enter. It supposedly had held Indian dead bats. These littered the floor mummies at one time. The unnamed and some still hung from the cave cave was a climbable sink leading walls. No live bats were seen. The into a single breakdown floored 47 presence of sick and dead bats was also noticed in Cueva del Vapor. Whether this represents poisoning from pesticides (heavily used in the Mapimi Laguna District of Coahuila) or from Grutas de Mapimr is located in a rabies epidemic is not known. the Sierra del Rosario and is about The caves investigated in the 18 kilometers SSW of Mapimr. A Sierra de San Lorenzo appear to be road extends to just below the en­ formed as the result of the solution trance, and some mining has been of gypsum beds from the surrounding done near the cave. The cave it­ limestone. In Cueva del Vapor and self is gated and only our official Cueva del Guano, virtually no gypsum guide had a key. Just inside the is left; only in a few places can entrance, an iron spiral staircase gypsum be seen on the cave walls. leads down the 8 meter drop to the Cueva del Granjeno, however, is a floor of the cave. One enormous, good intermediate example of cave well decorated room contains numerous development. With the exception formations, some of which remain in­ of the entrance room, where a little tact. It was surprising to see that limestone is exposed, the entire the cave had not been completely cave is formed in gypsum. It will vandalized, although some be interesting to look at more caves very large formations had been in the Sierra de San Lorenzo to see sawed off. Still there remain an if there are any limestone caves. abundance of totem poles and other Many caves were known to our guide delicate formations. The cave was in the immediate vicinity and others not mapped, but it is estimated to doubtless exist in the more eastern be several hundred meters long and part of the range. up to 50 meters wide in places. A collection here included a rare eyed species of Rhadine beetle. Our guide knew of several other caves in the area, and also described a long, Torreon Area lower-level passage (unknown to us) We spent several days looking in Cueva de los Riscos. (Riscos is for caves in the vicinity of Torreon. located 6 kilometers south of Mapimi, A copy of the Torreon 1:250,000 topo­ and is described in the PEMEX Guide graphic map had three caves marked on to Mexican Caves to be Grutas de them. The first one, Cueva del In­ Mapimr. ) dio, was never reached. The second lead led us to a high fissure-like opening several hundred meters up on a cliff face. With no easy way to reach the cave, we decided to look for the third lead. Located near Gomez Palacio Presa Francisco Zarca, Cueva del Near Gomez Palacio, there is Guano was found to be a short cave a cave described in Geografia de with a large shelter-like entrance. Chihuahua as "one of the marvels The cave was dry and dusty, and was of the Sierra." This cave, Grutas of little interest. de Santo Domingo, is located near From Presa Francisco Zarca, we the village of Guadalupe y Calvo drove through a short tunnel to close to the border of Chihuahua emerge in a beautiful canyon. High and Sinaloa. We learned that a 20 cliffs with knife-edged ridges of to 30 kilometer hike through some vertical bedded limestone reminded rugged country is required to reach uS of Hausteca Canyon near Monterrey. the cave. We were not prepared for Several cave entrances were spotted, such a hike, so we turned back. On but only one 10 meter long cave was route, we stopped at Cueva del Diablo checked. near Salaices (see AMCS News. vol. 5,

48 no. 2-3 for description and map)t to look for aquatic isopods. Rocks dropped into a previously unentered pit seemed to hit water t so I de­ cided to check it. This pit proved to be about 15 meters deePt dead-end, and dry.

Jimenez Area Back on the main highway to Chihuahua t we inquired about caves in the Jimenez area. We were told of a cave or mine some 20 kilometers south. Upon investigation t what we found was Mina Adargas t which had been abandoned for about 40 years. There were several deep shafts near­ bYt but the main mine entrance was easily recognized by a large flight of bats exiting from it at dusk. At the bottom of two 10 meter drops was a steep slope held back by tim­ bers. From the bottom of this slope an additional drop led down a slope into a mine tunnel. From here sev­ eral tunnels extended t either dead­ ending or ending abruptly in pits. Our enthusiasm was not whetted by the sight of great masses of rock being held in place by cracked tim­ bers and even the thought of trog­ Entrance to Socavon de Santo Tomas. lobitic crustaceans couldn't send us (David MCKenzie) back into the cave when we were fin­ ally stopped by an unclimbable drop. south and then intersect the lime­ We climbed out of the cave t coughed stone t where they join and shortly part of the dust out of our lungs t afterwards empty into the socavon. and headed for the cool highlands A series of 3 drops leads to the of the Sierra Madre Occidental. main cave passage. Upstream a high t narrow t fissure-like passage con­ nects all the upper entrances before finally ending in breakdown. Down­ stream it continues about 15 meters Santo Tomas to the top of a 15 meter droPt into I had visited the Santo Tomas a small circular room. A blast of area t Chihuahua with Bill Bell in cold (12°C) air blows through this February 1966 t but we had not found room t down a 5 meters handline droPt the fabled Socavon de Santo Tomas. and on down a deep pit. Mark descend­ This timet after many wrong turns ed about 35 meters to a ledge and we finally located the real Socavon t discovered that the rope was not on as well as two caves Bill and I had bottom. We returned to this pit a been to earlier. couple days later; David descended Two long arroyos extend from the to a terminal room with a muddy base of the igneous hills to the lake along one side.

49 , E , -z- __ \1')\

SOCAVON DE SANTO c:::::.~ TOMAS CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO /( Suuntos and Tape Survey - June 1980

D. McKenzie o 10 20 -===- 1 J. Reddell Meters M. Shumate V Drafted: D. McKenzie and G. Atkinson Another cave in the area, which we named Socavon del Pino, has a small arroyo emptying into it. TWo climbable drops led to a digging crevice lead. I excavated my way to the top of a 5 meter drop. I looked down into a small room in which the walls were covered with names.

Creel Area The Geografla de Chihuahua had described a large cave known as Grutas de Chumachi near Creel, and was also marked on a tourist map of the Creel area. Located near the lumber camp of Chumachi, the most obvious cave in the canyon, Cueva de Murcielagos, is a large shelter en­ trance on the right side of the ar­

royo. The entrance is about 20 GRUTAS DE CHUMACHI __;z~E meters wide and 10 meters high and Ql.IHUAHUA. MEXICO extends over breakdown into a couple Suuntos and tape survey 19 June 1980 '0 20 D. Mc.Kenzie, J. Reddell, H. Shumate I I rooms about 10 meters in diameter Drafted by D. McKenzie, P. Sprouse and inhabited by a large colony of bats. One short passage loops back to the main entrance. Several other small, nearby caves were checked, In Coyame, northeast of Chihua­ but none, we felt, could be the hua, I knew of a large cave which Grutas de Chumachi. A Tarahumara had been briefly visited by Ronald Indian appeared and told us the Fieseler and others a couple years main cave was across the canyon. ago. Grutas de Coyame was at one The crawlway entrance of Grutas de time a commercial cave. The one Chumachi led into an elongated room meter in diameter entrance drops paralleling the cliff face. It con­ about 10 meters to a sloping floor. tinued through a constriction and up At the bottom of the slope the cave to another entrance. To the right, opens into an elongate room about it led into another room with several 40 meters wide and more than 200 alcoves and finally back through a meters long. This room must have fissure-like passage with breakdown once been extremely beautiful, but along one wall and ended. A third there is now nothing left but the entrance was found near the stubs of thousands of stalactites second entrance. Mapping became and stalagmites. Trash and graffiti difficult when several Tarahuamara are everywhere. Alcoves along the Indians appeared in the cave carry­ sides and a narrow passage at the ing pitch-pine torches. Of interest back leading into a series of small is the fact that these caves are rooms still retain much of their found in ash-flow tuff, an igneous beauty, and indicate what the cave extrusive rock. was once like. Numerous delicate

51 CUEVA DEL VAPOR Rancho Coyote, Coahuila, Mexico

Suuntos and Tope Survey - June 1980

r 6 D. McKenzie I J. Reddell M. Shumate

Drafted: D. McKenzie and G. Atkinson ' ~ Surveyed length: 286 m Gypsum~,;::" ~ :;"{j L1mnto" ~ .. d:J r £P /

~ Q t 10

Meters

;0 formations, including helictites, caves. For the caver interested in can be found in these out-of-the­ geology, the caves are fascinating. way places. The floor of the room For the biologist, there is the pos­ is of mud and flows tone and generally sibility of discovering completely flat. A collection here included new groups of species. In the middle troglobitic isopods,many small spid­ of the Chihuahuan Desert, two tropical ers, and a species of Rhadine beetle. species of ricinuleid were discovered. This trip to northwestern Mex­ Our trip yielded four new species of ico was somewhat less successful spider and two new records for Rhadine than earlier trips, but still we beetles in Mexico. Other collections were able to locate and explore sev­ are still not studied, but should eral nice medium-sized caves, and to prove of interest. Any caving trip obtain leads to many others. Caving armed with the new topo maps of this in western Mexico can be both a frus­ large area should result in the dis­ trating and a rewarding experience, covery of some major caves. but the potential is there for major

~ 181 lEI! IElI IElI 181 IElI IElI 181 IElI 181 IElI IElI lEI,

EJ Mexico Occidental ml

~ Este artlculo trata con exploracion de cuevas en los estados de W W EJ EJI' Chihuahua, Coahuila, y Durango. En Junio de 1980, las siguientes ~! cuevas fueron levantados: Socavon de Santa Tomas (Chih.), Cueva de ~ Vapor (Sierra de San Lorenzo), y Grutas de Chumachi (Creel, Chih.).

EJ Ademas de Cueva de Vapor, cinco cuevas mas fueron visitadas en la ~

Sierra de San Lorenzo. Estas cuevas se formaron de la disolucion de EJW. ~W yeso en la caliza. Cueva de Tabaco (Sierra de Texas), Grutas de EJI' Mapiml (Sierra del Rosario), y las Grutas de Coyame son cuevas semi- ffi! comercializado para turistas. W ~ La posibilidad de encontrar cuevas mayo res en la occidental de ml' Mexico es muy buena aunque muy poco trabajo se ha hecho en el area. ~ W De las cuevas que han sido visitadas, la mayorla son muy interesantes W EJ geologicamente y biologicamente. EJ

LEI! lEI! I[OlI 18! IElI IElI IElI IElI IElI 181 lEI! IElI 18...J1

53 THE EXPLORATION OF SUMIDERO DE OYAMEL

The Upper Sections of Oyamel. (Dale Pate)

54 Dale Pate

Late one evening saw David Honea, was probably tied into the same sys­ William Russell, Peter Sprouse, Terri tem, though very little was known at Treacy, Jerry Atkinson, and myself that time concerning the true ex­ rolling south, headed for the moun­ tent of what lay before us. The tains of Tamaulipas and a cave called name, Sumidero de Oyamel, came from Cueva del Brinco. At this time the many hemlock trees growing in Brinco had been surveyed for a dis­ the area. tance of 5.2 kilometers and The World The following day William, Beyond was only recently discovered. John, Jerry, and myself returned to We were planning on spending a full this new find with the purpose of week during the Thanksgiving 1977 hol­ exploring, mapping, and biological idays in the Purificacion area and collecting in it. Rigging the 8 seeing how it was my first trip to meter Lower Pit drop with a 10 meter this particular area, I was eager to long cable ladder, we entered and see it. We were to meet Gill Ediger, immediately began mapping. Jerry Sara Cloyd, Cindy Kane, Wayne Ranney, had worn his wetsuit bottoms, while John Delano, and Mark Burns at the the rest of us wore regular caving Proyecto Espeleologico Purificacion clothes. We started mapping to the campground located near Brinco, at an south and the passage we followed elevation of 1900 meters. stayed about the same, 3 meters by The first couple days were 1 to 1-1/2 meters, for a good dis­ spent surveying in Brinco, so the tance and then it began hitting fourth day was to be a day of rest. small, climbable pits. The first William, who is usually up before pit was named Apricot Pit (8 meters) everyone else, took a short hike to which led to a tight vertical a high ridge south of Brinco and squeeze aptly named Apricot Squeeze. looking back to the north, he saw an Just ahead, we took a break for interesting karst field that appear­ some lunch and named the spot Comida ed to drain a small arroyo. It was Corrida. Beyond this point, things only a kilometer or so from camp. started getting out of hand as far Returning to camp, he persuaded Sara, as names go. A little further down Mark, John, Jerry, Wayne, and Cindy the passage we came upon Avocado into taking a short hike to check Pit, another 8 meter drop that had out his new find. They discovered a beautifully scoured tinaja in the a small arroyo emptying into a karst­ bottom of it. The passage turned ed area and disappearing. Six en­ underneath itself here and wading trances to Sumidero de Oyamel were around a deep pool was necessary found on this day. Three small en­ before reaching the next pit, Apple trances led to a crawlway maze area Pit. This 8 meter drop led into a named the Worm Tubes. A larger, junction room where we continued double entrance shaft (the Sumidero down, reaching another 10 meter drop entrance) fell 20 meters to a deep named Anchovy Pit. We were able to pool and the Lower Pit entrance drop­ bypass the pit and below this we took ped 8 meters to connect into a water a rest in a nice cozy room with a passage that led to the 20 meter en­ pool and cobbles. We had been col­ trance to the north. Heading south lecting insects on the way down, from this point, the cave continued but here we found them in larger 3 meters wide and 1 to 1-1/2 meters numbers, so we named the room The high and had a strong airflow blow­ Bug Farm. Two new species of trog­ ing in. It was known that Brinco lobitic psuedo-scorpions have been had strong air movement, and also found in this small room as well as further down the mountain, Cueva de other insects. Exploring a short Infiernillo at 4.1 kilometers in distance onward, we came upon a 7 length had strong air movement. meter drop, Artichoke Pit, that This suggested to US that the cave led to the top of yet another drop.

55 Typical Dimensions in Godwanaland. (Don Broussard)

We turned around and left it for briefly scout ahead. Almost 30 another day. The cave was getting minutes later Jerry and I were won­ bigger and we still had good airflow. dering what had happened to Bill. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, We thought he would be gone for may­ saw another 4 vehicles full of cavers be 5 minutes. A short time later we arrive at the PEP campground. This could hear him crawling up to us, threw everything into mass confusion. but he was coming from a different Nevertheless, the following day, Jer­ way. His report confirmed our worst ry, Bill Mayne, and myself returned suspicions - ahead lay a 3-D crawlway to Artichoke Pit and started the sur­ maze. The airflow was not as detec­ vey where we had left off. Beyond table since it had many small holes Artichoke Pit, we encountered 2 pits to go down. We decided to end the close together and these are now survey and return to the surface. known as the John Delano Memorial That same day, William and Sara Double Pits. Their total drop was had entered the cave via the Worm 15 meters or so. It was here that Tubes and began surveying that por­ the drops started getting a lot hard­ tion of the cave. More mapping was er to climb down. Below this the done the following day by William and passage entered a very scoured, Jerry, but they did not succeed in cheesy area with deep tinajas and tieing these entrances to the rest many small holes. Here was the be­ of the cave. By this time, it was ginning of Godwanaland, a crawlway time to head home. Our total survey­ maze area that angled downdip at 30°. ed length for the week was approach­ Being lead tape, Bill forged on to ing 1 kilometer in length and 100 meters in depth. 56 Slightly more than 3 months lat­ ally 6 entrances were connected in. er, Oyamel was revisited during the The total length of Oyamel was then Spring of 1978. Brinco was now 6.5 1040 meters and 125 meters in depth. kilometers in length and 257 meters In November, 1979 Peter S., Terri deep. March 19, Marcia Cossey, Cece Treacy, and Mark Shumate began the Green, Andy Grubbs, and myself took resurvey from the main entrance down a short collecting trip into the to the last surveyed station near the cave. The following day turned out end of Godwanaland. The sketches to be a push day with six of us enter­ from the previous surveys had not ing the cave to continue the explor­ been up to the high standards of ation and mapping. At this time, quality that were being used in Sis­ it had been thought that the cave tema Purificacion and we were all could possibly intercept the upstream sure that the cave would eventually portion of the World Beyond in Brinco, connect in. On one such trip, the but the possibilities of it missing trio found a nice horizontal passage the World Beyond and continuing down­ at the top of Apricot Pit. Small dip to Infiernillo, 400 to 500 me­ leads often yield large discoveries. ters below were never ruled out. This team succeeded in resurveying Robert Hemperly, Jocie Hooper, and to the point where the initial sur­ myself were to be the survey team, vey had ended in the Spring of 1978. while Kurt Schultz, Henry Schneiker, After a 3 week caving tour fur­ and Pete Strickland were the lead ther south, a crew of ten cavers explorers marking the route through arrived in the area on April 8, 1980. Godwanaland. Fortunately, only 125 These cavers included David Honea, meters or so away lay larger passage Peter Sprouse, Terri Treacy, Randy where a definite channelling of the Rumer, Peter Keys, Leslie Clarfield, water flow was evident again. Always Jeanne Williams, Don Broussard, dropping downward, the cave trended Peter Quick, and myself. Already downdip to the west and the lead present was Louise Hose who is work­ team explored down tinaja lined pas­ ing on a Master's thesis of the geo­ sages and stopped in a canyon pas­ logy of the cave system. By this sage that was in places 8 to 10 me­ time, Sistema Purificacion had been ters high, but divided up by old a reality for almost 2 years and it flowstone partitions. The airflow had become the deepest cave in the was good. Meanwhile, our survey western hemisphere at 893 meters team spent hours mapping the crawl­ deep and the longest in Mexico at ways and squeezes through Godwana­ 29 kilometers. It was time to see land. The two teams met just as we what Oyamel was doing. It could were breaking out of the mazy area provide a major link to the drain­ and everyone opted for returning age that was corning in from the to the surface. This downstream north if we could connect it in. portion of Oyamel was not returned On March 10, Randy, Peter Q., to for 2 years after this. The and myself entered Oyamel with wet­ main effort of the PEP was con­ suits on. Our intentions were to centrated in Brinco and Infiernillo, push and map from the last survey which were connected in July, 1978 station the previous team had set, to form the Sistema Purificacion. if we could find it. Although the Work still continued in the wetsuits we wore were fairly comfor­ upper levels, however. Peter table, most plunge pools were Sprouse and Jerry Atkinson return- sought out to cool off in. After ed to the Worm Tubes on March 21, many moans and groans and several 1978 to begin a resurvey of that wrong turns in Godwanaland, we section, and they succeeded in tieing stopped for a much needed rest. all the entrances together. Eventu- Much to our surprise, the station

57 we sought lay right in front of us. climb out, leaving the hoped for Amazing! This was a good sign and connection for another day. At we began surveying in good spirits. this point we were over 200 meters The passage was dropping rapidly, below the entrance. Up, up, up, but we were still able to climb and more up, the whole way out was down everything we encountered. In one climb after another. The pine places we climbed from one water­ scented mountains and twinkling filled tinaja to the next. The pas­ stars were a perfect ending to this sage continued to enlarge and the trip. scoured limestone walls were beauti­ A connection seemed imminent, ful. One area which was in the sec­ and the following day Peter S., tion the 1978 lead team had explor­ Peter K., and Leslie entered Cueva ed was named Pools and Jewels for del Brinco to push upstream in the the many tinajas and rounded cobbles World Beyond. David, Don, and Terri we found there. Below this stretch, entered Oyamel and traveled to the the passage started trending west last surveyed point and the low air and stopped the zig-zagging that had space. To the Oyamel team's dismay, been prevalent up to that time. Off the survey pencil had no lead in it to the right a passage emptied into so they couldn't survey. After go­ the main passage we were following. ing all that distance, they decided Naming this Pine Cone Junction, we to explore ahead. The low airspace continued on. Immediately past this started at 15 centimeters and grad­ we came to a piece of flagging tape; ually increased. Soon it was a this indicated the point where the stoopway with a couple of large mud­ exploration team of 2 years ago had rooms and then more low airspace. stopped. Finally, we were entering They reached a "T" Junction, explor­ virgin passage once again. Soon af­ ed right to a sump, and then left to ter Pine Cone Junction, the passage another junction. There were no dropped into one of the more beauti­ signs of the other team, so they ful parts of the cave, Black Canyon. placed a cairn and left the cave This was a steeply dipping, water­ with plans to return the next day scoured, black limestone canyon. As to survey. always, it was dropping down. After Meanwhile, Peter, Leslie and a distance, the canyon became more Peter had rigged the mud funnel drop, narrow and we were afraid that it later named the Gates of the North. was going to enter another Godwana­ At the bottom, a clean scoured passage land type area. Instead though, it led two directions. Downstream went emptied into a horizontal, wide through 200 meters of canal to a sump, trunk passage. but it was the upstream way which We knew this passage had to pointed north towards Oyamel. Sixty be an extension of Upstream World meters down this, a short passage Beyond in Brinco. We were at the went right to a sump, and 80 meters right level, but we estimated that further on the passage enlarged into we were a kilometer or so from the a high, 40 meter wide chamber with last surveyed station in the World a mud mountain in the middle. Peter Beyond. There was still a lot of Keys attempted a climb into a high cave to go through, and that last lead while Peter Sprouse investigated survey station in the World Beyond the continuation of the passage to had been set at the top of a very the north. There, where a sandbar slimy, muddy, 5 meter drop. crossed the passage, were footprints! After mapping a short distance They hurriedly continued the survey in this new passage, we came upon on from the Hall of the Footprints what appeared to be deep water and and soon came to the other team's low airspace. At this point we cairn. Surely the tie-in station turned around and began the long must be close now, but Peter K. re- 58 The Nose Dives. (Dale Pate)

conned ahead for several hundred on out of the Oyamel entrance, thus meters without finding a station. making the first entrance to entrance But with a connection realized, the trip from Brinco. A few days later, survey had to be done, so they map­ Louise and Don entered the Oyamel ped on past the "T" Junction, through entrance to inspect the geology in the low airspace, The Nosedives, this part of the cave and came out to tie into the station Randy, Peter the Brinco entrance, thus, making Q., and I had set the day before. the first entrance to entrance Their total survey was 922 meters in trip from Oyamel to Brinco. a 17 hours trip and they had made the The connection of Oyamel to the connection. World Beyond in Brinco added a sig­ Oyamel was now officially part nificant link, another piece to the of Sistema Purificacion and it added puzzle, in the hydrologic research 6 entrances to the already known 5 presently going on in Sistema Puri­ entrances. This connection added ficacion. The connection represents approximately 2.5 kilometers to the only a part of the systematic explor­ length of Sistema, bringing it to a ation and surveying that members of field total of 31,567 meters. Peter the Proyecto Espeleologico Purifica­ S., Peter K., and Leslie continued cion are involved in.

59 ~ 'GJ' 'GJ' 'GJI IS' IGJI 'GJ' 'S' 'GJ' 'GJI 'GJI IGJI '8' 'GJ0

Gl~' Sumidero de Oyamel ~ Gl I Las seis entradas de Sumidero de Oyamel se localizan al norte ~ Gl de Cueva del Brinco, una entrada superior del Sistema Purificacion, ill Tamaulipas. La exploracion y topograffa fue iniciada en 1977 y 1978 Gl ~ill hasta 125 metros de profundidad y 1040 metros de longitude En 1979, ~ 8~' levantaron unos pasajes nuevos y repitieron unas partes de la topo- ill graffa. En la primavera de 1980, se continuo con la exploracion y 8~' I la topografla al nivel -200 en un lago con techo bajo. Se penso que I Gl~' este pasaje era una extension del pasaje "World Beyond" de Sistema Purificacion. Al dfa siguiente, un equipo entro a Brinco y comenzo Gl~'1 \ la topografla desde la ultima estacion en la parte aguas arriba del 8~' World Beyond. Al termino de 922 metros de levantamiento, se hablan Gl ill conectado las dos cuevas. , ~

~GJ' 'GJ' '(;)I 'GJ' IGJI IGJ' 'GJ' 'GJI 18' 'GJ' IGJI 18

60 Across the Sima Grande

Mark Minton

The Entrance to Satano de La Joya de Salas. (Steve Robertson)

Still convinced that a major drop in Satano de la Joya de Salas deep system lay below Joya de Salas, (see AMCS Act. News. No.8). In a large group of cavers (Denis addition, some interesting looking Breining, Tom Byrd, Monte Fisher, sinks to the northeast and an old Margaret Hart, Russell Hill, Hal lead near the lake were to be checked Lloyd, Johanna Reece, Steve Robert­ out. son, Terry Sayther, Bill Steele,Bill Bill Stone led the short, but Stone, Lisa Wilk, and I), returned treacherous, traverse around the for yet another look at the Satano Sima Grande. A side passage, pre­ and surrounding area over Thanksgiv­ viously assumed to end in a plunge ing of 1979. The main objective was pool, was descended by Bill Steele a series of passages and shafts who beckoned us onward - it went! found on the last day of our trip Keeping out of the scuz filled pool the previous year by traversing is no easy feat, and the passage was around the Sima Grande, the second dubbed "Can You Stay Dry." Unfor-

61 Monte Fisher on Rope Traverse. Bill Steele diving the sump. (Steve Robertson) (Steve Robertson) tunately it ends a couple hundred, The only remaining lead was a enjoyable meters later at another narrow canyon with tremendous air­ pool. Back in the "main" passage, flow leading off the second ledge a sporting climb over a deep (Sam) of the shaft complex. It quickly hole, which connects to the "old" opens into another drop which ends cave below, and a short section of in a spacious, dirt floored room. stoopway leads to a decorated cross A tight, damp crawl leads to a bal­ fissure. A tight squeeze through cony overlooking a short drop with flowstone while on rope, followed what appeared to be walking passage by a short rappel, brings one to a below. By now we were sure we had complex lower level. The prime lead cracked the system, but our elation was a 100+ meter deep shaft complex was premature. The passage at the at the end of a large, decorated bottom became too tight to the left, chamber. Several ledges break up and sumped to the right. In desper­ the descent, and provide access to ation we returned with heavy artil­ other parallel shafts and intercon­ lery: Kinepak and scuba gear. The necting crawls. Unfortunately all blast was spectacularly resonant in of these end in mud fill or water. the 30 meter dome where we stood,

62 but the passage didn't go. Stone's was not increased, except perhaps by dive, initiated through an extremely one or two meters gained by tying in tight crevice, half filled with water, the second entrance. A few leads also failed to uncover going cave. still remain unchecked, and the baf­ Meanwhile, a little searching fling air circulation in the cave around the karst near the main en­ makes one wonder if the master sys­ trance finally turned up the "lost" tem still eludes explorers. second entrance to the Satano. A We also checked a lead on the short drop through a tight crack east face of the range near a barite leads to a trash floored room with mine. Roya de la Mina Barita, which some beautiful flowstone. A pleas­ had been described as a very large ant canyon leads to a second drop. pit, turned out to be at least 50 Both a crawlway taking off midway meters across, but only a disappoint­ down the drop, and a canyon passage ing 40 meters deep. The overgrown at the bottom of the drop loop back bottom contained no further passage. into the Sima Grande near the main We were also told of a large pit, entrance. bigger than Salas, 9 kilometers to Most of the new passages were the northwest, but we didn't have surveyed, but the depth of the cave time to check it out.

~ lSI lSI lSI IB! 'S! lSI IBI lSI lSI lSI lSI IBI lSI IS1

[;]~. En Noviembre 1979, un grupo fue al Satano de la Joya de Salas en la [;] Sierra de Guatemala de Tamaulipas con el intento de explorar unos pasajes ~ I cuales hablan sido descubiertos el ano anterior. Dichos pasajes se ter- W [;]I' minaron 0 se volvieron a conectar con galerlas conocidas, y un pasaje con- [;]~. dujo a una nueva entrada. Se mapearon todos los pasajes. En el lado ~ oriental de la sierra, un satano llamado Roya de la Mina de Barita se ~ explora. Tiene 40 metros de profundidad, sin pasajes en el fondo. m

Ilksl lSI lSI IBI lSI lSI lSI lSI lSI lSI lSI IB! 'SI Isdl

BATS NEED FRIENDS

63 AMCS CAVE MAP SYMBOLS

Peter Sprouse and William Russell

A current list of the AMCS Stand­ additions, and suggestions for use ard Cave Map Symbols has not been pub­ are discussed in the order they lished since 1975 (Russell, 1975). appear in the list. Subsequent evolution of the symbols The symbol for lower level is reflected in this 1980 list. In passage walls, a dotted line, has compiling it, foremost consideration been stretched into short dashes to has been given to the techniques of help show wall shape and aid clarity. AMCS cave mappers and to the compon­ A symbol for breakdown walls has ents of modern cave maps. been added, which is essentially A revision of the NSS cave map only an explicit use of the passage symbols was published in April, wall symbol. Ceiling height and 1979 in the NSS Bulletin, Vol. 41, water depth symbols have been elim­ No.2, compiled largely by James inated for several reasons. These Hedges. This list contained many features may best be shown in cross unconventional symbols and drafting sections and profiles in a form techniques and was widely regarded that conveys vastly more information. as impractical by American cavers. The plan view is intrinsically not It contained a vast number of sym­ designed to display these features, bols for things rarely encountered and their use inside the passage in caves, with most of the symbols walls displaces floor detail, a bearing no visual resemblance to primary function of the plan. For what they were supposed to represent. this reason also, the elevation Although the NSS list is currently above and below the entrance should under revision, there is little be indicated outside the passage hope of major changes. Therefore, walls when possible. In surveys cartographers are encouraged to where loops provide statistical utilize the AMCS list. It should information on accuracy, the stan­ be used as desired by the drafter, dard error may be indicated in who is encouraged to use his own parenthesis with the elevation. different or supplementary symbols Arrows indicating airflow direction, if needed. scallop direction, or flow direction of a large stream should also be outside the passage walls. Two new Evolution and use of water symbols: intermittent pools, the symbols and rapids (merely an undulation in the water symbol). The depiction Some symbols have been changed of water in a blue screen is desir­ or deleted, and symbols have been able and increasing in use. When added for obvious needs. But an blue screen is used, rapids may be attempt has been made to keep the depicted as small parallel hachures list concise, and it has not changed in solid blue. The floor flowstone drastically since the first edition symbol is in common use, and is be­ in 1965 (Anon., 1965). Changes, ing increasingly used to also depict

64 the direction of slope on flowstone. the actual floor content. In large Rimstone dams are drawn with bold rooms with complex relief, contour lines, and should be drawn to their lines with elevations may be used. correct shape and scale when possible. A symbol for organic debris has been The old solid black symbol for flow­ added; the drafter may wish to draw stone on walls was unpopular since larger branches and logs to shape it tended to produce a dominant, lop­ and scale. The use of the geology sided effect on the map. It is re­ symbols increases the value of a placed with the floor flowstone sym­ cave map; these should be more bol attached to the wall. The stalac­ utilized than they are. Again, these tite, stalagmite, and soda straw sym­ generally appear outside the passage bols remain unchanged, but again, walls. these features may again be best Such basic map components as a shown in profiles and cross sections, scale and north arrow hardly need so their use should be minimized. pointing out; this article isn't Breakdown may be drawn "stacked" to intended as a complete guide to indicate slope, and the larger break­ cave map drafting. However, we be­ down blocks should be drawn to scale lieve that these symbols can be and shape, rather than a standard used to construct a "state of the block shape. Shading or block de­ art" cave map. Such a map would tail may be shown, and if covered have three views, all necessary for with mud, guano, etc., these symbols depicting a three dimensional cave: may be drawn on the breakdown. The plan, profile, and cross sections. symbol for survey stations should be Floor detail should be complete, used for the datum, or very important with no blank spots in the passage, stations; the depiction of all sta­ for there is a symbol for any floor tions detracts from true floor detail composition. The use of graphic and is of little interest to the symbols (that look like what they reader. A trail symbol has been represent) and the de-emphasis of added and is useful in caves where numbers and letters in the drawing there has been much prehistoric (or have resulted in more informative modern) use. The splayed "crow's and visually pleasing cave maps. foot" slope symbol is another symbol that like ceiling heights, is being REFERENCES phased out of the modern cave map. Slopes are best shown in cross Anon. 1965. AMCS Newsletter 1:9:93. section and profile, and the use of the slope symbol in a plan dis­ Russell, William H. 1975. AMCS Map places floor symbols that depict Symbols. AMCS Activities Letter No. 3 :29.

Simbolos topograficos Este es un revision de los simbolos topograficos de la AMCS. El art1culo describe las tecnicas de construir mapas modernas de cuevas con los simbolos. La mapa necesita tener detalla comple­ ta del piso con simbolos graficos, en lugar de numeros 0 palabras. Tambien se necesita las tres vistas: el plan, corto longitudinal, y las secciones transversales.

65 ASSOCIATION FOR MEXICAN CAVE STUDIES STANDARD CAVE MAP SYMBOLS, 1980

P,\SSAGE SYMOOLS SIMBOLOS DE PASAJES

Pared del pasaje

.. ' Lower level pass.agc Pared de nive1 inferior

Upper I~vd pa~sagc Pared de nivel superior

Um:urvcycd passage; indefinite walls Pasaje que no esta levantado

Breakdown walls Paredes de cantos rodados

Sharp drop in flour, down in hatchured direction Tiro en el pasaje

Pit; jf so indicated, entr

Cros,; section of passage, viewed in diredion showl1 by haJf Larhed arruw, and rotated to horizontal

Depth below entrance (or datum) Profundidad bajo 1a entrada

Height above entrance (or datum) Elevadull arriha de la entrada

WATER sn1BOLS SIMBOLOS DE AGUA

Direction and course uf tlc)wing SLrp.Ufll Chorra de lfglla corricntlo

Direction and course of intermittent stream Chorro sceu

Standing water, lake or pool Agua estaneatla

Intermittent or relid pool Laguna scca

Sump (cross hat<.:hed) Sirl'll]

Rio, nipido Large stream, rapids

STAL SY\lIlOLS SIMBOLOS DE FORMACIONES

Flow,,;lone on noor; may indicate slope contours, Piso de traverLina with bulged side downslope

Rimslune dams, drawn to seale ancl shape whf~n possible Gours

FlowslolH~ 011 walls Pafl~des de travertina

, Stalactite Estalactita

Stalagmite Estalagrnita

Soda :;Lraws ,'\lacarones CEILI'IG SnmOLS SIMBOLOS DEL TECHO

Sharp drop in ceiling, hatchures point towaru low ceiling Techo Lajo

Dome Domo

FLOOR SY'IBOLS SIMBOLOS DEL PISO

Bt~drol;k flour Piso de piedra

'lud or day Lodo. barro

Sand or ~ilt

<; ra \'f~ I Grava

Rounded stream eobLIe::: Guijarros

Talll::i Piedras

I1reakdowll Rocas

Largt~ ureakduwn, drawn 10 shape <.tlld ::icale Cantos rodados

Guanu Guano

Potter)' or other archeological matt~rjal Makria archcolog:ica

'if Pcndicnle

x X x Materia organica x x

\ " ..... Trail Vereda

Survey station. survey datum point ESlaci6n topogrMica

GEOLOGY SY'IBOLS SIMBOLOS DE GEOLOGIA

25 A Slrikl~ anrl dip of strata; dip in t1egrcl:s Eehados

Vp.rticaljoint Fradura

"\ Dipping joint Fradura inclinada

Fault, D side moved down relative to U side Falla The Caves of Cuesta

George Veni COlorada

Mexico has been known as the the opposite wall that lay 8 to 10 land of "instant caves." Rumor has meters away. In contrast to the it that it's hard not to find a first 25 meters of dry pit walls, cave, even if you're not looking for things here were starting to get one! This was the case in December, moist. Pools of water could be 1979 when Scott Harden, Gary Poole seen far below on the floor. It and I were cruising along Highway 85 also appeared that another large pit in the state of Hidalgo and Mr. bordered the floor of this pit. Un­ Poole spoke those fateful words, fortunately, it couldn't be checked "When we get past this town, stop out because the end of all our rope the car so I can go pee." Off he was hanging 25 to 30 meters above went down the hillside and into the the floor. As we drove off into the bushes. Careful not to offend the dark night, we were making plans to locals, he kept glancing to either return. side until he finally looked down Early May, 1980, Gary and I re­ to see a large sink "taking water." turned with Teeni Kern. Our first Checking it out, he found that a goal was to bottom and survey this small arroyo actually did feed into deep pit cave. We had named it the sink and that its presently dry Hoya de Cuesta Colorada, after the water course led to a small hole. town it is located near. As we car­ Grinning like the proverbial che­ ried all our gear to the sink, the shire cat, he returned to the vehicle proprietor's brother ran down to for a light. The 3 meter entrance greet us. Excited by our return, he chimney was descended and followed wanted to show us some other caves. a short way to what appeared to be He first took us to a couple holes, a 25 meter pit. Exiting the cave, no real caves; but he soon made up the land's proprietor was encountered for it by taking us to a pit that and he told us of a "mas grande was 5 meters in diameter and rocks cueva" across the road and up the tossed in would bounce for 11-1/2 hill. seconds. We estimated it to be about The cave wasn't quite up to 100 meters deep. We weren't able to its description, but it was nice; check it out then, however, because a 20 meter rappel into an oval room, our enthusiastic guide had more caves 20 by 8 meters. At one end a slope to show us, and that's just what he led down a 5 meter drop, into a dry, did for the next couple days. We decorated, terminal room. Deciding spent more time looking at cave en­ to get a better look at the first trances than going into them and cave, we rigged a 40 meter rope and I'll admit I was starting to get a wen t down. At 25 me ters we found bit flustered. We didn't want to be that the "bottom" was actually a rude, but we didn't have that much large ledge. Due to its steep over­ time and we wanted to get under­ hanging nature, the true bottom ground. Besides, out of the many couldn't be seen. An added 33 me­ cave entrances he showed us, none ters of rope was tied on and I con­ showed anything near the potential tinued down. After going a ways, I of the Hoya or the 100 meter pit. decided to stop and have a good look Deciding to do the 100 meter around. pit first, Gary and I rappelled to A huge flows tone shield graced a small ledge about 17 meters down,

68 SOTANO DE lOS HOYA DE then I continued to a larger ledge PARANOICOS CUESTA COLOR ADA at about -80 meters. While waiting Hidalgo, Mexico for the others to come down, I no­ idealized profiles; memory sketches: g. veni, 9/30180 ticed some commotion from above. It seems that one of the locals, from the gathering crowd, had gone to (m) the rope and started to examine (7) the knot while we were on rope. Language differences made it dif­ ficult for Teeni to exert the authority needed to politely keep 60 the people away from the rope and the edge of the pit. Knowing a 80 male presence would have a strong­ er effect, Gary climbed out. Be­ cause of this nervous incident the 100 pit was named Satano de los Parano­ 115 icos. Hoping that the situation a­ bove was well taken care of, I pro­ ceeded 25 meters to the bottom of bottom. In view of the surface cir­ the pit. From there a downward cumstances, my being alone, and that slope led to a flat, dirt floored we were short on time, I turned back chamber with no apparent leads. It a t this point. was also home to a small colony of Other than doing the two main vampires. caves, we surveyed Sotanito Sin From this first experience, we Frenos, a cave near a road whose tried not to attract a crowd when drainage ditch our car rolled into. we went to the Hoya. We were unsuc­ The cave is simply a 22 meter pit cessful. Gary volunteered to stay followed by an 8 meter drop to a ter­ at the top of the pit and watch the minal room, noted for its incredibly rope. Teeni went to the ledge at high arachnid population. While be­ 25 meters to facilitate communica­ ing shown the many caves, we observ­ tion as I proceeded to the bottom. ed that many large karst pinnacles A fine rappel was spoiled when my have associated pits at their base. 90 meter rope proved to be 3 meters The only one we checked was a 15 short of reaching the floor. Of meter blind pit. An 8 meter shaft course, I was carrying an extra on the side of a huge sink dead end­ rope for the pit I had seen in ed, but the floor of the sink dropped December, but at this point, 3 me­ into a large open-air pit. From the ters off the floor, I saw that surface it didn't seem to have any ther~ was no second pit. What I offgoing passages, but it looked like saw from far above were long shad­ a fun rappel. A couple of other caves ows of large breakdown blocks that were briefly checked and locations gave the impression of another were made to various pit entrances large pit. Imagine the frustration ranging from about 8 to 25 meters in of tying on another 90 meter rope, depth. We also saw lots of other just to rappel three meters! holes that we didn't get the chance The cave's drain was into a to draw up a location map for. So series of short freeclimbable drops. far, r'd say that this area has only At one point it pinched small and two major caves and plenty of leads. some sharp projections had to be re­ TI10ugh the caves from these leads moved. Even enlarged, it still tore don't appear that they'll go far, off a few shirt buttons and some there is only one way to find out skin. I went down about 12 meters and that's what caving is all about. below the main pit and saw yet an­ Big or small, the caves of this area other freeclimb of about 4 meters. promise to give the visitor some There appeared to be passage at the easygoing, interesting and fun times.

69 fu '0' '0' ".. '0' ~ues~: ~~'or:'do "... '0' '0' '0' '0' '~ ~ En 1a region de 1a earretera Interamerieana (85), eerea del pueblo ~ de Cuesta Colorada en el estado de Hidalgo, hay numerosas cuevas. Algunas W m~ de las mas aprometadoras fueron explorados. Hoya de Cuesta Colorada: Una 8 8 chimenea corta conduce a un tiro de 90 metros. Al fondo, hay una serie de ~ tiros cortos que se pueden escalar en libre. Exploracian fue terminada en m ~m la borde de un tiro de 4 metros. Satano de los Paranoicos: Un tiro de 100 8 8 metros tiene un piso plano sin pasajes laterales. Una pequena colonia de ~ murcielagos vampiros habita el fondo. Satano sin Fresnos: Un tiro de m W~ entrada de 22 metros conduce a un tiro de 8 metros. Al fonda hay un gran 8~' ml' salon terminal con una gran cantidad de aracnidos. Un satano grande en una I W inmensa dolina fue visto, pero no se explora. 8

@. IElI IEl' IEll '81 181 'Ell 181 181 18! 18! IEl! 18! 18! ill

o

4

8

12

ENTRANCE 16

PLAN

Sotanito sin Frenos Municipio d. Cu••t. Color.cla Hid.leo .M ••'eo

Surv.y : T.an; K.rn GinI' Poole. Draft Oct 16. '80 24 Caorg. Vani Suuntos & tapa SECTION .... 28

METERS

o 4 8 10 32

34

70

Surnidero San Bernardo

Steve Knutson

Canyon passage ln Sumidero San Bernardo. (Ernesto Garza)

The RlO Zempoala is the north­ Zempoala, the San Bernardo runs in­ ern limit of the Cuetzalan caving to a sumidero. McKenzie called this area in northeast Puebla. The very Cuetzal Temanas, but folks at the cavernous terrain around Cuetzalan local hacienda call it Sumidero San is part of the slope of the high Bernardo, and so do we. The sumi­ plateau of central Mexico as it is dero looked like a good little cave, reduced to the coastal plain by riv­ so Bill Liebman, Maureen Cavanaugh, ers like the Zempoala. If one tra­ and I moved camp to a field near vels west, south of the Zempoala, the entrance and commenced to ex­ along this terrain, you get out of plore it. the wondrous karst into normal sur­ The entrance was known to have face stream valleys. The first of a short drop so we took a couple of these is the valley of the San Ber­ short ropes. This first drop turned nardo. out to be about 7 meters over a huge In January of 1980, we took a boulder wedged in the passage. Be­ recon up the Zempoala and retraced yond lay a cathedral-like corridor some of the steps of David McKenzie, over 26 meters tall and some 7 to 10 who had done a similar recon years meters wide. The floor is sandy with before. The San Bernardo has the large rounded boulders. No water appearance of an ordinary stream was flowing; the flow of the San valley. However, below the town of Bernardo was apparently being pirat­ Xochitlan, before it can join the ed away higher up the valley, but

71 guano on some boulders indicated lake. The edge was two meters high, seasonal flow at least a meter deep. and overhung. We were out of rope. The walls are smooth and vertical. The next day we were joined by This is not the typical bedrock of Alejandro Villagomez and returned the Cuetzalan caves, which is thin­ to the cave with more rope. The ner bedded and prone to breakdown. lake, which looked so deep, proved It appeared to be metamorphosed into to have a sandy bottom and was never one complete bed, though a 2 meter over your head in depth. At the fossiliferous band was obvious in other side was a 7 meter drop. Be­ the smooth wall. yond this, we ran into water showering We continued past a second down and the passage came alive with short drop, admiring the easy, mag­ the sounds of flowing water. A 4 nificent passage. A couple hun­ meter drop led to a long swim. The dred meters took us to a somewhat passage then became absolutely charm­ deeper drop. A thrown rock took a ing, with plunge pools, smooth sur­ second or so to produce an echoing faces, waterfalls and the same grand splash. The 8 meter rappel took size. With no rope left, we were one to a ledge beside a broad, si­ soon looking down a 5 meter drop lent lake. Two swims and we were needing a bolt or piton. The cave again moving down our fine passage. consistently showed signs of large Soon, though, it abruptly broadened, volume flow with all surfaces round­ divided by a large phreatic arch ed and smooth, huge plunge pools and and sloped down steeply to a second no narrow canyons. Certainly it was

Bill Liebman In Sumidero San Bernardo. (Ernie Garza)

72 showing more resistance to explora­ it empties into are magnificent. tion than we had expected. Two trips had gotten us only a little over 500 meters and used 5 ropes. The cave was heading for the precipitous canyon of the Rio Ateno~ not far away. Maureen and I had a go at reaching the bottom~ but the "trail" we followed down for a hun­ dred meters or so~ required the use of vines for vertical handline ~ and we gave up. On January 23~ Ernie Garza took Alejandro's place and we pushed on. The swim below the 5 meter drop led to a turn in the passage and from there you could see daylight - we had a thru trip! A couple more drops had to be done and by the time we reached our exit~ daylight had faded to night. The cave broke out on a small shelf of the sheer canyon. Maureen and I tried to descend. To one side was a small area of coffee trees~ but searching did not produce the trail. There were cliffs above and to all sides. Oh well~ the cave had to be derig­ ged anyway. Sumidero San Bernardo is an ex­ tremely spiritual thru trip. The cave is easy~ (only 600 meters long)~ but has 10 short rope drops and 5 more drops requiring handlines. These 15 drops need several pitons and bolts~ and there are several Steve Knutson in Sumidero San Bernardo. swims. Both the cave and the canyon (Bill Liebman)

~! 181 IEll 181 181 181 18! 181 181 18! 181 181 181 181 3 1 Sumidero San Bernardo ~ G W~ Sumidero San Bernardo esta localizado debajo del pueblo de Xochitlan~ ~ G Puebla. EI sumidero es una cueva grande con muchos tiros en su descenso W ~ que termina en una entrada baja en el canon del Rlo Ateno. El autor de- 8~ I scribe la cueva~ diciendo que es muy amplia~ tiene paredes lisas~ pisos are- G

~ :~:~~~ ~:~~~o~a~:~~~~iS~i~::c:~a~~ta~ie~ap~aq~:e~~om:i::: e~~~ :~~~~~l~e m, ~ largo y tiene 15 tiros que requieren el uso de varios pitones y clavijas W ~ de expansion. Tambien hay lagunas donde es necesario nadar. 8 ~I 18! 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 181 18! m

73 SHORT PENETRATION SUMP DIVING

Bill Stone

A few years ago there was a pop­ U.S. We are at an evolving state ular slogan in Austin, "A sump is of the art where the limits of what God's way of telling you the cave has been"acceptable" are being ends there." Though it seemed challenged. A timely forum of ideas like good common sense at the time, and rebuttal is thus warranted. caving has changed considerably The following discussion deals since then - teams now commonly with the very specialized topic of wear full wetsuits, and use dual short penetration, deep cave sump mountings for carbide and electric diving, and the evolution of ideas lights. Long duration underground on how to do it with the least camps are being utilized for deep amount of hassle. In essence, the assaults. Climbers are scaling goal has been to achieve the "quality underground "big walls." Caving poke," one step in range beyond free can be a highly technical sport ­ sump diving. the cutting edge of which is closely The quality poke. That notion dependent on the available technol­ dropped into your mind every time ogy and its adaptability to meet a you rappelled into the so-called specific challenge. "terminal sump" which punctually Of all the "secondary" explor­ ended so many deep systems. Some ation techniques being used by cavers of them, of course, were quite these days none is more controver­ terminal - the kind of submerged sial than sump diving. This stems mud plugs that required the flip from the fact that it is closely of a coin to see who would check it related to cave diving and its out. The kind where everyone breath­ long history of fatalities. True, ed a sigh of relief when the sludge sump diving does involve the use encrusted chosen-one flashed back of similar technology, but the ob­ a thin smile, eyebrows creased, and jectives and personnel involved are said, "Yep, terminal. Guess we ought quite different. The sump diver is to derig, huh?" It was those ones a caver who is hoping to break into where you could see the crystal continuing airspace. The cave diver green fluid receding beneath a is a diver who explores underwater broad arched ceiling... the ones caves. The distinction is a pro­ with the clean gravel floors ... found one. With no restrictions that drove you nuts! The more am­ on portability, cave divers have bitious types - notably Jim Smith been able to develop sound methods in the southeast - began carrying for safely effecting explorations masks as standard equipment. Free of long (up to 3 kilometers) and sump diving became an acceptable, deep (up to 107 meters) underwater if not respected, art. But this caves. There is still, however, a had its limitations - a two to five relative paucity of information on meter penetration was about the what techniques are best for sump safe limit on one breath of air. diving, owing largely to the fact Even then you ran a heavy risk. that there are still only a few You could pop up into an airbell serious groups of sump divers in the filled with bad air (such as the

74 one in Langstroth Pot in England which claimed three lives in 1976), or you might get momentarily stuck ­ counting down those precious seconds. Meanwhile, cave divers in Florida - Sheck Exley, John Zumrick, Court Smith, and other members of the NSS Caving Diving Section-were routinely effecting kilometer pene­ trations into the large spring sys­ tems there. In Colorado, Norm Pace, Torn Taylor, Jim Pisarowicz and crew were working on the sump 4 in Spring Cave. SCUBA appeared to be an at­ tractive means of forging beyond the free dive radius for deep cave sump diving. It was also clear, how­ ever, that the technology which they had so successfully applied to the big springs of Florida would not work in many deep cave situations. The twin hard-lined 100 cubic foot tanks used by the Florida divers weighed well over 100 pounds - a rather ponderous load to be ferry­ ing 43 pitches in and out from a sump at -800 meters. Add to this another 50 or 70 pounds of peri­ pheral equipment - fins, four sources of light (the larger primary lamps used in Florida can weigh up to 20 pounds), line reel, regulators, etc. - and you wind up with a ser­ ious logistical dilemma: how will Carrying Sherwood steel 15 cubic foot you get it all to the objective? tank at -700m in San Agustin. Enter Spring Cave, Colorado. Sump I, where they first began the diving effort, is approximately two kilometers from the entrance through us all a bit pensive. Clearly it some arduous territory, albeit hor­ was going to be a non-trivial mat­ izontal. The Colorado cavers' plan ter to coerce 20 gung ho sherpas evolved into a series of mini-week­ to leave their jobs for three months end-expeditions of the classical and gleefully carry those long, British character: 10 or more metal cylinders to -800 meters. "Sherpas" had to be rounded up so Most times we were lucky to field as to ferry the diving gear into 5 to 8, including the divers. The Sump I. Things became more complex descent was not all that bad, mind when Sump IV was reached. Then, you. I t was the ahh ...weight of mini expeditions, including diving the matter...that first caught your sherpas, had to be organized to imagination (and breath) when it stage major mini-expedition pene­ became time to derig. It gave you tration dives. a wink of an insight into what moti­ Various difficulties with sher­ vated the unusual assault tactics pa organization at Spring Cave left used for the French diving efforts

75 at the -1122 meter sump in the Gouf­ any delay will consume a larger per­ fre Berger during the mid 1960s. centage of the air supply in a small SCUBA tanks, being the heaviest tank. At the time I began diving item in their inventory, became it was common practice to use one expendable, and were conveniently back-mounted tank with one regulator "stored" at the bottom of the sump and sub-gauge. The idea of solo following the dive~ diving with such equipment immedi­ Being conservation minded, as ately beckoned the question: "Sup­ well as monetarily conscious, dis­ pose it was your gear that malfunc­ posable dive gear never caught on tioned?" in Austin. Which brings us back to This left me wondering for some carrying all that metal out. The time, until one day Mike Boon happen­ logical solution was to lighten ed to pass through town. "So, I the load by removing all non-essen­ hear you've taken up sump diving," tial items, and use smaller tanks. he said, raising his thick, black­ Hand in hand with this went the un­ rimmed glasses and rubbing a short derstanding that the equipment for stubble of a beard, "dangerous stuff three divers weighed 50% more than you know." As I nodded, he pointed the gear for two divers and 300% a bony finger at the Texas emblem more than the gear for ~ diver. on my T-shirt and cautioned, "Well, The idea of solo cave diving has you had best get it right then." always been one of those not-to­ Boon, for those who have never met be-discussed taboos among the sport the fellow, or read any of his books, diving community. Certainly, it is is an engaging British Canadian whose not to be recommended officially, international caving escapades span and buddy diving should be adhered more than a score of years. Perhaps to whenever feasible. But the facts most notably he was Britian's best are that the majority of the serious sump diver throughout most of the sump divers in the world today - the 1960s. Boon's system for sump diving ones doing the original exploratory called for using two completely inde­ work - will confirm that they prefer pendent, hip-mounted air supplies. to dive solo when laying a line into "The key is redundancy you under­ virgin territory where vi~ibility stand," he lectured, "the odds of may be a problem. Anyone who has both of them going on the same dive had to worry about what a "buddY" are quite small." "You moun t them was doing in a zero visibility silt­ on your hips, like this ...see," he out in constricted quarters can motioned, positioning the bottom appreciate the statement. Addition­ in a holster-like fashion, "for ally, diving solo actually increases two reasons. First it gives you a the diver's air reserve safety fac­ lower diving profile, and second, tor when using the third rule. The perhaps more importantly, you can way the rule normally works is that easily reach the valve should your the dive is called when the first second stage free flow - very im­ diver reaches 2/3 of his starting portant with small tanks, you know. pressure, read from a submersible I've known of chaps turning them gauge. One half of what is left on and off all the way out when should be enough to get each diver silt clogged the regulator." out. The remaining is in case the Meanwhile, an alternate solu­ return is slow, or for your buddy, tion to the redundancy problem had should his life support malfunction. recently been developed in Florida When diving solo, this extra air by NSS divers. Instead of the stan­ constitutes a higher safety margin dard double tank yoke - which allowed since the probability of having to for only one first stage to be buddy breathe is zero. For short attached - a "Dual Valve Manifold" penetration sump diving, this ex­ was designed in which two indepen­ tra margin may be critical since dent regu~ators were attached to

76 the yoke, each capable of accessing the entire air supply (both tanks), even if one regulator were turned off. Although this system was ac­ tually safer than two independent tanks - if the first stage on one of the tanks jammed you could not access that reserve air - it was logistically unacceptable. Single tanks are easier (and safer) to handle in rugged terrain. In theory, as it is yet untested, the inher- ent safety of the Dual Valve Mani­ fold could be obtained with single tanks by using "slingshot" Y-type valves (instead of the standard K-valves), and linking them together with a flexible, high pressure equal­ izer at the sump. Both items are currently available on the commer­ cial market. As for air consumption, the "British" method allowed for one half of the starting pressure on one tank (each tank has a complete regulator and sub-gauge) to be used before calling the dive. One would thus return with a completely full backup tank under normal circum­ stances. Most Brits dived dual "40s," but we considered this to be too weighty for the short dives we had in mind, preferring instead to Zeman mounting 15 cubic foot steel tank use two of the much lighter 15 cubic for portaging to 861m sump in San Agustin. foot capacity "pony" tanks. Given Quick release seat belts are used for fas­ the short duration of the air supply tening the tanks. During a dive the tank for these tanks, a more conservative is mounted at hip level. rationing schedule was adopted: a "1/6 rule" whereby only 1/3 of one sures as high as 10,000 psi can be tank is used for exploration before tolerated before rupture of a 2250 the dive is called. Under good con­ psi rated steel tank. Engineers ditions (clear water, no silt, fins at the Luxfer Co. stated that 5625 for propulsion), this gives the diver psi was the absolute minimum ulti­ a 5 to 7 minute penetration radius, mate pressure achieved for their which can be a substantial distance aluminum tanks (2015 psi rated), and (up to 100 meters) at shallow depth. that during the required hydrostatic This radius can be extended with min­ test that all tanks must undergo imal extra weight by "overfilling" every five years, pressures reach the tanks to 150% of the rated capa­ 5/3 of the rated value, or 3750 psi. city. A 2250 psi tank would thus be It is to be emphasized that this filled to slightly over 3000 psi, 3hould be done only with relatively with the blowout disks plugged to new, clean tanks. Weight wise, prevent leakage. Although this may the 7 pound "Luxfer" 2015 psi alum­ appear to be an alarming procedure inum tank (15 cu. ft.) is to be to some, hydrostatic ultimate preferred over the 8.5 pound "Sher­ strength tests indicate that pres- wood" 3300 psi steel tank. It is

77 also much easier to obtain the 150% It is interesting to note that overfill in the former case since systems very similar to the dual most dive shops are not yet capable pony tank method mentioned above of pumping 5000 psi pressures. The were independently developed and aluminum tanks, although lighter, used recently by Belgian cavers are at least 50% more bulky than of the G.S.A.B. (Etienne Degrave) the steel tanks. In some cases, to dive the sump at -970 meters in the use of the lower profile tank Schneeloch (Austria), and by French may be justified. cavers (Frederics Poggia and Vergier) There are a few caveats to be to dive the -1077 meter sump in the brought up concerning high pressure Sima GESM (Spain). The basic phil­ tanks. For one, it may not be pos­ osophy appears to be the same: a sible to find a cooperative dive limited penetration dive can be safe­ shop to do an overfill, despite the ly effected with a very small team data presented above. When dealing at great depth. The benefits of with 3000 psi pressures in the such tactics are threefold: If a aluminum tanks (2015 psi rated), sump turns out to be short (less there will be little problem with than 10 meters), a handline can be using off-the-shelf regulators. rigged for equipment hauling and The jump to 4000 and even 5000 psi, free diving. If the sump continues to the contrary, has a profound beyond the penetration limit its effect. The Teflon piston seats exact nature can be ascertained for the first stage of a 3000 psi for planning a more serious effort. rated regulator can wear out, and And lastly, derigging logistics begin to leak seriously in fewer than have been minimized. ten tank fills. Worse, however, With the air supply out of the is the fact that the yolk-type way, a few other modifications were arrangement which couple the regu­ made to lessen the peripheral equip­ lator to the tank is subject to ment load. Wheat Lamps (Koehler) relatively large deflections under have been used for primary dive high pressure. The yolks are de­ lights since 1978 for all deep sys­ signed for what is known as a "plas­ tem dives involving U.S. cavers. tic yield," that is to say not a Similar lights are regularly used brittle rupture. If extreme care by both British and European sump is not taken in the seating of the divers. Either two or three of regulator (tighten screws, pressur­ these were mounted on a standard ize to 3000 psi, release, retighten caving helmet. This system of light­ screws, pressurize to 4000 psi, etc. ing offers numerous advantages up to 5000 psi) the possibility is for short penetration dives over good for blowing the main O-ring the large hand-held models used in pressure seal if the regulator is Florida; the helmet not only pro­ banged during the course of the tects the diver from an unpleasant dive ...with rather disastrous con­ rap to the head, but it also frees sequences. The only system pre­ the hands for the intricate maneu­ sently on the market that can solve vers more likely to be encountered this problem is the Poseidon high in a sump than in a big spring. pressure valve and regulator that Each lamp has a twin filament bulb are rated to 6000 psi operating so that in the rare event of a burn­ pressures. In this system the out one need only to flip the switch. first stage is actually screwed into The bulbs themselves have been test­ the valve - no yolk assembly is used. ed to 70 meter water depths with no All major SCUBA manufacturers in the ill effects. Although the head­ U.S. have prototype systems similar piece will leak water at excessive to this presently on the drawing depths, this will not cause failure boards, as high pressure technology of the light, provided the working will be the next step forward in parts and contacts are cleaned and SCUBA during the 1980s. greased before each major dive.

78 The above data is presented for ref­ technique may be quite useful. Due erence only. It is unlikely that to the lightness of the tanks, and one would want to go much deeper the lift given by the wetsuit, the than 10 meters with pony tanks on a diver will almost always have posi­ short penetration dive. At shallow tive buoyancy. For this situation, depths, the Wheat Lamp can actually it is possible, to flip upside-down be made water tight. The special and crawl along the roof for pro­ emphasis placed here on using the pulsion, provided that ceiling silt­ Wheat Lamp is due to the fact that ing is not a major problem. This most everyone on a deep caving team technique has a number of advantages. will already be using one for regu­ All airbells will be easily located; lar caving, and they need only to the depth of the dive will be mini­ be pooled for the diver when the mized (thus ilicreasing the allow­ sump is reached. Thus, no extra able duration); and bottom silting primary lights have to be carried will be avoided. If the diver in. This does not preclude,however, finds that he must decrease buoyancy, the necessity of having an addition­ there is, technically, only the al­ al two or three secondary lights ternative of carrying in lead weights along. Commercial lightweight mod­ and a Buoyancy Compensator, or if he els such as the "Tekna-lite" and is not greatly positive buoyant, the "Super Q light" are preferable. tucking an appropriate rock under The last item, one of some the wetsuit to achieve the same controversy, is propulsion tech­ effect. The former solution may be nique. The method to be used on a difficult item to sell to the a short penetration diving effort sherpas. will depend a great deal on the As for the future, we can count nature of what must be traversed on technological improvements to en­ on the way to the sump, and during able bolder explorations than hereto­ the dive itself. There is no fore achieved. High pressure, light­ question that fins will give the weight Fiberglass and Kevlar wrapped diver a threefold increase in pen­ tanks - such as those used on the etration radius, provided the sump Space Shuttle - may be adaptable to is a large one. In tight, awkward cave diving. Hundred cubic foot sumps they may be more of a hinder­ tanks weighing less than 20 pounds ance than a strategic edge; both will be available soon. And that from their size and tendency to stir will mark the advent of the golden up silt. If fins are not used, the age of deep cave diving. following alternative propulsion Note: Comments and suggestions on the above article are encouraged. For further reading on the general subject of cave diving the reader is referred to "Basic Cave Diving - a Blueprint for Survival" by Sheck Exley, available from the NSS Cave Diving Section, 10259 Crystal Springs Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32221.

~~Ell IElI IElI IElI lEI! lEI! IElI lEI! lEI! IElI 1(;)1 lEI, (;J~, Espe/eobuceo (;J~, ill Este artfculo discute las tecnicas que se estan usando y ill (;] desarrollando para bucear a traves de sifones. Las logfsticas (;] de traves de cuevas profundas requieren el uso de luces y tan- ~ ill~ ques pequenos y livianos. ill (;J (;]

bEll IElI 1(;)1 lEI! lEI! IElI 1(;)1 IElI IElI lEI! IElI IEld

79 Cerro de la Silleta. (Peter Keys)

LA SILLETA Gateway to the Xilitla Plateau

80 Peter Sprouse Cerro de la Silleta, the Mat­ below the peak. About halfway up terhorn-like pinnacle above Xilitla, the final climb to the peak,we lo­ San Luis Potosl, is a well known cated Gruta de la Navidad, a 200 landmark to cavers. The karst of meter long, horizontal cave used the Xilitla area was among the first by the previous expeditions as a visited by Texas cavers, and it's camp, and also our objective for the still not uncommon to run into one day. We found it to be a nice, flat of them in the streets of Xilitla floored entrance passage, ample to today. After the successful explor­ house our whole crew. The cave had ation of 488 meter deep Sotano de a well used feel to it -- hundreds Tlamaya in the early sixties, cav­ of potsherds littered the floor. ers looked toward the high plateau We later discovered that the local around La Silleta. On December 22, name for this cave is Cueva de los 1966 a reconnaissance team of Danny Muertos. Evans, Kirk Holland, Ken Krans, The following morning, we lo­ Richard Schreiber, and Tony Thomp­ cated a guide from the ejido, Gregor­ son set off for La Silleta with a io Galfan, who would guide us up to guide who said he knew of a deep the sotano and also guide us to the sotano no cavers had ever seen. A top of La Silleta. Gregorio said long, steep hike brought them to he had guided climbers up before an impressive pit entrance in the which surprised us, as the ascent shadow of La Silleta. The group looked tricky at best. After break­ returned two days later to explore fast, all of us, but Dale and Randy, Sotano de La Silleta, pushing the hiked up the steep trail which led cave down to a pinch at an estimated the final 300 meters up the rim of depth of 215 meters. Return trips the plateau itself. The vegetation to the La Silleta area in 1967, on the plateau (2000 meters elev.) 1968, and 1969 resulted in the dis­ was less tropical than lower down; covery of several more caves, includ­ tall hardwoods and pines were abun­ ing Sotano de la Navidad, a wet dant. Gregorio showed us a small multi-drop fissure cave which was cave about 500 meters east of La surveyed to a depth of 200 meters. Silleta he called Cueva del Silgero, Sotano de La Silleta, however, was then took us on to the entrance of not surveyed. No caving expeditions Sotano de La Silleta. The high side returned to La Silleta for eleven of the entrance is undercut for about years. 15 meters horizontally, then drops On March 28, 1980, an AMCS vertically in heavily flows toned group returned to hike into the walls. We left a duffle of ropes highlands to map Sotano de La Sil­ we'd need for the next day's survey leta, to see if it could be pushed trip and set off for the top of La deeper, and to locate any new caves. Silleta, 200 meters higher. A trail Don Broussard, Leslie Clairfield, led around the south side and switch­ David Honea, Peter Keys, Dale Pate, backed up, getting progressively Peter Quick, Randy Rumer, Terri steeper. At only one point was a Treacy, and myself left our vehi­ rope really useful, and soon we cles at the phosphate mine above reached the false west summit. Our Tlamaya and packed up a westward mountaineering guide led us along trail towards the plateau. We the windy, knife edge to the summit passed through the small villages where an orgy of "sununit shot" pic­ of San Pedro and La Tinaja as we ture taking ensued. The view was drew ever closer to the towering spectacular. We could see north La Silleta. We paused for a cerve­ to Tamapatz and the valley in which za in Ejido La Silleta, located in lies Sotano de las Golondrinas. a flat floored dolina 800 meters East lay the coastal plain. To the

81 we encountered a small logging camp with a tree hut, which inspired the name "Cueva de los Viet Cong" for a small cave that we located nearby. Further progress on vague trails got us to their pit, called Sotano del Tigre. It was a large fissure pit with a double entrance. We could walk down partway into the east hole, but were stopped at a vertical pitch of around 30 meters. We made a sketch of what we could see, but never got back to this pit to do a proper exploration. We split into two survey teams for the mapping of Sotano de La Silleta. Randy Rumer, Peter Keys, and Peter Quick were to proceed to the middle of the cave and map to the bottom, while David Honea, Terri Treacy, and I surveyed in from the entrance. We dropped a minus ninety degree shot for 51.6 meters and rap­ pelled down the entrance drop, spec­ tacularly adorned with huge draper­ ies and stalactites. As I sketched the flows tone floor of the entrance chamber, David and Terri uncovered several new troglobitic species in the washed-in surface debris. Two stalagmites were encountered at the top of a sloping flows tone handline Entrance shaft of Sotano de La Silleta. drop. A ledge traverse on the left (Don Broussard) led to a short side passage and a balcony overlooking the handline south we could see limestone karst slope, providing an excellent vista beyond Tamazunchale which led over of the spacious entrance room. towards Cuetzalan. Just below us At the bottom of the 20 meter were two funnel shaped dolinas con­ handline, the passage abruptly con­ taining Sotano de la Navidad and stricted down to a half meter dia­ Cueva (not Sotano) de La Silleta. meter hole. A reasonable breeze And to the west, was the karst of the and a small, but cold, stream of wa­ Xilitla Plateau, gradually climbing ter tumbled down a 7 meter drop. some 800 meters above us. Gregorio The bottom team had wetsuits, but we and some of his companions who had did not, and the cave temperature joined us said they knew of a deep was a surprisingly cold 11.5° Cels­ pit about 2 kilometers to the west, ius. On a narrow ledge below, we so we set off with them to see it. looked at a small room off to the On the way, we were shown another right and rappelled down another 7 cave called Cueva de los Ladrones. meter drop, basically a continuation It consisted of alarge,sloping pas­ of the one above (kindly rigged by sage, 70 meters long, leading to a the bottom team~) At this level, flat, mud floor with a few pools at we did a side shot into a circular the depth of 36 meters. On further, mud floored room 12 meters in dia-

82 Sotano de La Silleta

Xllltla, SLP, MexIco ,

$uuntos and tape survey 30 March 1980 David Honea, Peter Keys. Peter Quick. Randy Rumer. ~ Peter Sprouse. Terri Treacy AMeS

Drawing by P. Keys. R. Rumer. P, Sprouse Drafting by P. Sprouse ~L! Plotting by Ellipse ~;llit.' ~ 6 Length: 638 m Depth: 191 m .;~ ::::,: 1I?J

----~~

,

4> CO.''''~',no ~.,.'So,••" meter. A further 6 meter drop and la Navidad was 100 meter long Cueva flows tone climbdown tied us into the de Agua, where we obtained our other team's survey at a horizontal drinking water in pools near the stream passage. We met them return­ entrance. While at the back of the ing from having mapped 80 meters up­ cave adding information to Ron stream, past two small side leads, Bridgemon's map, I noticed a strange to a flowing sump with a climbing thing. A well decorated stoopway lead on the far side. We agreed lowered to an apparent end in a mud to survey these leads while the floor, but the rush of a fast stream wetsuiters pushed on into the in­ could plainly be heard beyond. Cer­ creasingly wet cave. The two side tainly a promising digging lead. leads ended shortly, and we passed Peter, Peter, and Leslie re­ up the wade to reach the climbing turned to the west of La Silleta lead. It appeared to go, however, to map Satano del Tigre, failed to and pine needles in the stream sug­ locate it, and instead found an in­ gest that it could lead to another teresting cave in an arroyo. Con­ entrance. This passage we named taining many potsherds and bones, the Blindworm River, for its large, the cave was named Cueva de los Anti­ white, aquatic earthworms. The bot­ guos. Peter, Peter, and Don stayed tom team mapped 250 meters further to map Antiguos while the rest of us to two terminal breakdown pinches at began our hike down the mountain. 192 meters below the entrance. Our In La Tinaja, David and I obtained survey line through the cave was 638 a guide to show us a pit we'd heard meters long. In our remaining few of 500 meters north of the village. days on the plateau, we surveyed It was called Satano de El Ranchito. several caves to the south and west We found it to be a large diameter of La Silleta, including Cueva de La pit dropping what looked to be 50 Silleta. Don and David mapped 150 meters or so into a large, well meters in this cave to a half sub­ decorated passage going two direc­ merged, tight constriction. A tions. This would be a good day strong breeze indicated that this long mapping project accessible from constriction might be worth pushing. the Tlamaya Mine road. Close by our base camp at Gruta de

~ "'~ "." "." '''' ,., '"' ,., La ;';/Iet:" "" '"' ,., 'G' 'C"

8 Este articulo discute la exploracion y levantamiento de varias cuevas ~ debajo del pinaculo de Cerro de la Silleta. Satano de La Silleta fue ex- ill ~ill plorada por la primera vez en 1966, pero no fue mapeada hasta 1980. La 8 8 bella entrada de travertina tiene 51.6 metros de profundidad. A treinta ~ metros por enzima de cantos rodados hay un tiro empinado de 20 metros. El ill ill~ pasaje bruscamente se encoje hacia una estrechura de medio metro en dia- 8 8 metro. Dos tiros cortos y una desescalada conducen a un pasaje horizontal ~ con un chorro. Ochenta metros aguas arriba el pasaje termina en un sifan. ill ill~ Un domo alto arriba del sifan aparece continuar mas pero no fue revisado. ~8 8 Aguas abajo del chorro el pasaje continua 250 metros mas y termina en un I canto rodado. La cueva tiene 192 metros de profundidad, con 638 metros ~ o ill de longitud. La temperatura registrada fue de 11.S C. Tambien levantaron ml' 8~' varias otras cuevas, inclusiva la Cueva de La Silleta de 150 metros de ill longitud. 8

lSI IS! lSI lSi lSI lSI lSI IS! IEII IEli 101 lEI! IElI 11:10 CUEVA DE LA SILLETA

XILITLA, SLP, MEXICO skull. bones SUUNTOS AND TAPE SURVEY 1 APRIL 1980 :z~ ~ __ E DON BROUSSARD. DAVID HONEA

LENGTH: 166 m

DEPTH: 43 m large bone fragments .i airllow .--

o 10 20 30 40 .0 1 I I I I

METERS

EXTENDED PROFILE

METERS 0

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20 ~"

30

"r;""""',""QQ"'''<>;;;:~/'\.~ ~ 40 l.~o~ooc>.. . t-- airllow 43

@ 1980 Peter Sprouse pss 8-80 Computer- Drawn Passage Walls

David McKenzie

Recently, while inspecting the systems hardly ever reflect the most existing map of Powell's Cave, Texas recent station location estimates. with the thought of "computerizing" For example, if you overlay Peter the data, I noticed that the passages Sprouse's pencil draft of Sistema were suffering from a self-avoidance Purificacion with the latest compu­ syndrome. Different parts of this 16 ter plot of the baseline, there will kilometer long crawlway-maze would be significant disagreement. Obvious­ encroach each other on the map, but ly, no one is going to redraw large instead of joining neatly, the passag­ portions of his map each time a new es on each side would suddenly just adjustment changes the existing base­ fade away, perhaps overlapping first line. as if on different levels. You would The computer-processed informa­ recognize the phenomenon if, like tion, however, is important to main­ Pete Lindsley, you have ever tried to tain if one cares about survey quality. coordinate the efforts of many sur­ Particularly important is the ability veying teams in a large cave over a to isolate bad measurements which new period of years. In this case, Pete loops may reveal. At the same time, up­ was unwilling to severely distort to-date maps with accurate passage out­ new surveys to make them fit the ex­ lines are nice to have if you are try­ tensive drawings already made on his ing to survey a complex cave systemati­ master map. So in fact they do not cally. Therefore, I recently decided fit. to include in ELLIPSE a feature which One of my interests during the at an earlier time I would have judged past several years has been in devel­ completely impractical: an option to oping a computer program, ELLIPSE, process and draw passage "walls" in for manipulating cave survey data. addition to the usual baselines and It is presently being used for most annotation. AMCS mapping projects. One might The computer-drawn walls I had expect that a modern computer system previously seen, which were derived (unavailable to the Powell's Cave sur­ from passage dimensions recorded in veyors) would have eliminated the the cave at each station, were not kind of problem described above. Now, realistic enough. Besides, many with the addition of new surveys to surveyors don't bother to obtain a project, all of the existing infor­ this information. (Some maze caves mation can be examined for consis­ are bad enough to map without worry­ tency and then "averaged" in a sta­ ing about distances to "right and tistically appropriate way. No long­ left walls".) At the other extreme, er do we have the confusion caused adequate depiction of the detailed by "closing loops" sequentially -- an sketches made by good surveyors archaic method with virtually no ad­ would require, I thought, expensive vantages. graphics hardware. Fortunately, Unfortunately, even though this last point is no longer valid. ELLIPSE will do simultaneous adjust­ Digitizing tablets, when compared ments and error analyses of the to line plotters and printers, are largest networks, it still turns out inexpensive computer periferals. that drafted versions of major cave (A fancy graphics tablet is avail- 86 able for the Apple II for $650.) Though elegant in theory, this TIle line plot accompanying this approach would be inappropriate for article, a window view into the our purposes since it would ignore North Maze of Actun Kaua, demon­ the way a cave surveying team actually strates the type of output possible obtains its data. When drawing walls, with the revised program. It was the sketcher doesn't "see" stations produced with a Zeta 3600 series hundreds of meters away, or even three (4-color) plotter using a black felt­ meters away if they reside in separate tip pen. Other colors, of course, passages. For reference he uses only might depict survey vectors, station a few stations close by, perhaps aided markers and names, or different pas­ by a stretched tape connecting them. sage levels. More important than Some sketchers, in fact, take pains to versatility in scales and formats, do this quite accurately, using pro­ however, is the ability of these tracter and ruler. Therefore, what walls to maintain their positions we would like to preserve in a survey with respect to "local" stations adjustment are the relative positions that change slightly in relation to of wall features with respect to the one another as more of the maze is displacement vectors (usually sight surveyed, and loops are adjusted. lines) between stations that are nearby. Otherwise, we would be asking the Now suppose that the coordinate computer to do something a good pairs (X1,Y1) and (Xz,Yz), obtained draftsman could do better and more from the digitizing tablet, are the cheaply. Hence, wall digitizing is head and tail positions of a chosen not recommended for caves that are "reference vector" for a wall point finished in a couple of surveying with coordinates (X,Y). TIlen we can trips. replace (X,Y) with transverse and nor­ mal components in the vector's frame of reference:

Wall Adjustment Details Z x ~Y Z-Y 1)(X-X1)- (XZ-X1)(Y-Y1TI /R , Use of digitizing equipment is Z Y ~XZ-X1) (X-X )+(Y -Y1) (Y-Y 1B / R , reasonably straightforward; with a 1 z little practice its not much harder Z ZZ wereh R = (X -X ) +(Y -Y ). to "trace" a pencil sketch, or a Z 1 Z 1 copy of one, with a button cursor than with a rapidograph. TIle prob­ TIle new representation (X, Y) is such lem that interested me most was how that whatever translation, rotation, to represent digitized walls so they or scaling of the reference vector we can be efficiently adjusted, stored, may desire to do later, the wall loca­ and drawn. TIle U.s. Geological Sur­ tion would be obtained simply as vey recently used an "elastic body­ fit" program to bring their digitized Idaho State Base Map (1:500,000) up to required standards of accuracy (see USGS Yearbook, Fiscal Year 1978, Y' (Y;-Yi)Y + (X;-Xi)X + Y1 p.64). Presumably, their method is analogous to copying the original where the primes denote coordinates figure on an infinite, stretched sheet in the ne~ fEame of reference. TIle of elastic, attaching pins at a select­ numbers (X, Y) have the added virture ed set of "critical control points" of being of relatively small size (37 in the case of Idaho), then moving range, so they can be efficiently the pins to the revised control point stored provided they are grouped positions and photographing the result­ with vector identifiers. ing figure. How can the "nearby" reference

87 vector be chosen? After considering severe adjustments to the network several ways of automating the task~ due to earlier bad measurements or none of which were consistently rea­ plotting errors could, on many occa­ sonable~ I decided it would be bet­ sions, result in an "acceptable" ter anyway to let the draftsman have reshaping of the passage walls. full control. With the cursor in "point mode" he enters each wall as a sequence of two or more station The methods outlined above can coordinate pairs interspersed with a no doubt be improved upon, and I much larger number of wall coor­ hope this discussion encourages fur­ dinate pairs. Each wall point in a ther experimentation. Digitizing coordinate sequence would then as­ the passages of a large cave is cer­ sume for reference the vector whose tainly no less tedious than drafting endpoints are the stations on with pen and ink. But a computer either side. For signaling the type can do remarkable things with digital of coordinate pair a 4-button cursor data, and there is satisfaction in works particularly well (buttons knowing that each passage need be signify "station~" "move to wall~" "drawn" only once. "draw to wall," and "erase to last station or terminate") ~ and the re­ sulting data file is structured so

that it can be easily edited if nec­ c,."" **_ e essary. r. ELLlp~f: WALL AD"lIST"l["lT ,t,U:"AITJolll •• e e 4CCf;pTS l')lGITtlEO PAS!hGE ('iIITL!"!:! f2 l)t"~t,I~I"''''Sl ."0 TQf.N"'OQ ..S O.TA Having decided on such a rep­ e "AAl'::T cot'lQOpn"£5 TO "IE_ cnfiIlOPUT!S _trw IlE!tPtCT TO LrIC&I., PDSSIFILY e AnJlJ"TF.11 SIIPVF't' 'P'TtONS. "HE OUTPUT "TL~. c""P£~•• IS y" • FOlhUT resentation~ we must solve a final e SUIHJIILE 1="01" Pll'fTllllG IIlIT'" "IoIE ."'::..:,,». !'lOTTnN r,..~ llol ELl.IPSE _PLAN­ ,e nPH:CTIII'. rN IS PI!'!I/ COLOR:) problem relating to the wall adjust­ c TJolE .IooALlS_ OIIlf:CT!vE ."!'lIT" nor "OLlClllll~r. 1(!v"Oliln ""'THIN!I e ment itself. Many wall sequences e ... IUl":l:IpnCE'SEO Sq~VEV 0..,,., "'Ill IllE o! ... n ,.~nM FIL! .0 ... ' ...... r .. h'F T ... ALt:' 0 ... ' .....T"'Pf.1 .. , ",ILL Al' "1l!NTEI'I 1101 .. will contain several points of tran­ r ~r)Q"o\T rloUT F"'CTlIT""fS ~n'TT"li.. er. •••- _ _._ _.. ,. .. __.. ___••••_••••• e sition from one reference vector to r r the next. If we simply use the , CT"'P"'ho CmIH["IS O"'E 00 ..C'Q'f U"L[T UP::"'~ ",. OICITrZEO .... \.l e LT"'f'\~ ou ... FOq 9uIlV[TEn "4!1!'LI"lES WtLL 8 .. ~E"'O '00" COATA" 011 above formula for (X~ Y) ~ allowing "'ILL "'L~F.nT OFSIOE IN "' ....OllV. -ClOr.E.!S~O Ih ~'IoEII '!ole _COlOIltU't,-_ ('II .... n.fU!i>1'. nlOEC'VE~ (l~ I::LLI-:oIo[. [,Cw TtIIL!!' Altf' MAS 'lot[ abrupt transitions between reference 1I"0I.LO"I"'r. lIt1h~lr,F.OIE"lTI ..... TTTU L1N[~ vectors, then there is a good chance .... QEFJ;R[JolCE !TI'rIl"N "'.., ME S, O..,E "Eq lIN!, 'II;""''''''EO Q" 51 ... SH (11 IN COL I. ... _ lI"'[S 0" UALn C~OQD'"H'l!S 0' ""IolEO that our passages would literally S1'ATlnltl$r 14 C II. V < lll'JI/l, .... cID"cW"cV" •• lulL cOnQ!'I"'AHS IF come apart at the seams when they 'I'l.~ [lo U (", I'O"'"'! -P:q LINEl, ,..11 PI"l5rTTO~ (IF "l~"'T LOCAL ll'fF'fllE"lC[ IF II'l_t CO~E "'1'l1 ... T Pl!Q LINn, are finally drawn by the plotter. ( 1M/' •• 1'l["'('ITES ["'0 tH' U"Lf:T "'OE"'~ , E~I") The reason for this~ of course~ is , '00 •• f'lflolOTf:olo n" .... l.L 0"". e .... 'ER T4f 11~F"RE"'CE !\T"'tO'" CO("l"l")t'l"'1'E!I. O"T. ,tOF r.~(lUPfO e ltV w'Ll S. 1o'{TW E ... C" IOI'LL HAvl"'C THF FnLLCl"'T'lr. '"~"''''G''~fNTr that patterns formed by adj acent sur­ e ~TA"'Tt~G LnCAL qf~f.OF"CE flo:l', lULL "0,,,,, COOAntlt.i"TE -."as , fl n _,- nq 0\. LnC"'L OF.~ED~tooCF. (11)~t), w"Ll £I0TNT COOADIJrrt"H vey vectors are not preserved in an , ",IAOj. :~:, ~ ... (\r"'G LOC"'L AEFE"E"'C! (Jn~t'. e r"p~ I".: Tl-'F. "'ALL "'Y PI': l:'IoF.:~EJrrt', JI'J=:a wHL II!SUL' IJrrt , LINf. Therefore~ e cn"'NJ:"C'TY"'r. T"4"'T ...... Le 1>0y""T "'1 Tiol '''IF I'1I~VIOIIS Prot"". COOADPUTf adjustment. the equa­ ,e 0, tlf~ 101'''' I"~A 'RE Iti'-lOofn. r; 1ll0T/;!\1 tions for Xand Yhave to be com­ e e AFTI:.:0 DOOr.F.,q !I I IlJi.. TIolE FtoST .. ..,n L'sr 1t1)'t'llT l"F , "'LL OlILL 8£ plicated by the addition of a "smooth­ e FnEn .. tr ... RI!:SPECT TO ''''F. Lr'lC'L AF.FEAE"'cE~ "Ill f.tt"'fA SIn!':, ,UoIll[ e 1",!:q"F.DIUF P(lI~T!I "'ILL I'll: 'OJI!"!!) '0 EFIl"Il"CT , !I~!)OTI" TA'I.IStTJON ing"term. e RF.tlOn.'ol LOC"L ~F.:FFAF."'C£S. T... ~llF.'OOE, Tn I"'!IUQ( CrlNTIlIlurrv. , JlALL e LOC ... ,TO~ oqFSFNT " T~E REC'''''III'''C OR f!'Hlf\'o; O~ TIolO IIl'LL e SF.:QU""Cf!t. I'A OF nNf: ClC'St"'f: ~€()UC""Cf CL!')nO\. S"'OUU~ IIlE 80U"'OEO Ill" Since we are dealing with rel­ ,e TotE ~, .. ~ 0tlll OF" 1J€"EIlE""CE"!1 .. T QOTIo4 "L'CE! 1'" Toof F'L£. atively small local discrepancies r LOC', 0FFrOr"'r.F." ,Rt to!:"'TIFIEO floV eonJtnt~"'.E. '~,t.T 'Gon: TO ;/1'\o('N C te; ll",IYS ("",'; I"'CI"':S'. 'rIlO!\S.Iol .. 1ll Cllll!OD 15 E1STlv AEPOSJTIO"'EO C TO .. ,T"'T~ 'i \1"'ITll 0'" ... 2"'~ IINITS/INCH T"IIL!". which can be smoothed out over the e C·· _ _ . wall points in a number of satis­ e ,e factory ways~ I omit the particular e FOQ .. ,T nnl,fitT"i1 .... JP~N"CL1"CU:", .wE:QE L1 ... 'In L2 'liE ["IOICE! , 0'" hI':: ~UAIIE:'" n~" 'QC) ...... S1 nF II[CTt'Hf E"lI'll""I .. T! tF JPE"'-l, (10 ELSE , Tloif. T... ANR\lF"Ai'H; "'''10 •.mA"HI. CO"'P('l,,~"'TS N' ~ "'L.L pnINT 'filTI" IIfSPECT equations used in ELLIPSE. The re­ e '0 Tlol~ PA~\lrr'lllll \I[CT(11O IF IPEN:l2 O~ 3: T"'F u..,tT.Cj '''E 1£"'11-'8 OF , , °E~t::E="I,jT nil" T"'F v-:CTOIl1ll5 1oI(l0110"'T'L Lf"'CTIol. "'["tCE, IF ('H,IIY) 'liE sult is that~ strictly speaking~ e T"'F ~CALe:f) II~CT"'PIiS CO"O.,~f""!I ,~o CV)("l.\lV,,) ITS TAIL POSTTlO.... e , Ioj~ • ('I'" • LI • vM • Lf" I t~QtIl • vh', aNO each wall position inherits its ad­ , flY. (\lY • L2 • vll: • LI' I 1"'0,," • vyv, justment~ not from one vector~ but ,e e C N(t't£, ..... r::'" OO"lOloJG "'LLS ElLIPSE _ILL IG"'Oof. "OrllH OUT!tDf Tlotf from a weighted average of up to C ~qA"E no r..,q,..~ y ... e trnr "LOCI(. Ort ,'''OS! WIIO.!" "fFJ;At"NCt" SUTIO"'S three vectors in sequence. It C······.··,C ..... v! "'OT RI")''''····IIin:N SC'LEn RV TWE It.t.OTtCIIL'o .ltl.t.N. ntoECTIYf:, . works well enough, I believe, that

88 ) q 1~S0

125

ACTUNKRUA- N~RTH MAZE YUCATAN, MEXI Cel PRELIHINRRTHAP - 1975/76 [RHCS) t CURRENTLENGTH:6643 H DEPTH: 2S H PLAN: ROTATED0.0 DEGREES M

? IIII 2~ METERS ~ 5£- 17 Nav o BOOK REVIEW gests that since antipollution con­ ATLAS SOUTERRAIN DE LA PROVENCE cern just isn't an integral part of ET DES ALPES DE LUMIERE by Paul French daily life, much as it is Courbon and S.C. Sanary. Second here in the U.S., then there is no Edition 1980. conservation consciousness under­ lying French caving. Hence, French Aha! It inevitablY happens to cavers themselves just by their num­ anyone who has been caving for any bers (in an area half the size of length of time, and who has returned Texas there are more cavers than in to those beautiful caves of the past the entire U.S.), will wreak havoc to find them gone. The hole is if they are not conservation minded. still there, but unrecognizable It seems pretty obvious that since as that place that held so much most people aren't careful on their attraction. Like going back to own initiative, then they must be some childhood fishing spot and taught to be careful and "sneaking" seeing only a mudhole. And boy, this instruction into caving pub­ are you mad at wh:Jever did this, lications is one way of exposing but ...maybe as a young, novice conservation to the general caving caver you plucked a stalactite when public. no one was looking? You can see As for the rest of the publi­ the results of your carelessness cation, it is basically a reference now, and you want to warn everybody list of the deepest vertical cave~ about what you've learned. And ("gouffres" not "grottes" which are you'd better do it because we humans horizontal caves), in the south­ have the utterly amazing inability easternmost part of France. No to see beyond our noses. We act caves under 100 meters deep are in­ without thinking. cluded in the descriptions and maps, The author of this publication but are merely named. One hundred seems to have had this experience. and fifteen "gouffres" are briefly He has been caving at least 25 years described, (location, maps, history, and has seen lots of caves fall by bibliography, and resurgence when the wayside, some at the hands of appropriate). There is absolutely cavers themselves. So, he has clev­ no information on biology, and erly added anti-pollution chapters, very little on geology. This is cartoons and slogans to this deep­ strictly big pits and deep caves. cave publication. In fact, the pub­ The maps are mostly profiles with lication begins with a chapter on very few plans, and the profiles the respect and cleanliness of caves. emphasize one thing, depth. How­ Why has it taken French cavers ever, for a reference book (Courbon so long to do something about this implicitly states that this is not problem? Especially since their a guide) it is poorly organized. history of caving goes a long way There is no useful table of con­ back, and to some very renowned tents (the one given has no page cavers who themselves recognized numbers), and no list of caves and some of these problems? Although maps with corresponding page num­ Martel had his collection of for­ bers which would be immensely useful mations (as Courbon states), he in a publication such as this. realized the health danger present­ Basically, this publication's most ed by dumping animal carcasses in favorable feature is its concern caves, and got a law passed outlaw­ for the destruction of caves, and ing this. Also, Norbert Casteret its attempt to teach other cavers repeatedly recounts tales of beauti­ about this problem. It is good ful caverns being totally stripped to see this happening in other of all formations. Courbon sug- countries. Teeni Kern 90 LETTER CARTA

Dear Cavers, Estimados espeleologos, Bill Stone, in cooperation with Bill Stone, en cooperacion con the National Cave Rescue Commission el Sistema Nacional de Rescate Ca­ (NCRC), is attempting to expand the vernario, esta trabajando para ex­ NCR network to provide assistance to tender este sistema para ayudar en cavers in the event of a serious ac­ accidentes subterraneas en Mexico. cident in Mexico. This might be or­ En este plan, sera posible obtener ganized along the lines of the pres­ la ayuda de la Fuerza Aerea de un ent NCR system in the United States equipo de rescate a Mexico. Pare where arrangements have been made extender este servicio, es necesario with the American Air Force to fly a obtener permiso oficial y permanente team to a serious rescue when the para la entrada de los aviones a local cavers request specialized Mexico. Tambien, es necesario tener help or additional manpower. To ex­ la cooperacion de la Cruz Roja para tend this service into Mexico and to proporcionar la transportacion lo­ enable the NCR to quickly reach the cal y ayuda medica. Siendo alta la cave, advance arrangements need to probabilidad de un accidente grave be made with the Mexican Government en una cueva profunda, este sistema to allow the Air Force plane to enter de rescate es importante para espe­ Mexico and with the Mexican Red leologos en Mexico. Personas y gru­ Cross to provide local transport and pos que quieren ayudar en este pro­ coordination. In view of the event­ yecto pueden comunicarse con: ual likelihood of a serious accident deep within a Mexican cave that Lee Noon, Director could involve a rescue beyond the N.C.R.C. capability of the group present, 169 S. Bath Avenue this service would be a valuable as­ Waynsboro, VA 22980 set to all who cave in Mexico. All interested groups and persons are William H. Russell urged to send suggestions and letters of support to:

Lee Noon, Director N.C.R.C. 169 S. Bath Avenue Waynsboro, VA 22980

William H. Russell

Cave SafelV is NO aCCIDENT

91 Traduccion del Editorial

Las Cavernas y la espeleologla ambigUedades sabre la AMCS. La de Mexico son espectaculares, aSl AMCS fue formado en 1962 par varios que no es sorprendente que han atraido espeleologos texanos para el avanza­ atencion mundial. La multiplicacion miento de los conocimientos de las fenomenal de espeleologos diligentes cavernas mexicanas. A traves de en Mexico durante los ultimos 20 anos los alios ha permanecido sin politica ha tenido y seguira teniendo un impac­ y estructera. Hoy dla el AMCS como to significante sabre las cavernas y organizacion es solamente un apar­ su exploracion. Par su mayor parte, tado postal y un gabinete en donde este impacto ha sido muy positivo. se guardian las publicaciones. Los descubrimientos y estudios han Tiene muy poca estructura -- no hay sido llevadas a cabo, cooperativa­ miembros officiales, ni asambleas. mente y can continuo enfasis sabre De vez en cuando, produce bole­ la conservacion par la AMCS, varios tlnes, pero hasta en esto tiene poca grupos espeleologicos mexicanos y estructura. La existencia de las otros grupos del E.U.A., Europa, y publicaciones cuenta exclusivamente Canada. can la iniciativo individual. Sin embargo, recientemante este En pocas palabras, el AMCS tiene impacto ha demonstrado rastros nega­ ciertos ideales: Explorar y estudiar tivos. Las dos temas mas serias son las cavernas magnlficas de Mexico; el vandalismo y la rivalidad. Con­ Conservar la belleza y magia de estas servar el fragil ambiente subterraneo cavernas; Para producir un nivel alto siempre ha sido el curso de accion de calidad en nuestras topograflas, del AMCS; esto incluye el sacar de estudios y publicaciones; Impartir un todos los equipos personales, inclu­ gran respeto para la tierra, las yendo la basura y el carburo gastado cuevas, y la gente de Mexico; y de las cuevas. Las cuevas son un alcanzar estas metas de manera cooper­ mundo virginal, el ultimo que queda­ ativa y amistosa. mantenemoslos intactos y limpias. El AMCS no es un grupo polltico, Las areas de grutas inexploradas ni nacionalista. Esta abierto a en Mexico son muy extensivos; par todos los espeleologos que comparten 10 tanto, la rivalidad y competicion estas ideales. El "Activities News­ antipatico son sin razon y contra­ letter" es un ejemplo de esto, y productivos. La AMCS siempre ha quisieramos que todos participaran, seguido la tradicion de cooperar mandando informes, artlculos, mapas, can grupos que estan trabajando fotos, et. El boletln es un reposi­ activamente en una cueva a region. torio de valor incalculable, can una Este cooperacion enriquese la cali­ gran cantidad de informacion espeleo­ dad del trabajo y evita el populari­ logica que se esta juntando continu­ zacion de las cuevas. Iniciativa amente. Par media de desarollar un sin rivalidad es la vla al exito y sentimiento de unidad, todos tendre­ satisfaccion en el descubrimiento mas mejor probabilidad de alcanzar y exploracion de las cuevas. nuestra meta comun; la exploracion Quisieramos tamar este oportun­ y estudio acerca de las cavernas de idad para aclarar algunos de las Mexico.

Dale Pate Te rri Treacy

92