the 20 Years Ago by Texas Caver St ~ Texas Caver The outcome of the Texas Speleologi c; Vol. 32, No. 3; June, 1987 Association's Powell's Cave project was the subject of 1 feature article by Dallas-Fort Worth Grotto caver Pet. CONTENTS Lindsley in the June 1967 issue of the Texas Caver. Cavers from Abilene, Austin, San Antonio, s~ Feature Articles .. ... .. ........ ......................... ... ............ ............................. 51 Angelo, Dallas and other Texas cities converged at t~ TSA News ........................ .. .... ... .. ............... ... ............ .............. ........... ... 59 cave for the mapping project. The group led by Davi •. Regional News ..... ........ .......... .. ......... .................. ................. ... ... .. ......... 62 Merideth received the "Muddiest map book of the Pro Dispatches ... ........ ..... ... .. .. .... .. ....... ..................... ... ............... ................ .. 66 ject Award." Pete also authored some observations o: Trip Reports ....................... ... .......... ............ .... .. .. .. ............................... 68 Powell's, a cave he had been notified of about five year FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Caver climbing ladder in previously by Blair Pittman of the DFW Grotto. Biso: Fern Cave, Texas. 1979 photo by James Jasek. bones near one passage indicate another entrance existt: INSIDE FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Jay R. Jorden's years ago, and recent legends and the Inscription Roor photo of caver on rope in Dead Man's Hole, near Mar­ indicate that the Big Sink entrance to the cave was on], ble Falls, Texas. BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Climbing out of sinkhole at closed in recent times, Lindsley wrote. , Fern Cave, Texas, 1979. Beautiful photo by James Cave conservation was one theme of the Can· Jasek. issue, with chairman Jack C . Burch admonishing caven to avoid clumsiness in cave passages, which results 1 Co-Editors Jay Jorden Dale Pate 1518 Devon Circle P. 0. Box 1251 inadvertent destruction of formations. James Dallas, TX 75217 Austin, TX 78767 wrote that cavers should document the history of 214-398-9272 512-345-6536 214-220-2022 512-482-5578 caves they visit. The issue included grotto news from Abilene, Dallas Staff Managing Editor Rob Kolstad Art Ted Tutor A&I, San Antonio, Texas Tech and "Abilene G Grotto," ·as well as an article on food for the CAVE RESCUE Call Collect 512-686-0234 caver. George W . Gray was editor. The cover photo ' The Texas Caver is a bi-monthly publication of the Texas Speleologi­ "Lake of Tranquility," in Cave of the Lakes, cal Association (TSA), an internal organization of the National Speleo­ County, was by Gray. logi cal Society (NSS). It is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. The Texas Caver openly invites all cavers to submit articles, news events, cartoons, cave maps, photographs (35 mm slide or any size black &: white or color print), caving techniques, and any other material for publication. TSA dues are $10/year which includes the Texas Caver. Subscrip­ tion rate is $6 per year for out of state subscribers. Purchase single and back issues for $2.00 each by mail, post paid; $1.00 each at con­ ventions. Send subscription and back issue requests to the Tezas Caver, U. T . Station, Box 8026, Austin, Texas 78713-8026. Please in cl ude old address in address change correspondence. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Tezas Caver, P . 0. Box 208, San Marcos, Texas 78667. DEADLINES: Articles, announcements, and material for publication must be submitted to the editor by the 12th of the month preceding public ation. EXCHANGES: The Texas Caver will exchange newsletters with other grottos at t he Editors' discretion. Contact one of the co-editors. COPYRIGHT 1987 T exas Speleological Association. Internal organiza­ tions of the National Speleological Society may reprint any item first appearing in the Texas Caver as long as proper credit is given and a copy of the newsletter containing the material is mailed to the co­ editors. Other organizations should contact the co-editors. the Texas Ca.ve.r June, Hl87 Pa.ge 51 were introduced. Single Rope Techniques During their 2'>i decades of development and field by Dave McClurg use, American SRT systems have developed an enviable safety record. These systems are simple to use and, Editor's Note: The following paper was presented by although American cavers frequently must fabricate at David McClurg of Carlsbad, N.M., former chairman of least part of their vertical rigs themselves (because com­ the Vertical Section, National Speleological Society, at mercial versions are not generally available) they are the Ninth International Congress of Speleology in Bar­ also relatively simple to assemble. Moreover, they are celona, Spain in late 1986. multipurpose and have shown their value under a wide variety of different caving conditions. ABSTRACT Main SRT areas: Among the caving areas where American SRT techniques are widely used are the: This paper surveys the highly-developed SRT (sin­ • Deep pits of the southeastern United States, Mexico gle rope techniques) and equipment currently in use by and other parts of the U.S.; American cavers. Over the past 25 years, American SRT • Complex multi-pit cave systems of Mexico; and tec hniques have proven themselves safe, simple and ver­ • Smaller pits of other North American caves. satile. Thye have enabled American cavers to explore both the deep freefall pits (50 to 300+ m) as well as the Deep Pits of TAG Country and Mexico complex multi-pit cave systems of the United States and Mexico. Because of their versatility, these techniques TAG Country: In the three southeastern states of have also proven useful for smaller pits in conventional Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia is a vertical caver's caves . paradise known as TAG Country. Ascending systems covered in this paper include (1) the Mitchell Jumar System with chest box, (2) The Texas Jumar System (field-convertible with the Mitchell) and (3) the Gibbs ropewalker with both ascenders float­ ing . A descending system is described, consisting of a rappel rack (or figure eight descender for shorter drops) Wl th a sewn seat harness and a spelean shunt. Integral to American SRT techniques are static caving ropes with excellent abrasion resistance, high strength, low stretch, freedom from spin, and relatively low cost. All vertical s stems and equipment will be displayed and demon­ st ated. 25 Years of Development and Field Use O:V er the past 25 years, American cavers have developed a style of vertical caving (SRT) that has proven itself to b safe, simple and versatile. It has allowed them to P netrate many new or previously unexplored pits and cave systems in the U.S., Mexico and other countries. Most American SRT systems can be said to have ~eg un with a couple of carabiner brake bars for rappel­ ling and Prusik slings of 3/8 inch (9 mm) sisal rope for climbing out. The cable ladder was also widely used for s ort (10 or 20 m) climbs, and occasionally even for longer ones, too. Rope for many years was mainly the o~a standby, three-strand Goldline. It spun you around hbrribly and had to be knotted together for really deep pits. Later, the first kernmantle ropes came into use, and PeW Sprouse coils rope a4 the entrance or Dead Man"s H:>le near Marble Falls 'Thua!. eventually today's superb quality static caving ropes 11178 Photo by Ja,y R Jorden. Page 52 June, Hl87 the Texas Caw Concentrated here are an estimated thousand or SRT SysteiiUI for Deep Pits more pits. As a rule, the best known of these are open­ Deacending. American systems for deep pits worl air freefall pits that bottom out at 45 to 60 m. But a equally as well in any pit ranging from 15 to 350m an( few, like these below, are among the wonderful excep­ more. The key to doing really deep pits is a sewn seal tions that prove the rule. harness (used by 87% [percentages from Jan. '86 surv e1 of NSS Vertical Section members]) to provide a secure Fantastic Pit, Ellison's Cave (Georgia) .. ... 155m comfortable resting position. A sewn seat harness is co~ Incredible Pit, Ellison's Cave .. .................. l34m sidered better since it is fail-safe should one sectior Surprise Pit, Fern Cave (Alabama) ........... l33m break. To this seat harness, a rappel rack (preferred b1 Mystery Falls Cave (Tennessee) .................. 96m 96%) is attached with a high-strength locking carabiner Mega Well (Alabama) .............. .................. 94m A Spelean Shunt, made of a Gibbs ascender with a car& biner attached to provide release leverage, is used b1 Rigging. Many of the open-air pits are completely free many American cavers. However, its use is b.y no mea ru after a few meters of contact with the wall at the top. universal. Trees are abundant in this part of the country, so the llmm abrasion-resistant rope is often tied off a meter or Ascending. To ascend pits from as short as 15 11 two up on the trunk of a tree. If possible, a tree right at 20m to the very deepest, either a Gibbs ropewalker ~ the lip of the pit is chosen. Usually, the rope hangs free all the way to the bottom. A protective pad of denim The Gibbs ropewalker and material, often the leg of an old pair of blue jeans, is Mitchell Jumar are the tied at the top lip to guard against rope abrasion. overwhelming choice of Because the rope is rigged high on the tree, it is usually relatively easy to get off the rope when completing the American vertical cavers. ascent. the Mitchell Jumar system are the overwhelming choiCI Safety Jumar. If the lip is difficult, many cavers {95%) of American vertical cavers. Although quit1 routinely carry an extra ascender, a Safety Jumar, with different in configuration, both actually operate veij a short three or four step etrier attached. This is useful similarly. Your body remains nearly upright, close to tbr not only for negotiating lips and overhangs, but for rope.