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