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

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