12MB PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

the trip, but fortunately he was ableto finish the trip under his own power.Claude was testing a new ascending/descendingdevice on the two ropedrops in the cave. He claimed it hada few more problems to iron out. Theroute led down Lisa's Lampfall andthen into the Connection Passage, andfinally the Arne Saknussem Borehole,(ASB) and into the Communion Hall,where everyone took a long rest andate their cave food goodies. Fromthere Peter S and Peter K took Pauland Claude to the Nile River to mapupstream. However, the instrumentswere not in working order, so theyexplored 300 meters ppstream throughfine swims before rejoining the maingroup in the Foggy Mountain Breakdown.The Netherhall was next and beforethe last echoes were heard in thelarge chamber, the first of thegroup were skiing down the massivebreakdown pile heading towards CampII and Isopod River. Ediger hadseveral comments to make as everyoneclambered through the 600 meters ofthe Monkey Walk. Everyone regroupedat the beginning of the Breakdown .Maze and continued on, stopping atCamp 1-1/2 to rest before tacklingthe "every passage looks the same"Confusion Tubes. Here Peter S tookPaul and Claude down the 17-Hour Tubeand the Balcony Borehole. He showedthem the sumps along this route,while the others headed for the entrancevia the East Loop. At theentrance, once again regrouped,everyone compared their wet, soggy,wrinkled feet. Claude's were deemedthe grossest as he emptied the waterout of his boots for the final time.By 3:00 PM everyone was packed inCharles' truck for the drive up toConrado Castillo. Several hourslater the 13 extremely hungry andtired cavers arrived at the fieldhouse.Those who had stayed therecommented that everyone looked 20years older. By the time Harry lefthe was almost his normal self again.94Ancient river course in the Main Passage - West Loop. (Dale Pate)