12MB PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

DISCOVERYPeter SprouseWhilst on a caving pilgrimageacross Mexico in December 1976,Terri Treacy and I stopped in atPeter and Sue Lord's house in Mexico,D.F. to check on their cavingprogress in the Cuetzalan, Pueblaarea. I had suggested ~he area tothem a year before as a promisingcave area within easy driving distance.They waxed enthusiastic overthe place, finding going cave everywherethey looked. They invitedus to join them that weekend inchecking a new pit that Mike Boonhad found and had assured themwas at least 400 feet deep.On December 17, we drove eastwardpast the volcanos of Ixtacclhuatland Malinche, and northward untilreaching the village of Zacapoaxtla,on the southern boundary of the cavingarea. Here I was amazed to spotAustin caver David McKenzie walkingdown the street. He had just drivendown from Texas with James Reddell,Carmen Soileau and Andy Grubbs. Weagreed to join forces in our explorationsin the area. We parked thevehicles at Itzacamel and set offwalking along the aqueduct that leadstowards the tremendous Sumidero deCohuatichan. The new pit lay tothe left of the aqueduct. It hada circular entrance about 6 metersin diameter, which we immediatelyrigged. Peter descended first, thenSue, Terri, Carmen and myself. Thedrop turned out to be only 35 meters.At the bottom was a large passagetrending SW-NE with a small sidepassage heading off NW. Terri, Carmenand I began the survey whilePeter and Sue explored. The NE sectioncontinued 100 meters in largepassage before closing down to a narrowtube. This went on 30 meters toa dead end. The SW extension of thesame passage climbs 20 meters up aslope to a pinch. The small NW passageof the bottom of the pit provedto be the interesting one. We surveyed10 meters to a tight squeezetaking air, through which the soundof a waterfall could be heard. Petersqueezed ahead and I followed. Webroke into a dome with a waterfallcoming from above. The streamroute pinched out downstream butPeter found a climb over it. Beyondwas another squeeze which hedidn't push.This pit is known to the localpeople as Sima de los Bueyes, forsome oxen reputed to have fallen in~to it. After exiting the cave wecontinued on down to to Sumidero deCohuatichan (interpreted by a localas meaning "snake-water") to takea quick look at a lower level off tothe left that Peter had discovered.61