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

to a drop. t returned and dropped a line to Zeman and Horowitz. In shortorder we bottomed the 20 m pit--no go. We did, hOw~ver, disGover severalclusters of 20 cm selenite needles on the sandy floor. About this time thepush crew arrived. ~~ile they surveyed the new passage we continued riggingand lead checking. The final (19th) drop in the Cueva is a spectacular 110 m,mostly free drop into an immense room 200 m long and 50 m wide. We circumnavigatedthe room with both teams checking every conceivable hole. No leads werefound so we began derigging. At first, each person could carry a coil or twoup the rope with him. More tackle amassed at each drop and we wer forcedto hoist equipment out the final 4 pitches. Each major drop would find someonesleeping while waiting for others to finish climbing. We exited the cavewith all equipment 24 hours after entering. No connection had been made.After a day's rest we commenced operations at La Grieta. Formal permissiotwas obtained at Plan Carlota precluding further political problems. This however,did nothing to assure that the rope would not be cut and stolen by someneedy Indian. We proceeded to develop two escape routes. In December voicecommunication had been made between a small crawlway, some 15 m from the usualrig (chop) point, and the main 60 m entrance shaft. After some poking aroundHorowitz and Johnson managed to freeclimb to the bottom. This new entrance,dubbed the Hobbit Hole, was our main insurance. To be doubly safe I pendulumedThe La Grieta camping crew with full camp and cave gear.(Jeff Horowitz)9