Mexico Caving Day 10
Bringing in the New Year rappelling into Sótano de Cepillo (425 feet) on our last day in Mexico.
Mexico
12.31.2009
Mexico Caving Day 9
Took a photo of the low side of Sótano de la Golondrinas (1,150 feet) while waiting for my turn to rappel into the massive pit. This time we visited the pit with a large group of people, which was not the idea situation. Over 10 rappelled down, and then spent hours exploring the bottom, before I got my chance. No one climbed. So when Chris and I hit the bottom, we had a quick snack and then hopped on rope, being the good team players we are.
12.30.2009
12.29.2009
Mexico Caving Day 7
We decided to take a day off after bouncing Golondrinas the day before. So we visited a Mexican rainforest gem, it’s in a remote mountain village called Xilitla, and is the home to the extraordinary surrealist architecture of Edward James called Las Pozas. This is a photo of me there.
To see more photos from a couple of years ago from a visit there look here — http://www.nikkifox.net/blog/11-21-2007.
Think M. C. Escher meets an elvish city. Very cool architecture with mysterious paths and illusions that come to life.
Shapes and visuals to please your eyes!
Even though this photos looks like the place had no people, our experience was not the same as it was a couple of years ago. Since then, a snack bar has been added, the ticket price has increased, there were busloads of tourists there and many of the places we could go before were blocked off “for your safety.”
12.28.2009
12.27.2009
Mexico Caving Day 5
Sonya Erickson rappels over the lip alongside of the 300-foot waterfall called Cascadas de Tamul.
The view while rappelling on the side of the waterfall.
The limestone-rich water was fantasy colored. The stream was lined with dark pink flowers and lots of green, exotic trees. It was straight out of a book, a live elvish landscape!
12.26.2009
Mexico Caving Day 4
Here’s the sophisticated sign we found when we returned to Hoya de las GuaGuas after a 2-year hiatus.
Jeff Dunn rappels the high side of the 668-foot entrance pit.
Looking up at a rappeller on the high side of the pit.
What it looks like on the bottom . . . a mini Mexican forest. The huge black space on the right is another 600-footish pit that gets you into the cave. We did not go down, as we’ve been told the loose rocks on the slope are very dangerous.
12.25.2009
12.24.2009
Mexico Caving Day 2
We hiked the trails around the mountain fields of the Barrio de Paxaljá for 2 miles in hopes of finding a large pit (La Quila). We didn’t. Instead, we found a tiny pit, Hoya de Quile, (120 feet) and bounced it once. It was rather a disappointing day, but that’s what you get when you decide to go with a group and not do your own thing.