A December, 1972, Trip to Mexico

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A DECEMBER i972, (Rie TD MEALCO

Night of December 10-l1l: People in three vehicles congregated

at the bridge over Rio Conca near Ayutla. Doug Strait (Ga.), Anne
Knox (Ga), and Bill Horn (Pa.)} arrived about 11 PM: Marion O. Smith
(Ga), Tim W. Gordon (Ga.), David Stidham (Tenn.), and Ted Wilson
(Ind.) about 1 AM> and Jim Youmans (Ga.), Sack W. Hart (Ga.), B.C.
"Tommy" Thompson (Ala.), and David Teal (Ala.} about 6 AM,

December lil: Plans. fell thréa@gh to acquire. burros to carry gear

to Rancho de Barro so the day was spent as a reorganization and rest

day by some, and as a day of a “breaking-in" walk by others. Wilson,

Stidham, Strait, Horn, Knox, Smith, and Gordon spent 3% hours walking

< OB: the mountain north of the village of La Purisma searching an vein

for. two reported BIR.

December 12: A guide and seven burros were obtained and the hike

was made to Rancho de Barro, Permission was given by dudge Gregorio
Gonzalez's son Guadalupe to camp in the school and schoolyard.
Arrangements were made with him for pack animals to take the gear up
to: Bl..SOtano. |

December i13:..tThe last leg of the journey to 51 S6tano was made

by 11:30 AM and the pit was rigged a couple of hours later. The drop
rigged was probably the 1,181-footer done.by the Texans on the first

- @escent. Three people did the drop: Smith, Teal, and Thompson.

December 14: Ten descents and ascents of El Sétano were made

“im this. order: Horn, Youmans, Stidham, Gordon, Wilson, Knox, Strait,

Bart,

Thompson (2nd descent), and Smith (2nd descent). Teal,

Thompson and Smith earlier searched unsuccessfully for Craig

Bittinger's deep crack in rocky Drusnh nest Une giwpacound,’£i nat

a 12-13' deep, 10' long "cave" with a mummified cow at one end and

hundreds of black granddaddy longlegs- type spiders at the other. At
1:30 PM it was noted that the temperature ae the top at ae Sétano
was 87 F,

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December 15: It drizzled rain in the morning and was generally
cold and foggy. De-rigging El SOtano was greatly delayed because
the rope got snagged around a tree on the bottom. Strait made the
descent (2nd descent) and untangled it. Finally by 3 PM the pit was
de-rigged and camp broken. Gonzalez arrived with the burros and the
group returned to Rancho de Barro. . At 3:30 PM the temperature at

camp was 38 F,

December 16: All members of the group returned to Ayutla.

Gordon, Wilson, Knox, Thompson, Teal, and Strait stayed with the
burros and went over the mountain pass. The rest made an interesting
walk through Canyon de Ayutla, "checking" a couple of horizontal
caves along the way. Camp was again made at the bridge. The total
cost for guides and animals was 614 pesos (230 at Barro, and 384 at
Ayutla).

December 17: Operations were shifted to the Ahaucatlan

(Queretaro) area. Dr. John P. Sevenair of Louisiana was added to

the group near Jalpan. No burros were available in Ahaucatlan.so

it -was decided to: physicaily carry the 1500' Bluewater rope up the

mountain along with full backpacks. In time there were three groups
instead of just one.» Thompson, Youmans, Hart, Wilson, Stidham,
Strait, and Horn got ahead with the rope. Not understanding that
they were supposed to turn to the right once the mountain top was
reached, they carried the rope down the other side of the mountain
and an hour's walk past the village of Guilotla before realizing
their mistake. They turned around and spent the night in the school-
house at Guilotla. Gordon, Teal, Knox, and Smith spent the night

in one two-man tent next to the large dolina near Sotanito de
Ahaucatlan, and Dr. Sevenair spent the night by himself down on the

main trail.

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A DECEMBE®. 1972. TRIP TO MEXICO Page 3

December 18: The group re-united and by 3 PM rigged the

Sotanito. Then three two-man teams took their turns bottoming the
946' tube-like second drop: Hart and Youmans, Stidham and Thompson,
and. Wilson and Smith. The rest set up camp next to the entrance.

The last’ person was out of the pit by 3:30 4%.

December 19: David Teal bottomed the Sotanito early in the
morning and by 11 AM he, Youmans, Thompson, and Hart left for
AgquismOn. During the afternoon the Sotanito was de-rigged and the
1500' rope was hauled to 420' Sotano de Aguila. Strait, Horn, Knox,
Sevenair, Smith, Stidham, and Wilson made the drop and by 6:15 PM
returned to camp. Since food and water were almost exhausted it
was decided that if any other pits were to be done in the area it
had to. be that night. So at 7230 9M, alter supper, the ope Was
transported around the large dolina to Macho del Rey where Smith,
Strait, Stidham, and Horn did the 300' and 348' drops, and Knox did |

the 300' drop. A weary crew returned to camp at 3:45 AM,

December 20: The group lugged the rope and all other equipment

off the mountain and returned to Ahaucatlan. There, after a much-
needed meal, the group dispersed for hotels in Ciudad de Valles.
Along the way Smith and Stidham did roadside 376' Sotano. de Pozo,
and most of the others washed in the Rio Huichihuayan near Xilitla.
That night many of the group ate at the La Condesa in Valles where
Texas cavers Neal Morris and Barbara Vinson, and F.R.O.G. (S. Ala.)
caver Ken Branson happened to be. They had just returned from. the
El Abra where they had located an estimated 600' pit, Sotano de los
Coati Mundis. Meanwhile Youmans and crew hiked to Sotano de los

Golondrinas.

December 21: More Texans (Dr. Stanley, Steven, and Craig

Bittinger and others) were met in the La Condesa at breakfast.
They soon left to check out a pit near La Florida. Wilson returned
south by bus to the Xilitla turnoff to meet his wife; Youmans and

crew did Golondrinas, and the rest headed north.

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A DE@GEMBER, 1972, TRIP TO MEXICO Page 4

December 22: Strait, Knox, Horn, and Sevenair visited Cueva
del Abra and Grutas de Quintero south of Mante; Smith, Gordon, and
Stidham visited Pozo de Gavilan near galedna; and Hart, Youmans,

Thompson, and Teal walked back to Aquism6n. nen all -puc. Yr,

Sevenair returned to the States.