Objectives:

To take a fresh look at the area, pushing beyond the known limits of the Cuetzalan System and to find some new caves. Of particular interest was Chichicaseapan and the downstream route beyond the point reached by the Belgium team. The major chore of the expedition was to begin a re-survey of the whole system, but first we would have to familiarise ourselves with the area.

The expedition and selected log book entries:

Ten British cavers and half a dozen Mexicans turned up for various periods of time over the Christmas and New Year month. Low cloud and drizzle persisted without respite for the first two weeks and this hampered initial efforts to locate entrances and correct routes into the caves. As one of the first log book entries shows there was plenty of work to do.

20^th December 1991
"Tim, Jane, Ramon, Lugger, Marcus, Geraldine & Sergio. Met our guide, Tubby, at the gas station where he took us to a shaft 100m up the road (541135). 10m shaft used as a rubbish dump but with passage at the bottom. Not descended. Continued up the road to the old American field house where we were shown Boon’s old wall survey. Big line drawing, impressive, but not much use. Continuing on up the road we came to the house of Rafael Arellano who had shown the Americans many of the entrances. He showed us Octimaxal Sur nos 1 & 2 on either side of the road (526119) as mentioned in AMCS vol. 4. From behind the house we contoured round and then followed a stream up the valley. Nearby was a small sink (529109) with a small narrow rift leading off and maybe just passable. We then followed a larger stream down hill to an overgrown canyon (534116). We walked over a small ridge and down to the impressive entrance to Cohuatichan (537121). Skirting left and dropping into a maize field we found a stream sinking against a cliff with no apparent entrance. Continuing in the same direction we came to the bottom of the overgrown canyon with a dry stream bed emerging and leading to a wet weather sink (534123). There seemed to be a way on in this down a short drop. We then went uphill over the top of Cohuatichan on a cobbled track to a wooden house. Behind is a depression (539124) with a hidden 20m deep shaft in it. From the shaft a small track led through maize fields towards the village of Pahpatapan. 2-300m along this is a large depression. An obvious dry water channel leads to an entrance with a 3m climb into smallish passage (538126). Returned to town with lots to do but none of the major entrances found!"

Rumour had it that Cruz Verde had been connected to the Cuetzalen System and offered a short cut to the farthest reaches. A lot of time and effort was wasted proving this rumour false. Most of the main routes in Cruz Verde were surveyed, however, and the downstream leads pushed to a conclusion.

22^nd December 1991
"Tim, Jane, Marcus & Neil. Todays mystery tour saw us leapfrogging the second downstream route from the Cruz Verde entrance. Small stream with average 2x2m passage. 300m down, the stream disappears under the left hand wall. This appears to end after 100m. Continuing over and traversing up a high rift you come to a climb down into a chamber. A squeeze through boulders at the bottom leads to a 1m high passage with evidence of flooding to the roof. 100m further a streamway is met, downstream continues small and immature. Upstream passes a few chambers to a choke. All very confusing!"

"JJ and I (Ruth) entered Chichi at midday with the intention of finding the connection to Cruz Verde (at least that’s what we thought). We kept going until we found the last station and spent a lot of time looking for the entrance to the passage up on the ugly south west wall. JJ found it – another ugly thing: flat out passage 130m long. We came out in a big gallery which continued to the right and to the left, big and beautiful, amazing formations (gypsum and calcite). There was also lots of flagging tape marking the way through the formations. I had the silly thought that we were near an entrance because you could see so many boot prints. We left the survey and tried to find out where the hell we were. All efforts were useless, but we found a little streamway that seemed to flow parallel to the main passage. We decided to survey up there. No connection seemed likely so we started out reaching the surface at midnight."

In total 12.5km of the Cuetzalen System was surveyed including some virgin passage. However, the known connections between Chichicaseapan, Resistol and the Atischallas remained elusive. Exploration in Chichi was halted half way through the Belgium Boulder Choke in what seemed a hopeless route. In the huge fossil passage above, the Bockstiegel connection, which reportedly connected with downstream Resistol, was somehow missed. However work in Chichi got underway on the first day of the expedition.

20^th December 1991
"After initially been sent to the wrong entrance by our guide we started surveying into Chichi in two teams of three. Big Nose, Mick and Bob started at the entrance whilst Jonathon and JJ surveyed after an estimated half Km. Thus employing the leapfrog technique…. The cave entrance is a stream sink with a short maze of joint controlled passages initially leading to a steeply descending canyon with a –6 degree dip on the bedding. The stream is tumbling down short cascades into deep pools and the best way of negotiating these is by staying high up and traversing along the ledges. The stream cuts deeply into the conglomerate which is slippy compared to the limestone. The stream is also creamy in colour and smells of cleaning products. After 850m and a –115m depth and after passing many side passages, the stream finally tumbles down a 10m pitch (needing 15m of rope) into a large passage. Bob and Mick surveyed on down a large passage 10m wide by 20m high but still descending on the dip. A short handline is required at one bit and last station is at the top of a short cascade 1200m from home."

More Chichi
24^th December 1991
"Ruth and Ramon. Went into Chichi at 2pm finding the river a bit swollen. When we got to a point about 400m in Ramon noticed a lead on the left and investigating immediately found the second entrance. We surveyed 160m in that area, leaving two leads, one of them good. We then went to the beginning of the Brown connection; rigged and dropped the 15m pitch and started surveying amongst beautiful formations which unluckily changed to breakdown for the rest of the loop. We tied in our survey at the base of the 25m pitch and then went to JJ and Ruth’s leads in the Bochstiegel passage. Had a bit of trouble finding the entrance crawl and overheated terribly in a wet suit. Surveyed uphill through huge passage with incredible gypsum chandeliers, aragonite needles and other formations eventually ending in a mud choke. Back to base at 3am."

First attempt at the Belgium Choke in Chichi.
23^rd December 1991
"Mick, Jonathon & Nick. Arrived quickly at survey station 272 and found the Belgium way on as described by Ramon. An awkward 0.5x2m rift leads quickly to a drop taking all the water. An oxbow just before this gives a dry 4m rope climb down into a chamber that reaches the boulder choke after 50m. the way on is high at first and then down a short rope climb by the right wall. Beyond this the way on is never far from the stream and often in it. A few low ducks and a climb up looks down into a chamber in the boulders. A cascade leads on down, climbable with care. The furthest point reached beyond this was less than 30m, all squeezing past boulders in the water until no way forward could be found. We then looked for a high level route with no success. On the way back we climbed high in the choke at every opportunity with no success. Maybe in lower water conditions the way on is still with the stream, beyond the cascade."

Resisitol 

Resistol, itself, proved a hard entrance to find but once located rapid progress was made in this superb cave. While many of the team left for sunnier climes it was those that stayed until the end who eventually pushed it down to the pitch at Bob’s Folly. Over a kilometre of new fossil passage was discovered above this pitch.

28^th December 1991
"Lugger, Mick, JP, JJ, Pablo & Alex. After much wandering we found the entrance. This proved a little awkward to rig with a tree stump and a block as the main belay. A deviation off a tree and a rebelay on a protruding flake. Big Nose, Alex & I set off downstream to the pitch. This is a very pleasant trip. Surveyed back up to the main inlet coming down a 10m cascade….."

30^th December 1991.
"…..headed for the pitch to start survey. A few short swims and drops led onto a ledge above an 8m pitch with no obvious belay. Out of tackle by this time anyway. Pitch overlooked a very large passage. The rest of the trip was spent surveying side passages including several oxbows and one long inlet. One kilometre surveyed."

6^th January 1992
"…..shortly afterwards the water disappears down a narrow torrent, the next pitch and Ramon’s last survey station. A quickly placed bolt and Bob was able to descend the ladder into the foaming pool below. The current carried him forward until he tried to beat a retreat. Unable to reach the ladder a rope was quickly sent down and Bob was pulled in wrapped up in survey tape. Another cascade follows immediately and Bob was nearly washed over. Meanwhile just before the last survey station Lugger found a wet climb up flowstone that led us into a very pretty passage…"

In Atischalla Norte the end choke was penetrated for quite some distance before the way on became too obscure, and Atischalla Sud was abandoned at a very tight bedding.

26^th December 1991
"Tim, Jane, Lugger, Mick, Ramon, Ruthy,& JP. We thought this entrance was Resistol but it turned out to be a ramped skylight entrance to Atischalla Norte. Upstream surveyed to sink entrance. Downstream, down a couple of climbs and a short pitch led to a major choke. Two small inlets are passed but not checked. Down through the muddy boulders leads to a narrow rift on the left. An inlet enters here (later found to be from Atischalla Sur). The rift regains the choke where progress is first made along the top and then back down to an enlargement on the left where the choke closes in again and the way on is not at all obvious."

In the Cuetzalan catchment area several other caves were rediscovered including Cueva Sin Nombre and Octimaxal 1and 2. Further east new discoveries were made including Sima Talcomitl, Sima Grande and Sima Zoquita. Only the latter was fully explored ending in sumps both up and down stream. Sima Talcomitl and Grande were both left going with a number of main leads.

Sima Grande

31^st December 1991
"Bob, Mick & Jonathon. We left the house before 8am in glorious sunshine for a change and reached the village we think is Tenango North in an hour and a quarter of walking. Half an hour longer took us to the furthest shaft found previously (594156). This proved to be a 26m choked shaft that swallowed a small stream. Back at the village and our first enquiry pointed us down into a large depression where there was a Sima Grande. A climb down boulders into the entrance revealed a fine up and downstream passage 5x5m. The downstream passage passes a good inlet on a bend before going into a smaller rift. A scramble up a slope on the left and a crawlo through a strongly draughting hole leads to another inlet and the down stream passage continues large again. There is a small high level passage on the right and soon the stream cuts down to the head of a pitch. We descended this then a second pitch to the head of a third where an ongoing dry rift can be seen. The water flows back under the second pitch and enters a small passage. Back in the first streamway the route continues in a winding passage sometimes crawling, sometimes walking with many curling stones in the floor. We surveyed to a duck which after some digging I was able to pass into some more awkward going. After 70m or so this improves into a walking passage. I turned back after 100m or so with the passage continuing easily. Finally we surveyed the upstream passage from the entrance past a climb and a squeeze into a final chamber where two ways continue very small. We exited into bright sunshine happy that we have a going cave. Things were made even better when we got a lift in a truck within five minutes walking."

4^th January 1992
"Mick & Bob……at the bottom of the fifth pitch a large stream is met and goes down a rift to a frothy sump. Bastard! Not to be deterred the duo continued upstream in a spectacular streamway. This passage ascends in grand style, sporting cascades and shutes for 240m to a double cascade where the stream splits in two. The smaller stream, but bigger passage, goes for a further 200m’ish with no end in sight. Above all this is a bunch of oxbows and above them is a phreatic tunnel which starts getting complicated." (5 years later Sima Castor joins here)

First trip into Sima Talcomitl.
4^th January 1992
"We got to the entrance previously located and JJ immediately grabbed the machete and killed all the malamujeres on the slope and 8m pitch. We followed down into the jungle and down the slippery slope to where the big passage intersected a bigger passage going both ways. While JJ and Luis went ahead Ruthy and myself (Ramon) surveyed behind in ever diminishing dimensions until we reached a big stream and found them coming out of a very tight immature passage that nobody felt like pushing. Back at the entrance and after taking a look at some archeological remains (platforms) the two grabbing bastards went upstream while Ruthy and myself surveyed behind. After a couple of hundred metres boulder hopping we met the stream and followed it to the bottom of a 7m cascade. We then surveyed the entrance and side passages nearby. Once we finished Ruthy and me surveyed to the entrance of Micks-100m-long-still-going-cave then surveyed it, all 71.6m of it to a sump."

A large previously unknown resurgence was discovered below the village of Tonalix bubbling up from the dry river bed. In the wet weather an incrediable volume of water rose here but alas there was no enterable cave, however, it proved the depth potential to be around 900m. On the last day a visit to Atepolhuit de San Miguel was made and Cueva Tasalopan found.

9^th January 1992
"Mick, Bob & Lugger. Last day of the expedition so decided to go for a walk to see Atepolihuit de San Miguel. Stream sink in big cliff. Asked a local if there were any more and he pointed to a cliff nearby. We entered a large cave and were excited at this point as we thought it was virgin passage (but later found out it was Tasalopan, found by the Yanks). What it did say is that it is possible to have fossil entrances. The cave itself needs another thorough look at as it seems like we did all the known cave in about one hour in shorts and T shirts with just two head torches between three."

With around 19km surveyed on the trip and so much more to do a return would be inevitable.

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