Flag Report - The Explorers Club flag #73 PESH 2017 Expedition (Proyecto Espeleologico Sistema Huautla) j March 25 May 2, 2017 Report by C. William Steele FE 79 Flag #73 was present on a major speleological to the Huautla de Jimenez, Oaxaca, area from March 28 April 29, 2017. Including travel days, the expedition ran from March 25 May 2, 2017. The 2017 expedition was the fourth annual expedition (2014-2015-2016-2017) organized by PESH. When PESH was organized in 2013 its main goal was to field annual expeditions for a decade, 2014-2023. Participants Bob Alderson Catherine Berkeley-Jones Derek Bristol Denea Buckingham MN 16 Chris Coates Ana Diaz Yvonne Droms Gilly Elor, Ph.D. Galen Falgout Nikki Fox Brian Gindling Steve Gladieux Katie Graham Mike Green Blake Harrison Adam Haydock Fernando Hernandez Chris Higgins Josh Hydeman Vico Jones Andreas Klocker, Ph.D. Johanna Kovarik Kyle Lassiter Jason Lavender Damien Lebrun-Grandie Zeb Lilly Adam McLeod Adrian Miguel-Nieto Mark Minton, Ph.D. Geraldo Morrill Alan Nieves USA/CO USA/CA Spain// Switzerland Israel/USA/MA USA/MT USA/ID Canada USA/NM USA/UT / USA/OR / Australia USA/CO France/
Alma Rodriguez Tommy Shifflett Co-Leader Jim Smith FN 85 Elliot Stahl Bill Steele FE 79 Co-Leader Diana Tomchick, Ph.D. Matt Tomlinson Lee White Audrey Worrell Sophia Worrell Richard Zarria husa/ga USA/AL Purpose of the expedition The expedition was made up of many of the most experienced and accomplished deep cavers in the world. The purpose was to continue the exploration, mapping, and study of Sistema Huautla, a cave that many feel is the greatest one on Earth. Results Proyecto Espeleológico Sistema Huautla's PESH 2017 Expedition ran the month of April near Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca,. Underground camps were used two times each in La Grieta, Camp 3 upstream in the Refresher and Camp 4, 600 meters deep, an area not visited in 40 years. Doo Dah Dome was climbed by Mike Green, Brian Gindling, Elliot Stahl, and Damien Lebrun-Grandié from Camp 4 up 30 meters, where passages pinched down, and a new dome, Hoo Hah Dome, was climbed by Stephen Gladieux and Johanna Kovarik over 40 meters high and still goes.also, 600 meters of cave was surveyed from Camp 4 by Kyle Lassiter, Adam McLoud, Matt Tomlinson, and Lee White, with leads remaining. Exploration and mapping from Camp 3 in the Upstream Refresher resulted in up-trending passages, which suggested the surface was near in more than one place. Over the course of two 10- to 12-day camp pushes, cavers Gilly Elor, Derek Bristol, Fernando Hernandez, Zeb Lilly, Katie Graham, Andreas Klocker, Adrian Miguel-Nieto, Geraldo Morrill, and Galen Falgout climbed and surveyed 1.8 kilometers north from the 2016 limit of exploration. Exploration terminated when the upward-trending passage ended in what appeared to be the inside of a collapsed sinkhole showing signs that the surface was near, such as leaves, roots, and surface insects. While no new entrances where discovered, the 2017 push up the Refresher increased the depth of the La Grieta section of Sistema Huautla to 958 meters, and continued to extend the northern limit of the entire system. Exploration and mapping were also done in Nita Ntau and Nita Tienzo (Goat Cave). The former has more work to do in it, with hopes of connecting it to Sistema Huautla, which lies only 200 meters beneath it, whereas the latter is nearly finished and did not go much deeper. Survey also continued in Big Wind Cave, and it still has possibilities; a connection with Nita Nanta would add depth to Sistema Huautla.
Precise locations for Sótano de Agua de Carrizo and Cueva de Agua Carlota were taken with sophisticated GPS instruments. Much community awareness outreach was done again, with presentations given to community groups, schools, and an invitation-only event put on by the local government to celebrate 50 years of caving in the Huautla area. New karst areas were visited with entrances seen and contacts made. Scientific studies were conducted in geology and biology. For geology, many new strike and dip of geologic strata were recorded by James Smith FN 85 and observations for futire graduate work were made and recorded by Fernando Hernandez. Biological collections were made deep in the caves under an oficial collecting permit and specimins delivered to Dr. Oscar Francke at UNAM in City (National Autonomous University of ) for study and publishing. Sistema Huautla is now 78.3 kilometers (48.6 miles) in length and remains 1,560 meters in depth, the deepest cave in the Western Hemisphere, eighth deepest cave in the world, and the longest of the 17 deepest caves in the world. Further work We plan to return in 2018 to continue our work. We will once again apply to carry the flag of The Explorers Club. Return of flag #73 Flag #73 is being shipped to The Explorers Club headquarters in New York City via Fed Ex on May 12, 2017. Respectfully submitted, C. William Bill Steele FE 79