Departure Date: February 10, 1980
Duration (days): 115 days
Destination: Li Nita, Sistema Huautla, Oaxaca, Mexico
Personnel: 12
Expedition Leaders: Bill Stone (USA), Bill Steele (USA), and Jim Smith (USA)
Exploration Team:
|
Doug Powell (USA) |
Steve Zeman (USA) |
Henry Schneiker (USA) |
|
Ron Simmons (USA) |
Bob Jefferys (USA) |
Janet Fitzsimmons (USA) |
|
Diana Lowrey (USA) |
Jill Dorman (USA) |
Mark Minton (USA) |
Objectives: To explore newly discovered caves on the Agua de Cerro Ridge of the Huautla Plateau. To re-explore the Sotano del Rio Iglesia and verify a hydrologic link between it and the Sotano de San Agustin.
Accomplishments: Rescued two members of the Polish expedition to Huautla from the -600m level of Sotano de San Agustin. Explored Li Nita, Nita He, and Nita Nanta to depths of -1030 m, -599 m, and -550 m, respectively. All were new discoveries on this expedition. A 27 day underground assault from Camp I (-612 m) in Li Nita netted a link with the Sotano de San Agustin to produce the Huautla Cave System. At -1222 m in vertical this constituted the world's third deepest known natural abyss. Sotano del Rio Iglesia was explored to its terminus at -535 m without verification of a hydrologic link to the Sotano de San Agustin. The Li Nita - San Agustin link was achieved by means of an 80 m Scuba dive at -1030 m in Li Nita.
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