THE CAVE DIVING JUST GETS BETTER!
Bob Thorpe and Ken Bosko of the Traverse City, Michigan area have completed cave dives at Cenote SIETE BOCAS (Seven Mouths), Sistema TUHS XUBAXA AKTUN (the Playground Cave) and Sistema DOS PISOS (Two Floors) along with discovering a new, beautiful, virgin cenote. This is the continuation of their cave diving trip with me as the coordinator as written for my blogger on my web site – www.steve-gerrard.com
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29th.
SISTEMA MUNDO ESCONDIDO – The Hidden World. In my book …THE CENOTES of the RIVIERA MAYA … I stated that I considered this cave system the prettiest or one of the best cave dives. However, after Saturday’s dive Sistema DOS PISOS, that is no longer true. I promised Bob & Ken we would make a dive in this cave system to compare since they had not dived in this one before. The last time I was diving this cave was in 1999 while doing a photo shoot.
We drove into the Ejido Jacinto Pat entrance, paid our fees and made our way through the back road past Cenote Dos Ojos. Parking my truck, we had brought our pulley system and rope that we used at THE PIT. The wooden tripod was still in place and functional and the aluminium ladder installed by Buddy Quattlebaum of HIDDEN WORLDS was still in the shaft. We assembled our cave diving equipment and Ken volunteered to be the catcher at the bottom of the ladder that fits into the pool of water. Ken and I lower all three sets of our cave diving gear with me taking photos of the process. After everything was in the water, both Ken and I climb down and we help each other don the cave diving rigs onto our bodies. After a careful review of our dive plan, our gas management, bubble/valve check and ¨S¨ drill review; we descended to the upstream guideline and began our dive. Immediately, I could sense the reactions of Ken and Bob as they swam along witnessing the incredible beauty. We swam 53 minutes upstream until we reached a major restriction that blocked our further pursuit. There is a small cenote beyond this restriction but it requires side-mount rigging to gain access. On our return swim we checked out a few offshoot lines and then we were back to the exit. However, we had plenty of gas so we decided to swim downstream about 800 feet/243 meters. Our total dive time was over two hours. Bob volunteered to be the rigger and stay in the pool water while Ken and I climbed out, quickly got dressed and pulled the three cave diving rigs back to the surface out of the shaft hole. Bob and Ken were amazed with the cave system but we all agreed Sistema DOS PISOS was better! We spent the rest of the day out on the EJP property scouting out our planned dives later into the week at Cenote I-HOP, which is part of the Sistema NOHOCH NAH CHICH.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30th, 2006
This day’s planned dive was at Sistema D´ZONOT TOOK (Burnt Cenote) entering at a cenote located directly beneath the power lines at Tower # 17 gaining access from a small obscured dirt road about four power poles south the DREAMS RESORT entrance on Highway 307. This is the same place to gain access to Cenote NOHOCH KIIN (Big Sun) that we dived a few times two years earlier. A year ago, Cenote NOHOCH KIIN was connected into the giant Sistema SAC AKTUN (White Cave) cave system. We had one obstacle to take care from an earlier scouting visit I made a month earlier. We unfortunately had to eliminate a giant wasp nest that blocked our access to the D´ZONOT TOOK. We stopped in Tulum and got a big can of bug spray at the San Francisco grocery store. Parked on the power line road, we used our machetes to clear a new path and make our entry to a clear pool of water easy and safe. So it is clearly understood, with this particular cave system I had no idea in what to expect concerning conditions, size or depth and Bob and Ken were aware of it as I do not bull shit people. While climbing down a very steep incline to the water, Ken slipped and fell and, luckily he suffered no injury or damage to his gear. However, Ken did earn the title of Mr. Klutz bestowed equally by Bob and me.
Ken found the guideline located on the far side of the pool of water while Bob and I safely entered the water. After all of our pre-dive procedures we began following the guideline. It did not take long to figure out that this cave was not a good place with a three person team as every passage we began to swim down offered nothing but massive amounts of percolation. I was first swimming into each passage we found but as I looked behind me I could see my bubbles and Ken´s bubbles knocking down the white powdery substance from the ceiling. There was no doubt with Bob being third in the train he was seeing nothing. I made the decision to call the dive and get out of the cave as my exit was a zero visibility snow storm. Too bad, as from where I viewed things the cave looked decent but it was too dangerous for three of us. I will return at a later time to continue learning more of this cave system using side mount.
After the dive stopped, we stopped at Cenote NOHOCH KIIN to take a GPS reading. Because we still had time in the afternoon, I suggested we try to dive Cenote NAVAL that has an easy access road built to it as the landowner – Don Portilla – who has developed the cenote into a recreational area with zip line, canoes, a fake cavern traverse dive and other outdoor activities. However, I needed to get written permission from him to make the dive. Unfortunately, we missed him by ten minutes at his office in Tulum so that goal to dive Cenote NAVAL will wait until another day.
With two hours of daylight available I suggested we visit Sergio Granucci and Pep Linnares at the LABNA HA Magico Park as I had a few questions to ask and we wanted to say hello. However, on the drive out, worked was being performed laying new sascab (crushed limestone) on the roadway and our access to drive out to LABNA HA was blocked. Well, you know me, never any problems, only solutions. Therefore, we took this roadway south from the Nohoch road over to Don Cupertino´s land to show Ken and Bob Cenote Natural Bridge that is part of Sistema NOHOCH NAH CHICH. I love cave diving from this cenote!¼br /> A year ago we took photos of the huge collapse that destroyed Cenote BALAM KANCHEE from the quarry being dug on this land. It is a travesty in life to see part of a great cave system erased from existence. As we negotiated the expanded quarry (wow, a lot of limestone has been removed folks) we discover that Don Cupertino had dug artificial holes into the low lying swamp areas of the jungle that I figure lays on top of the great Sistema NOHOCH NAH CHICH to create snorkel and swimming sites. With three artificial holes he has built nice stone walkways, wooden platforms and stone steps leading into the water. However, there is not enough flow of water to keep the water fresh and clear thus everything is stagnated with smelly, pungent algae. The three of us were really pissed off. There are now stone steps constructed into the Cenote FORTRESS of SOLITUDE and Cenote BURT´S CRACK HOUSE (Burt Jones).¼br />
While viewing this horror we started talking about this silly, ridiculous thread posted on THE DECO STOP by a guy named AL WELLS of West Chester, Pennsylvania quibbling and bitching about how a non-directional marker (cookie) was placed at a six foot jump by two other teams of three cave divers each in the massive Sac Aktun Cave System entering at Cenote Calimba. In addition, he was attacking the guide person as if the person was a criminal (I always thought certified, qualified cave diving adults were allowed to think and perform on their own as responsible adults without being crucified). What is really sad is other individuals jumping on the bandwagon as if they are experts too. It is pathetic. I truly believe there is a much deeper problem within the soul of this person with whatever the issues he has with cave diving. He is from the same state as the victims and survivors of an accident that took place on December 7th, 2005. Anyway, the point is how low cave divers are becoming with nit picking on bullshit when much larger issues such as the destruction of Sistema NOHOCH NAH CHICH had taken place. Where are the values of common sense and priorities of protecting caves and the safety of the cave system in general? Have cave divers reached the bottom level of the septic tank or are we dealing with bored computer key board geeks sitting in their cubicle office spaces at work fantasizing of what they dream they cannot do?
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31st – HALLOWEEN. I had to take care of some business in Playa Del Carmen Tuesday morning such as acquiring more cash, pay a telephone bill and pick up a few items at Sam´s Club. Because that took a few hours of the day, I suggested to Bob and Ken this would be the best day to explore the beautiful cenote we had found the previous week located about 10 kilometers west of Highway 307 past Sistema MINOTAURO. We stopped at my bodega to pick Ken & Bob´s equipment, however I elected not to dive as I planned to hike further west on the obscured trail road in my pursuit to find Cenote HERRADURA first explored by Sergio Granucci. We gathered my exploration reels packed with #18 braided, knotted guideline and survey compasses and we made the slow drive out to this cenote. We parked my truck and I strapped on my machete and with three dogs (Joe T Cocker, Chaquita and Chaparo) and I began my hike. Meanwhile, Bob and Ken carried their gear to the cenote to begin their official exploration of a virgin cenote. I hiked in 2 ½ hours further into the jungle discovering a swamp but no cenote finally quitting because I had only 90 more minutes of daylight available. The only thing I earned was two very sore and tired pair of legs and three exhausted doggies.
Bob and Ken´s dive was a huge success! They installed 1000 feet/300 meters of line in a huge passage where the floor was at 52 feet/16 meters and the ceiling was at 25 feet/7.5 meters. Fantastic! A 25 foot/8 meter distance from floor to ceiling is outstanding. They said the width was twice as wide if not three times wider in one section. They finally hit a breakdown area that stopped their continuation of exploration. However, while surveying out that saw two potential leads for further exploration. They were very happy cave divers and they named the Cenote EL SAGITARIO, which is the name of the ranch property. A very successful day in my opinion! One note to make: Captain Ken Klutz proved again his awesome athletic ability by slipping and falling again. This time, however he cut his muscular right arm with a nasty gash bleeding like a pig. However, he is a warrior and it was nothing to him except another scar for his girlfriend Jenny to admire. Go Ken!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1st
This day our plan was to dive SISTEMA JOOLIS and SISTEMA KÓOX BAAL located 12 kilometers west of Chemuyil. We knew this would be a long day and we got an early start compared to other days. We arrived at the property for Sistema JOOLIS. His cave system was first explored by Robbie Schmittner and further explored by the Czech Speleological Survey team during 2004. It has 11,930 feet/3635 meters of explored and surveyed passages with five cenotes connected into it. You can buy a T-Shirt at Robbie Schmittner´s Xilbalba Dive Center with the map of it on the back. I previously dived this cave system in April, 2006 and wanted to learn more about it. We entered at Cenote CHU MUC CHO, which is the closest entry from where one can park your vehicle. This is a five minute hike of carrying your gear. Most of the passages are large in size and stained by tannic water. We surfaced at Cenote TATICH and Cenote JOOLIS. We only scratched the surface of where much of cave system lies. We enjoyed our dive but our hearts were not set on fire compared to our previous dives.
For a break and to allow some surface interval I suggested to Bob and Ken that we will look for CENOTE ZEBRA as it appeared that someone was constructing a roadway to this cenote as a big bulldozer was parked and 400 meters of jungle had been cleared located about 1/2 kilometre down the road from where we were parked.. In our search, we found another giant cenote that the property owner has some plans for, exactly what we do not know as we saw nothing that would be considered appealing for snorkelling. However, it was interesting to see what people were doing with the cenotes way out there in the jungle. In addition, we found Cenote ZEBRA, took photos and GPS readings as the CSS was exploring this cave system too with 6027 feet/1837 meters of line in it including two connote openings. For me, it was a huge success in finding these cenote sites!
We returned to my truck realizing we would be diving into the darkness of the night. Luckily, Bob and Ken were all for cave diving Sistema KÓOX BAAL (Wild Thing). This cenote requires another five minute hump with the equipment and our wetsuits got covered with the little gifts of seed plants that will take hours to remove. I had dived this cave fours weeks earlier with Dennis Weeks of Paalmu and really enjoyed it as it offers some really impressive areas of decorations in two sections of the main line. This cave was first explored by Robbie Schmittner with Dr. Harry Hicks, Andris ¨Sharky¨ Labarthe, Rogelio Mier and Bil Philips contributing to its exploration. It has 12,592 feet/3838 meters of line it with seven cenotes attached to it. Bob & Ken really enjoyed our dive as we got past a ¨T¨ intersection about 2000 feet/606 meters+ and surfaced in an air dome that is too small for humans to reach the outside. Twelve minutes into the dive on the main line you must negotiate a minor restriction that requires one to juke and jive with it.
After our dive, we fought a rain storm that required dressing into our street clothes a challenge. We all had one thought in our minds – LEO´S PIZZA – located in the village of Chemuyil for the Leo´s Pizza Extra Grande and nice, cold brewskies. There is nothing better than great pizza, cold refreshments after an outstanding day of cave diving!
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2006
This day we slept in late to regenerate our human batteries. The plan was to look at Cenote PET CEMETARY and Cenote I-HOP as they are part of outer reaches of the SISTEMA NOHOCH NAH CHICH. The EJP (actually three brothers who own Cenote YAX CHEN and Cenote DREAMLAND) have laid sascab on these roadways cleared by the ejido. Their goal is create another snorkel site for tourists at Cenote PET CEMETARY. Thus, making access to the Cenote THE PIT and Cenote I-HOP has become much easier though it still requires 125 meter hikes carrying gear to the water. We ran into Alex Alverez who was diving with Nick Toussaint, Martin McClellan, Beto and Gary who were filming a video of a DPV dive to THE PIT. We had a great chat with Alex! We then spent three hours hiking all the roadways answering questions plus losing the dogs for an hour because they chased an animal deep into the jungle. It was decided to place all of our gear at Cenote I-HOP (which we were not quite sure what it was) and make an early start on Friday morning. With our mission accomplished and we returned to PUERTO AVENTURAS for great Mexican food and refreshments.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2006
We got up early in the morning looking forward to make this first dive knowing all we had to do is place our wet suits on and walk to the water. What a refreshing change of pace. We arrived at 8:30 a.m. at the location to park my truck. Judging from the 1994 Eric Hutcheson cartography map of Sistema NOHOCH NAH CHICH, we were confident but not 100% sure we were entering at Cenote I-HOP. The previous day, Bob volunteered to take a stage bottle attached to his back plate harness and scout the guideline that started outside of the water underneath this dry cave ledge. He found several of the Mike Madden – Cedam Dive Center white arrows (Mike now lives in Santa Cruz, California married to Laura with twin baby boys) confirming it was the NOHOCH cave system. As you enter the cave you walk in three feet of water, then you must climb up onto 8 inches of water before walking back down into deeper water. We figured this is how the name I-HOP had evolved. Eight years ago I dived a cenote that I thought was Cenote PET CEMETARY that was accessible only by a trail with sherpas from THE PIT, but damn if I could recognize anything this week.
We had a simple plan! Find the way to the spectacular BLUE ABYSS by swimming and not using DPV´s 9500 feet/2879 meters from Cenote NOHOCH NAH CHICH. From the map, we figured a 40 minute swim at the most. The trick was figuring out the puzzle. After completing our pre-dive inspections, review of air management and safety skills, we began our dive. Wow! We immediately encounter huge passage with massive columns and decorations. Swimming 10 minutes into the cenote we find a permanent intersection with a slate stating the I-HOP exit. Our hunch was correct! I decide to take a right though Bob was trying to tell me the compass was beginning to point northwest. What was giving me the confidence that I was swimming the correct way was the several Halcyon – Nick Toussaint white arrows placed in several locations. I figured the BLUE ABYSS was his target. Wrong. We were deep into the DARK SIDE OF THE MOON area of the NOHOCH cave system. The best damn mistake I ever made as this area was outstanding gorgeous. This was incredible, beautiful and a cave divers wet dream. Wow, stunning and magnificent. There was a problem as there were directional arrows pointing in opposite directions in a few places making things confusing. Though we were 300 psi from turning the dive on air, I write on my notebook lets go back to the Cenote I-HOP slate and swim the opposite direction and surface at this air dome and talk. That we did. In the air dome, we compared notes with Bob making it clear that we were swimming northwest and not south as previously planned. I apologized for my stubbornness. We had enough air to swim downstream as we were looking for a restriction called the KING PONG RESTRICTION. We figured with a name like this, this must be a doozy of a restriction. Guess what? We found it and it was as tight a restriction I have ever negotiated with double tanks. You must treat it like a puzzle as if fitting a square peg into a square peg hole, you know, as if a psychological test. I went through first with several attempts trying to find the correct key to the door. This is a dangerous type of restriction because there is no flexibility such as a soft sediment floor or crumbly ceiling. This was very hard rock (calcium carbonate). You can get yourself wedged so that there is no way to back up or move forward. Finally, I got through and immediately turned around to help guide Ken and Bob through the easiest way without getting stuck. We continued swimming thinking we were on the guideline that takes you straight to the BLUE ABYSS according to Eric Hutcheson´s map. As it turned out, we were on the X-line originally explored by Bill Carlson & Tony DeRosa back in 1990. We reached the intersection that begins the Pablo Diaz line that was explored and surveyed by Pablo Diaz and me in 1992. Now I knew where I was but we were the very long way from the BLUE ABYSS (1800 feet/545 meters). We called the dive and swam back to Cenote I-HOP with a brief stop at Cenote PET CEMETARY to confirm that line. Damn, this was really FUN figuring out this puzzle. Eleven minutes downstream from the KING PONG Restriction, we found an offshoot line that I figured must be the line to the BLUE ABYSS and I marked it accordingly. As I swam back to Cenote I-HOP there was no doubt in my mind that there were some obvious discrepancies with the guidelines we were finding and Eric´s map. I am not complaining because his beautiful cartography map of this cave system this big is an incredible feat indeed.
We had brought with us for today a second set of double 80´s and a second stage bottle. I was determined to find the highway to the BLUE ABYSS so that Bob and Ken could experience THE PIT and THE BLUE ABYSS on one trip. It took us two hours to hump our empty bottles back to the truck and take our fresh tanks back to the Cenote I-HOP. Luckily, it was a very rainy day and not hot but is still sucked!
We were now prepared for our second dive with the first dive being over three hours underwater. Our plan was to take our stage bottles as far as possible and hopefully make it to the last 330 feet/100 meters without using the double 80´s.
We reached the KING PONG Restriction and I removed my stage bottle and negotiated the tight hole. Now on the other side, Bob passed all three bottles to me and Bob and Ken easily followed through the restriction like pros. With stage bottles back on, we swam to the jump for the line I thought would take us to the glory land. We swam and swam, finally it was time to drop and park our stage bottles. Damn it, where were we? I was beginning to worry we would not be able to get to the BLUE ABYSS. Swimming another 150 feet/45 meters the line ended two feet short of a perpendicular line. Luckily, I knew exactly where we were. We were about 500 feet/152 meters short from the final jump to the BLUE ABYSS. Turning right, we swam steadily to our goal and made it to the jump with 2700 psi/180 bars in our cylinders. I pumped my fist high above me to give Bob and Ken the confidence that the BLUE ABYSS was very near. I was excited and no doubt Ken and Bob were too! We reached the incredible room at the 65 minute mark and popped out over the lip of the drop off at the 40 foot/12 meter depth. We began our descent down into the warm, crystal clear blue saltwater as the saltwater begins at 75 feet23 meter depth. I could hear both Bob and Ken screaming into their second stages in pure joy as we floated downward like sky divers. Our plan was simple, bounce down and slowly spiral back up.
During our return swim, I was mystified about the location of the shortest line to the BLUE ABYSS possible after the KING PONG restriction or was it before it? I saw NO CLUES anywhere that this cave had a short cut before the KING PONG restriction. After picking up our stage bottles and swimming upstream we reached the X-LINE and turned left. We swam for about five minutes when I spotted a blue directional arrow with the name STANTON on it. I had noticed this arrow in our previous dive but saw no indications of an offshoot guideline. Suddenly, the light bulb in my two cell brain went off like an explosion. That was the CLUE. I immediately stopped and swam back to the arrow. Sure enough, after a more careful inspection, twelve feet below the X-LINE was the sweetest thing I could ask for. It was the true guideline that takes you directly to the BLUE ABYSS guideline. I quickly marked it, triumphantly happy that I figured out the last piece of the puzzle. There is no doubt in my mind that you can take one stage bottle from the Cenote I-HOP and swim the entire distance on a stage bottle and have a FULL LOAD (Tri-Mix) in your double tanks to dive the BLUE ABYSS at your leisure, safely and with confidence. I calculate you can do it in 35 minutes easily and I will confirm it later this week with DENNIS WEEKS.
We returned to the Cenote I-HOP safely, happy and totally satisfied with our complete day of success! Bob and Ken were adamant that the BLUE ABYSS was an amazing dive! Yes, THE PIT is more spectacular. However, they agreed that the magic of the BLUE ABYSS was very special. A must dive for any cave diver!
We had a rain storm pouring cats & dogs. I strongly suggested leaving all our gear in the Cenote I-HOP and we will retrieve it the next day. Why? First, it was night and no way was I humping gear on a rough path in the darkness. I am no fool. I was totally exhausted after six hours underwater for our wonderful day. There was no more diving in me tomorrow or for the next seven days. I was done, finito, finished. We hiked out of Cenote I-HOP, dressed ourselves within the barrage of rain and headed straight for LEO´s PIZZA as we were famished of hunger and for refreshments. This is why I cave dive. It is the camaraderie, the reward of the unknown, and seeing the true appreciation and satisfaction of people who love what I truly love to do. CAVE DIVING IN THE INCREDIBLE RIVIERA MAYA! Two weeks of superb diving with Bob and Ken left me completely satisfied and fulfilled. They rewarded me with respect, honor and a great financial tip. On Sunday, I sadly drove them to the Cancun International Airport for their return trip back to Michigan.
So you know, I told them on their next visit I can easily BEAT what we did this trip. Why? Hell, we only did half of what I had planned.