A fascinating mistery to explore
There are lots of unexplored places in Guatemala. The caves are at the top of the list. This time as our journey for the end of the year 2,004, we went to a new challenge, to explore this misterious place.
Por: Explorador
After lots of research and calls we were able of getting some information about the place but the collected data had no accuracy and the stories sounded more like the result of a great imagination. Without forgetting that a lot of people living around the place had no ide of its existance.
We started to consider that the journey would be to measure the challenge and probably we wouldn't completed the rappel.
The gear
As far as we knew, we were going to be the first to reach the bottom.
We got at the edge of the hole and started doing our consideratios.
The big surprise
The Cimarron is a HUGE hole in pure rock, round and with aproximately 200 mts of diameter.
The walls and the evidence at the bottom left no doubt about the risk of falling rocks.
At the edge level, the enviroment is quite dry with vegetation. But very diferent from the forest at the bottom. There must be some kind of source of water. There is a big cave and a lagoon nearby.
How deep is it?
We had some knowledge about it and it was in our agenda. A friend of mine told me important data about it.
BUT, all this data confuses me...
According to his numbers, a falling rock took 9 seconds to reach the bottom. This will mean 396.9 meters. You can read the trip report here: (but in spanish)
http://www.viajeaguatemala.com/huehuetenango/20041214114111.htm
In our case, the same experiment gave us 5.4 seconds from the exact edge. This would mean 143 meters...
The formula is:
Distance = 4.9 X time ^2
This confuses me because if we were talking about 143 meters or even 396, we would have reached the bottom... I won't enter on the details of the remaining 96 meters. We only had 300 meters of rope.
We did a rappel on a bridge were a rock took 4 seconds to reach the bottom and we completed the rappel with one 60 meters dynamic rope.
We also completed a rappel at Bombil Peq caves were the same gave us 4.6 seconds... it was enough with two ropes, a static rope of 45 meters and a dynamic rope of 50 meters long. We even had remaining rope on the ground.
We discard the friction on the rock as a determinant factor as it was the size of a basket ball.
All this without forgetting what our eyes saw... We have visited other places and the this was deepest than anything we saw before.
Conclusion
We need more rope...We keep thinking on ways to reach the bottom and this is not a problem. We need gear.
Joining two ropes reduces the load capacity from 37% to 60% depending on the used knot. Also increases the risk of rope rupture.
We will look for ways to complete this rappel and we invite anyone to help.
If anyone is interested on helping with gear of money sponsoring this long rappel, please write at webmaster@xplorandoguatemala.com or use the forms on the site.
We reserve details about the place as we want to keep nonexperienced people trying to achieve the rappel. We found ropes (not the kind used for rappel or climbing) tied at one of the walls.
We insist that for such rappel it is needed to have the propper gear and experience. Not forgetting that the risk of dying or getting seriously hurt is involved. Also, given the properties of the place and the wind, a helicopter rescue is not probable.
We insist on our interest to complete the rappel. ANY help or SPONSORSHIP will be apreciated.
Watch a small unedited video at
http://www.xplorandoguatemala.com/cimarron.avi
Find the spanish version of this note at:
http://www.xplorandoguatemala.com/escalada_en_roca/1041123410651.htm
