Cave 1 Mexico

[Clare Gledhill]

Al, Frase and I just came back from doing Cave 1 in Mexico with Chris le Malliot of Zero Gravity.

There have been enough course write ups on here, and whilst I've put my course diary on my blog I won't waste bandwidth with it here. Our course was fun, we learned a lot and laughed a lot too. Chris proved to be an excellent mentor who helped us come to love the caves as much as he does.



He put in 14 hour days, nicking our kit, setting up scenarios which would test us and demonstrate how unforgiving the environment can be. We drilled in open water, exited the cave in numerous ways over the five day course, blind, out of gas, without lights, lost line etc. and frankly had great time. Our 13th cave dive was when all of those failures would hit at once....for those who are superstitious... but it proved lucky for us as Chris surfaced and invited us to go back for a graduation dive. His parting shot...."congratulations - now don't fuck up"



I figure that having peed in a bush, jumped in to various pools without fins, scrambled in twinsets up racks of rickety stairs and ladders, grounded the car on a track, disturbed a thousand butterflies on the road, seen more haloclines than you would believe - imagine descending on a dive but becoming more buoyant as you hit salt water or ascending but having to add air to your wing - watched an alligator sun itself from the water, lain on my back watching bats go to their nests in the cavern roof, seen wild orchids growing in the jungle, watched terrapins feeding in the head pools and lizards crossing the tracks we had to negotiate to get to cenotes, I've marvelled at caves more ornate than the finest cathedral - I feel like a cave diver. But one who has taken only a first, faltering step into a new, exciting but incredibly challenging world which I must respect and take my time to get to know.



Dive a cave? What on earth for?

Let me try to explain....

We had planned for some guided diving after the course finished (with fingers crossed that we passed of course) - but we had not planned on our guide being Chris! He was free and wanted to take the piss out of Fraser some more so would come with us for the next two days and show us some of his favourite caves.



Site 1 was Aktun Ho - the Puma Cave. We jumped in amongst snorkelers and holiday makers who were somewhat surprised to see people in drysuits and doubles.

First dive was upstream in to a very pretty cavern and cave - with huge rooms with tunnels you could have driven a car through. Thousands of pencil thin stalactites like straws came down from the roof, it was awe inspiring - no architect has managed anything so beautiful or ornate as this natural wonder. Seeing it is a privilege open to only a few and I'm still pinching myself that I'm lucky enough to be one of them.

Second dive we went downstream to Little Brother. Here the tunnel twisted up and down dramatically, narrowed down so that the flow was noticeable for the first time this week. Thicker columns punctuated the cave so frequently in parts that it appeared like a cage. Truly magical, flying above the halocline through dark passages, seeing the formations which have built up over thousands of years yet have not been seen by humans until recently with the availability of scuba.

We negotiated a T in the mainline, each dropping a cookie to mark the exit. A second T was beyond our certification so we would have to turn the dive at this point, but as it was Al had problems with his ears so we thumbed it.

We set up kit on a second set of tanks and set off for another site - Chac Mool.

Diving in Chac Mool is all about Haloclines where sea water and fresh water combine but form separate layers due to their relative densities. Here there are actually two, about 2.5 meters apart vertically. We swam along between the two separate levels, like swimming in a river - ripples below and above.

Chris pointed out a blind cave fish, white, sightless and seemingly alone. This dive was long and made me miss my scooter! Swimming through huge rooms, returning against the flow I was exhausted, but privileged to be there.



Our last day was to be something special. Nohoch na Chich -[color=#00000a] which translates as the Giant Bird House. It was a mega trek to the site in 40 degree heat with a twinset on your back clambering over rocks in 40 degree heat. My set weighed more than usual as I was diving Chris's Pro 6 torch as mine had packed up.

Our first dive would be on Parker's line (laid by Parker Turner, founder of the WKPP) we would then, after about 1000 feet turn left at a T on to Charlie's line until we hit turn pressure.

This cave has to be seen to be believed - words fail me as to how to describe it but imagine my wonder at thousand upon thousand of the most delicate speliothems, white formations and huge rooms that go way beyond the reach of our lights. Tables like high altars, huge columns formed over hundreds of thousands of years when the caves were dry long before the Mayan civilisation which celebrated the water within the cenotes as giving of life.



This dive lasts 56 minutes and some tetras which had followed us in to the cave stuck with us throughout - Chris joked that he hoped that they did their valve drills and were carrying safety spools.

We surfaced with huge post dive grins, and Chris said "Did you like it? Aw...you'll hate the next dive then!" We recalculated thirds and dropped back down to the mainline this time. I know I have waxed lyrical about how beautiful all these caves are, but this was special in a way I will remember for the rest of my life. We came to Heavens Gate - two vast white columns, finer than anything which graces a Grecian temple, flanked by row upon row of bright white stalactites and finer columns. After the gate I truly felt I had entered heaven as we went through Dreamland, where the decorations got even more delicate and numerous. Sure made a change after rooms called 'The Wizard's Den' and 'The Temple of Doom' all week!

On and on we went, round every corner there was something new to marvel at. Eventually we came to Jaws - another aptly named formation



Finally, over 2000 feet in to the cave it was finally, sadly, time to turn. The nicest thing about cave diving though is you get to see it all again on the way out. Total run time this dive was 76 minutes.

Second site was Dos Ojos system although we accessed from Dos Palmas and went upstream toward Ojos as that site is usually very busy with snorklers. Fraser had found the two long swims we had that morning, which totalled over a mile, hard work and his knee hurt enough to say that he would sit out the dives - especially as there would be some flow this time.

I've run out of words now....the formations here were as numerous but this time were golden instead of white - minerals assist in the colouration. The upstream tunnel was tight and we were swimming against the flow which was harder than normal. Every kick in the repertoire was needed to get through without brushing against the fragile formations - they only form in dry caves so will never come back if broken by a careless kick.

Working our way upstream took it's toll on our gas so all too soon it was time to turn - the journey back took half as long, like a drift dive but with more reason to stay in control!



We didn't come up when we reached the reel but recalculated thirds underwater and agreed a 25 minute maximum swim downstream - this time with the flow so we would be working against it on our way back and had to take account of this in gas planning.

The formations here were even more weird and wonderful - vast ripples in the calcite floor where thousands of years ago wind had whistled through the passages before they became submerged. Flat formations like giant hands which had formed by deposits made on a mud or silt floor - which had then been washed away leaving the hard deposits hanging as if defying gravity.



I was saddened when we turned the last leg of this dive as it was our last in Mexico. We hit 81 minutes which I knew matched Al's longest ever dive so for a bit of fun I called an extra minute of deco to exceed it - we were only at 3 meters. I turned and found Chris, ever the explorer, taking his primary reg to pieces with the wrench he keeps in his wetnotes. Intrigued, I watched whilst he kinked the hose hard to stop the flow of air from the hose which no longer had a second stage attached as he turned the valve back on - and then he let the hose relax and I got blasted underneath with a shower of bubbles! Cool - a Jacuzzi ride to the surface - what a way to end the trip. Chris surfaced with a grin "You blew your deco, Clare....naughty girl!"

I'm leaving Mexico as I write this on the plane - but I'm leaving a piece of my heart behind here. It's underground, just a bit beyond Heaven's Gate, probably somewhere in Dreamland - but I know it will be calling me back.

Cave diving - dark holes in the ground?.... hope I've given you a small taste of what it can be....

[Mal Bridgeman]

A cracking read....Well done Clare & Team!
Mal

[copperband]

Fab read, puts my weekends exploits firmly in place. Sounds and looks magnificant, whether it's something and somewhere I'm likely to try and find myself, hmmm, jury is still out.

None the less, great reading.

Cheers,

Paul

[Adrian Kelland]

Great write up Clare.

Adrian

[resting rifleman]

outstanding report clare, back to blighty and the cold english channel for the next few dives, or puddles and pots?
mike.

[Jim Shaw]

Fantastic report, sounds like a wonderfull trip, and congrats on passing your course

[Clare Gledhill]

Originally Posted by resting rifleman

back to blighty and the cold english channel for the next few dives?

Hmmm.... sea diving - "Less bottom time - more vomiting" I think was Fraser's quote....

But given the options, I'll be heading back to the South Coast soon enough methinks.... until I can save my pennies to go back to Mexico.

[dry suit diver]

Cracking report, you still won't get me in a cave though.

I suppose the cave training will be good for wrecks though or have I got this wrong.

[And]

Well done guys. Nice report

[SoggyFox]

Top report and definitely on my ever growing tick list of places and dives 'to do'.

you make me green with envy.