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BASE Jumping Expedition to Sotano de las Golondrinas In March of 2000, I joined an expedition of 10 BASE jumpers to travel deep into the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range in east central Mexico. The goal of our team: to safely parachute into the deepest vertical cave in the world, Sotano de las Golondrinas (Cave of the Swallows). The cave was so named by the Huastecan Indians for the thousands of swallows that make this sheer 1,400-foot cave their home. The expedition consisted of two team leaders, Mark Lichtle of Aerial Extreme and Randy Pacheco, two support and safety crew, David Schlosser (squirrel) and Dave Major (Clem), and five experienced BASE jumpers eager to explore the possibilities of safely parachuting into this magnificent cave. After the team assembled in California for a day of training and equipment assignments, it was off to the airport and a long flight to the coastal town of Tampico. Once the baggage and equipment were accounted for and vehicles loaded, we headed out to the small mountain village of Aquismon. The team would use Aquismon as a base for the coming week. Our third world accommodations were located in a picturesque Mexican square, complete with authentic Mexican food, shops and atmosphere. After a night's rest, we would begin the first of what was to become a daily drive towards the cave. A narrow dirt road led the way as it wound through the jungle up the mountain, across a few valleys and ended at the trailhead where the hike in began. A few of the local Huastecan Indians were eager to assist us in transporting the half ton of gear to our selected rigging point adjacent to the surface entrance of the cave. Arrangements were made through our interpreter to meet with the mountain committee to ensure respect for the local environment, the native people and the birds dwelling within the cave. With all in order and mutual trust and respect established, we were allowed to proceed with our expedition. Crawling to the edge like an alligator to peer into this huge chasm provided a flood of emotions ranging from anxiety to an unexplainable calmness with a high degree of anticipation. Observing the thousands of swallows and brilliant green parrots flying around in the cave was an awesome sight. Circling higher and higher they would gain altitude with each rotation. Once at the top with only enough room to clear the rim, they would make a dash for the jungle where they would spend the day feeding. At dusk they would return in a just as dramatic procession. After circling overhead en mass, the birds would barrel roll and make the steep dive to the safety of the cave while demonstrating great speed and agility. We were envious of them, but knew our chance to play would come soon. Immediately the team began the tremendous task of assembling all the equipment in preparation for the intense 1,200-foot rappel and extraction. It was a requirement of the team leaders that before jumping, each participant had to rappel down into the cave in order to become familiar with the rugged and dimly lit terrain of the cave's environment. This was designed for safety for once under canopy there wouldn't be time to second guess what to do or where to land. At first glance I was struck with the horror and disbelief that one could actually parachute and land safely in this rugged environment. From the top, the walls appear to drop straight down, and with an opening of only 160 feet, this would surely not be enough room to open and fly a parachute. Only after making the gripping 1,200-foot rappel does the actual size and magnitude of the cave actually start to reveal itself. The deeper you go, the further the walls are. By 700 feet (opening altitude) the walls had moved out some 200 feet making it possible to fly a parachute in a circular pattern without striking the walls. Once at the bottom it was as if I had landed on another planet. The cave floor was immense, spreading out 300-400 feet in every direction. Nothing could have prepared me for the sensations I felt in this place. The cave floor consisted of steep treacherous rock skree with car size boulders as well as 1,000 year old piles of bird guano thirty feet high. Everything was covered in a thin layer of moss giving the entire cave an eerie green hue. The vast rock walls stretched 1,400 feet to the surface where a small ray of sunlight penetrated the near circular cave opening. Everywhere you looked said 'danger, don't land here'. Yet among this rugged environment a small, tennis court sized landing area appeared and thoughts of performing a BASE jump and surviving now started to seem possible. By BASE standards, the landing area itself was not unreasonable in size, 35'x 90'. Most jumpers would be able to land without much trouble. The danger was more complex than that. Should a jumper not make the landing area for whatever reason, they would be forced to land among jagged rocks that are sure to cause serious injury. In a normal environment a broken leg is a simple ride to the hospital, but in the cave you are faced with many challenges. Containing the injured party, securing him to the rope for a 1,400-foot extraction, lifting him over a sheer ledge, hiking him through the rugged terrain of the jungle, and loading him into a vehicle for a one hour ride down a bumpy mountain road before arriving at a third world hospital for treatment. Such delays and difficult transport could prove life threatening. Once familiar with the cave and land landing area we began the process of extraction. With a goal of making multiple jumps over a short period of time, a motorized winch system was incorporated, extracting two team members at a time. Due to the caves unique overhung design, something like that of an upside down snow cone, we were able to pull two jumpers out in about 10 minutes. Physically climbing the rope would have taken about two hours per person. Dangling precariously from the half-inch rope in the center of this ominous cave gave me the chance to study the environment from a position relative to being under canopy. From only a few hundred feet up, the steep rocky terrain gave way to an impression of flat and level. However with the landing area outlined in yellow tape there was no doubt where we had to land. As the last team member was safely hauled back to the surface, everyone was hit with the realization that it was time to jump! Nervously parachutes were strapped on and safety checks were performed. BASE jumping, an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth generally uses only one parachute. There is no back up or reserve chute so meticulous care is taken when preparing for such a jump. After verifying that the birds had left the cave and were no longer a hazard, the go ahead to jump was given. Mark Lichtle of Aerial Extreme was already in position at the bottom to capture all the action on film as the first team member neared the edge. Cautiously, I positioned my feet close to the edge. The tension was high as I peered into the darkened abyss. A countdown ensued, 3-2-1 and I was off, accelerating to over 100 miles per hour in only six seconds. Nervously the team watched as I plunged ever deeper into the cave. Half way to the bottom and still accelerating, I reached back and deployed my parachute. With great relief, it's a perfect opening, but I'm still not down. Carefully steering my canopy, I set up to land, always aware of how close the walls really are. After a final turn of the parachute, I entered the landing area and landed safely. It's at this point that the rest of the group realizes how big the cave really is. Watching me flying around put things into perspective: this place is big. With a whoop of elation and excitement, my yells echo from the cave walls and a degree of relaxation emerges. After clearing the landing area, the next jumper is on deck and ready to go. Another safe exit, opening and landing and the pace quickens. After four jumpers have safely landed at the bottom and have repacked their parachutes, the extraction process is repeated. Ovegrew, as did the style of jumps ranging from a quadruple back flip to multiple jumpers at once. Assorted exit points were also explored with each location providing very unique visuals of the cave's features and lighting conditions. After four days and 32 successful jumps into the cave, it was time to celebrate! A BBQ dinner on the mountain with the local natives was a perfect way to end this amazing expedition. All the village children showed up and sang songs as the senior committee members expressed their gratitude for our respect of their environment and traditions. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this expedition and to have been able to jump the cave. The people, the place and the visuals of performing a subterranean BASE-jump was a tremendous life experience. Experiencing flight within the Earth will never be matched. I want to thank the Haustecan Indians and my team members for allowing me to share in this wild adventure. Jeff LaViolette |
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