MEXPELEO 2002 - ACAHUIZOTLA, GUERRERO

View of the town of Acahuizotla. The entrance to the Resumidero de Acahuizotla is behind the notch in the ridge just above the town. The resurgence exit is in the canyon to the right.

The Sociedad Mexicana de Exploraciones Subterraneas and the Association for Mexican Cave Studies are organizing Mexpeleo 2002, the fourth in a series of caving meets that began in 1989. It will take place from 26 to 30 December 2002, at the historic hacienda Posada de la Paz, located near the town of Acahuizotla, about an hour’s drive from Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, and two hours from Acapulco. Mexpeleo is an informal international meeting of cavers interested in the caves of Mexico. There will be organized trips to the most spectacular caves in the area, mapping and exploration projects, and in the evenings there will be slide presentations on caving projects in Mexico. There will also be seminars and open forums on technical and scientific topics. 

Registration. There will be a registration fee of $50 U.S., paid upon arrival, to cover the site-rental expenses, group equipment at Sumidero de Acahuizotla, and the final banquet. Mexpeleo is non-profit, any surplus funds will go towards the beer supply on the final night.  Maps and a guide to area caves are included with registration.

Facilities. Posada de la Paz has ample space for shady camping, and parking space for campers and trucks. There are bathrooms, hot showers, and a swimming pool. A covered veranda will serve as an the auditorium for the evening presentations. Everyone is responsible for their own food (except for the banquet on the 30th) and general activities. The nearby town of Acahuizotla has several small shops, but there are no restaurants. In the city of Chilpancingo, one hour’s drive away, you’ll find all kinds of services, stores, restaurants, and hotels. 

Caving. The premier cave in the area is the Sumidero de Acahuizotla, a 3-kilometer-long, 250-meter-deep active through-trip that involves seven rigged pitches (the longest is 20 meters) and many pools in which you need to swim (wetsuit and flotation recommended), before coming out at a gorgeous resurgence in the bottom of an impressive canyon. It is one of the most spectacular and sporting through-trips in Mexico. There will be daily organized trips, and the cave will be permanently rigged for independent trips. There will be organized trips to other spectacular through-caves nearby, including Cueva de la Mano, almost 3 kilometers long and over 200 meters deep. Puente de Dios de Chichihualco is an easy 500m long through-trip, with an entrance 100m high and 40m wide, while the exit is 30m high and 50m wide, and the passage in between is enormous. A few hours’ drive away are other great caves like Resumidero del Garbanzal, currently being explored, Borrego and Xocomanetlán, both with going leads, and Grutas de Juxtlahuaca, with gorgeous formations and archeological remains. 

Evening Presentations. In the evenings there will be slide presentations on aspects of Mexican speleology, with emphasis on current caving projects. Any person interested in doing an oral presentation should plan on 20 to 30 minutes duration and ask for it to be scheduled at registration. Kodak slide projectors and empty trays will be provided, and a computer projector will be available. Scheduled talks include:

Acahuizotla Area - Ramon Espinasa

Sistema Huautla - Bill Steele

Canon el Infierno - Gustavo Vela

Caves of Jalisco - Chris Lloyd

Sistema Tepepa - Marc Tremblay or Ramon Espinasa

Cerro Rabon - Ernie Garza

Sierra Negra - Ricardo Arias

Xaltegoxtli, Puebla - Chris Lloyd

Sistema Purificacion - Bev Shade

Proyecto Iztaxochitla - Javier Vargas

Oztotl Flying Club - Peter Sprouse

 Open forum discussions and other activities. Depending on interest, discussion forums may be organized, covering science (biology, geology, speleogenesis, archeology) and technical aspects (single rope technique, rebelays and deviations, rigging, surveying and self-rescue). On the last afternoon, rope and ladder-climbing and tacklebag-stuffing competitions will be held. On the evening of Monday, December 30, there will be a final banquet followed by a “Best of Mexico” slide show.  

Directions to Posada de la Paz. Posada de la Paz is located about 20 km south of Chilpancingo following the old free highway. After the town of Palo Blanco you will pass under the new Carretera del Sol tollway. Turn left (east) 100 meters past this point toward the town of Acahuizotla. Follow this poorly paved road into and continue through town. The road turns to mainly dirt (it used to be paved but not much is left now) and one continues for about 3 km past town to the obvious gate on the left side that is the entrance to the Posada de la Paz.  There is a long driveway into the villa before you actually see the house up on a hill.

Going by bus from Mexico City is also easy. You need to go to the southern bus terminal and get a direct bus to Chilpancingo. It costs about 160 pesos and takes about 4 hours. From the bus station in Chilpancingo you walk out the door and go to the right, down to the next street, then left down hill to a main street. Left again to the next corner and there is a compound where the combi vans park that are the local bus service to the south. Tell them you want to go to Posada de la Paz near Acahuizotla. It should also be close to fly into Acapulco and then bus up from there to Chilpancingo.

 For more Mexpeleo information, visit the SMES Mexpeleo page, or contact Peter Sprouse (AMCS). You can also check out a tentative Mexpeleo schedule. For publications on Mexican caving, visit the AMCS site.