Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule, amalungu e-Cuauhtémoc City Speleology Group (GEL), eChihuahua, angimema ukuba ngihlele ukwehla okuphansi odongeni olunamadwala lwempophoma yaseBasaseachi, ephakeme kakhulu ezweni lethu futhi eyaziwa njenge enye yezinto ezinhle kakhulu emhlabeni. Lolu daba lwangithakazelisa kakhulu, ngakho-ke ngaphambi kokungena ngokugcwele ekulungisweni kokwehla okushiwo, ngazinikezela ekufuneni ulwazi mayelana nale sayithi.
Isethenjwa esidala kunazo zonke engisitholile ngalezi zimpophoma ezibabazekayo kusukela ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka elidlule, futhi sivela encwadini ethi The Unknown Mexico ngumhloli wamazwe waseNorway uKarlo Lumholtz, owayivakashela phakathi nohambo lwakhe eSierra Tarahumara.
ULumholtz ubalula ukuthi "uchwepheshe wezimayini wasePinos Altos olinganise ukuphakama kwale mpophoma, wakuthola kungamamitha angu-980." Lesi silinganiso esidluliselwe kumamitha sisinikeza ukuphakama kwama-299 m. Encwadini yakhe, uLumholtz uchaza kafushane ngobuhle besiza, kanye nokwethula isithombe sempophoma eyathathwa ngo-1891. KuChihuahua Geographical and Statistical Review, eyashicilelwa ngo-1900 yiC. Bouret Widow's Library, wabela iconsi 311 m.
UFernando Jordán kwiCrónica de un País Bárbaro yakhe (1958) uyinikeza ubude obungamamitha angama-310, futhi kumbhalo wesikhumbuzo wombuso owahlelwa ngumthengisi wamabhuku "La Prensa" ngo-1992, unikezwa ubukhulu obungu-264 m. Ngithole ezinye izinkomba eziningi mayelana nempophoma futhi iningi lazo zithi impophoma yayo ilinganisa ama-310 m; abanye baze basho ukuthi ilinganiselwa ku-315 m.
Mhlawumbe enye yezincwadi enokwethenjelwa engiyitholile kwakuyiNational Parks yaseNyakatho-mpumalanga yeMexico yi-American Richard Fisher, eyanyatheliswa ngo-1987, lapho kushiwo khona ukuthi isazi sokuma komhlaba uRobert H. Schmidt walinganisa impophoma futhi wayinika ubude obungamamitha angu-806, noma amamitha angu-246. m. Le datha yokugcina ibeka iBasaseachi njengempophoma yamashumi amabili emhlabeni kanye neyesine eNyakatho Melika.
Ngibhekene nokungafani okunjalo ezilinganisweni, ngiphakamise amalungu e-GEL ukuthi sisebenzise ithuba lokwehla esikhuluma ngakho ukukala ukuphakama kwempophoma futhi ngaleyo ndlela sisuse ukungabaza ngale datha; isiphakamiso esamukelwa ngokushesha.
IQEMBU LE-CIUDAD CUAUHTÉMOC SPELEOLOGY
Isimemo salokhu kwehla sabonakala sithakazelisa kimi njengoba senziwa elinye lamaqembu amadala kakhulu futhi aqinile kakhulu e-Mexico, enganginesifiso sokwabelana nakho nokuhlola. Leli qembu laqala ngonyaka we-1978 ngaphansi komdlandla nogqozi lwabagibeli bezintaba nabahloli bamazwe abavela eCuauhtémoc, abazibekela umgomo wokuqala wokwehlela eSótano de las Golondrinas enhle, eSan Luis Potosí (inhloso ezuzwe ngempumelelo enkulu). UDkt Víctor Rodríguez Guajardo, u-Oscar Cuán, uSalvador Rodríguez, uRaúl Mayagoitia, uDaniel Benzojo, uRogelio Chávez, uRamiro Chávez, uDkt. Amandla ashukumisayo aleli qembu aqhubeke nokusebenza ekuhloleni nasohambweni lwawo, ekhuthaza futhi ekhuthaza ulwazi lobuhle bezindawo zombuso waseChihuahua. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iyiphayona kuzo zonke izifundazwe ezisenyakatho zezwe.
Ekugcineni sasuka eCuauhtémoc saya eBasaseachi ntambama ngoJulayi 8. Sasiyiqembu elikhulu, abantu abangama-25, kusukela sasihamba nezihlobo, amakhosikazi nezingane zamalungu amaningana e-GEL, ngoba lolu hambo lungahlangana kahle kakhulu nomndeni ngenxa yezindawo ezikhona eBasaseachi National Park.
UKUQALA KUQALA
Ngelesishiyagalolunye savuka ngo-7 ekuseni. ukwenza wonke amalungiselelo okwehla. Ngezintambo nemishini sithuthele emaphethelweni empophoma. Ngenxa yezimvula eziwe kakhulu ezintabeni, ithwale umthamo wamanzi owe kakhulu ngasekuqaleni komhosha iCandameña.
Sinqume ukusungula ulayini wokwehla omkhulu endaweni engamamitha ayi-100 ngenhla kwesokudla sokubukwa, futhi cishe ngamamitha angama-20 ngaphezu kwempophoma. Leli phuzu lihle kakhulu ukwehla, ngoba ngaphandle kwe-6 yokuqala noma i-7 m, ukuwa kukhululekile. Lapho safaka ikhebula elingu-350 m ubude. Lokhu sikubiza ngomzila we-GEL.
Yize umzila we-GEL muhle impela futhi unemibono emihle ngempophoma, sinqume ukusungula omunye umugqa wokwehla owawuseduze nesifufula ukuze sithole inzuzo ethe xaxa yezimpophoma. Ngalokhu, sithole inketho eyodwa kuphela eyayingamamitha ayi-10 kusukela ekuqaleni kwempophoma. Ukwehla kwale ngxenye kulungile, kuphela ukuthi kusukela phakathi ekwindla umzila wawumbozwa yijet yamanzi, ngoba iyanweba njengoba yehla.
Kulo mzila wesibili sibambelela izintambo ezimbili, eyodwa engama-80 m okuyilapho umhloli wamazwe ozosebenza njengesibonelo ehla khona, nenye engama-40 m lapho umthwebuli wezithombe ehla ngayo. Le ndlela ayiyanga ezansi kwempophoma futhi siyibiza ngokuthi "umzila wezithombe".
Owokuqala owehla kwaba uVíctor Rodríguez osemncane. Ngihlole yonke imishini yakhe futhi ngamphelezela ekuqaleni kohambo lwakhe. Ngokuthula okukhulu waqala ukwehla futhi kancane kancane wayelahleka ngobukhulu bokuwa.
Ngemuva besine-lego encane nokuqala koMfula iCandameña onqamula odongeni olubheke phezulu lomhosha wegama elifanayo. Ngemuva kukaVíctor, uPino, uJaime Armendáriz, uDaniel Benzojo noRamiro Chávez behla. Ukwehla kokukhumbula kabusha ukuwa kobukhulu obuthile obufana nalobu, sikwenza ngedivayisi elula nencane esiyibiza nge- "marimba" (ngenxa yokufana kwayo nensimbi yomculo eshiwo), esuselwe kumgomo wokungqubuzana kukhebula.
I-marimba ivumela ukuqina komshikashika ukuthi kuhluka ngendlela yokuthi umhloli wezwe akwazi ukulawula kalula ijubane lokwehla kwakhe, akwenze kwehle noma kusheshe ngendlela abefisa ngayo.
Ngaphambi kokuba uVíctor aqede ukwehla kwakhe, mina no-Oscar Cuán saqala ukwehla ngemigqa emibili esasiyibeke emzileni wezithombe. U-Oscar wayeyisibonelo futhi ngangiwumthwebuli zithombe. Bekuhlaba umxhwele ngempela ukwehla eduze komfudlana omkhulu wamanzi bese ubona ukuthi liwa kanjani ngamandla lishaye udonga olunamadwala.
IMITHETHO YEGOLIDI
Njengo-6 ntambama Siwuqedile umsebenzi walolo suku futhi salungisa i-discada ecebile nenala (ukudla kwasezweni laseChihuahuan kakhulu) njengesidlo sakusihlwa. Njengoba iningi labangane be-GEL lalihambisana namakhosikazi alo nezingane, saba nezikhathi ezimnandi zokuzijabulisa nabo.
Ngangijabule kakhulu ukubona ukuthi i-GEL ihlanganiswe kahle kanjani nokuxhaswa elikutholayo emindenini yalo. Eqinisweni, ifilosofi yakhe ifingqiwe emithethweni emithathu eyisisekelo yothando ngemvelo: 1) Okusele kuphela yizinyathelo. 2) Ukuphela kwento ebulalayo isikhathi. 3) Okuwukuphela kwento ethathiwayo izithombe.
Bangitshele ukuthi ezikhathini eziningana bafinyelele ezindaweni ezikude kakhulu eziqinile futhi uma behamba bathatha wonke udoti, bezama ukubashiya ngokufana nalokhu abakutholile, kuhlanzekile, kuphelele, ngendlela yokuthi uma elinye iqembu lingabavakashela , Bengingazizwa ngendlela efanayo nabo; ukuthi akekho owayeke waba lapho ngaphambili.
NgoJulayi 10, usuku lokugcina lokuhlala epaki, abantu abaningana babengehla ngomzila we-GEL. Ngaphambi kokuqala imigwaqo, ngithathe ikhebula elingamamitha angama-40 emzileni wezithombe ngalibeka emzileni we-GEL ukuze ngikwazi ukwenza amanye ama-descents abe ngcono futhi ngithathe nezithombe ezingcono. Owokuqala ukwehla kwakunguJosé Luis Chávez.
Kodwa-ke, ngemuva kwemizuzu embalwa ngiqale ukwehla kwakhe wangimemeza futhi ngehla ngokushesha ngekhebula le-40 m ngaya lapho ayekhona, eyayingama-5 noma ama-6 m ngaphansi kogu. Lapho ngifika kuyena ngabona ukuthi ikhebuli lalikhuhla kanzima etsheni elalivele ligqashule lonke ulwelwesi oluvikelayo futhi lase liqala ukuthinta umnyombo wentambo; isimo sasiyingozi ngokweqile.
Ngaphambi kokuthi siqale ukusebenza namuhla, bengibheke amamitha ambalwa okuqala wekhebula ukuthola ukuthi yikuphi ukungqubuzana okungenzeka, noma kunjalo, leyo ebesinayo ngaleso sikhathi ibingabonakali phezulu. UJosé Luis wayengakaze awubone lo doti waze wadlula kuwo, ngakho-ke wabeka umshwalense wokuzimela phezu kukadoti, waqala izindlela zokubuyela emuva.
Lapho sobabili sigibela futhi sinqanyuliwe ezintanjeni, saphakamisa ingxenye edlisiwe futhi saqhubeka. Ukungqubuzana kwakukhiqizwe ngendlela ecashile kodwa ebukhali engenakugwenywa, ngakho-ke sabeka isisu sokuvikela ukungqubuzana okusha entanjeni. Kamuva waqeda ukwehla kwakhe ngaphandle kwezinkinga ezinkulu.
Ngemuva nje kokuba uJosé Luis, uSusana no-Elsa behlile, womabili amadodakazi kaRogelio Chávez, onentshisekelo yokuhamba izintaba nokuhlola, futhi ubakhuthaza kakhulu. Kumele babe phakathi kweminyaka engu-17 no-18 ubudala. Yize babedlwengule phambilini, lokhu kwakungokokwehla kwabo kokuqala okubalulekile futhi babenomoya omkhulu, besekelwa kakhulu nguyise, okunguyena owayehlola yonke imishini yabo. Ngehle intambo engama-40 m nabo ukubasiza engxenyeni yokuqala nokuthatha ukulandelana kwezithombe lokwehla.
Ngemuva kuka-Elsa noSusana, kwehla uDon Ramiro Chávez, ukhokho wabo. UDon Ramiro, ngezizathu eziningi, ungumuntu ohlukile. Ngaphandle kokwesaba ukuthi uzokwenza iphutha, ngokungangabazeki wayengumuntu omncane kunabo bonke ukwehla ngempophoma, futhi hhayi ngenxa yobudala bakhe njengoba eneminyaka engama-73 ubudala (okuyinto engabonakali), kodwa ngenxa yomoya wakhe, intshiseko nokuthanda kwakhe impilo.
Lapho uDon Ramiro ehla, kwaba yithuba lami. Ngenkathi ngehla, nge-clisimeter ngabeka izinga lentambo endaweni eqonde ngqo lapho kuqala khona impophoma futhi ngashiya uphawu ukuze ngikwazi ukukala ngokunembile ubukhulu bempophoma. Ngangiqhubeka ngehla futhi sonke isikhathi enganginaso phambi kwami umbono wokuwa, umbono omuhle kanjani! Bekufanele ngibone uthingo oluningana olwakhiwa umoya ophuma emfuleni wamanzi.
Lapho ngifika ezansi, uCuitláhuac Rodríguez waqala ukwehla kwakhe. Ngenkathi ngisamlindile, ngajabula kakhulu ngalo mbukwane enganginawo ezinyaweni zami. Lapho iwa, impophoma yakha ichibi okunzima ukusondela kulo ngoba lihlala liphansi kwamandla omoya nomoya. Kunemikhiqizo emikhulu yamatshe enamathele emhlabeni eyizinkulungwane zeminyaka futhi yonke into imbozwe ngotshani nobulembu obuluhlaza obuhle obuhle kakhulu obuyi-100 m. Bese kuba khona ihlathi, ukubonga okuminyene nokuhle ngenxa yokuthi akubanga ngaphansi kokudalwa komuntu.
Lapho uCuitláhuac efika saqala ukwehla ngemifula, ngoba kwakudingeka siyinqamule ukuze sithathe indlela ekhuphukela phezulu empophomeni. Kodwa-ke, ukuwela kwasilahlekisela ngomsebenzi othile ngoba isiteshi sasivele sikhule ngokweqile futhi saqhubeka sikhula. Khuphuka mpo uhambe phakathi kwezihlahla zikaphayini ezinkulu, ama-táscates, ama-alders, izihlahla ze-sitrobheli, ama-oki nezinye izihlahla ezinhle.
Kwakungu-6 ntambama. lapho sifika phezulu; Zonke izintambo nemishini kwase kuqoqiwe futhi wonke umuntu wayesekamu, eyiphakamisa futhi elungisa ukudayela kokuvalelisa. Uma okuthile kunginakile, bekungukuthi amalungu e-GEL athanda ukudla kahle, futhi sengikujwayele kakhulu “ama-faquireadas”.
Lapho sesiqedile ukudla saqhubeka ukukala ikhebula lokwehla phakathi kwamamaki ayebekiwe ukuze sazi isilinganiso esiqondile sempophoma yempophoma yaseBasaseachi. Lokhu kube ngamamitha angama-245, okuvumelana nesilinganiso esabikwa yisazi sokuma komhlaba uSchimdt esingu-246m.
Ngaphambi kokubuyela emuva eCuauhtémoc, ngahamba ngayovalelisa empophomeni, ukuphinda ngibabaze ubuhle bayo futhi ngibonge ngoba savunyelwa ilungelo lokuba nayo futhi siyijabulele ngokugcwele. Imvula ibivele imile isikhathi eside futhi kusuka ezansi nesigodi nomhosha inkungu ibikhuphuka kancane ehlangana nomoya.
