History of the Proyecto Sierra Mazateca
(para leer en Español, ver abajo)
Although the PSM – Proyecto Sierra Mazateca Corporation - officially started in 2012, the project itself stretches back to 1994, to a trip with just three people….Tony Akers, Joe Oliphant, and Tina Shirk, Indiana cavers. They had read the published book about caves in Oaxaca, Mexico by Swiss cavers, “Proyecto Cerro Rabon”. The Cerro Rabon escarpment was unexplored in many areas. This highland karst environment, located in the northeast corner of the state of Oaxaca, houses some of the world's deepest cave systems, such as Sistema Huautla, currently at 1475 m and Sistema Cheve at 1484 m. The area gets huge amounts of rainfall, up to 5 meters per year and is classified as a neo tropical rainforest. As evidenced by specific resurgences (for example, Rio Uluapan) and lack of surface drainage, the underground water systems are huge. This magical cloud forest is called the Sierra Mazateca, where the Mazatecan people live. The Mazatec’s language and culture is a mixture of Spanish and Mazatec, and is a truly unique indigenous culture with an interesting history. The population is growing rapidly with the onset of modern, paved roads and greater production of garbage, and the threats of pollution and contamination of the water systems are growing quickly.
That trip of 1994 they didn’t go caving, but found their way into the Sierra Mazateca on the then 4 wheel drive roads, met the landowner of the Coffee Plantation – Waldo Garcia, from the Cafetal Carlota, and saw the huge potential of cave exploration. The next three years the group grew, and they backpacked their way into the cloud forest, and found virgin cave, coming in from Llano de Arnica, in the municipality of Jan Jose Tenango... It was still Tony, Joe, and Tina, along with 12 other people (some participants coming only one of the four years). During these years, the base was not the coffee plantation, but in a public place, close to the trails where they would ascend into the karst cloud forest, and stay for as many weeks as they could, normally 2-4 weeks total. The political situation was sticky, and obtaining permission from the local authorities and landowners was always a challenge. We also began to experience the Mazatec people, their customs and food, learning slowly about their unique culture. The last expedition done in this manner was the one in December of 2001, with nine participants, exploring an elevated valley, called the Lost City. This area looked to be virgin cloud forest, with just one known group hiking there (Swiss cavers), but not able to explore any caves. Some great caves were explored and documented. Up to this point, 21 new pits and/or caves were found with totals of 5384’ (1641 m) of depth and 6047’ (1843 m) of horizontal passage. The deepest pit explored was 911’ deep (277.8 m). The expeditions ended for a number of years, for various personal reasons, like children, change of jobs and living locations, businesses, etc.
The next trip to the Sierra Mazateca was by Tony and Marion Akers, in 2004. They had their son with them, and had been travelling around Mexico for business reasons. They had some extra time and went back to the Sierra Mazateca, in specific that first coffee plantation in La Carlota. They were able to stay there for two weeks, and began exploration of the local caves and pits, as they would for the next three years.
Then, larger groups began coming again in 2008, and have been almost every year since then. The areas have varied, as permission and access has changed. Tony and Marion have an established field house that was once part of the historic coffee plantation, called Cafetal Carlota. Mostly day trips were taken to explore caves. The top of the plateau from the ranch was also reached by several groups, going from about 900 meters to 2000 meters. Short camps were set up and some trails were cleared.
In 2011, we began exploration in Rio Santiago, in the municipality of Huautla de Jimenez. We explored and surveyed the area around Rio Santiago, on a yearly basis for the next 3 years, and found some great pits and a couple of caves. We were invited to visit Rancho Arco Iris, a valley south of Rio Santiago, which was closer to the Lost City, at higher elevations. In both 2014 and 2015, expeditions were made to Rancho Arco Iris, using backpacks, burros, and porters, and exploring for 2-3 weeks. Initially invited by the landowners, our base now was two cabins that were abandoned and no longer lived in. They functioned well, and we explored the valley for two years. We kept moving further into unexplored areas higher up on the plateau.
2016/2017
These two years would bring us closer to the region explored in the 1990’s, the precious valley called the Lost City, located in the municipality of San Jose Tenango. In 2016, the two weeks spent up in the cloud forest were fruitful and fun, complete with a jungle camping experience and an enthusiastic group of cavers. We explored areas at several elevations, established a new trail system, a water catch system, and laid the groundwork for continued exploration. A total of 2132’ (650 m) of vertical depth was both documented and photographed, utilizing experienced riggers and four different sketchers for the surveys. A new member, Thomas Hawkins, a botanist and horticulturalist, experienced and documented its botanical treasures with us, noting the rich biodiversity of the cloud forest, at elevations up to 2100 meters. Some areas were notably logged in the past, but recovered, and other areas were being logged more, by just locals who now had chain saws, rather than the old hand saws of days gone by. Even protected tree species, like the Ocote, a pine tree, were being cut in very remote areas.
In 2017, we went back, but further to the south, establishing a camp just below El Pico de Caballero, about 1000’ higher than we were the year before, and closer to the Lost City. The expedition was more of a cultural adventure than what we bargained for, having to change our two week camp and caving plans after only six days! Not only that, but a 5 second pit was left indefinitely, because our presence in the Lost City threatened a small faction in one of the neighboring towns of that municipality that were carrying on illegal logging operations. Although we were defeated there, we left without getting arrested or hurt, and promptly changed gears and gained access to a neighboring municipality, San Juan Coatzospam, in an even higher altitude area where different indigenous people live, the Mixtecas. They welcomed our group with open arms, hoping we could offer them something back, maybe a new water source found underground. In just two days of exploration, we found a cave, a 300’ jungle pit, and future potential for exploration and friendship in a brand new area.
2017 showed us the harsh realities of the increasingly threatened cloud forest, the complex political and economic realities of unstable local governments and indigenous peoples in rapid evolution, an anthropology study in action. Benjamin Feinberg, a Professor of Anthropology at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, has written a book called, “The Devil’s Book of Culture: History, Mushrooms, and Caves in Southern Mexico”. He came to the Sierra continually since the early 1990’s, and currently interacts with us as well, seeing and studying our connection with the Mazatec people and our equal desire to explore and find deep caves.
So far, we have documented 16,228’ (4946 m) of vertical cave and 22,321’ (6803 m) of horizontal passage. In addition to cave exploration, other projects were begun along the way, promoting water conservation, cultural preservation, and reforestation efforts. We have received grants and donations from National Speleological Society, The Nation Speleological Foundation, The Central Indiana Grotto, Highline Rope, the Southern Colorado Mountain Grotto, and various other individual contributions. Despite the many challenges, we want to continue our karst exploration efforts, continue documentation on the flora and wildlife of the region, and continue promotion of reforestation and conservation through educational projects within the local communities.
Written by: Marion Akers
With the generous help and support from cavers, friends, grants, our own energy and love, we are able to continue working toward our overall goals. Each year brings adventures, challenges, parties, and life-changing experiences for us all.
The Proyecto Sierra Mazateca Corporation, now registered in the state of Indiana as a non-profit corporation, was formed as of September 4, 2012. The purposes of the Proyecto Sierra Mazateca Corporation, defined in Article 11 of the Articles of Incorporation, are to protect, explore, and study the karst ecosystem, and to promote water conservation and Mazatec culture preservation within the Sierra Mazateca, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
More specifically, we have defined these areas to focus on:
- Science – document and explore caves, conduct biology, ecology, and geology studies
- Conservation –working with local and state authorities to promote conservation of the upper cloud forest regions and water conservation.
- Education – teach local schoolchildren and communities about the karst ecosystem and their future role in its protection
- Preservation – promoting indigenous Mazatec culture, Mazatec language, historical sites, and traditional farming techniques.
Con la generosa ayuda y el apoyo de espeleólogos, amigos, los subsidios, nuestra propia energía y amor, somos capaces de continuar trabajando para lograr nuestros objetivos generales. Cada año trae consigo aventuras, retos, partes, y modificar la vida de experiencias para todos nosotros.
La formación del Precut Sierra Mazateca Corporation, está registrado en el estado de Indiana como una corporación sin fines de lucro, a partir de 4 de septiembre, 2012. Los propósitos del Proyecto Sierra Mazateca Corporation, que se define en el artículo 11 de los artículos de incorporación, es el de proteger, explorar, y el estudio los ecosistemas kársticos, y para promover la conservación del agua y cultura Mazateca preservación, en la Sierra Mazateca, en el estado de Oaxaca, México.
Más específicamente, hemos definido estas esferas se concentren en:
- Ciencia - documento y explorar cuevas, conducta biología, ecología y geología estudios
- Conservación -trabajando con las autoridades locales y estatales a fin de promover la conservación de los bosques nubosos regiones superior y la conservación de los recursos hídricos.
- Educación - enseñar los niños y niñas de las escuelas y las comunidades sobre la los ecosistemas kársticos y su futuro papel en su protección.
- Preservación – promoviendo la cultura de los indígenas mazatecos, la lengua mazateca, sus sitios históricos y las técnicas tradicionales de agricultura.
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