Sotano de Cepillo
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| | Difficulty:Pit 4A II (v4a1 II) Raps:1, max ↨420ft
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| Best season: | Nov-Mar (avg for this region)
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21.5577, -99.0874
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Introduction[edit]
This is a scenic pit located at the edge of pasture fields near the town of Tamapatz. At 128m deep, this is a great warm up pit for the much deeper Sotano de las Golondrinas.
Approach[edit]
Older descriptions will tell you to park in Tamapatz and hike through the jungle to the cave, but this is completely unnecessary. There is now a road you can drive on and then hike 0.25 miles on an easy trail that will take you directly to the edge of the pit.
Descent[edit]
Best rigging point is from a Y shaped tree on the East side of the pit (the trail takes directly to it) and backing it up with another smaller tree 10ft behind it. If you sling a webbing around the tree Y you will make it easier to get on/off rope and get a 100% overhanging rope.
The entrance is 12m in diameter and the pit bells out all the way to the 128m deep bottom. The bottom is flat but partially slanted, with huge stalagmites and flowstone ridges one one side and a small lake on the lowest point. The lake floor and edges consists of fragile calcite deposits, so try to avoid walking on it. A seasonal waterfall may be seen high on the walls, "cave pearls" can be seen in the pools under the dripping water.
If the conditions are right, around noon a shaft of light will penetrate the deep canopy above the pit and focus a single powerful beam that will illuminate all the way to the bottom of the cave making for some spectacular picture opportunities.
Exit[edit]
Return the same way you came. If you are done early, a visit to nearby Cueva de Oxtalja is highly recommended.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
- http://www.amcs-pubs.org/maps/2822.pdf Map (Plan View)
- http://www.amcs-pubs.org/maps/3110.pdf Map (Profile View)
