Sotano de las Golondrinas
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| | Difficulty:Pit 4A IV (v4a1 IV) Raps:1, max ↨1214ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle: Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 5 Jan 2016
"Our team of 8 rappellers rigged two ropes: one continuous 1300 rope for descending and ascending and one rope of two ~800 ropes bent together. The r |
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| Best season: | Nov-Mar
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21.5998, -99.0989
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Introduction
Named after the birds that nest in the walls of the cave and at 370 meter (1,214 ft) deep, this is one of the largest known cave shaft in the world. This legendary pit is large enough to completely swallow the Empire State Building. In recent years an increasing environmental awareness by the Mexican institutions have produced a strict set of rules for cavers who want to access this cave, so make sure you read the "Red tape" section.
Cayo Cesario Cedillo is the most experienced caver guide in the area. He has dropped Golondrinas more than anyone else alive and has has good knowledge of the other caves in the region. Cayo does not speak English, does not have a phone or use email, but he can be reached on facebook Cayo Facebook Page. Cayo also manages the official Golondrinas facebook page and can be contacted there as well: Golondrinas Facebook Page
A few recommendations for dropping Golondrinas:
- Time to go: Best time to go is between November and March. Avoid April to July, when Golondrinas is closed to cavers. Avoid weekends and major holidays, when is packed with tourists.
- Lodging: Stay overnight in Aquismon (40 minutes drive) or even better stay at the Golondrinas Barrio (next to the cave), where they offer rooms with bathroom and no need for A/C (up in the mountains).
- Rope: 11m or 12mm caving ropes are preferable. Using two 600ft ropes is possible but not very fun, as you will have to pass a knot 600ft off the ground and the weight of the rope (usually 40lbs or 20Kg) will make this very difficult. You may prefer to get a single 1200ft rope, that will weight around 80lbs (40kg) and can cost US $50 - $150 to fly on major airlines. Alternatively, you can also rent a 1200ft rope from local guides Brigido & Antenogenes ($1500 Pesos in 2015).
- Descenders: A full rack is recommended, any other descender will get too hot and melt the rope. Start with 4 bars and add more as you go. It takes 20-30 minutes to rappel to the bottom. Some recommend to bring a spray bottle to cool off the device, but it is usually not needed if you go with a 6 bar rack at a steady moderate speed.
- Ascenders: A rope walker is highly recommended. It is worth asking around or borrow one from someone in your Caving Club. Extremely fit and experienced cavers might also ascend with a Frog System. Properly trained people will take around 1.5h to ascend the rope. Groups of 4 or more people should practice tandem ascending, 2 people ascending on the same rope taking turns climbing and resting.
- Practice: It is highly recommended to practice descending/ascending well in advance and to drop a couple of "warm up pits" before attempting Golondrinas. Sotano de Cepillo and Hoya de las Guaguas are great pits in the same area that can provide a good warm up.
- Full Service: For a fee ($4000 pesos in 2015) Brigido and Antenogenes will lower you down all the way to the bottom and bring you back up. No need for specialized gear or prior experience. Cavers that are not sure about their ascending capabilities may consider rappeling down on their own but hire their services to pull them up.
- Contacts:
- Aquismon Tourist Office Tel: +52 482 367 2115
- Golondrinas Kiosk Tel: +52 469 751 3503
- Cayo Cesario Cedillo (Guide) https://www.facebook.com/cesario.cedillo
- Antenogenes Perez (Guide) Tel: +52 482 110 9529
- Bonifacio (Guide) Tel: +52 482 106 4988
If you want the thrill of descending to the bottom of the pit and back out without the effort of ascending the rope or the accomplishment of rigging it on your own, the locals will lower you on a rope and pull you back up all the way for a fee (~4500 pesos, ~$225US in 2022).
It is also a popular tourist activity to view the birds leave the cave en masse at sunrise. Close to 2 million birds live on the sides of the cave and leave together, spiraling up the shaft to gain altitude before cresting the surface. Note: they won't come out if it is raining, cloudy, or even too cold (100 pesos in 2022).
Approach
The road from Aquismon to the Golondrinas is paved all the way. A kiosk charges a fee (30 Pesos in 2015) to access the trail to the top of the pit. Cavers that want to drop the pit will be charged extra.
Descent
Start the approach hike to the cave early in the morning and start setting up rope as soon as you arrive to the cave. Enjoy the show of the birds exiting the cave and as soon as they are done drop down the pit. As soon as last person in the group is down have people start climbing back up, preferably in tandem.
If the birds start coming back before all of you are out, pull up the rope and wait till sunset. After all birds are back drop down the rope again and get everyone out. You can climb all night long if you need to.
Exit
Red tape
In order to protect the birds, the Mexican Government has mandated that:
- Access to cavers is forbidden during swallow nesting season, approximately between March 25th and July 15th.
- Cavers can set up rope but cannot rappel into the pit until the birds have finished exiting the cave, which depends on the weather, but usually is between 6:30am and 9am.
- Cavers are not allowed to ascend the rope while the birds are returning to the cave, which depends on the weather, but usually is between 4:30pm and sunset.
- No rope can be hanging into the pit while the birds are flying in or out, they will pull up the rope and wait for the birds to finish before setting it back down
- Cavers that have not come out in time will be trapped at the bottom of the pit for a few hours, but will be allowed to resume the ascent after dark
- These rules are strictly enforced by the Golondrinas comitee. Even offering a US $5000 bribe will be turned down.
Beta sites
- Golondrinas Facebook Page (Cayo Cesario Cedillo)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_Swallows
- Pit Map
- Crevice Map
- Pit and Crevice Map
