==> Punkin Cave Survey report, 1-3 June 2007. From World Caving News http://www.zenas.gr/WCN => 8 June 2007.Twenty-one cavers from the Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas areas descended upon the wilds of Carta Valley to once again do battle with the monster known as Punkin Cave. 10 were returning veterans, bearing the physical and emotional scars from previous surveys into the bowels of the cave. The others were Punkin virgins, soon to be initiated to the guano-filled delights that keep bringing us back. By the end of the weekend we could lay claim to another 300 meters of hard-fought survey, and some increased photodocumentation.The first group consisting of trip leader Jim Kennedy, Mike Sisson, and Lee Jay Graves arrived at the TCMA fieldhouse around 3:30 Friday afternoon, unloaded their vehicle, and opened the cabin. They then went to the cave to check out the bee situation (a non-issue) and rig the two entrances. They soon returned to the cabin and welcomed the other participants who were slowly trickling in. A couple of beers and some burgers and Elgin Garlic Sausage cooked on the grill topped off a satisfying evening under the full moon catching up with old friends.The next morning saw a mass breakfast directed by Pete the Elder, with everybody tanking up for the long day ahead. Releases were signed, and a group meeting was held to go over the cabin and property rules and to assign everyone to teams and survey objectives. After the usual gearing up process, everyone headed to the cave to await their turns on the two rappel lines. Wes and Team Superstition headed back to the end of the Superstition Maze, and gathered another 62.59 meters of survey in 20 shots, finishing off some leads. However, there is still much to do in this area. Jim lead the usual band and a couple of new additions back to Sleepy Hollow, guiding Pete's and John's teams there to begin their surveys. Jim's intention was to survey out from Sleepy Hollow and connect back to Fifty Fathoms, but ended up spending the whole time in a confusing breakdown maze with lots of ... http://www.zenas.gr/site/home/eng_detail.asp?iData=5909 ==> Atlas of Great Caves of the World. From World Caving News http://www.zenas.gr/WCN => From the Editors: Joel Despain, Lee Florea, and Pat Kambesis To: All Potential ContributorsCave Books, the publication affiliate of the Cave Research Foundation, USA, is pleased to announce their plans to update and revise Atlas of the Great Caves of the World. This all new English-language edition will be completed and in press in time for the 2009 International Congress of Speleology to be held in Kerrville Texas. The previous edition was originally published in French in 1986 by Paul Courbon and Claude Chabert. The English version by Courbon, Chabert, Bosted & Lindlsey was published in 1989. At the time of its publication, Lechuguilla Cave was 50 kilometers long (now 180 kilometers in length) and the world's deepest cave, Krubera, had not been discovered. There are several criteria for caves to be included in this edition. These are: * All caves over 30 kilometers long (currently there are 117 on the Gulden list.) * All caves over 1000 meters deep (currently that includes 84 caves) , * For each country of the world, the significantly longest and deepest caves regardless of their ranking on the world lists as to be determined by the editors. * Caves that include the world's largest underground chambers (greater than 30,000m2) * Greatest Through-Trips (caves containing a traverse where the cave is entered by an upper entrance, and exited by a lower entrance.) * Greatest underground ascents (the difference in elevation between the extreme points of the possible climb, whether the point of departure is the entrance of the cave or a low point made inside the cave.) * Record cave dives * Greatest hydrogeologic systems * Greatest non-limestone caves * Great vertical pits either solitary or within a cave. * Caves with other particularly outstanding and extraordinary features such as mineral deposits, archeology, paleontology, etc. as determined by the editors For this to be a successful project we need your help. Updated maps, articles, photographs and information ... http://www.zenas.gr/site/home/eng_detail.asp?iData=5907 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ SpeleoUnion http://groups.google.ru/group/SpeleoUnion -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
