Middle Cueva Ventana

I rappelled slightly to one side of Middle Ventana Cave, and entered the cave on a thinning, sloped ledge. I climbed down into the entrance which was 25’ H x 20’ wide. A passage dropped down to the right but I went upslope and cut to the right and around a short pit to a spot Marion thought would be a good silhouette shot. After taking some entrance shots, I went further back in the main passage going straight this time instead of right. The passage was almost entirely walking. The floor crunched as I walked mostly because I was stepping on nut shells left by the fruit bats but it also could have been one of the many cockroaches scattered across the floor. I got a close-up of a fruit bat and heard many more bats flying about. Towards the back, I climbed into a slot in the right wall which was about hands and knees height but sloping. The dirt on this slope was quite dry and loose. As I descended, dirt fell from the bottom of the slope into a room below. Immediately, I heard wings in the air and saw lots of bats flying about. I climbed back up the slope and went back to the down-sloping passage near the entrance. It ended in a room with many cockroaches. I got a good cockroach shot here. Evidently, there was another cave further down the cliff. Brandon and Marion had decided it was my job to check it out. The problem was that we weren’t sure our rope would be long enough. I rigged to a tree and began thrashing my way down the heavily vegetated slope. The vines were particularly annoying. I came to a tree with a termite mound on it and went to the side of it. I got about 20’ of near freefall before I was thrashing through the vines and brush again. I reached a standing slope and thrashed my way to a real freefall which was probably around 80’. Unfortunately, the rope wasn’t that long. I was just to the side of the cave entrance and could peer into the large shelter-like entrance. I climbed back up. The vines and forest were more of a pain on the way back up. Alan really wanted to see the cave so Pat lowered down the rope we used to rig the first drop with webbing and Alan rigged the drop rebelaying off of the tree with the termite mound and on the standing slope. I went down next. I’d forgotten my croll so I borrowed Brandon’s since he didn’t seem real enthused to do the drop. Alan had me pause for pictures as I rappelled down in front of the cave entrance. To Lower Ventana