Here was Jim Surber's reply to the caver's rant
Boy, you managed to get some people really upset. A common thread among the responses was that you were making a lot of assumptions about people you didn't know and an event you did not witness. You seem to feel the expedition showed insufficient respect and had an unfavorable impact on the site. Perhaps if you did know more facts, you could develop criticisms your targets would respect. I was present at the last cave trip in March and can add the following facts to help you with your judgements.

transportation impact
Two vehicles were used for the initial approach, but they never left primary, public roads. The final approach was made on foot, in single file, on established trails. All equipment was carried on foot using special plastic containers fitted with back straps - each weighing about 90 pounds.

exterior impact
The rigging point was established on solid rock. There was no soil for cushioning - we brought foam pads. There were no plants for shade - we brought our own tarp. On a previous trip, bolt holes for extraction equipment were filled with silicone mixed with rock dust. These 14 old holes were located, and cleaned out with a tap so new holes would not be drilled. Backup equipment and tools were stored in sealed plastic boxes placed on solid rock. A trash receptacle was established. On departure day, all the holes were refilled with silicone mixed with matching rock
dust. We even filled new holes recently left behind by cavers. The expedition team packed equipment and removed it from the rigging point. The team and about 20 local children scoured the entire site. Kids were hired to look for any foreign object and a prize was rewarded for the largest collection. A two-foot "spider grabber" was used to extract anything found in rock cracks.

interior impact
The cave floor is about seven acres. A small area about the size of a tennis court was marked off and reserved for landings. A large tarp was laid beside the landing area for equipment and packing operations. This was done to insulate the cave floor from equipment and vice versa. A trash receptacle was established and hauled to the surface daily. On the last day, all equipment was removed and the landing area was scoured for
foreign objects.

comment tube
Humans sometimes feel the need to comment about natural places. Thoughtless people sometimes mark those places directly with something stupid like their initials. On a previous expedition, a small resealable PVC tube was placed next to a rock on the cave floor. The tube contains a tablet and a pen for visitors to record their visit and comment about the experience. No human markings were found or left anywhere in the cave. However, it was interesting to read comments from other jumpers and cavers who had visited the bottom.

extraction impact
For BASE jumpers, the attraction of Sotano de Las Goladrinas is going in, not coming out. A gasoline-powered winch was placed at the top to ferry jumpers and equipment back to the top. Terrain protectors were used to insure the rope in use did not touch any part of the cave. A custom muffler was manufactured to keep noise levels low. The gearbox and engine were wrapped in an acoustical blanket to further reduce noise. And finally, the engine was always operated at low speeds.

bird disturbance
Minimizing disturbances to native birds was addressed by making all activities as quiet as possible. The extraction equipment was muffled, no musical devices were allowed anywhere, and team members were instructed to keep their voices down while in the cave. The total number of jumps was also limited to four per jumper for the entire trip.

respect for indigenous people
The expedition included a Mexican national who was the liaison to a local Sotano Council. The council established how many jumps could occur, and set guidelines for noise. All council requests were honored. Half way through the expedition, a BBQ was hosted by the expedition for village members and the Sotano Council. Jumping activities were reviewed, and the council was pleased with how their guidelines were being followed.

conservation activities
The BASE expedition made significant donations to assist the Sotano Council manage a precious natural resource. Two 1,400' ropes, climbing hardware, packs, and radios have all came from the yearly expedition teams. The team also makes significant financial contributions during their stay.

BASE jumpers
You say, "There are literally thousands of cavers who spend all of their freetime picking up after you people and trying to repair the damage you do!" Well maybe, but as has been documented above, we made a sincere effort. The rigging point was about 40' x 40' and we cleaned until 30 people agreed that nothing was left to pick up. And, since our activities were confined to rock, there were no disturbances to soil or plant life.

You said we were "taking advantage of something so delicate and irreplaceable such as caves, just to make a buck!!!" The difference between an expedition and a tourist trip is that lots of money is required just to make it happen at all. Ten boxes of custom-made equipment are required to make the Sotano expedition happen. Ten people went on the trip. Five paid $3,000 each and five were part of the support team and did not pay. So $15,000 was used to rent two vehicles ($2,000), feed and house everyone for a week, and pay for ten boxes of custom equipment. You are
probably aware that a new 1,400-foot rope, 50 caribiners, extraction winch, and custom-made terrain protectors might be expensive. Your innocence is excused, but your contention that jumpers might strive to make "a buck" off BASE jumping says more about you than the jumpers. From a capital standpoint, BASE jumping is a lousy investment - you always loose money. However, as a way to experience nature in new and revealing ways, it has much to offer.

You say "Thrill seekers don't belong in caves until they know how to respect it without ruining it forever." We can easily agree on that point. I have spent a lot of time crafting a response to educate you and ask two questions. 1) If you think the efforts described above do not show a sufficient level of respect for nature and people - then what specific changes do you suggest for the future? 2) If you think you may have judged harshly and prematurely, do you have enough respect for people you have insulted to apologize?

I don't want to start a "who cares more for the environment" contest. However, you made some serious accusations and now have a chance to show us the depth of your character and intelligence. We eagerly await your response.

And this is what came back!


Re: base jumpers in caves : APOLOGY for assumptions
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 12:14:52 EDT
From: Sp10daniels@cs.com
To: jsurber@dlab.com

You are right - I owe a sincere apology for the assumption that your group is not conservation oriented.In twenty years of caving, I have never seen such painstaking effort being taken by a pay for play group.My hat truley goes off to you for that.Others are not nearly as kind to their surroundings,and I have been there to try to undo the damage caused.FYI -
that also includes the gorey job of being an Army trained paramedic who has had to use a snow shovel to extract a jumper .Not something easily forgotten...Anyway, there is still the issue of commercialization. Even though your group may take extensive precautions to ensure minimal impact on the
enviornment,you cannot control what your clients may do in the future. By making the location known,it opens the door for far less considerate people to get there.This is where most of the problems will occur in the future, by exposure thru you.Many of us cavers feel very strongly about keeping cave
locations a secret. Not to hoard for ourselves,because we readily welcome the public to join our group,so that we can show them the importance of conservation, climbing safety on rope, (led by one of the top rescue outfits in the U.S.)and of course,caving etiquette.One of the groups I am involved with manages probably the finest wild cave in Az.and has for over 25 years.We
got ahold of the easement rights when the cave was becoming public knowledge,and the amount of blatent disregard for its staggering beauty would make anyone cry.After ten years of restoration,it showed great promise of being salvagable.Today,it is once again a thing of breathtaking beauty for cavers to enjoy,all from the painstaking efforts of many caring volunteers
over the years.It is gated,locked,and we manage the permits.Our guidelines for gaining acess are a bit strict,but justifiable,due to both its history and its danger level (several drops,over 150 ft.)We have seen far too many caves that have been ruined forever,all due to a careless public. Which is where my attitude became so jaded that I fly off the handle when I shouldnt
sometimes.

For that,I do apologize.


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Thank You

Mick Knutson
[link:www.blincmagazine.com|BLiNC Magazine]

"Everything you ever wanted to know about BASE Jumping, but didn't know who to ask."
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