La Venta at the Festival of Lessinia

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Created: Tuesday, 27 August 2013 10:59

Published: Tuesday, 27 August 2013 10:59

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Bosco Chiesanuova, Verona. The Lessinia Film Festival, now in its nineteenth edition, hosted the documentary Río La Venta, a canyon between two oceans. Made in 1994 and directed by Tullio Bernabei, the film was in 1995 at the Festival of Trento abd winned the "Silver Gentian" as best documentary of exploration and protection.
Beautiful images and a plain text document the initial phase of the speleological research in the area of ??Selva El Ocote in Chiapas (Mexico). I saw for the first time during one of those expeditions: in November 1994, in a crowded room of Tuxtla Gutierrez. I was young and inexperienced. I had just got to know those places, with tropical caves and with muddy paths to reach them. But above all, I had begun to discover the villages at the edge of the jungle, and their inhabitants. With some of them we then became friends.
That movie had a role in the development of subsequent explorations conducted by our association. The projections made in Mexico have contributed to the emergence of a new generation of local cavers, for a fascinating adventure, which allowed important speleological and archaeological discoveries, and that continues today.

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Latest news from Uzbekistan

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Created: Friday, 23 August 2013 06:29

Published: Friday, 23 August 2013 06:29

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Us called Ferdinando Valentino from intermediate camp of Acha, on the way back to Baisun where he is with Umberto Del Vecchio. In the cave was reached a new fund to -750, another on a siphon.
There are still several lateral branches to probe just above the terminal siphon, but for the moment it is stopped on the same level as the other funds, which also corresponds to the bottom level of Festivalnaja.
This correspondence unfortunately does not promise well.
But the Russians, and we with them, are not person that accept defeat easily.
Further explorations postponed, of course, to next year... Tono

Uzbekistan: start the first returns

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Created: Monday, 19 August 2013 15:26

Published: Monday, 19 August 2013 15:26

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In connection thanks to the Intermatica satellite phones we receive updates about the expedition in Uzbekistan. The exploration of the Italian-Russian group, unfortunately, has suffered a setback to -750. The promising path, already subject of the previous explorations, closes on a siphon. After a moment of disappointment, however, the weather intervened to lend a hand. The heavy rains of recent days, generally unwelcome to speleologist, have swelled an underground river in a branch unknown. Following the sound of the water, the group resumed the exploration along a new path. At the time when Tono and Tullio have left the wall, facing the mules and the Uzbeka bureaucracy -hoping to return to Italy on time-, the exploration group had already arrived -600 on new branches, with good prospects for prosecution. Now with russians friends remains in the cave Umberto Del Vecchio and Ferdinando Valentino.

Internal camp

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Created: Wednesday, 14 August 2013 20:23

Published: Wednesday, 14 August 2013 20:23

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While the Russians put up an internal camp at a depth of -400, we dedicated to video and photographic documentation of the areas explored in the past year but most of all to the suggestive parts rich of ice, ie the entrance, where the temperature is about -5°. Tomorrow they will enter again into the cave to reach the internal camp and from there, joining the Russian camp, document the steps of the new explorations of the current fund. Then come out Friday night, to tell us more news from the explorations. At that point Tullio and Tono will begin the long way back to Italy, while Umberto and Ferdinand will stay to continue exploration in the Dark Star.

The Crystal Cave on weather.com

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Created: Wednesday, 14 August 2013 08:29

Published: Wednesday, 14 August 2013 08:29

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A nice article by Michael Berger on weather.com talks about the Crystal Cave of Naica, perhaps the most famous exploration of La Venta.
The article accompanied by beautiful photos and a short video, is the result of an interview with Paolo Forti.
Forti oversees the international team of scientists who are studying this wonder of nature and also talks about the future of this cavity. Read the article on weather.com

Finally, all under the wall

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Created: Tuesday, 13 August 2013 12:00

Published: Tuesday, 13 August 2013 12:00

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Finally, all the participants of the expedition are under the "wall".
Three trips between the middle and high camp to carry all the materials have been exhausting. We are talking about moving in altitude with rarefied oxygen.
Even the mule "disappeared" was found. He had safely returned to his stall. How to blame him?
In return, the big bags were gone but they "resurfaced" after a brief search of the mule drivers who evidently are familiar with the pastors of the place!
Even today in the late afternoon, after a short rest, they will begin the operations of refitting of the wall and someone will entry in the cave!
Come on guys!!!

Participating for La Venta: Tullio Bernabei, Tono De Vivo, Umberto Del Vecchio and Fedinando Valentino