The expedition will stage out of Austin, Texas the first week of February of 2017 and will be in the field for three months. The primary objective of the expedition in March 2017 will be to establish subterranean Camp 4 in the air-filled tunnels beyond Sump 1 in Cueva Cheve, and extend exploration toward the hypothesized central trunk corridor inside the Sierra Juárez by means of aid climbing up three waterfalls that exist between Sumps 1 and 2. Should this effort be successful the effort in April and May will focus on extending exploration of the trunk tunnel north towards Cueva de la Mano. A connection between Cueva Cheve and Cueva de la Mano would produce a 2,597 meter-deep cave and would represent the deepest natural abyss yet discovered |