World's largest crystals

[Harbinger]

Nestling up to a cauldron of pressurized, molten rock is almost never a good idea. But in Mexico's Naica mine, the payoff is worth the risk.

About 900 feet below the surface, there is a chamber filled with gypsum. It's the same stuff that goes in the drywall in your house, only in Naica it spent half a million years parboiling in a chamber filled with magma-heated water.

Suddenly miners showed up and started pumping the mineral-rich broth out to get at valuable silver and lead deposits nearby. The result is a cavern filled with crystals 36 feet long and weighing in at up to 55 tons, easily the largest in the world.

[Fist and Faith]

I've seen this before. One of the freakin' coolest things in the world!!!!!!

[Cagliostro]

That's awesome.

I've done rock climbing, but I don't know if I could handle spelunking. These pictures make me ever so slightly uncomfortable.

[High Lord Tolkien]

Good Lord!
They should not be in Superman's Fortress of Solitude!
Have some respect for the Man of Steel.

[Vraith]

Going on my list of things I'd love to see in person.

[aliantha]

Those are awesome!

[Avatar]

That's awesome.

I've done rock climbing, but I don't know if I could handle spelunking. These pictures make me ever so slightly uncomfortable.

You a climber too Cag? Cool. What/where/etc?

--A

[Cagliostro]

That's awesome.

I've done rock climbing, but I don't know if I could handle spelunking. These pictures make me ever so slightly uncomfortable.

You a climber too Cag? Cool. What/where/etc?

--A

I've done some in Tucson, and some in the Denver/Boulder area. Nothing notable, as the ex-fiance was the sporty spice. She won a competition or two in the Oregon region, but after she met me, I made her fat and out of shape. Now, I understand she's climbing a lot more and I'm growing fatter and lazier. I'd love to resume some gym climbing, as I no longer have access to a rope (I did a lot when quitting smoking), but I have doubts about my harness holding me anymore. And I wonder about my shoes as well.

Maybe once the kid gets excited about athletics, I'll steer him toward rock climbing. When he isn't skateboarding, that is. But it is fun and really stinkin' hard work. When you are typically out of shape, that is.

[stonemaybe]

Just seen a great series of BBC documentaries that featured this and other geological marvels, called 'How The Earth made Us'.

Have a look over in Doriendor corishev
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18738

[Avatar]

I've done some in Tucson, and some in the Denver/Boulder area.

Sport? Trad?

Can always boulder if you don't have a rope (or harness ), that's damn good excercise.

--A

[Cagliostro]

Sport. That is, primarily one pitch with anchors already in place. Set up the ropes/webbing at the top, go down and climb the sucker multiple times. That's how it's been the times I've gone. That is the correct one, right - sport instead of traditional?

S'true...I should do more boldering. But I'm a chalk junkie while climbing, so I'd need a chalk bag. I needs my white courage (I'm not talking about cocaine).

[Avatar]

I find it depends...I used a lot when I started, then almost none for a long time, now I seem to be using it a bit more again.

Sounds like top-roping to me. Sport climbing is where the rope is not attached at the top, you drag it up with you, clipping quick-draws into pre-existing bolts along the route, then clipping your rope into the draw as you pass by. Then you get to the top, attach yourslef to the anchors, untie, thread the rope through the anchors til it reaches the ground, then abseil back down.

Top-rope, the rope runs from the belayer, up to the anchors, then back down to you.

--A

[Cagliostro]

Yep...that's it - top-roping. It's been a while since I've had to remember my climbing terms. I didn't think sport climbing was it, but I was sure it wasn't trad as well. Yep, definitely top-roping. Very very much a beginner, although supposedly with a knack for it (unless my ex was being kind, or just trying to boost my ego a bit so that I'd keep climbing with her).

[Avatar]

You mean keep belaying her.

Should stick to it. Good fun, good excercise.

--A

[Cagliostro]

You mean keep belaying her.

THAT'S for sure.


Very true - it is especially good exercise, but I know the wife will not have anything to do with it - partly because it makes her nervous, but mainly because she has tendonitis issues in her wrists, so using very much strength causes immense pain. And since climbing/belaying is mostly hand/arm strength, I think I can count her out. But I could always find a climbing buddy. But I think I'll definitely have to drop some pounds before I can even think about getting back in the harness. Being 6'2", it is a shorter distance to that weight limit thing.

[Avatar]

Weight limit?

--A

[Cheval]

I like spelunking, but there are only a few places in Florida to go to.
Bet I won't find anything close to what you see in those photos!
Although I have come across some chunks of quartz that are the size of footballs,
down in some limerock caves near central Florida.