Getting of the plane in Puetro Cabezas
An island destined to disappear, as there were no trees to prevent from erosion. Only a few of the islands in this chain still remain.
The burning part of the “slash and burn” making room for crops and cattle. Progress!
Snagged an abandoned fishermen’s shack for the evening quarters. We celebrated this discovery, considering all the surrounding land as far as the eyes could see consisted of marshy, boggy grassland.
Tiger skin
Front porch campin’. Community residents insisted we sleep in their quarters, sometimes even in the same room. Usually pretty humored by requests to sleep in the back yard. many would ask, “WHAT?? You want to sleep WITH THE PIGS?!” #oinkoink
Turtle Butcher
Lagoon paddling alongside a couple fishermen in their sailing dugout canoe. Some days felt like a pirate movie.
It’s never difficult finding assistants in these parts.
A fisheran dislpays two turtle tags he wants to sell. Sandy Bay Sirin Nicargua
A boy learning to paddle a canoe.
Each coastal community treated us, total strangers, as they treat their own family. Shared kitchen, shared bedroom, shared… everything. This high honor also came with responsibility–waking up when the community came to life, which was usually about 5AM.
Sailing to the shitter.
Buying deer for dinner.
Fishermen cleaning a net in Prinapolka
Lumber and a sail boat. Prinzapolka, Nicaragua.
Sometimes, the route seemed….questionable. A canal rarely used only by fishermen’s dugout canoes.
Doing the vine slalom.
Claire giving a child a shot.
Filtering water
Levi tries on my hat.
Exiting our first mangrove swamp camp of the trip, which required extra speedy packing to avoid extreme mosquito annihilation.
A diver waits while is 15 day catch of cucumbers is weighed for sale.
The pier in Purto Cabezas.
Getting supplies at the market in Puerto.
Getting luggage at the airport.
Hualing water home.
The resurgence of the Xe Bang Fai river after flowing through Tham Khoun Ex one of the worlds largest caves. Laos, SE Asia. Photographer Braden Gunem.
A snake found at a portage.
Getting gas for the ride.
Claire Cripps walks along a 60m long rimstone pool
basin in Tham Khoun Xe in Laos. It is the largest known formation in the world.
Portage 11?
More portaging.
Peter Johnson repairs his cave suit on the surface.
Steven g
Brian Gindling and Steven Rehbein ascending the web of ropes.
Just another shitty rappel.
Ben Schwartz sketches the map of a new section of passage.
Pete studies a map.
Staying warm with the camp fire at base camp.
The last night of the trip was spent along the South Fork of the Flathead river.
There is allot of steming to be done.
Steven Rehbein moving through “Tears of the Turtle” cave.
A snack break in the large passage below birthday pit.
Brian Gindling glides past ice formations in Tears.
Casting spells & telling tales before entering Tears.
Hiking through the karst on the way to “Tears of the Turtle” cave.
The 1st team packs up after their exit from the cave.
The entrance to “Tears of the Turtle” cave on Turtlehead mountain in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana.
The “Death is all Around.” drop in Virgil cave.
Warming a poptart in the camp fire.
It was colder and wetter than we expected.
Navigating back to camp in rain and fog.
Ian Chechet collecting drinking water from a drip.
Approahing the entrance of Virgil; the 3rd deepest cave in CONUS.
Ben Tobin desceneds a rope in Tears.
Taking a break on the Rio Bocay in Nicaragua.
Claire washes a smelly shirt
Just shaving the legs.
A speeding bus to the coast.
Claire Cripps on the Bocay river in Nicaragua. BOSAWAS reserve.
Cutting plantains.
A crowd gathers around.
Our tent set next to a bamboo home.
Braden running one of the few rapids.
We get a ride with a motor boat!
The river in the jungle.
Laundry girls watch as Claire paddles away.
Sometimes you just have to put your feet up and relax.
Claire and girls on a bus.
Hotel Cinco Estrella; AKA deluxe kitchen camping.
Stupid rainforest.
We are eating breakfast under a house where we stayed a night.
It was nice to get back to clean water.
Claire buying food from a man.
Making coffee in the morning.
