A speleologist from Namur photographed the largest room in America

Imagine an imposing desert space, from which neither ceiling nor walls are visible, at a depth of 337 meters. Discovered in 1999, the Muñeca Fea (“ugly doll” in Spanish), located in the southern Sierra Madre Oriental range of Mexico, is the largest underground chamber in the Americas.

Six days of research

Thanks to measurements by a team of English cavers using lidar (remote sensing technology) in 2017, its length could be set at 396 meters, width 238 meters and height 225 meters. Enough to classify it as the fifth largest room in the world.

Working in this area since 2002, Namur speleologist Gaetan Roches had the opportunity to photograph Muñeca-Féa with a team of three last year. A dangerous occupation, given the lack of light in the depths of this place. This required at least six days of expedition with theoretical study of the production of photographs.

Equipped with the appropriate equipment (ramps, ropes, flares, batteries, etc.), the group descended into the room to immortalize their 5.9 million cubic meters. On the spot, the photographer determined the frame and tried not to forget a single place, despite the difficulty of navigating in this black volume. The result is about 400 flashes fired over 8 hours of continuous operation.

Galleries are yet to open

In addition to the photographs, the researcher has just recounted his experience in an article published in the Regards de l’Union Belge de Spéléo (BE) and Spéléo Magazine (FR). Its text should also appear in an English and Mexican journal in view of the international nature of this expedition.

However, this Mexican adventure should not be his last in Muñeca Fea, which still holds several secrets. “The room contains galleries at height, the entrance to which has not yet been discovered.“, says Gaetan Roches, a technician at Unamura’s geology department. “This passage, hidden by the vegetation of the Mexican jungle, should provide new elements of answers at this exceptional site.

30 years of experience

At the age of fourteen, Gaetan Rocher discovered his passion for speleology. His 30 years of experience have taken him to Mexico, as well as Yemen and the Philippines, discovering unexpected places. “What’s nice is to step into places where no one has gone before.“, admits the speleologist.

An interest that led him to the vicissitudes of the earth, beyond the boundaries of time and civilization.