Cave Name:  Rio Blanco Sink


Alternate Names: Yit Ha, White River Sink
District: Toledo
Area: Santa Cruz 

Location:             Co-ordinates logged with the Belize Institute of Archaeology
Altitude:
Length:  approx 1.2km  (9km including Blue Creek Cave)
Depth: 

History of exploration:
1984 – Tom Miller completes first underground traverse of the Rio Blanco (Yit Ha) sink to Blue Creek resurgence.
1994 – Chris Jackson, Keith Prufer compete traverse from sink to resurgence

Description:

This is the sink for the Blue Creek Cave and it is possible to traverse the entire length of the cave from sink to resurgence.

Yit Ha is approx. 1.3km long with a series of abseils down through the mountain with deep lakes to be traversed.  The trip should only be attempted downwards (Yit Ha to Blue Creek) and only in dry season with settled weather.

An obvious eyehole, is eventually encountered downstream.  This is the connection point with the Blue Creek (Ho’keb Ha) system.

Blue Creek (easiest route of the cave described)

Follow the canals southwards from the eyehole climb, until the route changes to go eastwards.  Eventually, after approx 2km a drier section of cave is encountered at the junction of a 5m climb (‘John’s Derring Do’).  Continuing east leads to the ‘Z-Room’ and continuing  south wards leads back to a junction near the Main Entrance of Blue Creek Cave.

Cultural:
Details on archaeology and cultural remains are available from the IA.

Survey:
Coming Soon

Links:

http://www.geology.ewu.edu/bluecrek.htm
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/jason/HTML/EXPEDITIONS_JASON_5_miller_update.html
http://www.cottontreelodge.com/belize-tours/adventure-trips/blue-creek-cave.html

References:
Miller, Thomas E – Houses of Stone - Caving in Belize.  Caving International Magazine No 11.April 1981
Williams, Nick – An Introduction to Cave Exploration in Belize.  Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 58(2): 69-75