Comments on: Fortress of Solitude

Fortress of Solitude

dersins — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:51:29 -0800

The gypsum crystals in the Cave of Crystals at the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, are some of the largest and most spectacular in the world. [Last link is a .wmv]

By: gnutron

gnutron — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:59:43 -0800

looks like the Fortress of Solitude.

By: dersins

dersins — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:04:00 -0800

gnutron, I'd like to direct your attention to the top of the screen....

By: hypersloth

hypersloth — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:28:20 -0800

"The Proyect" - heh, it's phonetic.

By: hypersloth

hypersloth — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:28:32 -0800

awesome btw

By: Skorgu

Skorgu — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:35:02 -0800

You know, I read this and I thought to myself: "Self, this sounds just like an ad for Howe Caverns or somesuch, there had better be something pretty damn compelling behind that 'spectacular' link to justify it or I'll take it to MeTa¹." Jesus H. Monkeyfucking christ is there ever. [1] I would not actually have taken it to MeTa

By: Phantomx

Phantomx — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:12:28 -0800

Man I was thinking Fortress of Solitude right as I clicked over to this tab and saw the title. That cave is just so awesome. It is probably some form of holy land for those people that feel crystals can heal.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:14:16 -0800

This was such common knowledge amongst cavers that I forget the wider public hasn't seen this stuff, yet. There was some skepticism for a while as you can imagine, "Yeah, 10-foot-log crystals... deep in a mine in Mexico... suuuuuuure," but they're pretty well documented, now. Sadly, when they wrap up mining operations there, they'll stop pumping water, and the mines and caves will flood, so human visitation will be very limited.

By: davejay

davejay — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:17:13 -0800

Sadly, when they wrap up mining operations there, they'll stop pumping water, and the mines and caves will flood, so human visitation will be very limited. Sad, yes, but at the same time it's nice to know that there are still amazing and majestic things in the world that are available to a limited subset of the population, for a limited time only, and will not have their majesty marketed/subsumed/destroyed my mankind (and thus turned into a bore.)

By: malthas

malthas — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:46:10 -0800

Wow, I had no idea this existed, and it looks really cool. Thanks!

By: gnutron

gnutron — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:02:26 -0800

dersins - i'm an idiot. it's friday, that's my excuse. nice post - this is some awe-inspiring stuf.

By: dersins

dersins — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:11:27 -0800

and the mines and caves will flood, so human visitation will be very limited. Of course, since the temperature in the cave is 140-some degrees F (60°C) and the humidity is 100%, a visit isn't exactly likely to be too pleasant even before they're re-flooded.

By: RedEmma

RedEmma — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:39:13 -0800

holy shit. i had no idea that this was possible. someone ought to rewrite Journey to the [Interior] of the Earth, and use this as one of the very realistic but amazing things one can encounter. much better than that long descent in granite next to a trickle of water. and i don't mind at all that it will be refilled with water--the mere thought that there really are places in darkness and inaccessible down there under our feet that look like this is way cool.

By: LeeJay

LeeJay — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:53:15 -0800

Oh my God, it's beautiful! I am constantly amazed by our planet.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:52:47 -0800

Wow, I had no idea this existed, and it looks really cool. It may look cool, but people have died from the heat in there. Here's a first-person account of a trip into Naica. (It's a link from the spectacular link in the OP.)

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:02:19 -0800

Oh my God, it's beautiful! I am constantly amazed by our planet. It's the coolest planet in the world!

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:09:19 -0800

Ah, it seems one of the dead guys got a Darwin Award out of it. Here are some more pictures. I think they are the same as in the some of the largest link in the OP, but these are much better. Here's the Wikipedia entry. (Yes, Devils Rancher, I'm mining the NSS Forum.)

By: chuckdarwin

chuckdarwin — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:18:01 -0800

I'm flabbergasted.

By: Balisong

Balisong — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:20:30 -0800

Makes me wish I was still Chasing the Dragon.