Matt Oliphant

Born in 1962 and living in Los Angeles Matt was a Research Cave specialist for the Duke University Primate Center’s trips to Madagascar where he searched for caves containing bones of extinct lemurs and recovered specimens.

He was assistant for a geology project using Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate and identify cave entrances in Oaxaca, Mexico. Colorado State University, 1993 and, in 1988, an assistant at CSUN Solar Research Center mapping magnetic fields of the sun.

He has worked as a River & Cave Guide Assistant and has assisted a professional photographer for National Geographic Magazine and has a great deal of experience with deep caves having taken part in expeditions to the 1,484 meters deep and 26.2 kilometers long cave in Oaxaca, Mexico (deepest system in Mexico). This includes another cave, Charco, that is now 1,278 meters deep and 6.7 kilometers long (third deepest cave in Mexico). He participated in six other expeditions between 1987 and 2004, including thirteen 1- to 2-week underground camps where he was In charge of rigging, equipment, and training.

Other expeditions include:-

Chiquibul Project –– Exploration and survey of the Chiquibul system in Belize. In charge of rigging. Spent two weeks camping underground. National Geographic sponsored trip, 2000.

Cerro Rabón and Huautla Projects –– Exploration and survey of two 1,100+ meter-deep cave systems and the surrounding caves in Oaxaca, Mexico. Both required underground camping and extensive rope work.

Río San Ramón and Semuc Champey –– Rigging, exploration, survey, and photography in two through-trip high-volume river caves (10+ cms) in Guatemala. Both required extensive rope work and swimming.

Chiapas –– Co-led annual trips to explore and survey extensive vertical caves in Chiapas, Mexico. 1992 to 2000

Twenty-four years of caving experience in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, Switzerland, Oman, Madagascar, and 15 states in the United States, involving rigging and extensive rope work, underground camps, swimming, exploration, survey, and photography.

He is a Fellow of the National Speleological Society (NSS), was Chairman of the Southern California Grotto (SCG) for two years, and a member of the Executive Committee of the SCG for four years, Safety and Techniques Chairman of the SCG for two years and taught vertical techniques in climbing practices for various caving clubs. He received numerous awards in climbing contests during NSS national conventions and has written articles on the use of the Frog ascending system for the NSS News and Canadian Caver.

The Journey to New Britain