Caving: Encyclopedia - Caving

Caving

Caving is the recreational sport of exploring caves.

The challenges of the sport depend on the cave being visited, but often include the negotiation of pitches, squeezes, and water. Climbing or crawling is often necessary, and ropes are used extensively.

Caving is often undertaken solely for the enjoyment of the activity or for physical exercise, but original exploration, or physical or biological science is an important goal for many cavers. Unexplored cave systems comprise some of the last unexplored regions on Earth and much effort is put into trying to locate and enter them. In well-explored regions (such as most first-world countries), the most accessible caves have already been explored, and gaining new caves often requires digging or diving.

Caves have been explored out of necessity for thousands of years, but only in the last century or two has the activity become a sport. In recent decades caving has changed considerably due to the availability of modern protective wear and equipment. It has recently come to be known as an "extreme sport" by some (though not commonly by its practitioners).

Many of the skills of caving can also be used in the sports of mine exploration and urban exploration.

Caving - Naming issues

Clay Perry--an American caver of the 1940s--wrote about a group of men and boys who explored and studied caves throughout New England. This group referred to themselves as spelunkers. This is regarded as the first use of the word in the Americas. Throughout the 1950s, spelunking was the general term used for exploring caves in US English. It was used freely, without any positive or negative connotations, although only rarely outside the US.

In the 1960s, the term "spelunking" began to convey the idea of inexperienced cavers, using unreliable light sources and cotton clothing. In 1985, Steve Knutson (editor of American Caving Accidents) made the following distinction:

This sentiment is exemplified by bumper stickers and t-shirts displayed by many cavers: "Cavers rescue spelunkers".

Potholing refers to the act of exploring potholes, a word originating in the North of England for predominantly vertical caves. The term is often used as a synonym for caving, and outside the caving world there is a general impression that potholing is a more "extreme" version of caving.

Caving - Practice and equipment

Helmets are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks. The caver's primary light source is usually mounted on the helmet in order to keep the hands free. Electric lights are most common, with halogen lamps being standard and white LEDs as the new competing technology. Many cavers wear two sources of light on their helmet - one as primary and the other as a backup light in case the first fails. Carbide-based systems are still popular, especially on expeditions. Spare flashlights are often kept, but it is not recomended to use anything bigger than a mini-mag (a very small version of the popular Maglite flashlight).

The type of clothes worn underground varies according to the environment of the cave being explored and the local culture. Typically, the caver will wear a warm base layer that retains its insulating properties when wet, such as a fleece ("furry") suit or polypropylene underwear, and an oversuit of hard-wearing (e.g., cordura) and/or waterproof (e.g., PVC) material. Wetsuits are worn if the cave is particularly wet, and lighter clothing may be worn in warm countries if the cave is dry. In tropical caves thin polypropylene clothing is used, to provide abrasion protection whilst remaining as cool as possible.

On the feet boots are worn (such as wellies), and often neoprene socks ("wetsocks"). Knee-pads (and sometimes elbow-pads) are popular for protecting joints during crawls. Gloves are almost always worn.

Ropes are used for descending or ascending pitches or for protection. Knots commonly used in caving are the figure-of-eight- (or figure-of-nine-) loop, bowline, alpine butterfly, and Italian hitch. Ropes are usually rigged using bolts, slings, and carabiners.

Cavers carry packs filled with first-aid kits, food, extra equipment and bathroom supplies. So-called "pee bottles" are now standard and cavers are expected to carry their waste out with them. For solid waste, several zip-lock type bags (one inside the other) are used, surrounded by aluminum foil (for aesthetic reasons). These are affectionally referred to as "cave burritos."

Caving - Safety

Caves can be dangerous places; hypothermia, falling, flooding, and physical exhaustion are the main risks. Rescue from underground is difficult and time-consuming. Full-scale cave rescues often involve the efforts of dozens of rescue workers, who may themselves be put in jeopardy in effecting the rescue.

Some common-sense rules apply:

• Always check to be sure there is no danger of flooding while you plan to be in the cave. Rainwater funneled underground can flood a cave very quickly while the surface remains clear. Factors which can influence the risk of flood include the regional rain forecast, as well as how much rain has already recently fallen in the region: if the ground is already soaked, additional rainfall will be piped much more quickly into the cave.
• Use teams of at least three cavers – four or more are best. Caving alone is particularly risky.
• Always make sure someone on the surface knows where you are caving, when to expect you, and how to contact cave rescue services if you fail to return on time.
• Use a decent light that will last long enough for the trip and a backup that will be sufficient to get you out of the cave. American cavers always recommend a minimum of three independent sources of light per person, but two lights is common practice amongst European cavers.
• Sturdy clothing and footwear, as well as a helmet, are necessary to reduce the impact of abrasions, caver falls, and falling objects. Synthetic fibers and woolens, which shed water, are vastly preferred to cotton materials, which retain water and increase the risk of hypothermia. It is also helpful to have several layers of clothing, which can be shed (and stored in the pack) or added as needed. In watery cave passages, partial or full wetsuits reduce the risk of hypothermia.
• For trips of more than a short duration, it is best to carry food. A combination of quickly metabolized foods (such as fruit or sweets) and slowly metabolized foods (such as vegetable soup) is best.
• Beginning cavers should be accompanied by experienced cavers with proper respect for these safety considerations. An established caving group is a welcoming environment to meet experienced cavers, and to find out about cave trips opportunities matching the skills of the newcomer. (See "Caving around the world" below for links to different caving organizations.)
• Cave passages look different from different directions. In long or complex caves, even experienced cavers become lost. To reduce the risk of becoming lost, it is necessary to memorize the appearance of key navigational points in the cave as they are passed by the exploring party. Each member of a cave party shares responsibility for being able to remember the route out of the cave. In some caves it may be acceptable to mark a small number of key junctions with small stacks or "cairns" of rocks, or to leave a non-permanent mark such as high-visibility flagging tape tied to a projection.
• Remember that you normally have to get back out the way you came in, and going back up is harder work than coming down. Turn back before you get too tired to get out. When dealing with inexperienced cavers the leader is responsible for deciding whether a trip is suitable and how far they should go before coming back out.
• Vertical caving involves ladders or SRT (Single Rope Technique). SRT is a complex skill and requires proper training before trying it underground.

Caving - Cave Conservation

The cave environment is more fragile than most people realize. And, since water that flows through a cave eventually comes out in streams and rivers, any pollution will wind up in someone's drinking water and can seriously affect the surface environment as well.

Cave-adapted living species are most fragile, and a particular species found in a cave may have evolved within that cave alone, and be found nowhere else in the world. Cave-adapted species are accustomed to a near-constant climate of temperature and humidity, and any disturbance can be disruptive to the species' life cycles. You may not even be able to see wildlife in the cave, but it is present in most caves.

Bats are one such fragile species of cave-dwelling animal. Despite their scary reputation in fiction and in the movies, bats have much more to fear from us than we do from them. Bats are friends to humans in many ways, including their important ecological role in reducing insect pest populations, and in the pollenization of plant species. Bats are most vulnerable during the winter hibernation season, when no food supply exists on the surface to replenish the bat's store of energy should it be awakened from hibernation. If you plan to visit to a cave where bats are known to hibernate, consider scheduling your trip during the warmer months when bats are less vulnerable. Be respectful of bats when you encounter them. They are sensitive to both light and sound.

It is best to educate oneself on the contents found within the caves one explores. Consider contacting the biology department of a university located in the cave region or contact the National Speleological Society and learn more about cave conservation and protection as well as karst resources.

Some cave passages may be marked with flagging tape or other indicators to show biologically, aesthetically, or archaeologically sensitive areas. Please respect these markings, and the judgement of those who placed them there, and stay on indicated trails through such passages. A beautiful floor of sand or silt may be millions of years old, dating from the last time water flowed through the cave. Such deposits may be spoiled forever by a single mis-step. Active formations such as flowstone can be similarly despoiled with a muddy footprint or handprint. Ancient human artifacts, such as fibre products, can crumble to dust under the touch of any but the most careful archaeologist.

Organized cave groups often sponsor volunteer efforts to educate the public, and to help preserve or conserve underground wilderness. If you enjoy caving, seriously consider donations of time, money, and/or talent to these efforts.

The caver's motto: Take nothing but pictures. Don´t even leave footprints if you can avoid it. Kill nothing but time. What we have now is all there will ever be.

Caving - Caving organizations

Caving - Greece

SPILAIO A greek caving portal site providing RSS Feeds with caving related news in Greek and English.

The Hellenic Speleological Federation is a national organisation with many caving clubs as members.

Caving - Jamaica

The Jamaican Caves Organisation (JCO) carries out speleological research and exploration on the island.

Caving - New Zealand

The New Zealand Speleological Society is a national organisation with local clubs that represents the recreational caves.

Caving - Ireland

The Speleological Union of Ireland is the official representative body for cavers in Ireland. It is also affiliated with the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation which operates in both the Republic Of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Caving - United Kingdom

The British Caving Association is the Governing body for Underground Exploration in the United Kingdom. It represents all those persons and groups with a genuine interest in caves, karst and associated phenomena, whether from a strictly sporting viewpoint, a scientific viewpoint, or a combination of both. The British Cave Research Associationis a constituent body of British Caving Association and promotes the study of caves and associated phenomena. The association encourages original exploration, collects and publishes speleological information, and organises education events.

Caving - United States

In the United States the National Speleological Society or NSS is a national organisation with local chapters (known as grottos). It has the goals ... to study, explore, and conserve cave and karst resources; protect access to caves; encourage responsible management of caves and their unique environments; and promote responsible caving.

Conservation Division of the NSS Preserving and protecting caves and karst for cavers, scientific research, and the general public is one of the most important goals of the NSS.

Cave Conservation and Management Section of the National Speleological Society The Conservation and Management Section provides a central clearinghouse for information, expertise and research in the field of cave conservation and management.

The Cave Research Foundation (CRF) is an American private, non-profit group dedicated to the exploration, research, and conservation of caves.

The Southeastern Cave Conservancy (SCCi) act to protect cave resources and access to caves in the Southeastern US thorough leases, agreements and outright purchase.

U.S. CAVERS FORUM Features multiple cave discussion boards (cavechat) pertaining to cave gear, cave trips, cave photography, cave information, cave news, cave conservation, the study of speleology and more!

Caving - Notable Cave Explorers

• Bishop, Stephen (USA) Early (~1830s) explorer of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
• Boegli, Alfred (Switzerland) Explorer of Hoelloch, Switzerland.
• Brucker, Roger (USA) Explorer and historian of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
• Collins, Floyd (USA) Early explorer (~1920s) of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
• Conn, Herb (USA) Explorer and Surveyor of Jewel Cave, South Dakota.
• Conn, Jan (USA) Explorer and Surveyor of Jewel Cave, South Dakota.
• Coons, Donald (USA) Prominent American caver involved with numerous international caving projects. Major discoveries in Big Island, Hawaii and Mammoth Cave, Kentucky region.
• Cornes, George (UK) Discovered Lancaster Hole with Bill Taylor in 1946
• Exley, Sheck (USA) Pioneering Cave Diver.
• Irvine, George (USA) Pioneering cave diver and head of Woodville Karst Plain Project.
• Jablonski, Jarrod (USA) Pioneering cave diver and head of Global Underwater Explorers.
• Farr, Martyn (UK) Made major advances in systems such as Ogof y Daren Cilau, and pioneering cave diver, pushing exploration in Wookey Hole, Dan yr Ogof, and others
• Kambesis, Patricia (USA) Prominent American cave surveyor. Involved with numerous international caving projects. Major discoveries in Big Island, Hawaii, and Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico.
• Klimchouk, Alexander (Russia) Prominent cave explorer in Russia and eastern bloc countries. Involved with deep exploration efforts in Poland.
• Martel, Édouard-Alfred (France) Pioneering French cave scientist and explorer. Often credited as the father of speleology.
• Quick, Peter (USA) Lead explorer involved with the Fisher Ridge Cave System, Kentucky.
• Stone, William (USA) Pioneering cave diver and prominent explorer of southern Mexico's deep cave systems.
• Smith, Marion O. (USA) Tennessee Alabama Georgia (TAG) civil war historian who has explored more than 5000 different caves and dropped more than 4000 pits which are all documented in great detail in his journals.
• Warild, Al (Aus) Promient Australian cave explorer who has explored caves in Mexico, New Guinea, Europe and many other countries. Outstanding vertical caver and climber.
• Waters, Shelah (USA) Early Tennessee cave explorer.

See also

• Speleology
• List of Caves
• Cave rescue
• Claustrophilia
• Cave Conservation

Caving - Bibliography

• Alpine Caving Techniques by Marbach and Tourtes ISBN 3908495105: widely considered to be the bible of caving techniques, particularly by European cavers
• Malaysian Cave Bibliography by Liz Price. 1998, 104pp, ISBN 983-808-029-2. Covers all aspects of Malaysian caves and karst, and includes a newspaper bibliography. For details see external link below to Malaysian Caves.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Caving", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki