Where am I?
You are on Rockhopper's cave page. Here you will learn the basics about caving, along with some of Hopper's opinionated views on various cave topics. If you are an experienced caver with little tolerance for sarcasm, you won't find this page very helpful or entertaining. However, if you are a beginner, you might find it valuable.
What is caving?
The technical definition of a cave is a hole in the ground that goes far enough that daylight can't be seen from inside. Caving is the activity of going into these holes.
Is that what they call spelunking?
Yes. They call it spelunking. We don't. We call it caving, and we'll correct you if you use the wrong term. But we actually like it when outsiders call it spelunking; it makes us feel superiour for knowing the right term.
Can anyone do it?
Caving doesn't require any special education or training. It does require that you be in reasonably good shape and have a tolerance for darkness and mud. It doesn't require that you be comfortable with amazingly tight spaces, at least, not in the beginning. Many caves have a lot of walking and crawling passages. The more you cave, the smaller the space you'd call tight becomes. When I started, I considered a passage tight if I had to go down on my elbows. Now I consider it tight if I have to exhale to move forward.
How do I get started?
Contact your local caving group. They probably have a web page. You can also try contacting the National Speleological Society, who would know where the local grottos (caving clubs) are. It is NOT a good idea to just find a cave and start caving. Caving isn't usually dangerous if you know what you're doing, but if you're just starting out...you don't know what you're doing. Better to have someone more experienced going along.
Is it expensive?
No. For beginners, the gear is relatively inexpensive. There usually isn't any charge to go into caves. See Gear Page for more info.
Is there any reason I shouldn't do this?
No, unless you don't like being bruised, scraped, sore, and muddy. Oh, and your friends and family will think you're insane. I think they may be right.
Where can I get more information?
I'd start with books and the internet, which are both amazing sources of information. You can also follow the links below.
Is Rockhopper really the best source of information about caving?
Oh, yeah. Heh.
| More Caving from Rockhopper | ||
|---|---|---|
| What Gear Should I Get? | Is Caving Dangerous? | Don't Do It! |
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