Information about Caving

Caving is the recreational sport of exploring caves. Speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment.^[1]

The challenges of the sport depend on the cave being visited, but often include the negotiation of pitches, squeezes, and water (though actual cave diving is a separate sub-specialty undertaken only by very few cavers). Climbing or crawling is often necessary, and ropes are used extensively for safety of the negotiation of particularly steep or slippery passages.

Caving is often undertaken for the enjoyment of the activity or for physical exercise, as well as original exploration, similar to mountaineering or diving. Physical or biological science is also an important goal for some cavers. Virgin 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 access to new caves often requires digging or diving.

Caves have been explored out of necessity (for shelter from the elements or from enemies), out of curiosity or for mystical reasons for thousands of years. However, only in the last century or two has the activity developed into a sophisticated, athletic pastime. 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 considered as such by its practitioners, who may dislike the term for its perceived connotation of disregard for safety).

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

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:

"...Note that I use the term 'spelunker' to denote someone untrained and unknowledgeable in current exploration techniques, and 'caver' for those who are."

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.

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 carry three or more sources of light - one as primary and the others as backup in case the first fails. More often than not, a second light will be mounted to the helmet for quick transition if the primary fails. Carbide lamps systems are an older form of illumination, inspired by miner's equipment, and are still used by some cavers.^[2]

The type of clothes worn underground varies according to the environment of the cave being explored, and the local culture. In cold caves, the caver may wear a warm base layer that retains its insulating properties when wet, such as a fleece ("furry") suit and/or polypropylene underwear, and an oversuit of hard-wearing (e.g., cordura) and/or waterproof (e.g., PVC) material. Lighter clothing may be worn in warm caves, particularly if the cave is dry, and in tropical caves thin polypropylene clothing is used, to provide some abrasion protection whilst remaining as cool as possible. Wetsuits may be worn if the cave is particularly wet or involves stream passages. On the feet boots are worn - hiking-style boots in drier caves, or rubber boots (such as wellies) often with neoprene socks ("wetsocks") in wetter caves. Knee-pads (and sometimes elbow-pads) are popular for protecting joints during crawls. Depending on the nature of the cave, gloves are sometimes worn to protect the hands against abrasion and/or cold. In pristine areas and for restoration, clean oversuits and powder-free, non-latex surgical gloves are used to protect the cave itself from contaminants.

Ropes are used for descending or ascending pitches ("Single Rope Technique") 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 karabiners. In some cases cavers may choose to bring and use a flexible metal ladder.

In addition to the equipment already described, cavers frequently carry packs containing first-aid kits, emergency equipment, and food. Containers for securely transporting urine are also commonly carried. On longer trips, containers for securely transporting faeces out of the cave are carried.

During very long trips, it may be necessary to camp in the cave. This necessitates the caver carrying sleeping and cooking equipment.

Safety

Main article: Cave rescue

Caves can be dangerous places; hypothermia, falling, flooding, and physical exhaustion are the main risks. Rescuing people from underground is difficult and time-consuming, and requires special skills, training, and equipment. Full-scale cave rescues often involve the efforts of dozens of rescue workers (often other long-time cavers who have participated in specialised courses, as normal rescue staff are not sufficiently experienced in cave environments), who may themselves be put in jeopardy in effecting the rescue. This said, caving is not necessarily a high-risk sport (especially if it does not involve difficult climbs or diving). As in all physical sports, knowing one's limitations is key.

The risks are minimised by a number of techniques:

• Checking that there is no danger of flooding during the expedition. Rainwater funneled underground can flood a cave very quickly, trapping people in cut-off passages and drowning them. After falling, this is the most likely fatal accident in caving.
• Using teams of several, preferably at least of four cavers. If an injury occurs, one caver stays with the injured person while the other two go out for help, providing assistance to each other on their way out.
• Notifying people outside the cave as to the intended return time. After an appropriate delay without a return, these will then organise a search party (usually made up by other cavers trained in cave rescues, as even professional emergency personnel are unlikely to have the skills to effect a rescue in difficult conditions).
• Use of helmet-mounted lights (hands-free) with extra batteries. American cavers 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, falls, and falling objects. Synthetic fibers and woolens, which dry quickly, shed water, and are warm when wet, 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, polypropylene thermal underwear or wetsuits may be required to avoid hypothermia.
• Cave passages look different from different directions. In long or complex caves, even experienced cavers can become lost. To reduce the risk of becoming lost, it is necessary to memorise 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.
• Vertical caving using ladders or SRT (Single Rope Technique) to avoid the need for climbing passages that are too difficult. SRT however is a complex skill and requires proper training before use underground and needs well-maintained equipment. Some drops that are abseiled down may be as deep as several hundred meters (for example Harwood Hole).

Cave conservation

Many cave environments are very fragile. Many speleothems can be damaged by even the slightest touch and some by impacts as slight as a breath.

Pollution is also of concern. Since water that flows through a cave eventually comes out in streams and rivers, any pollution may ultimately end up in someone's drinking water, and can even seriously affect the surface environment, as well. Even minor pollution such as dropping organic material can have a dramatic effect on the cave biota.

Cave-dwelling species are also very fragile, and often, a particular species found in a cave may live within that cave alone, and be found nowhere else in the world. Cave-dwelling species are accustomed to a near-constant climate of temperature and humidity, and any disturbance can be disruptive to the species' life cycles. Though cave wildlife may not always be immediately visible, it is typically nonetheless present in most caves.

Bats are one such fragile species of cave-dwelling animal. Despite their often frightening reputation in fiction and in the movies, bats generally have more to fear from humans than vice-versa. Bats can be beneficial to humans in many ways, especially through their important ecological role in reducing insect pest populations, and pollination of plant species. Bats which hibernate are most vulnerable during the winter season, when no food supply exists on the surface to replenish the bat's store of energy should it be awakened from hibernation. Bats which migrate are most sensitive during the summer months when they are raising their young. For these reasons, visiting caves inhabited by hibernating bats is discouraged during cold months; and visiting caves inhabited by migratory bats is discouraged during the warmer months when they are most sensitive and vulnerable.

Some cave passages may be marked with flagging tape or other indicators to show biologically, aesthetically, or archaeologically sensitive areas. Marked paths may show ways around notably fragile areas such as a pristine floor of sand or silt which may be thousands of years old, dating from the last time water flowed through the cave. Such deposits may easily be spoiled forever by a single misplaced step. Active formations such as flowstone can be similarly marred with a muddy footprint or handprint, and ancient human artifacts, such as fiber products, may even crumble to dust under the touch of any but the most careful archaeologist.

Caving organizations

Australia

Australian Speleological Federation (ASF) is a national organisation formed in 1956. It is an environmental organisation promoting the protection of Australia's unique cave systems.

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Federation of Speleology is established in 1958 and is a member of the UIS(UNESCO) since 1965. A very comprehensive resource for Bulgarian caves is available at Bulgarian Caves.

Canada

Caving Canada There is no national caving organization in Canada, despite the existence of a national publication (the Canadian Caver, started in 1968). Regional organizations exist in British Columbia and Quebec, and caving clubs exist in most of the provinces.

China

Hong Meigui is an international society dedicated to the exploration of caves in China and throughout the world.

Czech Republic

Czech Speleological Society / Česká speleologická společnost is the national organisation with many caving clubs as members.

Europe

Speleological Federation of the European Union / Fédération Spéléologique de l'Union Européenne (FSUE) is the European organisation which federates the national caving federations/associations in Europe.

France

Fédération Française de Spéléologie is the national organisation with many caving clubs as members.

Greece

The Hellenic Speleological Federation is the only secondary national organisation in Greece and has many caving clubs as members. There are a number of independent clubs outside the Federation.

Iceland

The Icelandic Speleological Society the ISS carries out and conducts cave research in Iceland.

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.

Jamaica

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

Netherlands

Speleo Nederland is the national organisation with four regional sections. The national 3 monthly publication is called "Pierk" (meaning stalactite).

New Zealand

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

Norway

Norsk Grotteforbund (The Norwegian Speleological Society) is the national organisation. It was established in 1980.

Portugal

Federação Portuguesa de Espeleologia

Romania

The Romanian Speleological Federationwas founded on 28 May 1994 by the association of all speleological structures from Romania, having as goal to strengthen the national speleological activities. FRS is member of UIS (Union International de Spéléologie), affiliated to UNESCO.

South Africa

• South African Speleological Association, PO Box 6166, Johannesburg 2000
• Cave Research Organisation of South Africa, PO Box 7322, Johannesburg 2000. Tel: 011-6404394
• Speleological Exploration Club (SEC), PO Box 157, Modderfontein 1645.

Spain

• The Federación Española de Espeleología is the Spanish Speleological Association. There are also twelve Regional Associations ("Federaciones Autonómicas" in spanish), and people must be associated with one of them so they can do caving.

Sweden

The Swedish Speleological Society is the national body for caving in Sweden. It was founded in 1966 by the "Father of Swedish Speleology", Leander Tell.

Switzerland

The Swiss Society of Speleology was created in 1939 in Geneva.

Turkey

• Cave Research Association is the oldest cave research association in Turkey. Its central organisation is in Ankara and it has a branch in Bursa. MAD arranges cave expeditions and promotes speleology in Turkey. MAD has more than 100 members with approximately 40 of them actively working.
• BÜMAK (Boğaziçi University Speleological Society) is the oldest University Club of the country. The Club has explored EGMA, deepest cave in Turkey (-1429 m. deep) and is still actively finding and exploring new caves all around the country.

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 Association is a constituent body of the 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.

United States

• The National Speleological Society (NSS) is a national non-profit membership organization formed in 1941 with the purpose "to promote interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of speleology, the protection of caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those interested therein." Most of the Society's approximately 12,000 members belong to local chapters known as grottos. The Society maintains an active online discussion forum to discuss caving. Anyone interested in caving or caves is invited to participate.
• The Cave Research Foundation (CRF) is an American private, non-profit group dedicated to the exploration, research, and conservation of caves.

See also

• Cave
• Speleology
• List of Caves
• Cave rescue
• Pit Cave

Movies about caving

Documentaries

• Journey Into Amazing Caves (2001)
• (2006)
• Planet Earth (2006), fourth episode "Caves"

Feature (fictional) films

• The Cave (2005)
• The Descent (2005)
• The Cavern (2005)

References

• Alpine Caving Techniques by Marbach and Tourtes ISBN 3-908495-10-5: widely considered to be the bible of caving techniques, particularly by European cavers
• Cave Exploring by Paul Burger ISBN 0-7627-2560-5: Good beginner to intermediate guide to caving, focusing primarily on US caving techniques
• Speleological Abstract (SA/BBS) Annual review of the world's speleological literature, edited by the Bibliography Commission of the UIS.

External links

• Glossary of Caving Terms http://werple.net.au/~gnb/caving/glossary/