Caving or Spelunking (which is a tongue twister of a word) simply means cave discovery. It is known as spelunking in the US and Canada but the United Kingdom refers to it as potholing and is one of the most adventurous hobbies that you can get involved in.
Why? Because there are many caves around the world which are undiscovered as yet meaning you could be the very first to discover it. This enthrals adventure and thrill seekers from all over the world, but, be warned, it can be highly dangerous, especially if you are completely untrained in anything similar.
Is Caving (Spelunking) For you?
Before you answer this question there are a few things you should consider first. You should know all of the facts before you pour your time and money into a hobby, and spelunking is no different.
In fact, it can be so time-consuming and so expensive that making sure you want to do it first has never been more important. Why waste all of the money you will be spending on equipment only to realise it wasn’t for you after all?
Let’s take a look at the main considerations before you decide to go spelunking for real.
It Can Be Highly Dangerous
Spelunking is a very dangerous hobby to undergo. While there are safety measures that you can put in place, the risk is still high, so much so that it is actually classified as an extreme sport. It only takes one mistake in placing your harness rope on the wrong rope, or your buddy has a lapse in concentration, letting you slip down the cave and you can end up seriously injured or worse.
The main reason that it is a highly dangerous sport is that many caves are unknown, even the ones that are known may have changed slightly due to the terrain weakening due to rain or river water seeping through into the cave from the top and pouring down, changing the layout of the cave in the process.
The question you should ask yourself is simply is it worth it? Can you afford a few months off work due to broken bones or possibly worse? Spelunking can even be life threatening at worst. Can you justify to yourself risking it all for this hobby? While it can certainly be fun, many people choose, in balance, that it simply is not worth the risk and stick to tennis on the weekends!
Do you have the time?
Spelunking can be highly time-consuming and takes a lot of planning to get right. You will have to pack everything you need into your car, travel to the cave (which can be some distance), set up everything before commencing and ensure that everything is safe before doing so by checking the equipment is in good condition.
By the time you start caving it will most likely be coming towards tea time which is why many people end up staying in a hotel (or camping) close to the cave and starting in the morning. That means that this hobby will take up at least two full days of your time.
Is two days something that you can commit to on a regular basis? Many cannot but if you can then it is a great start for your caving expeditions!
Equipment needed for spelunking
- Helmet
- Headlamp
- Backup Headlamp
- Footwear
- Caving Undersuit
- Wet Suit
- Oversuit
- Waist Belt
- Socks
- Headwear
- Knee Pads
- Elbow Pads
- Gloves
- Tackle Bag
- Harness
- Chest Harness
- Ascenders
- Descenders
- Cow’s Tails
- Food and Drink
*Note to self – If you do not recognise some of the items listed here, that means you are probably not ready to start caving yet!
Have you got the required skill set?
You will need to know a little bit about how to attach harnesses and ropes to cave rocks safely before you even think about doing it for real. As discussed, spelunking can be dangerous, especially if you don’t know what you are doing.
Make sure that you do a lot of research, practice with the required equipment, and understand the basics of caves and caving before proceeding. Spend a lot of time watching some videos on caving and get some knowledge before you begin. After that, do some caving with a professional on some “easy” caves first before going it alone with your buddy.
Do you have a buddy with the same interest?
Having a buddy with the same interest in caving as you will not only make it more fun, it will make it far safer and easier to motivate yourself to go caving. Caving simply cannot be done alone so if you are thinking about exploring those caves on your own, think again.
It is possible, however, to explore them with a buddy or two. This means that you can do it in relative peace, away from the teams of people who go spelunking but you are not doing it on your own as well which is completely stupid and seriously ill-advised.
