Artificial Caves

cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Never having had any experience of what these are like I wonder if anyone who does would care to summarise pros/cons and whether or not the word "cave" is an apt tag or whether instead these things are anything but cave-like.

I know there's one locally to Mendip which cost somewhere in the region of 7 grand and is little more than a plastic box which is an embarrassment to cavers, apparently.
 
Graigwen

Graigwen

Active member
About nine years ago my wife took a school trip to the Isle of Wight and the kids (Year 6) went down some kind of artificial cave. It sounded pretty naff from the description, but the kids really enjoyed getting kitted up with helmets and lights and crawling around. I spoke to some of them when they came back and it was clear this was one of the high points of the trip. Very odd....a cave without any mud.

I suppose everything is relative, what seems very limited to experienced cavers may have a novelty value for others.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Yet more contrived adventure - what pathetic times we live in.
If you want to go caving, go in a cave. Not something made of plastic.

Well, someone had to say it - didn't they?
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
"Artificial cave: It was felt that this was a good way of getting others involved and that this idea should be pursued"

Guess who/where?
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
No idea mate - except that it wasn't me.

Actually, now you mention it - I agree that is a reasonable objective.
 
graham

graham

New member
Moose said:
Pitlamp said:
Yet more contrived adventure - what pathetic times we live in.
Click to expand...

..... or in your case 'what phreatic times we live in....'
Click to expand...

I was going to correct this to "places" but then I thought, no, many of the places you inhabit were also phreatic, so "times" is really correct for Pitlamp.  :sneaky:
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
There is one at the Scout camp near Watford. It consists ofa figure of 8 made of concrete rings witha ten foot shaft in the middle.

Think it got closed on "Health and Safety" grounds as it was "too dark" or some such tosh.
 
darren

darren

Member
Artificial caves, whatever next ?

Before we know it they'll have artificial cliffs for Climbing.  If they're feeling really soft they might even build them indoors out of the weather.

Still I expect no real climbers would touch them with a bargepole
 
cap n chris

cap n chris

Well-known member
Lol!

Yes, you might be on to somethere there, Darren; imagine die-hard artificial cavers touring around the best artificial cave sites the UK has to offer looking for some top sporting challenges - perhaps even in sites where they can master artificial rope techniques; one wonders whether they'd need to state they were bona fide artificial cavers in order to gain access but, hey!,... that's for the future regional artificial caving councils' access officers to decide.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
I wondered if anyone would mention the parallel issue of artificial climbing walls. I have to say that the BMC did an absolutely first class job of diverting competition climbers away from real crags onto artificial walls. It was very far sighted of them at a time when it could all have gone the wrong way.

Climbing walls are also responsible for helping climbing standards massively improve over the last 20 years. They help you develop technique and fitness at times of the year when the weather makes real outdoor climbing impossible. But will artificial "caving" constructions be so beneficial? I doubt that they would ever help push caving standards in the same way artificial walls have helped climbers.

Many people see artificial "caves" as a harmless way of encouraging folk to have a go at caving. Others see them as the thin end of a very big wedge which is increasingly having an adverse effect on any adventurous activity. My own views fall somewhere in between. I suppose it all comes down to how responsibly experienced cavers put them into context when introducing novices. Then again I see no reason why a novice's first caving trip shouldn't be in a real cave. If it wasn't - then they shouldn't be led to believe that they've actually been caving.

Have you been in Lascaux Graham? I'm very impressed; I'd love to have the chance to see that one day. Have been in Lascaux Deux and I thought that it was extremely good but the real thing must be amazing.


 
Roger W

Roger W

Well-known member
There's an artificial version of "the Fairy Cave in Guizhou" at the China Folk Culture Villages in Shenzhen.  It's just a short length of passage, full of what I hope are man-made replica columns and other stal.  Subdued lighting, wet, limestoney atmosphere and a nice flagged path underfoot for the tourists to walk on.

3631402799_5b111bbdfe.jpg


I don't suppose it would deceive Cap'n Chris for a minute, but it might encourage someone who had never been in a cave before to want to go and visit a real cave.

 
Les W

Les W

Active member
Having been following this thread I am reminded of " A Strange Device" by Alfie Collins. If you haven't read it then you are missing out. The stuff about being banned from real caves and only able to visit artificial caves is defiantly relevant (The Fifth Tale).  (y)
 
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