Tommy
Active member
Right then folks, humour me again.
What experience does anybody have with fast caving?
What is the history of fast cavers?
Whether fast movement itself - speed crawling, brisk walk/jogging down tunnels. Possibly lightweight/super minimal gear to aid squeezes and lugging chunky ropes around etc.
I suppose I am thinking in terms of Ueli Steck and predecessors and the evolution of mountaineering techniques in the last ~50 years (correct me if I'm wrong), from fixed rope, many months-long siege expeditions, through to just a few days, and now down to hours on some ascents. Is there much the scope for such a thing in caving?
I am leaning towards a 'no' due to the nature of it. SRT gear is already cut down to the minimum (unlike climbing where people can solo instead of taking 10's of nuts, pitons, twin ropes and so on). And there isn't much choice with regards to rigging and fixed ropes - very much a stalwart feature of smooth, water-blasted vertical caving. And of course much of the mountain weight saving practice is mainly relevant due to the effects of altitude, less of an issue in caving, (what about stale air O2 content?).
Before someone snaps (as always seems to be the case on here from my lurking experience so far), I am not advocating or suggesting that caving could or should be be turned into a quantifiable, timed, Olympic, whatever, 'sport'. I am just curious. Arse covered.
Didn't Pete Livesey do some speedy stuff?
What experience does anybody have with fast caving?
What is the history of fast cavers?
Whether fast movement itself - speed crawling, brisk walk/jogging down tunnels. Possibly lightweight/super minimal gear to aid squeezes and lugging chunky ropes around etc.
I suppose I am thinking in terms of Ueli Steck and predecessors and the evolution of mountaineering techniques in the last ~50 years (correct me if I'm wrong), from fixed rope, many months-long siege expeditions, through to just a few days, and now down to hours on some ascents. Is there much the scope for such a thing in caving?
I am leaning towards a 'no' due to the nature of it. SRT gear is already cut down to the minimum (unlike climbing where people can solo instead of taking 10's of nuts, pitons, twin ropes and so on). And there isn't much choice with regards to rigging and fixed ropes - very much a stalwart feature of smooth, water-blasted vertical caving. And of course much of the mountain weight saving practice is mainly relevant due to the effects of altitude, less of an issue in caving, (what about stale air O2 content?).
Before someone snaps (as always seems to be the case on here from my lurking experience so far), I am not advocating or suggesting that caving could or should be be turned into a quantifiable, timed, Olympic, whatever, 'sport'. I am just curious. Arse covered.
Didn't Pete Livesey do some speedy stuff?