Lunacy

[Aubrey]

Aren't you normally supposed to "figure it out" before you go underground, though?

Not if you want a real adventure rather than just conform to others expectations.

 

[cap n chris]

Ah, I think you mean misadventure there, Aubrey. You know, the type that features in Coroners' Reports. 

 

[mikem]

I think you'll find a majority of cavers started doing it themselves & only joined a club when they realised it would make some things easier...

Mike

 

[cap n chris]

It is perhaps a bit of a shame that the British caving scene is insufficiently proactive, then, if the majority have no other recourse than to work things out for themselves before they discover later on that there is an easier path to follow. Room for raising awareness?

 

[mikem]

Depends if you want to encourage participants who expect to be led or are happy to lead themselves...

Mike

 

[me]

Hmm, we were also doing Stream to Bar on Saturday, I still haven't encountered this person either above or below ground ...  

Don't worry you will have plenty of opportunity to meet her as she is booked into EuroSpeleo for the week 

 

[Brains]

A lot of newcommers would rather just do it without having to mess around with professionals and clubs etc but realise later that there is a positive benefit to be had from such things.
The keen amateur ethic seems to be strong in many

 

[mikem]

At least the ones who have the perseverance to get that far. Depends if you are happy with the situation where there are fewer & fewer cavers, whilst other sports are easier to get in to / actively recruiting members...

Mike

 

[Alex]

Part of the barrier into caving with the lack of gear hire if you do want to do it yourself is initial price of gear I mean over 100 quid for an oversuit, but I fear we are going off topic.

 

[mikem]

What's wrong with a set of cheap waterproofs? & even with all the gear it's still cheaper than gym membership. Back on topic, as the more dangerous variety are those with all the gear & no idea...

Mike

 

[alastairgott]

It is perhaps a bit of a shame that the British caving scene is insufficiently proactive, then, if the majority have no other recourse than to work things out for themselves before they discover later on that there is an easier path to follow. Room for raising awareness?

hahahaha

you tickle me.

 

[Alex]

I did that down pip when I forgot my oversuit, 20 minutes in and my waterproof trousers were destroyed!

 

[Simon Wilson]

A few weeks ago in one of the most economically depressed parts of the country I saw a bunch of about twenty children playing in a public open space. I watched them for quite some time, they were having a really good time and learning a lot in all sorts of ways. They had made a zip wire from a tree with a length of 3/8" polyprop. Yesterday I went back to give them a rope which was stronger and longer but there were no children playing there and no tree. I saw a man teaching a little girl to ride a bike so asked him about the tree. The girl showed me the grazes on her arms and while I was chatting with her father she fell of again and got back on the bike. He told me that the council had cut down the tree to stop the children playing in it.

Who are the lunatics in this story?

 

[Madness]

As Simon is hinting at - Life is about learning - some of the lessons learnt can be painful. I learnt the painfull way how to do, or not do various things. The real danger comes when you think you know it all and aren't prepared to listen to helpful advice.

Adventure and 'a hint' of risk/danger are intrinsic to caving. Would we do it otherwise?

Perhaps the problem with the lass in the original post is that she thinks that she knows it all.

 

[alastairgott]

she thinks that she knows it all.

Bingo! we have a winner!

Soloing down Maskhill and JH with all the ropes, but also went on a course with an instructor (at the request of a respected local team) who wanted to show her more knots (you only need to know one or two if you want to get yourself safely down?).
suffice to say she's now confident with her technique enough to take a novice down the 70m in Rowter (lending her handjammer and croll, wearing Crocs as she's forgotten her wellies and using a pantin as a handjammer to get her by!).

A hint of Risk/Danger? you decide?

 

[Alex]

pantin as a handjammer

 

It's one thing to endager herself but quite a different thing to endanger others!

 

[Pegasus]

[admin]Before this thread becomes too personal towards one person, I am going to lock this thread, thank you, Pegasus[/admin]