cap n chris
Well-known member
C R A W L I N G O N B R O K E N G L A S S
Lava is an acquired taste which I have yet to fully acquire but so far think I'm doing quite a passable job at keeping up the appearances of having delusions of adequacy. It is awesome stuff; in its creation, characteristics, locations and visual appeal ? and it is my intention to create a clich? by repeating the words ?It's a photographer's paradise? until they carve themselves in stone and I have convinced anyone remotely handy with a camera to visit the Canary Islands* to check it out!
EdW on left, Menacer on right, using a laser to burn a new tube.
Cueva Perdido, Tazacorte, La Palma, Photo: Cap'n Chris, November 2014
The usual prep for warm climate lava tubing was achieved by waking up half an hour earlier than usual and simply throwing a helmet, light and full complement of body armour into our peli-suitcases before breaking the speed record to Gatwick; fly Norwegian Airlines folks ? it's cheap (?73 return) and they have free onboard WiFi and serve full-sized cold bottles of wine for ?12, unlike those EasyJet pipettes for six smackers.
Touchdown four hoursnote later, but disfortuitously on the wrong side of the island, so we marginally alarmingly wobble our hire car around the swerve-curves, up and through the tunnelled mountains to eventually emerge on the sunny side just in time for a huge feast at a restaurant, La Mariposa, where they serve herds of tenderness on plates which just fit into the room. (note @ only ?73 and a mere 4 hours flying time this equates to less ??? and less hours than a visit to the Dales; just sayin'
).
We caved every blinkin' day, mostly central and south; we singularly failed to get a permit to view the caldera at Taburiente so that will wait until our next trip, and we also failed to get a chicken from the takeaway roast cluckness ? but other than that we succeeded in every regard, mostly thanks to our excellent hosting country, its ever-so-helpful online caving society, and our rugged caving prowess.
L-R: Menacer, EdW, Aubrey, Hayley, Cap'n Chris
Photo: SelfieCam
So, ?Why Lava? Tell us more about its awesomeness?: OK, I shall. Firstly in its creation lava tubes are amazing as they are hewn from toothpastey swarf by alien visitors who etched them with powerful thoughts to serve as messages about their intended invasion on 18th August 2015 (but this latter statement is wide open to debate since apparently the date appears to be somewhat vague, with the sources suggesting that it actually falls between a wider calendar margin, being the 14th to the 22nd, depending on the carvings' interpretation).
However, that's mostly Von Daniken-esque hookum, I reckon. .... Meanwhile they make a great site for taking photographs and larking around. They are a photographer's paradise.
Hayley enjoying the motorway leading to the cave at Tigalete;
the not remotely precipitous path was enjoyed by everyone. Photo: Chris
On first acquaintance with the world of lava, several caving presumptions need to evaporate from my tiny brain polyp; firstly they are usually quite new (in the south of the island the lava taps were switched on in 1971) and despite the size of some of the tunnels and chambers they are pristine because they've only been here for a clutch of years (there are some older ones containing archaeology ? bits of brick, cigarette ends and perhaps a wondrous colourful crisp packet ? usually empty, sadly).
Front to rear: Menacer, Aubrey, Hayley. Entering the crinkly zone. Photo: Cap'n Cavey
Another assumption which can be dismissed is that lava is cold and hostile; this is plain incorrect. It is (certainly in the Canarian Islands) mostly warm and hostile. To paraphrase the thoroughly nice caver, Gnome, progressing inside lava is akin to ?swimming in a skip full of broken glass?, or words to that effect. Sometimes there is sand on which to crawl, but more often there isn't. There's also some creepy crawlies....
AAAGH! - Creepy Crawlies!!
www.youtube.com/embed/eVi3H8uz5jA
However it's usually hands and knees crawling, as these few pics below admirably demonstrate ? note, though, that the floor is marginally rugged, almost like the cavers laughing their way across it:
Menacer menaces the lava into smoothness.
Aubrey grovels along the polished marble pavers...
... while Ed enjoys the luxury of a well established skateboard track to follow.
Most of the lava tubes in La Palma are located at awkward distances from the nearest bar, and this was almost a deal-breaker on a daily basis; we took stock of our circumstances, though, and decided to press on with the hard work, only occasionally breaking away to pop into a cave here or there.
Caving on La Palma includes some humid and warm chambers where judicious lighting helps show up
my BO trail. Photo: Cap'n Chris
After six days of caving, visiting ten different sites, we came home to write all about it. A return to Canarian Lava is already planned and the hasty packing and revving of engines will start,.... sooooon!..... Watch this black space for further updates on rocky ground.
_______________________
* Anyone interested in finding out more about Canarian Lavaness might find useful info here on Menacer's cavey wavey website: www.cavesoflanzarote.co.uk
Lava is an acquired taste which I have yet to fully acquire but so far think I'm doing quite a passable job at keeping up the appearances of having delusions of adequacy. It is awesome stuff; in its creation, characteristics, locations and visual appeal ? and it is my intention to create a clich? by repeating the words ?It's a photographer's paradise? until they carve themselves in stone and I have convinced anyone remotely handy with a camera to visit the Canary Islands* to check it out!
EdW on left, Menacer on right, using a laser to burn a new tube.
Cueva Perdido, Tazacorte, La Palma, Photo: Cap'n Chris, November 2014
The usual prep for warm climate lava tubing was achieved by waking up half an hour earlier than usual and simply throwing a helmet, light and full complement of body armour into our peli-suitcases before breaking the speed record to Gatwick; fly Norwegian Airlines folks ? it's cheap (?73 return) and they have free onboard WiFi and serve full-sized cold bottles of wine for ?12, unlike those EasyJet pipettes for six smackers.
Touchdown four hoursnote later, but disfortuitously on the wrong side of the island, so we marginally alarmingly wobble our hire car around the swerve-curves, up and through the tunnelled mountains to eventually emerge on the sunny side just in time for a huge feast at a restaurant, La Mariposa, where they serve herds of tenderness on plates which just fit into the room. (note @ only ?73 and a mere 4 hours flying time this equates to less ??? and less hours than a visit to the Dales; just sayin'
). We caved every blinkin' day, mostly central and south; we singularly failed to get a permit to view the caldera at Taburiente so that will wait until our next trip, and we also failed to get a chicken from the takeaway roast cluckness ? but other than that we succeeded in every regard, mostly thanks to our excellent hosting country, its ever-so-helpful online caving society, and our rugged caving prowess.
L-R: Menacer, EdW, Aubrey, Hayley, Cap'n Chris
Photo: SelfieCam
So, ?Why Lava? Tell us more about its awesomeness?: OK, I shall. Firstly in its creation lava tubes are amazing as they are hewn from toothpastey swarf by alien visitors who etched them with powerful thoughts to serve as messages about their intended invasion on 18th August 2015 (but this latter statement is wide open to debate since apparently the date appears to be somewhat vague, with the sources suggesting that it actually falls between a wider calendar margin, being the 14th to the 22nd, depending on the carvings' interpretation).
However, that's mostly Von Daniken-esque hookum, I reckon. .... Meanwhile they make a great site for taking photographs and larking around. They are a photographer's paradise.
Hayley enjoying the motorway leading to the cave at Tigalete;
the not remotely precipitous path was enjoyed by everyone. Photo: Chris
On first acquaintance with the world of lava, several caving presumptions need to evaporate from my tiny brain polyp; firstly they are usually quite new (in the south of the island the lava taps were switched on in 1971) and despite the size of some of the tunnels and chambers they are pristine because they've only been here for a clutch of years (there are some older ones containing archaeology ? bits of brick, cigarette ends and perhaps a wondrous colourful crisp packet ? usually empty, sadly).
Front to rear: Menacer, Aubrey, Hayley. Entering the crinkly zone. Photo: Cap'n Cavey
Another assumption which can be dismissed is that lava is cold and hostile; this is plain incorrect. It is (certainly in the Canarian Islands) mostly warm and hostile. To paraphrase the thoroughly nice caver, Gnome, progressing inside lava is akin to ?swimming in a skip full of broken glass?, or words to that effect. Sometimes there is sand on which to crawl, but more often there isn't. There's also some creepy crawlies....
AAAGH! - Creepy Crawlies!!
www.youtube.com/embed/eVi3H8uz5jA
However it's usually hands and knees crawling, as these few pics below admirably demonstrate ? note, though, that the floor is marginally rugged, almost like the cavers laughing their way across it:
Menacer menaces the lava into smoothness.
Aubrey grovels along the polished marble pavers...
... while Ed enjoys the luxury of a well established skateboard track to follow.
Most of the lava tubes in La Palma are located at awkward distances from the nearest bar, and this was almost a deal-breaker on a daily basis; we took stock of our circumstances, though, and decided to press on with the hard work, only occasionally breaking away to pop into a cave here or there.
Caving on La Palma includes some humid and warm chambers where judicious lighting helps show up
my BO trail. Photo: Cap'n Chris
After six days of caving, visiting ten different sites, we came home to write all about it. A return to Canarian Lava is already planned and the hasty packing and revving of engines will start,.... sooooon!..... Watch this black space for further updates on rocky ground.
_______________________
* Anyone interested in finding out more about Canarian Lavaness might find useful info here on Menacer's cavey wavey website: www.cavesoflanzarote.co.uk
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