rhychydwr1
Active member
Caves for the Uninitiated by Brain D Kharpran Daly 2013 136 pp, photos etc. ?12.00
The book is described as a charming work of fiction but takes the form of a series of talks to a group of young people who have been caving once and want to know more. Inspired by the talks, and awed by the beauty and splendour of this mysterious underground realm, this group of young fledgling cavers goes on to spend several days with a pair of veteran caving experts, Brain D Kharpran Daly and Herbert Daniel Gebauer. At the end of this brief period of instruction, several of the boys and girls decide to take up caving themselves.
Considerable research has gone into the compilation of this book which uses the BCRA grading of cave surveys and Bill Little?s Caving Code and David Judson?s Conservation report. Dr Tony Boycott, and the late Tony Jarrett also get a mention.
The author lives in Meghalaya and this book reflects the Indian aspects of caving.
It reminds me of British Caving by C H D Cullingford covering all the usual topics including cave formation, all types of caves, speleothems, and how they are formed, cave life, conservation, accidents and survival etc .
Numerous Meghalaya caves are described including a reference to those which are suitable for beginners. There is also a chapter devoted to legends of Meghalayian Caves. One legend describes the sun hiding in a cave whilst another is the story of a beautiful damsel who lived in a cave. I was surprised to see a mention of a cavern at Chudleigh in Devon. A beautiful sonnet by the Rev John Swete in 1794 describes fairies living in caves has been included.
Brian D Kharpran Daly was born in Shillong, the capitol of Meghalaya, a small north Indian state. A former economic investigator and CEO of the Shillong Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd, he retired in 2012. As a founding member of the Meghalaya Adventurers? Association, he has been awarded the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventurer Award by the Government of India for his work in discovering and documenting the caves of Meghalaya.
TO
The book is described as a charming work of fiction but takes the form of a series of talks to a group of young people who have been caving once and want to know more. Inspired by the talks, and awed by the beauty and splendour of this mysterious underground realm, this group of young fledgling cavers goes on to spend several days with a pair of veteran caving experts, Brain D Kharpran Daly and Herbert Daniel Gebauer. At the end of this brief period of instruction, several of the boys and girls decide to take up caving themselves.
Considerable research has gone into the compilation of this book which uses the BCRA grading of cave surveys and Bill Little?s Caving Code and David Judson?s Conservation report. Dr Tony Boycott, and the late Tony Jarrett also get a mention.
The author lives in Meghalaya and this book reflects the Indian aspects of caving.
It reminds me of British Caving by C H D Cullingford covering all the usual topics including cave formation, all types of caves, speleothems, and how they are formed, cave life, conservation, accidents and survival etc .
Numerous Meghalaya caves are described including a reference to those which are suitable for beginners. There is also a chapter devoted to legends of Meghalayian Caves. One legend describes the sun hiding in a cave whilst another is the story of a beautiful damsel who lived in a cave. I was surprised to see a mention of a cavern at Chudleigh in Devon. A beautiful sonnet by the Rev John Swete in 1794 describes fairies living in caves has been included.
Brian D Kharpran Daly was born in Shillong, the capitol of Meghalaya, a small north Indian state. A former economic investigator and CEO of the Shillong Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd, he retired in 2012. As a founding member of the Meghalaya Adventurers? Association, he has been awarded the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventurer Award by the Government of India for his work in discovering and documenting the caves of Meghalaya.
TO
