Thinking of getting into caving

U

UKSpectre

Guest
Hey, I've been wanting to try my hand at caving for a while, thought this would be a good place to get some information.

Let me introduce myself.  My name's Jonathan.  I'm a firefighter for the US Air Force, currently stationed at RAF Lakenheath.  As a firefighter I've had training in confined space rescue, repelling, and rubble extrication.  I'm also more than used to crawling around on my hands and knees and not being able to see farther than the inside of my mask.  In my civilian life I was also an avid climber, so I know my way around rocks.  But I've never tried caving.

So what advice can you give me?  I think I'd probably like to start out with a few guided caving tours, where they provide the equipment.  Or at least tagging along on an easier cave with a group of more experienced cavers.

So anyways, that's my story.
 

Peter Burgess

New member
Hi Jonathan.

There's two approaches you could take.

You could find a club based near you and let yourself into the sport gradually, go on some easy cave trips with them, and get to know then socially.

Or you could use the services of a small number of enterprises that specialise in introducing people to caving. This way, although you fork out a bit more money, you would get the undivided attention of an experienced caver who would also supply good equipment for you to use. A few such people post regularly here, so they might direct you to their websites. They would also be able to point you to some good clubs to approach.

Unfortunately Lakenheath is about as far as you can get in England from a classic caving region! Your options are probably equally divided between Derbyshire and Somerset.

Good luck and welcome to the madhouse.
 

nickwilliams

Well-known member
You might find www.trycaving.co.uk to be interesting, and a means of contacting a few clubs.

Good luck!

Nick.
 
Yeah...you're a long way from any caves over there in the flatest part of Britain!
I would say you're about 3 1/2 hours from Derbyshire so I guess that will be the closest region for you!
 
U

UKSpectre

Guest
3 and a half hour drive doesn't scare me.  I'm from America remember, I used to drive 5 hours each way on the weekend to see friends.
 

Peter Burgess

New member
It's also probably a good idea to read the "Beer - North vs South" discussion before deciding whether to cave in Somerset or Derbyshire. Far more important it seems than what the caves are like.  ;)
 

AndyF

New member
Hi UKSpectra and welcome...

I'd echo the above comments, you can either go direct to a club, or try a day or weekend caving with a course or instructor.

I'd probably go for the second approach for a "taster" first, you will get to do a suitable trip for novices, and get top quality advice and safety.

There are several people on this board who offer this (but they will be much to polite to say so directly, forum etiquette etc.)

For the club route, if you buy a copy of Descent magazine, it lists all the clubs in the back with contact details. You will get a good welcome at any club....

Descent WWW:-

http://www.caving.uk.com/Resources/Pages/d_pages/d_shop.html


Cheers,

Andyf
 
D

darkplaces

Guest
Clubs are one way, another is to visit places like www.c**tplaces.co.uk which can put you in toutch with people who would take you on an intro cave trip to start and yap about clubs and can talk about how it all works etc.

Some of the hardened cave clubbers will frown on my no club approach but sometimes it works out well, get discussing some locations with people in your area and sort a trip.

In that area of the country you might find more coastal defences / bunkers rather then caves. Kelvedon Hatch Bunker off the M25, on the A128, a tourist bunker. http://www.system-override.com/kelvedonhatch/index2.htm

For caving/mines your closest major area is Derbyshire. For equipment visit H 'n'K - http://www.hnh.dircon.co.uk/outdoor_shops.htm / http://www.hitchnhike.com/ in the area were you can chat to the staff who will direct you to http://w01-0504.web.dircon.net/pdc/caving.htm

As you may have to visit other areas for caving do some research on cave club huts which will let members and non-members stay for silly prices for £5 a night, so you can spend weekends away.

For the mendips you can stay at places like the WCC, or the BEC or the SMCC which are within walking distance of some caves and pubs. http://www.wessex-cave-club.org/accommodation.htm - Plenty of caves (goatchurch is the starters cave) and old stone mines which are good introductions.

For Derbyshire its the Orpheus - http://www.orpheuscavingclub.co.uk/cottage_info.html or if you have to Pindale Outdoor center.

 

zomjon

Member
i Would also echo Peter's recommendation about checking out Cambridge Climbing & Caving Club (CCCC). One of their keenest cavers lives just down thr rd from you in Soham and they have quite a few regular attenders at their weekly pub meets and the club regularly (At least once a month!) get out & about caving. Check out their website, it's pretty informative. in the mean time you could always go for a grovel around the little bit of Grimes Graves they now allow you in!
 
U

UKSpectre

Guest
zomjon said:
i Would also echo Peter's recommendation about checking out Cambridge Climbing & Caving Club (CCCC). One of their keenest cavers lives just down thr rd from you in Soham and they have quite a few regular attenders at their weekly pub meets and the club regularly (At least once a month!) get out & about caving. Check out their website, it's pretty informative. in the mean time you could always go for a grovel around the little bit of Grimes Graves they now allow you in!

haha.  funny you should mention Grimes Graves.  that's actually what got me thinking about caving.  I went down there and you can only get about a body length before you hit their little gates :thumbsdown: and I was just thinking "man, I would really love to crawl back there and see where that goes, gotta find somewhere I can do that."
 
U

UKSpectre

Guest
here's some pictures I took though.  Don't those just look tempting?

DSC00317.jpg


DSC00322.jpg


DSC00327.jpg
 

Les W

Active member
Posted this in response to a question from UKSpectre which he has since taken down :(

Wet suits are just so 70's  ;)

Wet suits revolutionised caving but modern fabrics are much more efficient at heat retention, just look at how rare hypothermia is in caves nowadays.  (y)

Wetsuits only really work when staying in the water. If the cave is predominantly dry but with the occasional wetting eg. Swildons Hole, Swinsto, Giants, etc. then a fleece/oversuit combination is a much better option for comfort, ease of movement and general warmth. You will get just as cold in a wetsuit with occasional wettings but you will warm up much quicker in a fleece. Wet wetsuits out of the water wick the heat away from your body as they dry and the result in a draughty cave is that you will get very cold unless you stay in the water.
That said, a wetsuit offers good boyancy and is a boon on long wet trips but perhaps a lighter suit (3mm or a neoflece) with an oversuit is a good combo.

Hope this is of use.
 
U

UKSpectre

Guest
yeah, pretty much the info that I found when I searched after I posted the question.  I was just thinking again about my fire service training.  I've seen, though  not used, wet suits designed specificly for water rescue that are 3mm but have strengthened bends, pads, abrassion proof points, etc that I thought would probably also work especially well for caving, and it looks like in a wet cave they probably would.  They're also conveniently frequently bright colors, or have reflective bits.

But yeah, for just general caving an oversuit is the way to go?  with wetsuits for certain occasions?
 

Les W

Active member
There are pretty much no caves in the UK that require a wetsuit, (Light blue touch paper, stand well back  ) although a wetsuit is an access requiremnt for Upper Flood Swallet, but that is to encourage you to lay in the stream instead of trashing the pretties.  :( Trips in to Dan Yr Ogof and White Scar are much nicer (in the wet bits) with a wetsuit but a fleece/oversuit combo pretty much does it these days. With the advent of the neoflece I think the days of wetsuits are (quite rightly) numbered.

A major downfall of wetsuits is the "wetsuit rash" developed in the back of major joints (knees, elbows, etc.) bought about by the restricted and abrasive nature of neoprene. The neofleece removes this problem and as it is only 3mm neoprene it is comfortable with an oversuit, which both protects the neofleece and prevents too much evaporation (and therefore lost body heat) (y)

It is still too hot in a dry cave though  :-[
 

Les W

Active member
I've done Neath in a fleece and it is cold  :eek: but once you are out of the water you quickly warm up. My prefered attire for Neath is a neofleece and oversuit. Comfort, convienience and ease of movement. The only bits of Neath where you stay in the water for any length of time are the entrance series and the canal. All the rest is very shallow streamway or dry crawls. A wetsuit is a distinct disadvantage there  :thumbsdown:.
 
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