Solo Caving

gus horsley

gus horsley

New member
I'm sure it's a subject that has been covered before but on this forum but I can't find a reference to it.

As someone who has done a large proportion of my trips solo, I'm obviously pro: you can go at your own speed, don't have the problem of having to divert your concentration to assist less able members of the party, etc.  But I do realise there are inherent dangers such as the obvious ones like who's going for help when you have an accident.

I'd be interested to see comments.
 
SamT

SamT

Moderator
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,1023.0.html

is one of many many discussions on the board.

just go to the main page and type solo in the search bar
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
There seems to be two types of people who go solo caving. Those who just do it as a normal part of their caving life, and those that do it and make sure that everybody else knows that they do it.
 
ditzy 24//7

ditzy 24//7

Active member
I think that its fine to cave solo but best if your to go solo to let some people know ur going and tell then ulll be bk at a certain time thatway if there was 2 be an accident someone would eventually no u need help as you wouldnt have returned at that time.
 
Brains

Brains

Well-known member
I find it hard to go solo, in old mines I just chat to t'owd man, and in the caves I'm not sure who they are, but they keep whispering in the background. Just remeber, dont upset the knockers and DONT whistle in the mines!
 
W

wormster

Guest
Jagmans t'one for this,

I can't comment as I've not done any :-\
 
Simon Beck

Simon Beck

Member
Probably done more soloing than i have accompanied caving and i really enjoy it, but i only turned to soloing in the first place due to there been a complete lack of cavers willing to join me on the trips i wanted to do, which is pretty f...ing pathetic considering the hundreds and hundreds i know. I always inform a close friend where i'm going and give them a call out time....usually +4hrs on top of when i expect to be out. Personally i wouldn't recommend soloing to anyone other than the most confident cavers i.e with hundreds of top end trips under their belt + maybe a past in rock climbing/mountaineering, those with experience in the latter are always the stronger, i find. I've got old mountaineering buddies who come caving occasionally who're probably more confident and braver than most cavers i know.

 
Simon Beck

Simon Beck

Member
Langcliffe quote below
'There seems to be two types of people who go solo caving. Those who just do it as a normal part of their caving life, and those that do it and make sure that everybody else knows that they do it.'

Didn't take long for the cynics!
 
T

T pot 1

Guest
I have been a solitary caver possibly hundreds of times over 35yrs, can't get you buggers to dig where i want too  :(

T pot
 
Z

zomjon

Member
Talking about 'scathing', Simon (Still carrying that log on his shoulder') seems to continually come out with a host of gems, now it's something to do with mountaineering buddies being more confident & braver than most cavers..Is that something that is really important to be put on a caving website ? (Though I have to agree that some of the traverses in OFD do freak me out now, I definately won't be soloing them!). :eek:
 
Simon Beck

Simon Beck

Member
quote from jonzom
(Though I have to agree that some of the traverses in OFD do freak me out now, I definately won't be soloing them!).

What's the difference? If you fall you fall alone regardless of who you're with, at the end of the day you're always alone.
 
Z

zomjon

Member
Sorry for being a little cutting Simon, you are quite right to tell me to piss up a rope, just hope I remember to clean it off! This site just wouldn't be the same without your challenging remarks, As for the traverses alone? In my 20s no rope was fine, now in my 40s with wife & kids, you just want to take that little more care, & if I do fall I don't want to wait all those hours for the call out to happen.
 
B

Bob G

New member
So, solo caving:

on the plus side - you're on your own.

on the negative side -  er, you're on your own.

Have I got this right?

 
A

andymorgan

Guest
Until there are good waterproof and sturdy MP3 players available I probably wouldn't do solo trips. Without good company on a trip I imagine I would get a bit bored.
 
francis

francis

New member
andymorgan said:
Until there are good waterproof and sturdy MP3 players available I probably wouldn't do solo trips. Without good company on a trip I imagine I would get a bit bored.
Click to expand...

There are several different models on the market as we speak.
 
Simon Beck

Simon Beck

Member
At the end of the day there's soloing and then there's soloing..........
At one end of the scale you've got a pleasant day out by yourself in a system you know intimately or one which you would regard as been easy great douk/dow/long churn/heron etc...etc or at the other you could push yourself to the very edge and undertake something harder and dodgier than anything you've ever done before, maybe something you'd been hoping to find a partner for but got sick of waiting etc... a trip that requires a lot of commitment, not something undertaken lightly, something that many folks wouldn't even do while in a group etc...etc a trip where the outcome is a little unpredictable and you unenviably nervous before hand and maybe throughout. One's got very little to do with the other, although both could get you in serious shit!. The trips i've used are just examples one mans heaven is anothers hell. 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top