Books to inspire aspiring new caver

[rjjgilham]

Hi there,

My girlfriend recently got started with caving and really likes it (like myself). Unfortunately, the bunch she/we go with aren't particularly good at providing background and stuff as to the caves she/we go down or the skills required (for example the more knotty parts of SRT, pun intended).

To help her keep enthused, can anyone recommend a good book or two covering UK caving in general and a basic guide to popular UK caves (Yorkshire-centric would be good if not essential). She has plenty of mountain leader type experience and really needs the encouragement to get her underground and transfer her skills.

Cheers,

'Dr Legs'

 

[damian]

Guidebook - Selected Caves of Great Britain and Ireland by Donald Rust & Des Marshall

Techniques & General - The Complete Caving Manual by Andy Sparrow

"Story"- "It's only a game" and "The game goes on" by Jim Eyre

The first and the last are in print and available from caving shops or online. The middle one is (I think) now out of print, but copies come up on E-Bay and amazon all the time.

There are loads of other threads on here listing other excellent caving books but most of them are now out of print and fairly difficult to come by.

By far the best way to get hold of these, at minimal cost, is to join a caving club and borrow them from the library. That should also help sort out the "knotty parts of SRT" for you too.

 

[ianball11]

I enjoyed Jim Eyres cave explorers.

 

[damian]

I enjoyed Jim Eyres cave explorers.

rjjgilham - you'll find you have to pay quite a bit to gte a copy of this, as it's been out of print for years.

Some of the book has actually been included almost word-for-word in the two other Jim Eyre books I mentioned above.

 

[Goydenman]

Happy to meet up and tell you about the caves of Nidderdale plus cover some techniques if that helps - would cost you a pint in the local though

 

[Les W]

I enjoyed Jim Eyres cave explorers.

rjjgilham - you'll find you have to pay quite a bit to gte a copy of this, as it's been out of print for years.

Some of the book has actually been included almost word-for-word in the two other Jim Eyre books I mentioned above.

However a "long lost " cache of these books were found in Canada I think, and have been recently put on the market.
You will find copies available here amongst several places where it can be obtained

 

[ianball11]

I borrowed it from the Uni library in Huddersfield.

Ian B.

 

[SamT]

Beneath the Mountains:Exploring the Deep caves of the Asturias by david rose and Richard Gregson was the first caving book I read and its a cracker.

The Darkness Beckons is an uber classic if not a little sobering.

And

Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent Into the World's Most Treacherous Cave by Bill Stone is not as bad the corny title suggests.

 

[rjjgilham]

'ello.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Amazon will hopefully fix it...

See you down a hole some time.

'Dr Legs'

 

[LarryFatcat]

I still treasure my Elliot and lawson SRT rigging guide.  The photos by Simon Raven are excellent and really inspiring to the vertically enthused.

 

[axbridgecaver]

Yochib : The River Cave by C. William Steele (1985)

Exploration of Yochib Cave in Mexico

The most exciting and crazy cave exploration book that I have ever read. Most of the most dangerous parts of the exploration of the massive river cave were undertaken by Mike Boon who saved the life of the author in this cave.

Only three copies on abebooks.com - the cheapest is $15.

Also six on Amazon - the cheapest is ?14.99 the most expensive ?240!!!!!!

A must to read.

 

[Tony_B]

I agree with the  earlier suggestions Beneath the Mountains and The Darkness Beckons, probably the two best caving books I've read. For anyone who caves on Mendip Peter Johnson's History of Mendip Caving is fascinating; when I first started as a fourteen-year-old I borrowed it from Christchurch Library on countless occasions and now have my own copy, although I suspect it is long out-of-print. Tony Waltham's Caves was another that inspired and informed me as an impressionable teenager.

If you've ever been to any of the Llangattock caves then Martyn Farr's Darkworld is recommended.

Having been to the Berger for the second time in 2007 I recently re-read One Thousand Metres Down (Jean Cadoux and others), and while it's not a great work of literature one cannot help but marvel at the exploits of the hard bastards who explored the cave. An essential read if you're going to the cave, but skip the first few chapters where they go on about the Vats de Sassenage and making their flippin' caving film.

Ghar Parau (David Judson) is a good read. At least you will understand what cavers mean when they talk about a cave 'doing a Ghar Parau'!

If you like looking at great cave pictures then Lechuguilla - Jewel of the Undergound (a Speleo Projects book, published in 1991) has to have a place on your shelf, or more likely your coffee table, and the text is good too.

Finally, for tracking down all these long out-of-print books I recommend Alibris (www.alibris.co.uk) over and above Amazon. I've filled nearly all the gaps in my caving library, for reasonable money, using this site. Most of the books are held by US booksellers but they will post to the UK no problem and I have only had good experiences. I'm currently writing a short article for the SWCC Newsletter about One Thousand Metres Down, so I looked it up on Alibris last night and came across around twenty copies, cheapest GBP 2.94, most expensive GBP 58.30 (a first edition). Cheapest UK-stocked copy GBP 10.92. Having paid thirty quid for my copy on Ebay a year or two ago, I feel a bit silly!

 

[Andy Sparrow]

For anyone who caves on Mendip Peter Johnson's History of Mendip Caving is fascinating;

Don't say that too loud in the Hunters!  The book is reviled in Mendip circles for the author's attempt to undermine Balch and his contemporaries.  I must admit that it formed the basis of my knowledge of Mendip caving when I began back in 1971, and served a purpose in that respect, but it would have been more accurately titled 'Why the UBSS is the best caving club in the world and did you know the pioneers were actually a bunch of nancy tossers?'.

 

[Hammy]

I know it is not specifically Yorkshire or UK but 'Ten Years Under the Earth' by Norbert Casteret is a bit of a caving classic.

 

[Tony_B]

Don't say that too loud in the Hunters!  The book is reviled in Mendip circles for the author's attempt to undermine Balch and his contemporaries.  I must admit that it formed the basis of my knowledge of Mendip caving when I began back in 1971, and served a purpose in that respect, but it would have been more accurately titled 'Why the UBSS is the best caving club in the world and did you know the pioneers were actually a bunch of nancy tossers?'.

Andy, thanks for this; in all the years I have been caving since reading the book I had never picked up on that, although I get to Mendip less often these days. I can only say that I read and re-read the book many times as a youngster and loved it...sounds like I need to read it again.

 

[Stupot]

Personally reading Martyn Farr's 'The Darkness Beckons' had me in a trance for day's, and for me to read a book is very very rare as I have the attention span of a wasp.

Very inspiring not just from a diving perspective but in underground exporation as a whole.

On the other hand my other half will recommend 'The Great Caving adventure' by the same author.

Stu.

 

[Brendan]

Subterranean Climbers - that is pretty inspiring, especially the quick stop off on the 80 mile cycle ride to sabotage Nazi railways, before a weekend of exploration, knowing you would be shot if you got caught!

 

[graham]

For anyone who caves on Mendip Peter Johnson's History of Mendip Caving is fascinating;

Don't say that too loud in the Hunters!  The book is reviled in Mendip circles for the author's attempt to undermine Balch and his contemporaries.  I must admit that it formed the basis of my knowledge of Mendip caving when I began back in 1971, and served a purpose in that respect, but it would have been more accurately titled 'Why the UBSS is the best caving club in the world and did you know the pioneers were actually a bunch of nancy tossers?'.

In defence of the UBSS I have to say that the author did not have a sparkling reputation within the Society and that one of the first critical comments on this book was made by our President, Prof. Tratman, in an address to the AGM.

 

[gus horsley]

"Underground Adventure" by Gemmell and Myers if you can still get hold of a copy.

 

[mrodoc]

say what you will about The History of Mendip Caving, Peter Johnson was the first person to attempt a systematic approach to the subject. It came out shortly after I started caving and I found it a really interesting read and learnt a lot from it.