Perhaps we're just a self-selecting bunch of obsessional retentives who would probably be called hermits in another culture or time - presumably most people accessing a caving forum are already nuts about the underworld otherwise they wouldn't be checking out sites about it. So, there's probably not much chance of finding a representative sample of "Why you got into caving in the first place" since most people who've given it a go and decided it's not for them (bit like when I had a go at hang-gliding) are "lost" to the rest of us. Mind you, that's no reason not to ask the question in the first place, I suppose, and still makes the topic a relevant one for the contributors to this forum - discuss.
:x That said, I suppose another quite fair question would be "What keeps you going caving?... don't you get bored of it?" - that's one my folks keep asking me but I suspect they're just trying to wean me off something they consider dangerous and a potential life-shortener (which perhaps it is). Perhaps they care about me, despite the constant beatings as a small cherub. (Miniature violins in background).
Oh well. Mustn't waste virtual space with ramblings; time for another voice to be heard above the tumult, perchance. :roll: