Solo Caving

[Chris J]

I certainly go caving because it generates thrills. Doesn't everyone?

For me I associate the word thrills with jumping out of an aeroplane, bungy jumping, riding a mountain bike down a steep slope, going on a rollar coaster etc..

Thrills to me means my heart thumping in my chest and adrenaline rushing.

- this is definately not what I cave for.

For me it is the pleasure of an adventure shared with good friends, the sense of achievement and satisfaction at completing a trip or doing a good days caving, the physical and mental challenge and the enjoyment of exploring. Whether that means simply finding the way down a cave I know, going somewhere I've not been before or going somewhere no one else has.

I certainly don't look for danger or adrenaline rushes underground.

 

[cap n chris]

I was using the word thrill along the dictionary definition of it - not your version.

A thrill is a pleasurable excitement, not danger.

 

[Chris J]

Good to hear it Chris -  it just sounded like you like to cave solo because it makes it more exciting - which seems like an odd motive.

Simon I guess does. "But yes it's got to be dangerous" is a scary statement which I hope is a slight exageration.

We all take risks and understand them but to pursue danger for its own sake would be a worrying characteristic.

 

[martinr]

it's not in my nature to make an issue about what I get up to solo, unless asked

So: what do you get up to solo?

 

[graham]

I go caving because I love the underground environment. In my youth I enjoyed the physical challenge more than I do now, but even though I cannot now handle the trips that I did a quarter of a century ago, I still get a remarkable degree of satisfaction from my caving (& can still get to do trips that are beyond the "hard men" of this thread   ).

I remember, many years ago, talking to Russ Gurnee who was then President of the NSS. He was telling us about how he had thought long and hard about what he could do to maintain his active interest in caves as he got older. His answer was to get interested in and involved in show cave development and conservation - he became a world authority on those matters.

In my case, I've developed interests in karst geomorphology, cave art & cave conservation. I wonder what the hard men will do when they can no longer hack the hard caves.

 

[cap n chris]

it's not in my nature to make an issue about what I get up to solo, unless asked

So: what do you get up to solo?

OK, here's one.

Like many cavers from daaahn saaaaaf, I've heard of Alum Pot/Long Churn but never been there. Hey ho! So, found out that it's a popular cave (i.e. VERY popular) and that an early start would be a wise plan. Also knew there was a big scary pitch way in and another walking type entrance which ought not to be confused with the more commiting trip of Diccan Pot. Having found out about where to park and pay for access I arrive in the rocky layby at about 8:00am on a nice sunny summer's day and pack up lots of rope and karabiners and then trudge off to find the way in - i.e. follow the most worn out path. Find a fenced off area which is clearly a cave entrance and head in going downstream and checking a variety of side passages - discover a deep plunge pool the easy/hard way by getting soaked and then continue down to a slot traverse which ends in a climb; a bit more following the "obvious" route and then see a couple of anchors on the left hand side by another pool and use a good natural to rig an approach traverse - rig off the anchors doing what seems like a 50' abseil into a gloomy/natural light chamber which gets brighter as I walk out into the most magnificent sight - a huge natural amphitheatre with bright shafts of sunlight streaking down into a mossy green pit with superbly reflective wet limestone ledges reaching off some way; birds fly around and the wind blows through the trees. For someone who has been caving for a long time to walk into such a place with no previous experience of a similar view this is a real "memorable moment" - having taken plenty of rope allowed a good rig of the spacious ledge and then over an angled slab and off both sides - one a short(ish) pitch of about 40' and another from the underside of the slab which was considerably bigger; also another ledge traverse and pitch leading into the dark depths of the cave, surrounded by cascades of water and the sounds of nature - no human noises to break the ethereal atmosphere of the place. Bagged up and returned up the initial 50' pitch and then bumped into the first of about 3-5 groups which were either in the cave already, preparing to enter or doing the approach walk. I don't quite know what they made of a bloke on his own straining under the weight of two bulging tackle bags walking back downhill at ten in the morning... probably thought "Nutter" or somesuch.

 

[kay]

I'm not a hard caver; never have been, probably never will be (and it's not in my nature to make an issue about what I get up to solo, unless asked). But I certainly go caving because it generates thrills. Doesn't everyone?

Yes, I do, but I doubt whether you and I are talking about the same sort of thrill. For me, it's the thrill of understanding - what's round this corner, how does this bit of passage relate to that bit?

 

[cap n chris]

For me, it's the thrill of understanding - what's round this corner, how does this bit of passage relate to that bit?

.... err, it's around the corner?...     

 

[Chris J]

walking back downhill at ten in the morning... probably thought "Nutter" or somesuch.

So what did you do for the rest of the day?

 

[cap n chris]

Then went to Jingling Pot and after that went to Marble Steps.

 

[kay]

For me, it's the thrill of understanding - what's round this corner, how does this bit of passage relate to that bit?

.... err, it's around the corner?...     

Anyone know the smiley for 'sigh'? 

I get much more satisfaction from poking around a cave till I feel I know it thoroughly than I do from challenging myself physically. And yes, it is a real thrill that I get. 'Spose I should get into surveying, but that's far too pernickety and detailed for me.

 

[Chris J]

Then went to Jingling Pot and after that went to Marble Steps.

Good stuff 

 

[cap n chris]

'Spose I should get into surveying, but that's far too pernickety and detailed for me.

Apparently the questionable joys of surveying wear off after about the first hundred hours. For me they wore off after the first thirty hours or so. One day this survey will be over. 

 

[Jagman]

I go underground alone reasonably frequently, partly because I often get the urge to go beneath when no one else is available. Also, I live 5 minutes from huge Lead workings in the Alston / Nenthead area so its easy to do.
Sometimes do it simply because it makes an alternative from a night infront of the telly.
  Generally I stick to areas I know but not always, sometimes I take a wander into somewhere like Brownley Hill and find somewhere dry and draught free for a sleep (never ever remove your lamp from your waist no matter how uncomfortable, only did that the once )
I often feel that on a trip with a bunch of us we tend to speed past things in a rush to get somewhere so going alone gives you the oppurtunity to see more.
Some people comment about hearing to many voices underground alone, its just another factor to get used to.
Nice to bimble about alone sometimes

 

[Dep]

I've never been into a natural cave alone - although I have had various times on trips when I was alone for a while.
I made my own way out of Peak Cavern earlier this year and really enjoyed that alkthough not exactly unknown ground as I had been in that way. But the atmosphere is great.

I have had quite a few solo trips into the local mines though, as well as other trips where I have gone in solo as a rescue exercise casualty - or gone in to meet others already in there.

For 'regular' caves/mines I see little difference between caving solo or in a group - for more advanced places I would want the back-up at various places untl I was good enough oir knew the iste well enough that it became just 'regular' to me.

For me the biggest challenge when alone is psychological - A few times I have had to give myself a stern talking to and remind myself that I am a rationalist who does not believe in ghosts etc etc - any noise I may think I heard are either natural - made by me - or my imagination.

The most recent experience was reseting our tell-tales on a site before changing the locks for the winter  bat hibernation. These are long galleries (stone quarry) and I noticed I could hear footsteps...
But when I stopped and stood dead still the footsteps continued for a second and then stopped. Just as if someone was sneaking along behind me.
This required one of the aforementioned 'stern talking tos' - and eventually I realised that it was the sound delay of the echo of my footfalls from the blank wall at the far end of the gallery a few hundred metres away.
I would (had) never noticed this before when in a group due to the combined noise of lots of people.

I think one day I'd be happy enough to do somewhere like Swildon's just as far as sump 1 and back alone.
It'd give me a chance to have a really good look at the streamway upper reaches where there are some really nice formations and maybe even take some pics without having to worry about holding anyone up.

The only real risk doing this sort of thing is a silly accident such as turning your ankle, or a serious head-butt of an overhanging bit - here some friends to keep you warm whilst waiting for rescue would be handy.
Simply saying that one is more careful alone cuts no ice - 100% of the silly sort of accident described above happen to people who were not expecting them - in truth I could not be more careful about where I put my feet etc than I already am.

 

[cap n chris]

Dep, your mention of noises reminds me of Sunday when I was alone in Goatchurch (in the drain pipe) taking laser readings; I'd already been in the cave for about an hour and heard absolutely nothing. While lying in the drain pipe I heard a series of very low frequency rumbles, like sub-bass explosions. I heard nothing else. Perhaps there were people elsewhere in the cave (not unreasonable or unusual) which resulted in this - although I didn't hear anything else which would suggest other cavers nearby - or perhaps there was a localised earth movement/seismic event. Or... perhaps it was the cave ghouls trying to make me sh*t myself (they failed, BTW). Very strange.

 

[graham]

It was the cave gods screwing with magnetic north to ruin the survey data mate.

I promise I'll finish the number crunching soon. 

 

[cap n chris]

Ah, that'll explain it. Ta, Graham.

 

[Stupot]

very low frequency rumbles, like sub-bass explosions. 

I hear these on a regular basis when digging on my own in the Swildon's 5 streamway, low booming sounds.

Most odd  :-\

And it's not the hobbits or Cornish piskies cause I shot them last week.

Stu.

 

[cap n chris]

Weird! It's not quarry blasting (not on a Sunday evening, anyho!). So what could it be?