What do you talk about on trips?

[Standard Unit of Tom]

Recently I've been thinking about the things I tend to end up talking about on caving trips and am curious to what others find their topics of discussion tend to gravitate towards. I do a lot of caving with Baby Hagrid and find that we have a tendency to always end up talking about current politics on our trips (along with the usual discussion of current gossip and stuff happening within the club). Please let me know what you talk about on your trips, or if you just cave in silence 👀

 

[Alex]

About anything, including politics on the way to the cave, then once underground, tend to talk about the cave we are in. Depends who though, some are more chatty than others.

 

[hartfield_estate]

If I am leading I tend to make formation based small talk (ranging from the interesting to the nonsensical), I also, whether having been there before or not, tend to do a lot of 'wow's, 'this is sooo cool's and 'do you think this kind of looks like a *insert something funny or possibly lewd*?'s. I like caving in silence occasionally interspersed with chatter- depending in nature on my companions (gossip, politics, philosophy, what food I would commit a murder for right now..). In the right company, I have co-composed some rather neat caving songs. When I get cold, I tend to sing- it warms you up!!

 

[Fulk]

Politics? The emergence of right-wing extremists, wars here there and everywhere, Trump heading for re-election? No way . . . I go caving to get away from crap like that (obviously, it's not the only reason ).

 

[mikem]

Much like going to the pub then ...

 

[ZombieCake]

It's getting a bit sketchy now. so do I now have to grow a beard?

Then I get some common sense and I think the following:

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Usually aches and pains.

 

[Flotsam]

Food

 

[shotlighter]

Most memorable one: Heiseburgs uncertainty principle being discussed by a physics teacher, a postman and a mining engineer. It ending with the former being declared " bloody crackers", by the others.

 

[Flotsam]

Most memorable one: Heiseburgs uncertainty principle being discussed by a physics teacher, a postman and a mining engineer. It ending with the former being declared " bloody crackers", by the others.

Heisenberg? Nobel laureate Richard Feynman supposedly said: “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics.”

Having studied quantum theory I believe it to be a useful kludge rather than a fundamental truth. Einstein thought pretty much the same.

 

[shotlighter]

Ill take your word for it. It was still the funniest conversation, in the most bizarre situation that Ive ever witnessed!

 

[thehungrytroglobite]

Depends on the trip, a lot of trips I do are fairly hard / long / intensive ones so we're usually focused on the cave, not much time for chatting apart from loud grunting. Obviously we talk on the walk in but I haven't noticed a specific topic coming up. On easier trips it depends who I'm with, with friends we usually catch up on each others lives, talk about what other people are doing, talk about drama, talk about relationships etc... general deep stuff. Sometimes I find caves a safer place to have hard conversations because they feel more cut off from the world, and I feel like I can be more honest/open.

 

[Badlad]

It's getting a bit sketchy now. so do I now have to grow a beard?

Then I get some common sense and I think the following:

Thanks for the opportunity to watch Wendy James of Transvision Vamp again. Obviously a very attractive lady and great front person for the band. However, I've always admired her for the way she handles herself and her attitude to life. Google her up and watch some of her interviews.

 

[Emsy]

On a through trip in Spain we sang out the shapes of the reflective route markers for hours (literally "triangular, rectangular" etc). Until we lost our way. Then we couldn't find the way on & the singing promptly stopped as the doom kicked in.

I like nonsensical banter & singing on fun sporty trips but don't tend to say much on big serious trips, unless it's about the job in hand.

 

[Badlad]

So, I made a study of this today. Whilst I was at the front doing the business I kept my ears open for what my two comrades were talking about. Mobile phones it turned out. Both how good the camera is and also the various differences in downloading music on Apple and Android. Apparently there is a big issue if you want to use your own music. Then I switched off

 

[wormster]

All kinds of stuff: in no particular order:

Relationships
Cars
Family matters
Beer
The cave we are in
Music
General fucktwattery

 

[Pony]

Went through a phase of talking about kitchens for no particular reason. Came to an end when we realised we'd been sat for half an hour talking about nowt else.

 

[rsch]

Memes, we talk about memes. And whether the correct pronunciation is memes or memes.

 

[mikem]

Try how it seems...

 

[Custards]

If you've got time to talk you're not caving hard enough.