What do you talk about on trips?

[ZombieCake]

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.

Wendy has done a few solo albums since Transvision Vamp, well worth checking out. I think they are pretty good.

 

[AlexR]

Depends entirely on nature of the trip and people on it.
If it's novices I bore them broaden their horizon with speleogenesis/ geology facts; if it's a gentle sport trip it'll be general chit-chat; digging is a mix of talking yourself up to the misery of what effectively amounts to a labour camp and questioning when [insert generic fastfood chain] will finally open a branch at the dig.

The best ones have been in a state I can only describe as a complete breakdown of mental cohesion, usually brought on by exhaustion/ borderline hypothermia in very remote environments. Most memorably after slogging up the same horrendous mud slope for the third time to climb an aven resulted in a solid 1.5hrs of "conversation" based on caving adaptations of the Family Guy Mr Washee washee skit ("you fingers no bleeding, you no climb hard enough", etc. etc.).

 

[JAshley73]

"Damn this sucks. Where the hell are we?!"

 

[Standard Unit of Tom]

Thank you all for the replies! Very interesting to hear what others talk about. Putting some more thought into it, a personal favourite of mine is smash or pass / f*ck, marry, kill with one time it devolving down to the options being a leopard, bear or a snake in the car on the way home 🤣

 

[Tangent_tracker]

Life, in general. But I find talking can be a good indicator of how people are fairing. Someone who is not very talkative, or become less so, might be showing the initial signs of hypothermia. At the very least, they might not be happy for some reason... it is worth asking if someone who has gone quiet is ok.

 

[Badlad]

On yesterdays trip it was mostly talking about other people - and why they weren't there.

 

[pwhole]

it is worth asking if someone who has gone quiet is ok.

Most people who cave with me assume that if I've gone quiet I must be happy

 

[Tangent_tracker]

Most people who cave with me assume that if I've gone quiet I must be happy

haha! I guess it's more with new folk and people you know well.... And yes some are quieter than others !

 

[mikem]

haha! I guess it's more with new folk and people you know well.... And yes some are quieter than others !

A change is generally considered the warning sign, so those who are normally quiet becoming more voluble is also noteworthy

 

[Tangent_tracker]

A change is generally considered the warning sign, so those who are normally quiet becoming more voluble is also noteworthy

I didn't know that! interesting thanks!