What makes an "Epic"?

[footleg]

In my experience, the following make an epic:

• Lack of planning
• Overconfidence
• Inexperience
• Underestimating the capabilities of your group
• Not reading the guide book properly (or mistranslating it)
• Lack of fitness (both physical and mental)
• Ignoring the advice of others
• Not taking the weather forecast seriously

Did I miss anything?

 

[Peter Burgess]

Becoming the innocent victim of someone else's thoughtlessness. e.g. having your kit removed from a pitch.

 

[footleg]

Becoming the innocent victim of someone else's thoughtlessness. e.g. having your kit removed from a pitch.

Ah, but only if you fell foul of this one....

• Not leaving a call-out with someone responsible

No blaming your epics on other people now 

 

[Paul_L]

Becoming the innocent victim of someone else's thoughtlessness. e.g. having your kit removed from a pitch.

Ah, but only if you fell foul of this one....

• Not leaving a call-out with someone responsible

No blaming your epics on other people now 

Surely thats just bad planning?, Part of the disaster plan....

 

[Paul_L]

Did I miss anything?

• Accidents

 

[paul]

What is an "Epic"?

You'll know when you've had one....

 

[darkplaces]

Damm good answer that!   

 

[bat]

In my experience, the following make an epic:

• Lack of planning
• Overconfidence
• Inexperience
• Underestimating the capabilities of your group
• Not reading the guide book properly (or mistranslating it)
• Lack of fitness (both physical and mental)
• Ignoring the advice of others
• Not taking the weather forecast seriously

Did I miss anything?

Overestimating the capabilities of your group

It was still a dam good trip

 

[Paul_L]

What is an "Epic"?

You'll know when you've had one....

Isn't it down to the individual involved?

For example, a novice doing Lancaster hole through Wretched Rabbit might have an "Epic adventure", but for experienced cavers its a delightful classic trip.

 

[caverholic]

What is an "Epic"?

You'll know when you've had one....

Isn't it down to the individual involved?

For example, a novice doing Lancaster hole through Wretched Rabbit might have an "Epic adventure", but for experienced cavers its a delightful classic trip.

Not necessarily down to just the individual involved. If you take a novice on a trip which they have an 'epic' on. It generally turns out to be an epic for you too. Having to watch their every move or haul them up climbs and pitches.

I think an epic trip is generally any trip that doesn't go quite to plan(in a bad way)

Thankfully I've not had many 

 

[Dickie]

What is an "Epic"?

A trip of over 20 hours..................when it wasn't supposed to be!!!

 

[Paul_L]

I think an epic trip is generally any trip that doesn't go quite to plan(in a bad way)

So, does it have to be "bad" to be Epic?

A full Berger expedition has to be an adventure of Epic proportions, even without mishap!

 

[j4nny]

Definition
epic  Show phonetics
noun [C]
a film, poem or book which is long and contains a lot of action, usually dealing with a historical subject:
It's one of those old Hollywood epics with a cast of thousands.

epic  
adjective
1 in the style of an epic:
an epic film about the Roman Empire

2 describes events that happen over a long period and involve a lot of action and difficulty:
an epic journey/struggle

3 INFORMAL extremely large:
The problem of inflation has reached epic proportions.

think number 2 is pritty close! :-\

 

[ditzy 24//7]

forgetting some of your caving kit or having no spares when you need them after a trip.

 

[footleg]

forgetting some of your caving kit or having no spares when you need them after a trip.

Definitely when you don't realise until part way through the trip. Like someone I know who realised they had forgotten their jammers when they reached the bottom of Nettle Pot in Derbyshire

 

[ian.p]

forgetting some of your caving kit or having no spares when you need them after a trip

this tends to lead to no trip especialy if you forget somthing like youre helmet not that anyone would be that daft.......ahem *sidles away whistling* it was the CO2 poisning i tell you.

 

[Peter Burgess]

- Spending 13 hours at worst crawling flat out, at best never being able to stand up straight, surveying every last inch of passage knowing full well that if you don't get it done in one day, you'll have to go back again to get it finished properly.

 

[ditzy 24//7]

forgetting some of your caving kit or having no spares when you need them after a trip.

Definitely when you don't realise until part way through the trip. Like someone I know who realised they had forgotten their jammers when they reached the bottom of Nettle Pot in Derbyshire

I thought most cavers left there jammers attatched to the harnes aswell as the rest of there srt kit.

 

[footleg]

I thought most cavers left there jammers attatched to the harnes aswell as the rest of there srt kit.

Most cavers, maybe. But some cavers are (how shall I put it?), 'special', when it comes to the potential for a cock-up!

 

[badger]

• Not reading the guide book properly (or mistranslating it)

dont know what you mean footleg, although 1600 metres seems to ring a bell