When will the first post-pandemic expedition take place?

David Rose

Active member
In January this year, I was fortunate enough to take part in the 2020 Mulu Caves Project expedition to the holes of Gunung Benarat, expertly led by Badlad of this parish. When we got back from Camp 5 to relative civilisation at Park Headquarters, we started hearing reports about this mysterious new viral infection hitting parts of China.

We knew what it was soon enough. I'd had hopes of joining some other trips abroad this year: to Ario or maybe Dachstein, and also a visit to Kentucky and Idaho. For obvious reasons, they came to nothing.

Today I've been told that the early 2021 Mulu expedition, which I'd also hoped to join, has been postponed, currently until November. Of course, other folks have had to deal with far worse this horrible year. But I do find myself wondering - how long will it be before the cave exploration world as we fondly knew it gets back to anything like normal? When will the first post-pandemic foreign expedition take place? 
 

PeteHall

Moderator
Looks like it will be some time away, but at least that means that there should be more resource for local digging projects  (y)
 

pwhole

Well-known member
Yeah, it's probably time to organize a Covid Crunch expedition. Facemasks and gauntlets at the ready...
 
We are planning a small expedition this December in Vietnam with the cavers who live out here. We have a number of excellent new caves to explore so hopefully at Xmas time we will have time to visit a few. Vietnam has been brilliant at controlling Covid and the country though closed to visitors is totally normal. We have had no cases for over 80 days and many adventure tours are up and running in Vietnam with Vietnamese and expats who did not leave the country, joining on these multi day tours. Most of Oxalis tours that British cavers work for are booked out until at least April so all 600 people employed in company are still in jobs. We have only been restricted by lockdown for 6 weeks this whole year, the rest of the time fairly normal except all borders closed.
I think the UK could learn a valuable lesson from what has been achieved in Vietnam.
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Hoping for Tresviso, missed it this year. We were hopeful in July when Spain was enjoying its summer party visitors. Then the end  of July it was looking doubtful and by mid-August it was a dead duck. I just can't wait really, as there are so many promising leads, and even what reads to be a promising dig T171 https://tresvisocaves.info/tresviso.php?nameFilter=T171&cave=199
 

maxf

New member
I believe a few are planning to go ahead next spring in the usual Mexican locations: Cheve, Cueva Charco, Rio Uluapan.

 

Alex

Well-known member
I really hope to get out on one or two to make up for this missed ones this years, saved up quite a few holidays from work, so I really do home we can start going again in Spring, exploration is what I miss the most, I literally do keep dreaming about it.
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Anything south of the M62?  :unsure:  Or in my case any county that doesn't begin with C or D.  ;)


or in the Welsh case, anything greater than 5miles from your house.
 

adventurebarbie

Active member
Fingers crossed there will be an Ario Caves Project expo this coming summer. I sincerely hope it won't be the first expo of the season.
 

Alex

Well-known member
Hopefully, but the prob with Matienzo there is quite a few old people there and on the expedition it self (I am going to get shot for saying that lol). So I presume a vaccine would need to be out before it's a goer.
 

Juan

Active member
Alex! Bang, bang! The oldies are. of course, much more experienced and in awe (?) of you youngsters and what you get up to.
 
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