Caving is the recreational sport of exploring caves. Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment. Speleology is the scientific study of Caves and other Karst features their make-up structure physical properties history life forms and the processes by [1]
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Overview
The challenges of the sport depend on the cave being visited, but often include the negotiation of pitches, squeezes, and water (though actual cave diving is a separate sub-specialty undertaken only by very few cavers). For other uses see Pitch Climbing In Rock climbing and Ice climbing, a pitch is a steep section of a route Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Cave diving is a type of Technical diving in which specialized SCUBA equipment is used to enable the exploration of natural or artificial Caves which are Climbing or crawling is often necessary, and ropes are used extensively for safety of the negotiation of particularly steep or slippery passages. UserStan Shebs for a timetable --> Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet (or Crawling is a form of Animal locomotion generally involving slow movement along the ground such as that seen in Snakes Snails and Earthworms A rope is a length of Fibers twisted or Braided together to improve strength for pulling and Connecting.
Caving is often undertaken for the enjoyment of the activity or for physical exercise, as well as original exploration, similar to mountaineering or diving. “Alpinist” redirects here See also Alpinist (magazine Mountaineering is the Sport, Hobby or Profession of Diving off a deck into the Great South Bay of Long Islandjpg|thumb|A man dives into the Great South Bay of Long Island. Physical or biological science is also an important goal for some cavers. Virgin cave systems comprise some of the last unexplored regions on Earth and much effort is put into trying to locate and enter them. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 In well-explored regions (such as most first-world countries), the most accessible caves have already been explored, and gaining access to new caves often requires digging or diving. Cave Digging is the practice of enlarging undiscovered cave openings to allow entry Cave diving is a type of Technical diving in which specialized SCUBA equipment is used to enable the exploration of natural or artificial Caves which are
Caves have been explored out of necessity (for shelter from the elements or from enemies), out of curiosity or for mystical reasons for thousands of years. However, only in the last century or two has the activity developed into a sophisticated, athletic pastime. In recent decades caving has changed considerably due to the availability of modern protective wear and equipment. It has recently come to be known as an "extreme sport" by some (though not commonly considered as such by its practitioners, who may dislike the term for its perceived connotation of disregard for safety). Extreme sport (also called action sport and adventure sport) is a media term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent
Many of the skills of caving can also be used in the nature activities of mine exploration and urban exploration. Mine Exploration is a Hobby in which people visit Abandoned mines and quarries (and sometimes working mines) to Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE) is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities
Naming issues
Clay Perry — an American caver of the 1940s — wrote about a group of men and boys who explored and studied caves throughout New England. For the American jazz musician see Justin Clay Perry Clair Willard Perry (1887-1961 called Clay Perry, was an American writer History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the This group referred to themselves as spelunkers. This is regarded as the first use of the word in the Americas. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Throughout the 1950s, spelunking was the general term used for exploring caves in US English. It was used freely, without any positive or negative connotations, although only rarely outside the US.
In the 1960s, the term "spelunking" began to convey the idea of inexperienced cavers, using unreliable light sources and cotton clothing. In 1985, Steve Knutson (editor of American Caving Accidents) made the following distinction:
- ". . . Note that I use the term 'spelunker' to denote someone untrained and unknowledgeable in current exploration techniques, and 'caver' for those who are. "
This sentiment is exemplified by bumper stickers and t-shirts displayed by many cavers: "Cavers rescue spelunkers".
Potholing refers to the act of exploring potholes, a word originating in the north of England for predominantly vertical caves. Potholing can also be the sport of exploring vertical caves as a synonym of Caving. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The term is often used as a synonym for caving, and outside the caving world there is a general impression that potholing is a more "extreme" version of caving. Caving or spelunking is the recreational Sport of exploring Caves In contrast Speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave
Practice and equipment
Hard hats are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks. A hard hat is a type of Helmet predominantly used in workplace environments such as Construction sites to protect the head from injury by falling objects The caver's primary light source is usually mounted on the helmet in order to keep the hands free. Electric lights are most common, with halogen lamps being standard and white LEDs as the new competing technology. A halogen lamp is an Incandescent lamp in which a Tungsten filament is sealed into a compact transparent envelope filled with an inert gas plus a small amount of Many cavers carry two or more sources of light - one as primary and the others as backup in case the first fails. More often than not, a second light will be mounted to the helmet for quick transition if the primary fails. Carbide lamps systems are an older form of illumination, inspired by miner's equipment, and are still used by some cavers. Carbide lamps, also known as acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn Acetylene (C2H2 which is created by the reaction [2]
The type of clothes worn underground varies according to the environment of the cave being explored, and the local culture. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather In cold caves, the caver may wear a warm base layer that retains its insulating properties when wet, such as a fleece ("furry") suit and/or polypropylene underwear, and an oversuit of hard-wearing (e. g. , cordura) and/or waterproof (e. CORDURA was the registered name of a certified (nylon fabric from DuPont. g. , PVC) material. Lighter clothing may be worn in warm caves, particularly if the cave is dry, and in tropical caves thin polypropylene clothing is used, to provide some abrasion protection whilst remaining as cool as possible. Wetsuits may be worn if the cave is particularly wet or involves stream passages. A wetsuit is a protective garment used for watersports such as Scuba diving, Surfing, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, and Triathlon On the feet boots are worn - hiking-style boots in drier caves, or rubber boots (such as wellies) often with neoprene socks ("wetsocks") in wetter caves. A boot is a type of Shoe that covers at least the Foot and the Ankle and sometimes extends up to the Knee or even the Hip. The Wellington boot, also known as a wellie, a topboot, a gumboot, or a rubber boot, is a type of Boot based upon Hessian Neoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic Rubbers that are produced by Polymerization of Chloroprene. Knee-pads (and sometimes elbow-pads) are popular for protecting joints during crawls. The knee is the lower extremity Joint connecting the Femur, Patella, and the Tibia. The elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint&mdashthe ginglymus or Hinge joint in the middle of the Arm. Depending on the nature of the cave, gloves are sometimes worn to protect the hands against abrasion and/or cold. In pristine areas and for restoration, clean oversuits and powder-free, non-latex surgical gloves are used to protect the cave itself from contaminants.
Ropes are used for descending or ascending pitches ("Single Rope Technique") or for protection. Single Rope Technique (SRT is a set of methods used to descend and ascend ropes Knots commonly used in caving are the figure-of-eight- (or figure-of-nine-) loop, bowline, alpine butterfly, and Italian hitch. KNOT (1450 AM) is a commercial Classic Country music Radio station in Prescott Arizona, broadcasting to the Flagstaff - Prescott A figure-of-eight loop (also Flemish loop) is a type of Knot created by a loop on the bight The figure-of-nine loop is a type of Knot. It is tied as a Figure-of-eight loop but with an extra turn before finishing the knot - hence its name The bowline ( or /ˈboʊlaɪn/ is an ancient but simple Knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope "Alpine butterfly" redirects here For the actual butterflies see Alpine. The Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch, is a simple Knot, commonly used by climbers and cavers as part of a life-lining or Ropes are usually rigged using bolts, slings, and carabiners. In Climbing, a bolt is a permanent anchor fixed into a hole drilled in the rock usually consisting of a glued in or Expansion bolt. A carabiner or karabiner (colloquially crab, D ring, krab, or 'biner) is a metal loop with a sprung or In some cases cavers may choose to bring and use a flexible metal ladder. A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a Wall, and
In addition to the equipment already described, cavers frequently carry packs containing first-aid kits, emergency equipment, and food. Containers for securely transporting urine are also commonly carried. Urine is a liquid waste product of the body secreted by the Kidneys by a process of filtration from Blood and Excreted through the Urethra. On longer trips, containers for securely transporting faeces out of the cave are carried. Feces, faeces, or fæces (see spelling differences) is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the Anus
During very long trips, it may be necessary to camp in the cave. This necessitates the caver carrying sleeping and cooking equipment.
Safety
Caves can be dangerous places; hypothermia, falling, flooding, and physical exhaustion are the main risks. Cave rescue is a highly specialized field of Wilderness rescue in which injured trapped or lost Cave explorers are medically treated and extracted from various Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal Metabolism and bodily functions A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Rescuing people from underground is difficult and time-consuming, and requires special skills, training, and equipment. Full-scale cave rescues often involve the efforts of dozens of rescue workers (often other long-time cavers who have participated in specialised courses, as normal rescue staff are not sufficiently experienced in cave environments), who may themselves be put in jeopardy in effecting the rescue. This said, caving is not necessarily a high-risk sport (especially if it does not involve difficult climbs or diving). As in all physical sports, knowing one's limitations is key.
The risks are minimised by a number of techniques:
- Checking that there is no danger of flooding during the expedition. Rainwater funneled underground can flood a cave very quickly, trapping people in cut-off passages and drowning them. Drowning is Death as caused by suffocation when a liquid causes interruption of the body's absorption of oxygen from the air leading to Asphyxia. After falling, this is the most likely fatal accident in caving.
- Using teams of several, preferably at least of four cavers. If an injury occurs, one caver stays with the injured person while the other two go out for help, providing assistance to each other on their way out.
- Notifying people outside the cave as to the intended return time. After an appropriate delay without a return, these will then organise a search party (usually made up by other cavers trained in cave rescues, as even professional emergency personnel are unlikely to have the skills to effect a rescue in difficult conditions). Cave rescue is a highly specialized field of Wilderness rescue in which injured trapped or lost Cave explorers are medically treated and extracted from various
- Use of helmet-mounted lights (hands-free) with extra batteries. American cavers recommend a minimum of three independent sources of light per person, but two lights is common practice amongst European cavers.
- Sturdy clothing and footwear, as well as a helmet, are necessary to reduce the impact of abrasions, falls, and falling objects. A helmet is a form of Protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries a variation of the hat Synthetic fibers and woolens, which dry quickly, shed water, and are warm when wet, are vastly preferred to cotton materials, which retain water and increase the risk of hypothermia. It is also helpful to have several layers of clothing, which can be shed (and stored in the pack) or added as needed. In watery cave passages, polypropylene thermal underwear or wetsuits may be required to avoid hypothermia. Polypropylene or polypropene ( PP) is a Thermoplastic Polymer, made by the Chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications A wetsuit is a protective garment used for watersports such as Scuba diving, Surfing, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, and Triathlon Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal Metabolism and bodily functions
- Cave passages look different from different directions. In long or complex caves, even experienced cavers can become lost. To reduce the risk of becoming lost, it is necessary to memorise the appearance of key navigational points in the cave as they are passed by the exploring party. Each member of a cave party shares responsibility for being able to remember the route out of the cave. In some caves it may be acceptable to mark a small number of key junctions with small stacks or "cairns" of rocks, or to leave a non-permanent mark such as high-visibility flagging tape tied to a projection. Flagging is a colored non-adhesive Tape used in marking objects
- Vertical caving using ladders or SRT (Single Rope Technique) to avoid the need for climbing passages that are too difficult. Single Rope Technique (SRT is a set of methods used to descend and ascend ropes SRT however is a complex skill and requires proper training before use underground and needs well-maintained equipment. Some drops that are abseiled down may be as deep as several hundred meters (for example Harwood Hole). Abseiling (German abseilen, "to rope down" rappelling in American and British English is the controlled descent down a rope in Rock climbing Harwood (or Harwood's Hole is a cave system located in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand.
Cave conservation
Many cave environments are very fragile. Many speleothems can be damaged by even the slightest touch and some by impacts as slight as a breath. A speleothem (from the Greek for "cave deposit" commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a Cave.
Pollution is also of concern. Since water that flows through a cave eventually comes out in streams and rivers, any pollution may ultimately end up in someone's drinking water, and can even seriously affect the surface environment, as well. Even minor pollution such as dropping organic material can have a dramatic effect on the cave biota.
Cave-dwelling species are also very fragile, and often, a particular species found in a cave may live within that cave alone, and be found nowhere else in the world. Cave-dwelling species are accustomed to a near-constant climate of temperature and humidity, and any disturbance can be disruptive to the species' life cycles. Though cave wildlife may not always be immediately visible, it is typically nonetheless present in most caves.
Bats are one such fragile species of cave-dwelling animal. Despite their often frightening reputation in fiction and in the movies, bats generally have more to fear from humans than vice-versa. Bats can be beneficial to humans in many ways, especially through their important ecological role in reducing insect pest populations, and pollination of plant species. Bats which hibernate are most vulnerable during the winter season, when no food supply exists on the surface to replenish the bat's store of energy should it be awakened from hibernation. For the ability of certain operating systems see Hibernate (OS feature Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression Bats which migrate are most sensitive during the summer months when they are raising their young. Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability For these reasons, visiting caves inhabited by hibernating bats is discouraged during cold months; and visiting caves inhabited by migratory bats is discouraged during the warmer months when they are most sensitive and vulnerable.
Some cave passages may be marked with flagging tape or other indicators to show biologically, aesthetically, or archaeologically sensitive areas. Marked paths may show ways around notably fragile areas such as a pristine floor of sand or silt which may be thousands of years old, dating from the last time water flowed through the cave. Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay Such deposits may easily be spoiled forever by a single misplaced step. Active formations such as flowstone can be similarly marred with a muddy footprint or handprint, and ancient human artifacts, such as fiber products, may even crumble to dust under the touch of any but the most careful archaeologist. Flowstones are composed of sheetlike deposits of Calcite formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a Cave.
Caving organizations
Cavers in many countries have created organizations for the administration and oversight of caving activities within their nations. Among the oldest of these are the National Speleological Society (1941) of the USA (originally formed as the Speleological Society of the District of Columbia on May 6, 1939) and the Swiss Society of Speleology created in 1939 in Geneva, but the first speleological institute in the world was founded in 1920 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, by Emil Racovita, a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist and explorer of Antarctica. The National Speleological Society (NSS is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration conservation study and understanding of Caves in the United States Emil Racoviţă ( November 15, 1868 &ndash November 17, 1947) was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, For a list of these organizations, see Caving organizations. See also Caving There are a number of Caving organizations throughout the world
See also
- Category:Caving by country
- Cave
- Cave rescue
- Speleology, the scientific study of caves
- Urban exploration, an activity similar to caving, but done in urban areas
- Caving organizations
- List of caves
- Pit cave
In popular culture
Documentaries
- Journey Into Amazing Caves (2001)
- Caverns of the Mojave: An Expedition with Real Cavers (2006)
- Planet Earth (2006), fourth episode "Caves"
Feature (fictional) films
- The Cave (2005)
- The Descent (2005)
- The Cavern (2005)
References
- ^ Caving in New Zealand (from Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
- ^ Caving equipment and culture (from Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
- Alpine Caving Techniques by Marbach and Tourtes ISBN 3-908495-10-5: widely considered to be the bible of caving techniques, particularly by European cavers
- Cave Exploring by Paul Burger ISBN 0-7627-2560-5: Good beginner to intermediate guide to caving, focusing primarily on US caving techniques
- Speleological Abstract (SA/BBS) Annual review of the world's speleological literature, edited by the Bibliography Commission of the UIS. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter Cave rescue is a highly specialized field of Wilderness rescue in which injured trapped or lost Cave explorers are medically treated and extracted from various Speleology is the scientific study of Caves and other Karst features their make-up structure physical properties history life forms and the processes by Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE) is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities See also Caving There are a number of Caving organizations throughout the world The following is a partial list of Caves. Africa Algeria Ain Bird Zaa El Kbira A pit cave (or vertical cave) often simply called a "pit" is a type of natural Cave passage which is a vertical shaft rather than a horizontal cave Planet Earth is an Emmy Award and Peabody Award -winning BBC Nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough and The Cave is a 2005 sci-fi / horror Film directed by Bruce Hunt The Descent is a 2005 British Horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The Cavern is a 2005 horror Film directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand is an Online encyclopedia created by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage of the New Zealand Government. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand is an Online encyclopedia created by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage of the New Zealand Government.
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