Cave Photography! Lowmoor Mine

OVERVIEW

We’re heading to Lowmoor Mine and Cave for an epic cave photography adventure! Originally an iron mine (1875–1898), Lowmoor later connected with a natural cave system, creating a massive underground network with 60-foot-wide passageways and ceilings up to 80 feet high. It’s one of the most beautiful caves we visit, featuring everything from striking formations to cave pearls—plus plenty of wildlife sightings!

This is ODC’s first-ever cave photography trip, where we’ll capture incredible shots of the cave and each other. No fancy camera needed—phones work great! It’ll be a chill, exploratory trip as we experiment with different photography styles in both the mine and the cave.

Lowmoor is easy to navigate—no crawling required. There’s some light rock scrambling, but nothing too intense. Since this trip is more free-form, we might explore a few more challenging areas, but we can split into groups if needed. No experience required, just know we’ll move at a relaxed pace with plenty of photo stops. Oh—and keep an eye out for the mysterious hanging rope… we might even try some vertical caving shots!

***Need drivers! You’ll get priority off the waitlist.
**Priority to people specifically interested in photography. There will be other trips to this cave, so if you are just interested in caving, there will be more trips in the future geared towards just that!

Schedule:
9:00 am – Leave Echols
11:00 am – Arrive at the cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30 am – Start caving
3:30 pm – Finish caving, roughly maybe go a little longer depending on vibes
6:00 pm – Return to Charlottesville!

Gear we have:
– Caving helmet
– No fewer than 2 working headlamps with spare batteries
– Gloves
-knee pads (optional)

Gear to Bring:
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24 hour emergency food supply (just anything that can last you a days worth of meals)
– A container for any human waste – pack it in, pack it out (old water bottle or screwable tupperware)
– Clothes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (long pants and long sleeves are mandatory- please try to avoid cotton)
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined
– At least 1 spare light (can be a headlamp or flashlight or even your phone )
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (can be found at the gear room as well)
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit and for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack (make sure it’s big enough)

Important notes:
– You MUST read the Caving Checklist provided by the club. It can be found under the Resources tab on the website. I have also linked it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lv1Hz8qOIvGb0BgVwFrU6NH1EyT3wPqt/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115487946960226883937&rtpof=true&sd=true
– You should be comfortable crawling around in tight spaces and being in the dark.
– Because caving is such a dangerous sport, I will be very strict in ensuring you have the proper equipment (i.e., if you are not properly equipped with EVERYTHING mentioned above, you are not entering the cave).
– It is a good idea to not have anything massively important scheduled for the evening of the trip in the unlikely event we are delayed

If you have any questions or concerns or are unable to pick up gear, my phone number is (970) 294-8781 (Allie) and (804) 944-1929 (John)