Chill Beginner Caving + Swimming + Burgers

OVERVIEW

Got no friday classes? Or even better, got friday classes but wanna skip em? Then come w me to my hometown for some chill caving! and afterwards we can wash off in the shenandoah and get burgers n ice cream from a place called Spelunkers.

We’re going to front royal caverns, but these “caverns” aren’t what they sound like. This is a small, muddy, beginner friendly cave that’ll probably only take us about 2 hours to explore. It’s got a really neat pit entrance which gives it its name, and it’s less than a mile walk to a nice park and boat ramp where we can wade and swim in the river. We’ll be meeting and caving with Janet Tinkham, the chair of the front royal grotto, so thisll also be a really cool opportunity to learn stuff about caving from someone with a ton of experience.

Priority will go to people who’ve never caved before since thisll be a chill trip and the caving will be shorter than what we usually do, so if you’ve never caved before but have been curious about what its like then sign the hell up! I also need drivers so priority to them too

sched:
10: leave echols
12: meet Janet, go over safety/conservation, start caving
2:30ish finish caving, go cool off in the shenandoah
3:30ish: spelunkerssss
4:30: leave front royal
6:30: back in cville

Gear to Bring:
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– Emergency food supply
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit
– A container for any human waste – pack it in, pack it out
– Clothes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined, INCLUDING GLOVES
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (ideally boots or hiking/running shoes)
– Caving helmet (please don’t use the club’s climbing helmets; the caving helmets are the old Petzl Ecrin Rocs or new Petzl Boreos)
– No fewer than 2 working headlamps with spare batteries
– At least 1 spare light in addition to your 2 headlamps (can be a headlamp or flashlight)
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack
– Knee pads (optional)

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 are responsible for gathering all of your own equipment. Most of the gear is available at the club’s gear room.
– 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 (even trash bags and spare clothing), 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