Caving
Nova-ish + C'ville
Crossroads Cave
I’m itching to get underground while I’m in town, so if you would similarly like to forget about your life and worries on the surface, come descend into darkness, silence, and pseudo-solitude with me.
This will be a long day trip, with about 8-9 hours in-cave planned. We will try to push as far into Crossroads as we can, hopefully getting to some new/fun features.
The departure location is TBD based on responses to the trip questionnaire. With that said, I cannot guarantee gas reimbursement for this trip, as it depends on the transportation situation and where people will be coming from. Please let me know if you prefer to leave from Nova, C’ville, or somewhere else, as well as whether or not you can provide your own transportation if needed.
Due to the amount of time we will be spending underground, this is an intermediate trip. Even so, if you are confident that you will do well in an underground environment, I’ll be happy to bring beginners along as well – I’ll teach you all you need to know about caving conservation, safety, and technique. Note that caves can include tight spaces and that caving involves being in the dark. If you are uncomfortable with either of those things, consider sitting this one out (or challenge yourself, idk).
Schedule:
7am – leave Nova (if there’s a Nova car)
8:30am – leave Echols (if there’s a C’ville car)
10am – enter cave
7pm – exit cave
8:30pm – back in C’ville (if applicable)
10pm – back in Nova (if applicable)
Gear to Bring:
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24 hour 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 (GLOVES, long pants, and long sleeves are mandatory)
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (trust me, you will not want to be in chacos)
– Caving helmet (please don’t use the club’s climbing helmets; the caving helmets are the old Petzl Ecrin Rocs with a suspension system instead of a foam system)
– No fewer than 2 working headlamps with spare batteries
– At least 1 spare light (can be a headlamp or flashlight)
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car (please please, I really like my car)
– Trash bag for dirty clothes and shoes
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. ***For this trip, I will be able to help provide some gear***
– 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