BEGINNER Crossroads Caving

OVERVIEW

This is day 6 of me leading a trip every single day of the week! We’re going to go on a chill beginner trip to the always-classic Crossroads Cave! The plan is to go look at some gorgeous gypsum flowers, experiencing a good variety of climbs and some mild crawls along the way. If we have time, we’ll also stop by the iconic pit.
This is a great trip if you’ve never been caving before, and I will be using a waitlist randomization system! On Wednesday around 1pm I will add 8 random people from the waitlist to the trip, and then fill in spaces randomly as people drop!

Schedule:
10:00 – Leave Echols
12:00 – Arrive at cave, go over safety/conservation information, and start caving
4:30 – Finish caving and head back to car
6:30 – Back at Echols

Gear we will bring:
– caving helmets
– knee pads
– headlamps
– gloves

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
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (I recommend boots, but hiking/running shoes with good traction will do)
– At least 1 spare light
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car (please please)
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack (make sure it’s big enough)
– 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(*see my note above). 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

**Driver needed! You’ll get priority off the waitlist, and gas will be reimbursed.**