Beginner/Intermediate Caving – New Trout and Hamilton

OVERVIEW

We are going to two caves in one day! New Trout Cave is an old saltpeter mine from the Civil War and very, very dusty (we will provide masks, or you can bring your own). Hamilton Cave is a maze cave.
This is a beginner/intermediate trip, which means you are not required to have gone caving before. However, you should be confident doing rock scrambles, some basic climbing, a fair amount of crawling, and be comfortable in tight spaces. If that all sounds fun, join us to explore some cool caves!

Schedule:
9:00 am – Leave Echols
11:00 am – Arrive at the first cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30 am – Start caving
1:30 pm – Finish first cave and travel to the next one
2:00 pm – start the second cave
4:00 pm – finish the second cave
7:00 pm – Return to Charlottesville!

***Need a driver! You’ll get priority off the waitlist.

Gear we have (you don’t need to bring):
– Caving helmet
– Headlamps with spare batteries
– Gloves
-knee pads

Gear to Bring (YOU have to bring this!):
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24-hour emergency food supply (just anything that can last you a day’s 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 required- NO COTTON (that means no jeans))
– 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)
– a change of clean clothes AND SHOES for the car
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit (hefty trash bags are good)
– Trash bag 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 not to 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, feel free to reach out! William: (630) 697-0459 and Jack: (434) 882-3205