Caving at New Trout Cave (Beginner Friendly)

OVERVIEW

Come explore the wonders of the underground at New Trout Cave! New Trout is a 6+ layer maze cave, where the maze is not in 2 dimensions, but 3! There are several neat formations to see and features to traverse depending on which layer(s) we decide to explore. It’s also quite possibly the driest cave I’ve been in, which entails not only the absence of water, but the presence of a lot of dirt. Seriously, if you have asthma or breathing problems, I’d probably recommend going on a trip to a different cave or wearing a facemask.

This is a beginner friendly caving trip. If you have never been caving before or don’t have much experience, this is a great trip to come on. I’ll be explaining caving safety, technique, and conservation, so by the end of this you will have been exposed to all the basics. A brief note: caves are dark and are enclosed/confined spaces. I always encourage people to challenge themselves and try new things, but if you think you would have a major issue with darkness or being underground, consider sitting this one out.

Note: if you are interested in becoming a caving trip leader, please sign up for as many of the caving trips this week as you can, and either let me know in the trip questionnaire or shoot me a text. I have set up these trips in series to give potential caving trip leaders as much exposure as possible to different cave terrain, and will integrate a good amount of education and hands-on practice.

Schedule:
9:00 – Leave Echols
11:00 – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30 – Start caving
4:00 – Back at car and clean up
6:00 – Back at Echols

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.
– 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