Chillin at Crossroads- CAVING BEGINNER

OVERVIEW

Hey hey hey! Have you been seeing caving on trip of the week and are thinking to yourself, “hey that looks hella fun maybe I should give caving a try!” well guess what. Do we have the trip for you! Lillie and I will be taking a group of beginners into the depths of Crossroads! This is a super beginner friendly cave so you absolutely need NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE! The routes we will be taking are super uber chill and we will be able to see some epic cave features and maybe if we are lucky a bat or two! So come out this Saturday to try something new and push yourself out your comfort zone! I KNOW you can do it!!!!

*** I will be prioritizing beginners for a decent portion of the trip***

Schedule:
10:00am – Leave Echols
12:00am – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
12:30am – Start caving
4:30pm – Finish caving
7:00pm – Return to Charlottesville and chill at Chipotle!

**Note on Chipotle: This is a completely voluntary part of the trip. We also have the option to drop you off prior to this part. If you have financial concerns, please feel free to reach out to us and we will help you figure it out!***

Ok Gear: I know this long list can be intimidating so feel free to reach out to us with any questions! We have extras of almost everything so if you have any concerns just let us know and we will help you get what you need.

Gear we have that you do not need to get:
– Caving helmet
– 2 working headlamps
-Knee pads (optional)

Gear to Bring:
– Water (Nalgene size works)
– Snack/Lunch
– 24 hour emergency food supply (just anything that can last you a days worth of meals, in case of emergency gear item)
– A container for any human waste – pack it in, pack it out (anything sealable, plastic water bottle, screw on tupperware, etc.)
– Clothes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (long pants, and long sleeves are mandatory- please try to avoid cotton)
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (sneakers, hiking boots, etc)
– At least 1 spare light (can be a headlamp, flashlight or even your phone )
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (can be found at the gear room as well)
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car (please please! Also make sure you bring layers! It is still a little chilly out!)

Gear we have extra of but please first try to bring your own. If you cannot get your own please notify us ASAP:
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit (the Hefty trash bags area perfect size)
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack (make sure it’s big enough, can be the same trash bag as hypothermia kit)
– Gloves (In the gear room too, the gardening ones are the best)
– AAA batteries (like 6ish)

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 (feel free to contact us with any questions, we will be reviewing everything before entering the cave)
– 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 semi-tight spaces and being in the dark (only headlamps as light source).
– 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). That being said please notify me ASAP if you cannot get all of your gear. We will help you!
– 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

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

If you have any questions or concerns or are unable to pick up gear, my phone number is (970) 294- 8781 (Allie) and (757) 985-9543 (Lillie). Again please please please reach out to either one of us with ANYTHING! We are hear to help!