Crawling through the Mazes of Hamilton Cave

OVERVIEW

Let’s start the semester off right by going underground into a cave that we’ve never explored before! Hamilton cave is a maze cave in West Virginia that’s known for its complex network of narrow passageways, including a tight squeeze called the Air Blower leading to the back portion of the cave. These types of caves are my favorite, so I’m super excited to explore it.

Since we’ve never been to this cave before, and because of its challenging features, this is an advanced trip; please only sign up if you have been caving with ODC at least twice before. And due to the nature of the cave, if you aren’t comfortable going through narrow squeezes, this trip probably isn’t for you.

Schedule:
9:00am – Leave Echols
11:00pm – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30 – Start caving
4:30 – Finish caving, return to car
7:00 – 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); see note about clothes
– Caving helmet (please don’t use the club’s climbing helmets; the caving helmets are the old Petzl Ecrin Rocs or the new Petzl Boreos)
– 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)
– 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 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