Glade Cave Round 2! (Beginner friendly)

OVERVIEW

Since a lot of people got stuck on the waitlist for the other trip to Glade cave, I decided to make another trip there! I can’t get enough of this cave, so this gives me another chance to go! If you’ve never been caving before, this is a great one to start in, as long as you’re ready to get completely covered in mud (this is one of the muddiest caves in Virginia!).

We will be talking about safety, conservation, and technique to get all newcomers accustomed to the sport. 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. This cave does not have any mandatory belly crawls or particularly tricky climbs.

Schedule:
10:00 – Leave Echols
11:00 – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30 – Start caving
4:00 – Finish caving, return to car
5:00 – 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); note: clothes that go into Glade cave will likely be unable to be recovered for future, non-caving use. I was able to fully wash out my clothes but it took a lot of time and a frankly embarrassing amount of water.
– 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 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; see note about clothes. I use a cheap drawstring bag. Very easy to clean and not a big problem if something happens to it.
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, backpack, and helmet (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

*Drivers needed! Gas will be reimbursed.*