Going to the Land Down Under! CAVING BEGINNER- ISLAND FORD

OVERVIEW

Let’s go to the land down under! Oh wait no I just came from there…. I am SO happy to be back from Aussie land and I am desperate to unlock my inner gremlin and explore down under….ground! PLUS Island Ford ALWAYS has cute little hibernating bats that are face-level throughout this cave. Plus I miss Gus the cavefish that lives in the pond at the back of the cave and I need to say hi to him. This is a SUPER DUPER EASY CHILL VIBEY cave! So if you have wanted to go caving but wanted to wait for a really intro trip, this is it!!!

Schedule:
10:00am – Leave Echols
12:00am – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
12:30am – Start caving
4:00pm – Finish caving (at the latest, this cave is pretty small so won’t take us that long to explore)
6:00pm – Return to Charlottesville and chill at Chipotle (maybe depends on how everyone is feelin)

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

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 (if you have your own great but you don’t need to):
– Caving helmet
– No fewer than 2 working headlamps with spare batteries
– Gloves
-knee pads (optional)

Gear to Bring:
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24 hour emergency food supply (just anything that can last you a days 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 mandatory- please try to avoid cotton)
– 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 in the gear room as well)
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car

Gear we have extra but please first try to bring your own. If you cannot get your own please notify us ASAP:
– 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 at least semi-comfortable crawling around in tight spaces and being in the dark (there is no super tight spaces in this cave so no worry about that).
– 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 so please tell me beforehand if you cant get certain gear).
– 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

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)