Never get out of this maze – Caving at Hamilton

OVERVIEW

If you get the reference, you’ve got good taste in music.

This is a Beginner/Intermediate trip, which means you are not required to have gone on a caving trip before, but this is not a good trip if you are unsure about how you will like it.
We are going to Hamilton Cave, which is a maze cave with a pretty cool, very short hike to the entrance. You should be confident doing rock scrambles, some basic climbing, a lot of crawling, and be comfortable in tight spaces. Hopefully we will get far enough in to reach a squeeze called The Airblower and check out the other side.
Contrary to the trip title, we will get out of the cave.

Schedule:
8:00 am – Leave Echols (the corner of McCormick Rd and Hancock Dr)
10:30 am – Arrive at the cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:00 am – Start caving
3:30 pm – Finish caving
6:30 pm – Return to Charlottesville

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

Gear to Bring (YOU have to bring this!):
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24-hour emergency food supply (just anything that can last you a day’s 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 required)
– Closed-toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined/soaked
– 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 (we have extras if you need them – please do not take gear room backpacks)
– EXTRA CLOTHES!!!! – a full set of clean clothes AND shoes for the car
– 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)

Gear WE will provide(you don’t need to bring):
– Caving helmet
– Headlamps with spare batteries
– Gloves
-knee pads (optional)

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 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, you are NOT ENTERING the cave).
– It is a good idea not to 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, feel free to reach out! William: (630) 697-0459 and Jack: (434) 882-3205