Underground Waterfall!!! (Caving at New River)

OVERVIEW

The very first caving trip I ever led was to New River Cave and it….did not go particularly well. Now, two years and over 50 trips later, I want redemption!

New River Cave is a very interesting cave system, with massive slanted passageways trailing into an underground river that we can follow to a big waterfall. The water is generally only ankle-deep, so don’t worry about wetsuits or needing to swim. There are a lot of beautiful and interesting rock formations. This cave isn’t too tricky, but there are a few odd climbs/crawls. I recommend that you’ve been on at least one caving trip before, but if you’ve never been but feel confident that’s ok too!

Schedule:
8:00am – Leave Echols
11:00am – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30 – Start caving
3:30 – Finish caving, return to car
7:30 – Back at Echols

Gear we will bring for you:
– Caving helmet
– headlamps
-Knee pads (optional)
-Gloves

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
– 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 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 but please first try to bring your own. If you cannot get your own please notify us ASAP:
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit (like the big Hefty trash bags)
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack (make sure it’s big enough, can be the same as your trash bag for hypothermia)
– Extra batteries (the headlamps we are providing are AAA)

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, 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

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