Cave Exploring

Many cavers who are experienced in cave exploring get bored and give in to new and stiffer challenges. The next step is to learn new strategies and to adapt new skills to caving. Some of these tactics can include:

Cave Surveying and Mapping – Surveying is assessing a cave, its areas and measurements to be able to make an accurate map of the cave. The purpose is to provide future explorers better knowledge and directions of the cave. This can also be a basis for researchers and scientists.

Finding New Caves – While other cave explorers are satisfied to discover popular caves; there are those who look for new caves to survey and map. “Virgin” cave passages are also revealed for old caves that have been discovered before. Other caves with tight passages are being pushed through digging thus resulting to discoveries of new caves.

Speleonics – Speleonics is another way of applying interests and life experiences to a caving hobby. It is a process of applying electronics and communications to caves and cave exploring.

Cave Rescue – Cave rescuing is one of the more useful techniques to learn. There are many cavers who take part in the trainings for cave rescues. These trainings are given by rescue organizations or fire departments in different communities.

Cave Photography – Strategies in photography can be exercised inside the caves. It is very challenging to have good angles of rocks and other deposits and have a photograph or videos of them in the dark.

Vertical Caving – Vertical Caving requires technical rope work. This kind of technique is needed when entering a cave with vertical openings. The caves can be hundreds of feet deep and thus the way to enter then is through vertical drops. Vertical caving has safety records but practice, training and proper equipment is also essential.

Cave Diving – Cave diving is a very exceptional area of caving, nevertheless it is very dangerous. An experience in water diving doesn’t qualify anyone for cave diving. Certifications from special trainings are required, along with specialized equipments and gears. This is due to a high percentage of fatalities among inexperienced cavers.

Cave Conservation – There are certain laws about cave protection. Alabama Cave Protection is an example of the law which protects caves. Examples of underlying rules are not to discard litter inside the cave and kill any plant or animal life found inside the cave.

This list just touches other techniques that can be mastered along with other tactics in cave exploration. To search for other cave hobbies which might interest you, attend seminars or trainings, spend time with other cavers at club meetings or search for information via internet.