FAQ of Caving
What is caving?
Caving is the exploration of caves. In the US, it is generally called spelunking based on the word “speleology”, which means the scientific study of caves and the cave environment. The activity may include walking, crawling, rappelling and climbing. Caving usually involves being part of a group of cavers who get as much adventure and fun out of being together in the cave. It is also a time of sharing the wondrous beauty of a cave, tackling many obstacles together during a trip or simply having a good outing.
Caves have been explored out of necessity (for shelter from the elements or from enemies), out of curiosity or for mystical reasons for thousands of years. However, only in the last century or two has the activity developed into a sophisticated, athletic pastime. In recent decades, caving has changed considerably due to the availability of modern protective wear and equipment.
It has recently come to be known as an "extreme sport" by some (though not commonly considered as such by its practitioners, who may dislike the term for its perceived connotation of disregard for safety).
Many of the skills involved in caving can also be put to use in mine exploration and urban exploration
Is caving dangerous?
Like any activity, if you are not careful, it can be dangerous. That is why at Gua Tempurung, all tours are guided. Only trained and knowledgeable people lead the trips. It is advisable not to go caving alone. Join groups or caving trips which are held regularly as people enjoy a safe and fun time together. Joining others facilitate giving assistance to each other. If an injury occurs, at least one caver can stay with the injured person while the others can go out for help. It is important that before you enter a cave, you notify people outside of your intended return time. If you don’t return within a reasonable time frame, the outside people will organise a search party usually made up by cavers trained in cave rescues. Underground accidents are however relatively infrequent occurrences. Apply common sense as it can go a long way. Avoid caving during extreme weather condition, like heavy rain. Rainwater funnelled underground can flood a cave very quickly, trapping people in cut-off passages and may drown them. At Gua Tempurung, you are not allowed to enter the wet passage during rainy day.
The risks are minimize by a number of techniques:
· Checking that there is no danger of flooding during the expedition. Rainwater funneled underground can flood a cave very quickly, trapping people in cut-off passages and drowing them. After falling, this is the most likely fatal accident in caving.
· Using teams of several, preferably at least of four cavers. If an injury occurs, one caver stays with the injured person while the other two go out for help, providing assistance to each other on their way out.
· Notifying people outside the cave as to the intended return time. After an appropriate delay without a return, these will then organize a search party (usually made up by other cavers trained in cave rescues, as even professional emergency personnel are unlikely to have the skills to effect a rescue in difficult conditions).
· Use of helmet-mounted lights (hands-free) with extra batteries. American cavers recommend a minimum of three independent sources of light per person, but two lights is common practice amongst European cavers.
· Sturdy clothing and footwear, as well as a helmet, are necessary to reduce the impact of abrasions, falls, and falling objects. Synthetic fibers and woolens, which dry quickly, shed water, and are warm when wet, are vastly preferred to cotton materials, which retain water and increase the risk of hypothermia. It is also helpful to have several layers of clothing, which can be shed (and stored in the pack) or added as needed. In watery cave passages, polypropylene thermal underwear or wetsuits may be required to avoid hypothermia.
· Cave passages look different from different directions. In long or complex caves, even experienced cavers can become lost. To reduce the risk of becoming lost, it is necessary to memorize the appearance of key navigational points in the cave as they are passed by the exploring party. Each member of a cave party shares responsibility for being able to remember the route out of the cave. In some caves it may be acceptable to mark a small number of key junctions with small stacks or "cairns" of rocks, or to leave a non-permanent mark such as high-visibility flagging tape tied to a projection.
· Vertical caving using ladders or SRT (Single Rope Technique) to avoid the need for climbing passages that are too difficult. SRT however is a complex skill and requires proper training before use underground and needs well-maintained equipment. Some drops that are abseiled down may be as deep as several hundred meters
Should you get proper training?
If you are serious about caving, it is a good idea to get training as there are many aspects of caving that you should know. Training also involves learning to conserve and treat the cave environment properly. You can get pointers from experienced cavers, caving clubs and nature societies.
Do you need any special equipment?
Serious cavers may want to get the basics, such as an oversuit (made of tough material like PVC) and an undersuit for warmth. Hiking boots, a caving helmet, lighting system and belt are essentials. You may also get pads to protect your knees and elbows. In wet caves, wear a wetsuit that protects against cold water effectively. Items such as ropes and tools can be used to tackle particular obstacles within certain caves.
What else can you do besides visiting a cave?
You can develop specialities in caving, such as:
- Cave Photography : Immortalise the natural architecture of caves and the beauty of the world of caving in pictures.
- Cave Art : Dabble in cave art – draw and paint pictures of caves you have visited.
- Cave Exploration : Discover new caves, open up the passages and carry out research.
- Cave Conservation : Help to conserve caves as their environments are very fragile. Many speleothems including stalactites and stalagmites can be damaged by even the slightest touch.
- Cave Ascend and Descend : Use Single Rope Technique for ascending and descending pitches in caves.
- Cave Dive : Diving is a method for passing sections of cave that are full to the roof with water. You can free dive at short flooded sections by holding your breath for a few seconds and ducking through. But for long submerged passage, you need full diving equipment Cave diving is regarded as the most extreme aspect of caving and is only done by a very small number of cavers.
Why do people go caving?
Caving can mean different things to different people. For some it can be escapism from the daily grind, to others a fun way of getting some exercise. Tremendous friendships can develop between cavers whilst underground. There are also many aspects within caving that attract people such as the exploration of new caves, SRT, climbing, diving, photography, even sketching and painting! It comes down to the individual, but caving is certainly regarded as a very worthwhile pastime to all those who participate in the sport.
Should I get proper training?
This is a good idea as there are many aspects to caving that you are unlikely to have come across. Training also involves learning to treat the cave environment properly, with respect to conservation. Training can be obtained through caving with experienced cavers, caving clubs or through commercial centres.
What specialities are there in caving?
SRT (Single Rope Technique) is a method for ascending and descending pitches in caves. This is a skill that most cavers use. The use of electron (wire) ladders is also employed but most people regard SRT as the favourite choice.
Climbing is often a way to find new cave passages and can involve placing bolts and safety lines to protect the climber.
Digging is a method of finding new cave passages and can involve regular digging trips for weeks, months or even years, in efforts to breakthrough. Various tools and methods are employed in digging and it can involve camping underground if the dig is a long way into the cave.
Cave Diving is a method for passing sections of cave that are full to the roof with water. These sections can be a few feet long or several kilometres. Free diving very short flooded sections (sumps) is practised by some cavers. This involves holding your breath for a few seconds and ducking through. Full diving equipment is used by a handful of highly trained cavers to pass longer sumps. Cave diving is regarded as the most extreme aspect of caving and is only practised by a small percentage of cavers.
Cave photography is a very popular caving speciality with many people enjoying good results. There are also some exceptionally fine cave photographers who bring the world of caving to the public through their work appearing in magazines and books.
Isn't it dark in there?
Absolutely. In fact, in the interior of caves it is so dark that if you were to drop your light or run out of batteries, you would not be able to see your own hand in front of your face. You certainly would not be likely to find your way out without injury -- most people can't even navigate their own living rooms in the dark without banging their knees! Imagine the added difficulty if your ceiling and floor periodically dropped or rose several feet and was littered with large and small rocks.
Within a few hours of total darkness you would find yourself experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations as your mind attempted to compensate for the lack of sensory input. Cavers who have spent days in caves while surveying report that they soon find themselves in a sort of quasi-hibernation where they sleep for 12 hours and then work for 12 hours. Upon returning to the surface, these speleologists report they experience heightened sensitivity to light, sound and temperature for several days.
How do you keep from getting lost?
Although it is easy to become disoriented in caves due to their three-dimensional nature, those who cave frequently eventually develop skills and habits that enable them to travel most caves safely, even those with which they are unfamiliar. Stopping at junctions to look around, paying attention to geologic features, becoming familiar with top maps and learning how to navigate using a compass are some of the ways you can decrease your chances of becoming lost. Also, cavers who are members of the National Speleological Society frequently have access to cave maps and survey data that are not available to the general public. As a result, they can better plan their trip and get more enjoyment from the experience.
Experienced cavers never use flagging tape, string, wire cable, spray paint, chalk, rope, etc., to mark their route into and out of a cave. Using these things harms the cave environment, disrupts the experience for others, and could pose a safety hazard by tripping explorers' feet.
Are there a lot of snakes/bears/bats in caves?
It is unusual to see snakes in caves here in the U.S. If you do see one, it will normally be along a ledge, in the bottom of a pit, or near an entrance. The interiors of most North American caves are too cold for snakes. However, caves in the southwestern U.S., Mexico and Central America are much warmer and could harbor snakes.
Bats, common denizens of most caves, are generally harmless, especially if left undisturbed. Most bats in the U.S. are insectivores and perform valuable work each night by feeding on thousands of insects that would otherwise damage crops or bite humans and livestock. However, large deposits of their dung, or guano, have been linked to certain respiratory disorders, and they sometimes carry diseases such as rabies. Avoid caving in areas where there are large concentrations of guano and do not touch any bats that you see, both for their safety and for your own. In the western hemisphere, vampire bats are found only in Mexico or Central and South America.
In addition to bats, most caves contain cave crickets and salamanders and some western caves may contain cave scorpions or centipedes. Small mammals and rodents such as pack rats and raccoons frequently put their nests in caves if organic debris is plentiful and there are handy routes to the surface. In caves where the water is relatively clean and clear, you will also find crawfish and small fish. These aquatic cave creatures are often solid white and eyeless, because neither color nor sight is needed in the absolute blackness of the cave environment.
What will I see in a cave?
Every cave is different, so every cave is a different adventure. In general, you can characterize a cave by the substance in which it is formed, for example, ice, lava, or limestone; however, this still will not describe all of the characteristics of the cave. Factors such as the location and quantity of water sources, the structure and composition of rock layers, and the proximity of fractures and fault zones all work together to produce many variations in how a cave is formed. Each cave is unique.
In general, you can expect to see lots of rock and mud or sand, depending on whether the cave is dry or wet. Many caves have beautiful, multicolored rock or mineral formations or exhibit sculpting caused by the movement of underground streams over time. Others may contain items of historical significance: prehistoric petroglyphs, Indian artifacts or the remnants of saltpeter vats, moonshine stills, and waterworks. These items should be left as found to preserve them for others to enjoy. You can learn more about low-impact enjoyment of caves at our web page on Cave Conservation.
