Caving!

[1Truenorth]

Ahhh yes. Another old TAG area caver checking in. Like you guys, we have done most of the TAG classics as well as pushed a few new ones, back in the day. Water, vertical, or borehole we enjoyed them all. Heck i have even done some back yard caves here in Murfreesboro! Its good to know we weren't the only ones to age out and get respectable past times...

 

[Billiebob]

and watch the weather rain can be deadly in a cave

remember 2018 Thialand

 

[HIALT2D]

I've never been into caving, but this post remined me of something we used to love to do as kids. There was a cave on the side of a hill not too far from where we camped and waterskied on the Colorado river in AZ. We noticed that a whole bunch of bats would fly out of the cave in a big group not too long after it got dark. We would hike up the hill just before dark and lay flat on our backs just outside the entrance to the cave. We usually had towels or t-shirts wrapped around our heads because we always heard that the bats will get stuck in your hair. We also wore our motorcycle goggles and covered up with another towel or piece of cardboard box, just in case they attacked

At some point shortly after dark we could hear the bats stirring around inside the cave. Then we could hear them flying in mass towards us. We laid there, as still as we could, while what seemed like hundreds of bats flew out of the cave just feet above us. We never quite got up the gumption to actually venture more than a few feet into the cave despite all the challenges, bribes, threats, Etc. to do so.

 

[Longshot270]

I stopped going into caves after encountering enough big black scorpions, monster black and orange centipedes, swarms of spiders, very angry mammals and snakes, etc. Got a reminder this summer when I had to fish out my brand new Motorola 2-way radio from this hole. I was testing the range in rocky hills and stopped under the cedar to cool down, get a drink and look at the cave. When I leaned over to look inside the radio unclipped from my belt and down it went. I bet people down in the cave could hear me cussing because it was a $48 radio and I wasn't about to lose it first time out.

 

[SinisterJK]

We've gotten the chance to explore a few caves here in Central Florida. The caves here in Central Florida are mainly formed of sink holes spanning as old as the early settlers of Florida naming some of these caves that have turned into really interesting finds. We've only been able to explore a few of them since quite a few require either dive gear to get through some of the submerged passages and chutes or an inflatable of some sort if you don't want to swim in the parts that are large enough to float through to dry ground and connecting passages. It's a lot of fun the adrenaline of exploring the unknown but also the mystery behind the deep dark hole your in. Ironically I hate spiders something about them and other funky tiny critters that creeps me out but for some reason that's usually the last thing on my mind when I'm caving. I think I worry more of a hibernating bear or some other animal down there than anything else. With our limited gear of headlamps, helmets and flashlights and our basic survival gear we have not ventured down any deep holes with repel lines or anything although that would be a lot of fun if we had the proper training or guide to do so. For now we go in groups always making sure there's someone always up top and we use radios to communicate from the front to the back and even top side so in case something happens whoever is outside can call for help besides the one or two who don't go on the trip that we also notify cause in reality you gotta think of everything when your going adventuring. We've checked out some pretty gnarly what seemed like caves that went forever and some that still blow me away how trashed they were. Definitely a fun thing hobby!

 

[SinisterJK]

These are just a couple of the ones we've been able to check out and have had a great time doing so. I would encourage anyone whose thought about doing so to go out and do so RESPONSIBLY. You don't need a ton of gear upfront to explore but If your going to go deep get some training and obviously better gear than the basics. It's sad to see someone will go through the trouble of slithering like a salamander, crawling on your knees and lugging a spray can as part of gear to deface such beautiful natural depressions.

 

[SinisterJK]