Newsletter of the Human Science Section of the National Speleological Society
Volume VII, Number 1
Fall-Winter 1993
By Bill Stone, abridged and reprinted from the Texas Caver, Vol. 28, No. 1
Reprinted from Georgia Underground, Vol. 29, No. 3, published September 1992 by Dogwood City Grotto. This article was also reprinted in the 1983 SpeleoDigest.
I am often asked by coworkers and noncaver acquaintances what it is that motivates me to be an explorer. While I am never at a loss to address their questions with a set of well used explanations, I have not, until now, made any attempt to write down that rationale in a coherent fashion.
Caving, and vertical caving in particular, is playing a key role in the history of exploration in our time. To see why this is so, it will prove worthwhile to digress and point out some of the circumstances which make it unique. Why do we explore caves? Why do people explore? In a time when the world's highest mountain lay unscaled, Mallory had answered, "Because it is there." We are all familiar with the slogan, and it's refreshing conciseness. But, as Ted Bank II later wrote, "It tells us very little about exploring, or why man is a creature of such insatiable curiosity that he has wandered across the entire planet, and in the process has peopled its uttermost corners, and now is leaping beyond it to the heavens."
The "Need to Know" is perhaps the elemental motivating force in man beyond that of survival. For those who
Section Officers Chairman: John Wilson 9504 Lakewater Court Richmond, VA 23229 Vice Chairman: Bernice Gottschalk 6233 E. Mudmill Rd. Brewerton, NY 13029 Secretary: Evelyn Bradshaw 10826 Leavells Road Fredericksburg, VA 22407-1261 (703)898-9288 Treasurer Rob Stitt 1417 9th Ave. West Seattle, WA 98119 Editor and Publisher: Rob Stitt 1417 9th Ave. West Seattle, WA 98119 People Underground is published by the Human Sciences Section of the National Speleological Society. Correspondence, membership dues, requests for information and material for People Underground should be sent to the Editor or Treasurer, as appropriate: Rob Stitt, 1417 9th Ave. West, Seattle, WA 98119. © Copyright Human Science Section of the National Speleological Society, 1995. All rights reserved. Original material is copyright by the Human Science Section. Permission to reprint material appearing in People Underground is granted to all internal organizations of the NSS provided credit is given to the author and People Underground and a copy of the publication is sent to the editor. The opinions expressed in articles appearing in People Underground are not necessarily the opinions of the Human Science Section or the NSS. Printed by members of the D.C. Grotto and the Potomac Speleological Society. The Human Sciences Section (formerly the Social Science Section) was chartered in 1974 and has struggled to stay together since that time. The Section holds its annual meeting at the NSS Convention, usually scheduled as an informal luncheon. The Section welcomes all individuals who are interested in the human sciences. At this time the Section plans to publish newsletters semi-annually. People Underground is sent to all members of the Human Science Section. Membership dues are $5 per year and may be sent to the Treasurer's address, given below. For your convenience, a membership form is included on the inside back cover, page 21. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Evelyn Bradshaw,. 10826 Leavells Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407-1261. SUBMISSIONS: Articles and other People Underground correspondence should be sent to the Editor. Submissions on computer disks should be made with 3-1/2" or 5-1/4"IBM compatible diskettes. Microsoft Word 5.x or Word for Windows, Word Perfect 5.0 or 5.1, Wordstar 3.3 compatibility, or straight ASCII format is preferred. Do not format materials for multiple columns! Diskettes will not be returned unless requested. Arrangements may be made for transmission via modem; call or write the Editor for details. Or send an E-Mail message, or your article, to the Editor via Compuserve to 71267,1065 or Prodigy to BBTH90A.
Just when I had dispaired of having enough material for a real issue, Evelyn Bradshaw came through with a cornucopia of articles collected from a variety of sources, including newsletters, the Internet, and some things she wrote. She gave me the challenge of tying it all together with an underlying theme. I put them in in the order she selected, but have added some comments of my own to give some transition. The Theme is: Changing for the Future of Caving.
I have also decided to try to get this out by Convention, so that copies can be placed in the hands of the members who attend, and so that others can be exposed to the ideas and viewpoints included herein. Of course, some NSS members have been exposed to all of these ideas before. The idea here is to gather them in one place and expose the same members to the same set of ideas. What that will mean for the future of this publication remains to be seen. But we hope that it will result in an increased interest, some letters to the Editor, perhaps, and eventually to the submission of articles proving or refuting all this stuff. This doesn't have the immediacy of Talk Radio or the Internet, but it does have some longevity. Presumably copies of this issue will be kept by some of you in your libraries, and others will find their way into the NSS library and possibly the 1993 or 1994 SpeleoDigest, to be read by even more persons.
If you are not a member of the Human Science Section, and are picking up this newsletter for the first time, I hope that you will be inspired to join. Or at least to respond.
I don't have anything earthshaking in the pipeline. A collection of cavers graffiti from the Bighorn Caverns (Armpit) caver's fieldhouse is in the process of being typed. A major article by John Wilson and myself about the Demographic Survey of the NSS we did a couple of years ago has been submitted to the NSS NEWS. If it doesn't get published soon, I may just jump the gun and publish it here. If not, some derivative research on the Demographic survey has been done, and should be published, so you may see it here. I will try to encourage publication of some of the related papers given at this year's Convention. Or if you'll just send me your ideas, comments, or research results, I'll work them in. Our goal is to get two issues a year. I could have split this one, but after all I didn't have the stuff until less than two weeks before convention, and this issue is supposed to tie together thematically.
Rob Stitt
pursue that path with vigor, there is a satisfaction in having resolved a piece of the puzzle that is the world in which we live. In a statement more central to caving, Red Watson had written in 1966: "Nothing less than the exploration of the poles, of the depths of the ocean, and of space, the moon, and the planets can compare with the remoteness and alienness, and provide the awareness of the sheer inanimate, that is experienced in the exploration of a vast cave system. It is possible, for example, that a person who has explored caves would find himself more at home on the moon than a person whose experience has been limited to flying jet aircraft."
Nearly all of the world's highest mountains have been scaled. Climbers may plan their routes with detailed topographic maps and satellite photos which reveal everything including the now predictable weather patterns.
The poles are routinely visited. Subice explorations by the nuclear powered submarines Nautilus, Skate, Sargo and Seadragon in the early 1960s, and numerous more recent voyages by the Queenfish and others have charted the North Pole region in great detail. And the majority of the ocean, while yet untapped for its resources, has been extensively charted, three-dimensional sonar maps are available and are as accurate as topographic maps. Man has already visited the ocean's deepest recesses.
As for the "leap to the heavens," we are all aware of the stunning successes in space vehicle design by both the United States and the Soviet Union during the past twenty years. We eagerly await the day when the space program will open itself towards the true exploration of space, and not achieving of political and military goals. But for the near future, space travel will remain primarily for a few fortunate military test pilots and an occasional scientist. The era of the exploration of the moon and planets is not yet upon us.
Are there terrestrial frontiers where one can still address the physical unknown? The answer is, of course, yes. Ask any serious cave explorer that question and he will tell you he was there last weekend, or perhaps on the last expedition. The dividing characteristic that sets caving at the very cutting edge of exploration is that no amount of available technology can tell you how deep or how long or where that little hole in the side of the cliff over there is going to go. For in caving, as Bill Steele once wrote, "One is dealing with the unknown in the absolute. You cannot even hypothesize with any certainty." Like the pioneers and explorers of the past, you must go down there to find out.
Just as the earth was proven to be finite many centuries ago, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the world's supply of caves is finite, and that the opportunities for virgin exploration are dwindling. One has only to look at Britain or France, where the majority of their caving is conducted on foreign expeditions.
Who will make the major discoveries of the future? The answer becomes apparent when one considers the history of modern speleology. Beginning with the Frenchman E. A. Martel nearly a hundred years ago, each new phase of expanded exploration opportunities has been heralded by a major advancement in technology. Martel's work was the first milestone departure from horizontal caving. Prior to this work it was commonplace to enter horizontal caves, i.e., the saltpeter caves of the Civil War and the early knowledge of Mammoth Cave. Before Martel, however, exploration was invariably halted when the domain of travel changed from the horizontal to the vertical. Martel's methods were crude and limited, but he made many first descents of shafts still considered to be formidable today. The first technological challenge, beyond that of providing light to see, had been addressed.
One of Martel's most brilliant students was a man named Robert de Joly. Known for his eccentric character, among other things, in 1930 de Joly was to develop the device that would enable the first systematic exploration of deep caves by more than one person: the cable ladder. Martel's technique had consisted of having a large party at each pit to lower he lead explorer to the base of the shaft. The inefficiency of this method meant that Martel could not handle the situation posed by multidrop systems, a problem which de Joly's ladder quickly surmounted. De Joly did, it should be mentioned, require a belayer to remain at the top of each shaft during his exploration.
It is interesting to note that as of the mid-1940s nearly all of the presently recognized obstacles associated with limestone caving had been addressed, at least rudimentarily. Casteret had dived short sumps by holding his breath, realizing that in many cases, an air filled continuation could be found on the other side. Pierre Chevalier introduced the idea of underground big wall climbing, scaling shafts from the bottom to explore upper galleries. His team was one of the first to use scaling poles, and also one of the first to use explosives for removing breakdown. Henri Brunot, Chevalier's right hand man, developed a rope ascender that was to be the predecessor to the modern-day Jumar. The Chevalier team, in 1947, was successful in achieving the first world depth record (603 meters) attained by scaling the inside of a mountain, in this case the Reseau de la Dent de Drolles in France.
The next major advancement in vertical caving came with Bill Cuddington's introduction of single rope techniques (SRT) in the late 1950s. This was, perhaps, the most significant leap forward of all, for it allowed the adoption of alpine style teams, wherein small, self-contained exploration parties could explore very deep systems using only the equipment they themselves could carry. The SRT systems we use today are merely refinements of Cuddington's original manila rope and prusik knot ascent system. Many descent systems were subsequently developed to complement the advancements made in ascenders. But the rappel rack, invented by John Cole, has been the most enduring primarily because of its rugged, simple and functional design.
Each of the above mentioned advancements in technology have been responsible for a magnitude order of increased exploration ability for those cavers who have been willing to embrace the new developments. The impact these advances have made on the state of caving today are echoed in the number of known caves deeper than 500 meters. In de Joly's day, there were two such caves; in Chevalier's time there were seven; in Cuddington's most productive period there were 40; and in the era of big pit discoveries in Mexico in the early 1970s there were 70. Today there are more than 150 such abysses, with at least 15 deeper than 1000 meters.
So far we have discussed only the impact of advancements in vertical caving, that is to say techniques for descending and ascending pits. Taking place parallel to these advancements were similar advancements in cave diving, big wall climbing and underground camping; all tools at the caver's disposal for furthering the exploration frontier. Why should a vertical caver be concerned with cave diving? Consider why one would become a vertical caver in the first place. There are many often stated reasons, such as the lure of the unknown, the experience of being where no one has gone before an indeed, may never go again. There are also social reasons. As Red Watson relates, "Whenever man is stripped of the need of the more artificial embellishments of his culture, and is reduced to dependence upon a minor amount of equipment, himself, and his companions, then his emotional reflections may become grosser, his passions painted in broader strokes and his hopes, fears, and desires uncluttered of minor accompaniments. He becomes more understandable to himself and to others because he is in a situation where there are definitely known things which must be done of an elemental nature for survival."
Anyone who does much vertical caving will be quick to point out the differences which makes the endeavor unique. Imagine a tremendous shaft piercing through a rugged landscape of verdant tropical growth and eroded limestone pinnacles. Swarms of ring neck swifts swirl overhead in a cyclone-like holding pattern, then break off in clusters of a few hundred which dive periodically into the blackness that engulfs the base of the pit. The birds are attracted to nest here, for the ledges along the walls constitute a predatorless environment. Imagine your teammates struggling to pull up slack in a half kilometer of nylon climbing line so that you can attach your descending device. Then slowly, so slowly, the floor comes toward you as silently as the night, save for the gentle rasping sound made by the rope as it slides through your descender. Overhead, the entrance has dwindled to a small circular disc through which a brilliant ray of sunshine illuminates the floor. The floor is deep with moist guano and the sunbeams evaporate the water, forming a thick white cloud which appears to oscillate up and down the shaft; for it is cooled at the top of its ascent, and the heavier air suppresses the cloud until a new burst of sunlight causes it to rise again. Following your exploration you climb out in tandem. Your partner is never more than a few meters away. You climb in syncopation; he climbs while you rest, you climb while he rests. "A rather efficient technique for getting out of this hole, " you must while chatting with your companion 200 meters off the floor. At the top you casually transfer to a short rope hanging over the edge so as to pass the lip of the overhang without the weight of the rope and your partner below you. The sweat blends with the dust as you wipe your forehead and sit down to relax and undo your ascenders. An infectious grin spreads across your face when all are safely out. It has been a totally satisfying experience.
There are countless variations of the above exploration which serve to captivate our imaginations and fire our enthusiasm for the next one. But the aesthetics of such an exploration are only part of the motivation for why we return, and why we continually seek out those frontiers which offer a greater challenge to our abilities. Once one takes up vertical caving, he soon finds himself in a fraternity of individuals who have accepted an understanding which an ordinary person would likely consider to be extremely dangerous. Few serious vertical cavers pursue their sport for the sake of a fear-induced adrenaline high. Rather, you will usually find a vertical caver to be more meticulous and cautious than a horizontal caver, for he is well aware of the dangers involved, has quantified, labeled, and stored each particular situation for instant recognition along with the appropriate action to be taken. A well trained vertical caver will confront a given obstacle as a series of equations, the solution to which, in its most well developed sense, will be manifested externally by a reflexive action reaction. The notion of fear, and of inhibition caused by an unwillingness to accept and to develop the tools which allow us to safely surmount a given physical obstacle are the real deterrents to furthering the exploration frontier, not the innate ability of the explorer.
What distinguishes a true vertical caver from a horizontal caver, in the barest sense, is his willingness to accept a philosophy-the technological philosophy that says this: there are no physical barriers which cannot be safely addressed through the application of the proper technology. The rationale for taking this big step is obvious: those who do not accept it will never, in our time, see the true frontier of exploration. They will remain in the serenity of their cocoon of tried and proven methods until they reach their limits in a particular system, and if they are fortunate, they move on to a new area and use the same methods again. They will have forsaken what many cave explorers see to be the ultimate goal of their endeavor, the resolution of a particular hydrologic system; following the course of the water that has formed the cave from its sink to its rising; solving the puzzle.
Only now can one begin to see the parallels that have been developing in the science of speleology. Since the days of Martel the obstacle side of the equation has been known to consist of the following components: darkness, endurance, vertical drops, vertical climbs, flooded passage, moving water (rivers, cascades), and a lesser extent-constriction (which could be enlarged to permit human passage). Each of these particular problems has been approached in varying degrees by specialized groups of explorers.
A careful analysis, however, will show that those individuals at the forefront of their disciplines have all reduced the problems they are facing to a well defined set of required techniques. For one who has accepted the technological philosophy it becomes apparent that the solution to these various obstacles is phrased in terms of the same fundamental equation. Cave diving, for example, has been termed by some as "the most dangerous sporting pursuit known to man." But the only cave diver in the world to have logged more than 3,000 underground dives will be quick to point out that there are really just four things one has to do to stay alive: use a continuous guideline to the surface; use only 1/3 of your air supply for exploration; do not dive deep; use redundant components on all life support apparatus and key peripheral equipment. Once one is familiar with these techniques the fact that the passage one is exploring happens to be underwater becomes secondary. It is just another step on the path to the vertical exploration front. Why should a vertical caver take the next step? Perhaps Bill Steele said it best: "I'm not equipped to see in the dark. I'm not provided with Vibram soles on my feet. Caving is an equipped endeavor. Tanks are just another item of gear." Vertical caving. Underground camping. Subterranean big wall climbing. Cave diving. The fusion of these scattered technologies represents the van of tomorrow's explorers. The major discoveries of the future belong to the technical caver.
Hand-in-hand with the technological philosophy, the true explorer assumes allegiance to another code: that of safety to oneself and to one's teammates. Herein lies the fundamental distinction between an explorer and an adventurer. While both may face considerable danger in the performance of daily activities, the adventurer goes out of the way to pursue it, with little more than the immediate excitement as the ultimate goal of the endeavor. The explorer, on the other hand, plans for all foreseeable eventualities, with the goal of safely acquiring new knowledge of the frontier. This has many implications to the technical caver. For example, it means that each member of an exploration party should not only have a working knowledge of the proper techniques and maxims, but should also have a patterned approach to safety. A cave diver routinely goes through a predive checklist to insure that all of his equipment and his partner's equipment is functioning properly. He then periodically monitors the performance of that equipment and his air consumption throughout the course of the dive.
A vertical caver, while perhaps not performing as formalized a preexploration equipment check as a cave diver, nonetheless does such an inspection. He examines his rope for damage; he checks his harness webbing, carabiners, rack, and ascenders; and he replaces any doubtful items. He measures out the quantity of calcium carbide (and/or batteries) which will be sufficient to provide light throughout the trip, and he monitors the supply periodically to insure that he has not cut himself short for the return.
While the vertical caver does not have to deal with the immediate time pressure that a cave diver does, he faces a more subtle pressure in the form of gravity. Russ Gurnee has often stated that in no other activity but caving does one have to be concerned with estimating and conserving at least half of your physical energy to get out. For vertical cavers it is more than half. Consider the logistics of exploring a wet multidrop cave greater than 500 meters deep. Experience has shown that it takes approximately twice as long to ascend as to descend. With an endurance of 24 hours (typical working figures for surface-based trips) the effective exploration radius is eight hours. One third of your energy expenditure is used to explore, two thirds to exit-a rather interesting parallel to the cave diver's air consumption rule.
Gravity is more than just a consideration in endurance calculations for the vertical caver. As surely and swiftly as running out of air will kill a cave diver, so will falling down a 100meter shaft kill a vertical caver. The well learned habits of using ascender safeties at the top of a pitch, of checking over critical equipment before any rope maneuver, and of looking out for one's teammates by warning of falling objects, or tying a knot in the rope at a bad fray, are the checks that preclude accidents. One such route for explorers enroute to a deep underground camp consists of a little mental checklist that is repeated at the top of each pitch. It goes: "Jumar safety on. Put the rack on. Check the carabiners. Check the hauling tether. Toss the pack into the shaft. Click on the electric (if a waterfall follows the rope). All systems go." Such programs should be so well learned that they become a habit.
Lastly, a well planned exploration includes provision for the unlikely occurrence of an accident or equipment failure. The cave diver practices buddy breathing and following a line out blind while doing so, to practice against the consequences of equipment failure in a siltout. A vertical caving team should be fully familiar with selfrescue techniques, and should carry replacement parts for equipment requiring periodic adjustment and maintenance. Lack of such attention to detail constitutes poor exploration planning and can often result in adventure ... for the rescue party.
For the next decade or two, the techniques we have discussed above will be sufficient to carry the ambitious explorer into new territory. But it is not difficult to envision the day when the physically passable limits of the world's major limestone caves will have all been reached. By that time technological improvements in three interrelated areas will make possible explorations that today might seem preposterous. Eighty years ago Jules Verne wrote his epic story of a "Journal to the Center of the Earth," in which a team of explorers descended into an extinct volcanic crater in Iceland. The tale which followed, while amusing, had little basis in scientific fact. Nonetheless, the basic premise, the descent of an extinct volcano, is not so far fetched. Dr. Haroud Tazief has done exactly that, to a limited extent, for the past thirty years. Cavers now routinely visit lava tubes in many parts of the world. Almost all of these tubes, however, are located on the slopes of the lava fields surrounding the volcanic cone. Relatively little attention has been paid to the possibility of descending vertical vents near the core, due to the presence of excessive residual heat and noxious gases. While the search to find promising open fissures in a suitable extinct volcano may prove time consuming, the techniques for effecting a safe exploration are apparent. Recent advances in environmental suits (essentially space suits) have allowed for routine work to be carried out under extreme variations in temperature. Minor adaptations to these suits should allow explorers to operate in temperatures approaching 200 degrees Celsius. Rather than using the bulk and heavy life support packs currently used by the astronauts, a liquid oxygen base rebreathing system could allow for assault durations in excess of 24 hours without the necessity of staging additional oxygen and carbon dioxide scrubbing packs. Nylon rope, of course, would not be suitable for vertical work under elevated temperatures. However, a vertical system based on using stainless steel aircraft cable, and specially designed descenders and ascenders has already been proposed in England as an alternative to SRT. Using such techniques, it may be possible to achieve a descent of several kilometers.
Given the current rate of development in diving equipment and in our knowledge of diving physiology it is likely that techniques will be available by the turn of the century that will permit us to function at depths in the environs of 300 meters underwater for sustained periods. This will also open the caving frontier to the extensive deep blue hole caves of the Caribbean and elsewhere. Lastly, the merger of this diving technology and the above mentioned environmental suit will permit what may be the most unusual cave exploration of all: a descent of Yellowstone's hot spring. By this time the practicality and profitability of space exploration will have been proven and those at the frontier of caving, as Red Watson said, will be the logical choices for joining the teams that will explore the moon and planets.
by Evelyn Bradshaw, Secretary
The annual meeting of the Human Sciences Section of the NSS (formerly Social Science Section) was convened on Thursday, August 5, 1993, by John Wilson, Chairman, at about 8:15 AM after he got a key to unlock the room scheduled for the session. Eight eager socially-oriented cavers were present, including all Section officers other than Bernice Gottschalk. No paper session is being sponsored by the Section, but there is a general session at which papers classified as in human sciences can be presented.
Rob Stitt, treasurer, is working on updating the list of Section members. He reported $274 on hand in the bank; outstanding is reimbursement to Evelyn Bradshaw for costs of getting out the most recent People Underground. New signature cards are needed so Rob can open a new bank account, now that funds have been transferred to him.
The flyer about our Section probably needs to be revised to reflect our current name and outline projects taken on or envisioned for the future.
A questionnaire is being circulated on "being lost in a cave"; the results would be of interest to our constituency.
The new NSS awards being considered include one on science and on arts and letters, as well as conservation. Our suggestion that there be one recognizing outstanding contributions in the humanitarian and human science field did not make it.
Content for future newsletters was discussed. A dissertation by Dave L---* in the human sciences at Santa Barbara College may provide good human science material. Evelyn Bradshaw also thought there had been one article in a grotto newsletter that followed up on problems of personality clashes that had been highlighted previously.
Election of officers took place. Lacking any communication from Bernice Gottschalk, those present nominated John Wilson (formerly vice-chair), to serve as chair for 1993-1994. Evelyn Bradshaw was reelected secretary and Rob Stitt, treasurer.
{who was that newcomer? Did we make him a director at large and did we put Bernice down as vice-chair contingent upon acceptance or .... ]
* -
Given the state of disorganization at that meeting (we weren't even sure it was an official meeting), we did not get people to sign in (or perhaps Rob did?).
Russell Dunn, in Northeastern Caver, March 1993.
Over the last century America has slowly evolved into a death-defying and death-denying culture. As life has been extended through medical advances, an unwritten belief has developed that all are entitled to this extension. Regrettably, Nature conspires against us in this, and while a bell-shaped curve may show that a majority of us will live well into our 70s, it neither says who these will be nor whether the bell curve will ever change into a rectangular shape.
It is the nature of our society to constantly try to minimize risk for its individual members. Thus while more motorists are buckling up, more bikers are wearing helmets, and more smokers are giving up their addiction, there are still vast numbers of Americans who intentionally flirt with death by driving unbuckled, cycling without helmets, or smoking those white fingers of death. The positive factor is that more people are giving up dangerous practices, and those who urge caution and restraint should be commended.
But only to a point. Too much of something good can become something bad, even when it's trying to safeguard the members of our society. My friend Tomis, Director of the Schenectady Boys' Club is responsible for the operation of Camp Lovejoy, a summer retreat for boys located above Altamont, New York. Wynd, Livingston, and World's End Sinkhole caves are located on the plateau above Camp Lovejoy. Anyway, some state bureaucrat apparently became concerned about natural hazards and felt that certain trees at the camp posed a danger and therefore had to be encircled with rubber tires. The most heinous recommendation concerned the escarpment itself. This safety-minded fanatic wanted to paint a bright red line across the dangerous parts of the escarpment so the kids would know not to cross the line to the edge of the cliff. Obviously this kind of bureaucratic mind little understands adolescents. Tell an adolescent he can't do something and he surely will.
To no one's surprise but the bureaucrat's, the red line was never painted and the escarpment rocks remain free of paint except for the normal graffiti. However, I felt uneasy about the implications of what had transpired; someone actually thought that humans had an inalienable right to do anything they wanted to Nature in order to protect the unwary. Goodness knows what this bureaucrat had in mind for the caves at High Point.
Where does the insanity stop? Would old mattresses be piled at the base of the cliffs in case some youngster accidentally tumbled over the edge And wouldn't this solution simply create new problems For instance, it would be an exceptional adolescent who wouldn't be tempted to jump off the cliffs onto the mattresses for fun.
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Accidents always have happened and always will happen to cavers. "Living can be hazardous to your health," and doing adventurous things will increase the hazards. There has been a fair amount of rescue activity at Clarksville and Onesquethaw caves recently. Undoubtedly there is a prevalent feeling among the general public that caving must be fraught with danger, that caves typically flood unexpectedly and spontaneously (Onesquethaw), and that caves trap people in claustrophobic passageways (Clarksville).
Because the potential for death is something to be denied and avoided at all cost by a death-denying culture, there are those who feel strongly that caves (particularly those highlighted in media accounts) should be permanently closed. After all, caves don't really do any good if you define "good" as increasing life expectancy; and people would be less exposed to danger if the tempting entrances were closed forever.
To this way of thinking I say, "Nonsense!" What these folks fail to perceive is that caves do provide a necessary function that indirectly increases life expectancy for the whole race: the benefits of technological advancements as humans push into new frontiers.
If paleolithic humans hadn't challenged the unknown, and pushed back the envelope of safety and complacency that surrounded them, we would still be in a hunter-gatherer society. Risks are involved in building skyscrapers, voyaging to the Moon, trying new medical procedures, and so on; without risks, and people willing to take them, there can be no advancement and no benefits.
Where do caves fit in? Caves symbolize one of the last frontiers on Earth; they provide a training ground and keep alive our need to explore and investigate the unknown. As such, they should be nurtured for their value in reinforcing this high spiritedness. Those who wish to close off caves-to make a challenging world less dangerous-also risk making the world more dreary.
Instead, we should be encouraging our fellow humans to keep themselves open to new experiences, to explore, to take risks (within reason), and to advance ourselves as self-actualizing creatures.
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When I was in my early teens a favorite activity was jumping into sand pits. The pits were probably 20 or 30 feet deep and steeply sloping. We'd take a running start and jump off the top. Although we flew up to 20 feet through the air, we always hit at an obtuse angle and slid. There was always a feeling of danger, but we knew we were reasonably safe as long as there wasn't a large rock where we landed. There were probably many reasons why I participated in this activity as a kid, but it was an important part of my adolescent development. It taught me the emotional rewards of taking risk---namely, feeling good about extending my boundaries.
I wasn't so lucky as an adult. At age 34 I tried parachuting in Johnstown, New York, badly sprained my ankle while landing, and hobbled around on crutches for six weeks.
Unlike school where you're taught and then tested, real life works the opposite way. You're tested and then you're taught. Parachuting taught me about accepting the consequences of risk-taking activities and helped me to break down some of the death-denying we all tend to carry around with us in this culture.
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There may be a change in risk-taking in the future, however, and new caving opportunities may develop which don't currently exist. A business recently opened in Glens Falls, New York, featuring an artificial wall with knobs on it for practicing rock-climbing techniques. Perhaps it's only a matter of time until someone in the area creates an artificial cave and commercializes it, allowing both novices and experts to enjoy the experience of caving without worrisome concerns about environmental impact. It wouldn't be too difficult to fashion a series of underground passageways, domes, pits, waterfalls, speleothems, etc., and to create surprisingly natural-looking surfaces. Heck, they've already done that in certain sections of Howe and Secret caverns.*
An artificial cave, of course, would be designed to be safe-very safe. It would have secure anchors for vertical gear' tunnels and crawlways would be constructed so that even the most uncoordinated caver could not get stuck. In fact, there would probably be multiple hidden entrances so that persons in trouble could be quickly removed.
Of course we aren't talking about a true, unadulterated nature experience here, but rather one of mimicry. Such a cave would be a natural training ground for new cavers, or people just wanting to do some caving without traveling outside their local area.
There are pluses and minuses to this, needless to say. On the positive side, a commercialized artificial cave might bleed off some of the novices who would otherwise use a natural cave for their first experience. On the negative side, artificial caves might over-popularize caving and create hordes of overzealous cavers looking for adventure and excitement in a vanishing supply of natural caves.
Regardless of consequence, it's likely that at some point an enterprising businessman/caver will thus capitalize on the need for wilderness experience that increasing number of us are having.
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In the meantime, we are slowly but surely changing towards a society more accepting of death and its place in the scheme of things. More and more, thoughtful people are making out living wills, health care proxies, and considering euthanasia, perhaps, in the process, recognizing that it is the quality of life, not the quantity of life, that counts.
With less death-defying and death-denying we may become less blaming and litigious, and caves may again be opened as landowners realize they won't be sued.
And last but not least, in a strange way caves provide the common denominator for us all upon death. Unless we are cremated, we all become cavers as we're lowered into the ground. As a great thinker once said: "Six feet of earth make all men equal"
If things are going to change, then …
The proposal of the National Park Service that climbers (others?) be compelled to obtain rescue insurance prior to climbing (particularly in Denali National Park) was discussed at an annual meeting of The Access Fund in California last fall. The Access Fund is made up of climbers and its policies are developed by a National Advisory Council, one of whose leaders is David Brower, known to many environmentalists as former president of the Sierra Club.
Public attention became focused on climbing fatalities in 1992 with a close-up view of high-altitude mountaineering with national media coverage of the 11 climber fatalities on Mt. McKinley in Alaska. In 1993, Derek Hersey's death while soloing in Yosemite provided more publicity on climbing, emphasizing the dangers of the sport. All of this negative publicity has spurred a strong push by NPS to require rescue insurance.
(Source: March 1994 Explorer, newsletter of Pittsburgh Explorers Club) Readers will recall that it's been mentioned that cavers might also be included in plans to get money paid in to defray public costs of rescues.)
Article by John Walter, Nittany Grotto News, XL, II
While helping Frank with a beginners' trip into J-4 (Pennsylvania) on February 13, merely one week after the second rescue in J-4, we encountered what most of us have feared for a long time: a rescue from the area of the Dome Room. Almost!
My group consisted of four members of the Loyalhanna Grotto, who were up visiting, and five midshipmen. Frank wanted us to take the "basement" route to the Maze Register, then across the Highway and back to the Dome Room. Somewhere in the Maze area, we began finding groups of 2-4 beer cans, usually all sitting together. Without being asked, our group of midshipmen would collect each can found, flatten it and stow it in a bag one of them was carrying. At the First Mud Room we decided to move to the Formation Climb first, then after doing the loop in the Dome Room we could visit the Round Room if anyone felt like it. At the top of the Formation Climb we found a small gym bag with a York YMCA ID card on it. We rigged the Formation Climb with an etrier and onward we caved.
Before everyone had made the down climb, two males, each carrying a beer can, appeared atop the breakdown overlooking the area at the bottom of the Formation Climb. It was quite obvious they were feeling no pain-for now, that is. Funny how one of them asked me twice if we hate people like them. I wonder what could possibly make them think we dislike slobbering drunks littering the caves of our area, destroying what we work so hard to preserve, and generally giving our sport a bad name.
Not being in much of a conversational mood, I moved over to the register, once all our group was down off the climb. There were two more of our friendly beer-cavers, one of whom was free climbing to the balcony. As I watched these amazing feats of daring, and seeing him come off the climb twice before making the balcony, I sat in absolute awe. Why hadn't I thought of carrying several cases of beer (they told us two cases) through several thousand feet of difficult cave passages, leaving the trail of empties so I could find my way out, so I could drink warm beer in the back of some cave? Look at the fun I've been missing! Where was my head?
Well, as I began to fill out the register, these last two explorers headed out. One did stop to ask me for something to smoke (not cigarettes, either). Hmmm. . . another twist of "fun" I never thought of. As these blissfully intoxicated individuals (nicest word I can think of right now) left, I commented to two of my Loyalhanna friends that I doubted they could get out of the cave without hurting themselves. That statement wasn't a minute old when we heard an ominous sound and someone asking "Are you all right, are you all right?" Then came the cry for an E.M.T., yelling back that someone had fallen off the Formation Climb and was bleeding from the head and not moving. I jumped into the nearest phone booth, changed into my E.M.T. cape, and flew to the bottom of the climb.
Our climber extraordinaire had managed to stand up by the time I arrived and, other than having his chimes rung rather resoundingly, seemed not too much the worse for the situation. In an interesting side note, John Chenger, who was part of our group, had just been lecturing to the same climber about the virtues of helmets. He informed John that he didn't need any steenkin' helmet … he could climb better than all of us combined (Don't you love poetic justice?).
Now I should tell you that I have been involved with fire/rescue for twenty-one years and have been an E.M.T. for nineteen of those years. I have seen a lot and have treated many intoxicated patients who've "asked" for it-more than I can count. I have to admit, it took all that's within me to open my pack and offer this slobbering, intoxicated, bleeding jerk my first aid supplies. I did allow myself the pleasure of informing the group that should he, or any of them, require assistance getting out, I wouldn't be helping. (However, I know quite well I would have.) And, to answer their previous question, I did hate people like them. It didn't prove anything but it sure made me feel better at the time.
When the slightly more sober group left, several of our people trailed along to make sure they got out OK (mostly, just to make certain that John's brand new rope that was rigged as a traverse on the cliff stayed there). Once outside, John managed to follow these very lucky fellows to their car and obtain the registration number. Further action is being considered.
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Stepping up on the soapbox for just a few seconds, I would like to make a comment. I believe we need to consider education. I understand and agree with the low profile attitude of cavers. I don't advocate inviting along any and every person who has a hankerin' to go underground. However, let's be realistic. The student population and the local population know where these caves are, and they WILL visit them despite our low profile. And just maybe our low profile contributes to that ignorance that we so dislike. Our low profile society doesn't educate about cave conservation, unless the person comes to us. Our low profile society doesn't educate about the need and reasons for cave gating, unless the person comes to us. Our low profile society doesn't educate about safe caving practices, unless the person comes to us. Our low profile society doesn't educate that, despite the fact that you are underground, you are still on someone's property! Maybe we should make a better effort at education, not just to those who come to us. I realize these ideas may be idealistic; I realize there are those who just don't care and will do what they want. But maybe we just might prevent an injury or a rescue or save some formation from vandalism. It never hurts to try.
Here's how one grotto has dealt with the subject of
In response to requests from various media, organizations, and individuals, the Mother Lode Grotto has found it necessary to create a policy to deal with these requests.
The following concerns motivate this policy:
n Caves run the gamut from easy walking passages to small constructions, vertical caves requiring extensive rope work with multiple drops, rappeling in waterfalls, cold ice caves that are below freezing, and long trips for multiple days. Different caves contain varying degrees of hazards. Only appropriate training makes a person safe in this type of environment.
n Caves are a limited and diminishing resource which we desire to protect. In order to conserve cave resources, we will not promote caving; however, we will attempt to attract independent cavers into our organization so that they may cave safely and with conservation in mind.
n We do not disclose cave locations to the general public. Caves are protected only by those who respect their fragile nature and our only control is by screening people for this respect.
n We support safe and responsible caving. With this in mind, we train cavers in conservation, cave safety, and self-rescue.
n We do not support caving-for-pay (i.e., paid guide services in non-commercial caves). This introduces inexperienced people into an environment for which they are not trained, thereby exposing them to hazards which they may not recognize. Also they may not practice conservation of cave resources so that future visitors may enjoy them.
At times the Mother Lode Grotto is requested to provide background information for books, magazine and newspaper articles or video productions or to provide training and give presentations. The following is a list of appropriate and inappropriate responses to various possible requests of this nature. If a member of the grotto is asked to provide information or services, we ask that they consult with a grotto board member before undertaking any action. This consultation will provide a consistency of response as well as a source for assistance if it is needed.
Appropriate Response:
Provide NSS brochures or publications for written material. If an interview is requested, the interviewer should stress information on caving safety conservation, and ethics. They should de-emphasize the sport and adventure of caving as much as possible. Locations of caves must not be provided. Names and general locations can be discussed if appropriate. To insure consistency, at least one member of the grotto must be contacted before any interview is conducted. If the author requests a cave tour or wild trip experience, see No. 2 below.
Emphasizing the sport and thrill of caving over conservation, safety, and ethics. Providing specific locations of caves or taking requester to a cave without restricted access.
Appropriate Response:
Refer the interested party to a commercial cave such as California Caverns (Cave City) or Moaning Cave. A grotto member can lead or accompany the interested party to act as a guide or assistant guide. Conversation material in this situation should be weighted in favor of conservation and safety issues. The thrills of caving must not be emphasized. A trip to a wild cave may be appropriate in rare situations. In these cases a cave with restricted access would be the best choice. This decision should always be approved by the grotto board and the cave owner.
Taking the individual or group to any convenient cave.
Appropriate Response:
Any presentation should provide good general information on caving with an emphasis on conservation of this limited and diminishing resource and on issues of caving safety. The lack of an active cave rescue organization in California as well as the frequently tight and vertical nature of our caves creates a particular concern for inexperienced explorers. Cave photos used should be screened for any which may provide visual clues that identify the cave location. No geographic vicinity maps should be used as part of the visual program. Specific interior cave maps or very large aerial maps of the United States or a similar region are acceptable. Cave names can be used and general locations such as, "Calaveras County, the Mother Lode region or southern California desert," can be identified. The sport aspect of caving can be an element but should not be the primary focus of the presentation.
Program aimed primarily to describe and promote caving as a sporting activity.
Appropriate Response:
The acquisition of caving knowledge and technique requires participation on many caving trips to a variety of caves, usually over an extended time period. These experiences, along with reading material, training lectures, and the close supervision and assistance of more experienced cavers constitutes an adequate training program. This is available on a continual basis for members of the grotto. Since adequate training cannot be provided in one or two sessions, it is not our intent to attempt to provide outside training. For demonstrations of vertical rope technique we will refer the requester to some other organization such as a Search and Rescue Unit.
Any attempt to train other groups outside of the grotto.
This policy reflects our concerns about how media publicity affects the Mother Lode Grotto, caving, and caves. Any occasion where caving is publicized in some fashion serves to increase public interest in caving. This often results in increased interest in our organization and a demand for training. While the grotto encourages interested individuals to join and learn about caving in an appropriate setting, the size of our trained membership as well as the limited number of and small size of local caves greatly restricts our ability to incorporate large numbers of new cavers on demand. Training new cavers a few at a time provides a good experience for both the novice and our experienced members.
(Source: The Valley Caver, newsletter of Mother Lode Grotto, Spring 1994)
An editorial in the October 1991 issue of the Groundhog, newsletter of the Shenandoah Valley Grotto, asks this question.
While this newsletter was being prepared for printing, the national media had another interview with Emily Davis Mobley. She has not had an opportunity to return to her normally quiet life because she has been adopted as a "media event."
Emily's rescue from Lechuguilla would normally have attained little notice had National Geographic not published a photo spread on the cave just days before her accident. The timing was bad for those wanting to keep caving a low-key sport, but it was inevitable. The world now knows caving is a high risk, and therefore glamorous activity. This knowledge alone will attract the nut fringe.
Falling conveniently on the heels of the media blitz on the caving accident, you are now reminded several times a day to "Button Your Fly" while caving. Levi's have jumped on the bandwagon. They are running a commercial showing four men caving in a wide open western cave, possibly a show cave. While the crew does wear hard hats, they show little sign of being real cavers, i.e., no dirt.
It seems a little bit too much of a coincidence to me that this manufacturer of jeans, normally sold with shots of street corner groups singing a capella, suddenly decided to sell to the smallest market in the world, cavers (or spelunkers, as they are named in the commercial).
Maybe the time has come for the articles getting into the national press to be written by cavers. We may not want to be in the limelight, but we are. We should make the most of it and see that the stories printed have as much accuracy as possible.
Over the past several years I have read a number of caving stories in media ranging from National Geographic to Guideposts. Oprah is on another diet, so The National Enquirer hasn't run a cave story lately.
Other than National Geographic, every story has been rife with errors. Especially those about cave rescues. For some reason every journalist who writes a story about a cave rescue seems to go out of their way to make stupid errors.
Perhaps it is time to start a speakers' bureau for caving. We can give lectures on conservation aspects of caving to the Kiwanis or the Rotary Club. Maybe even the NSS could have a committee to review caving stories for other publications.
Enough sarcasm, as I have found recently that heavy satire is not understood by many reading this column. I will speak plainly.
For years we have denounced taking scouts and others caving as a grotto. After leaving the meeting each individual then made their own decision and took whom they chose caving.
Over the years individuals have taken school science classes, church youth groups, at least one blind group, and a group of court-controlled juvenile offenders. Note I said individuals. The grotto has been involved in no trips of this nature except to loan equipment to fellow grotto members.
While each trip encountered the same problems as any other caving trip, no additional problems occurred. In all cases the non-cavers enjoyed the trip and no additional problems surfaced because of the trips. (In the case of the kids from Elk Hills, one youth changed his attitude when he found he was better at finding his direction underground than two of the cavers helping with the trip. It was the first time in his short life he had ever done anything for which he had been positively acknowledged.) Privately I have supported such trips with equipment, time, and even money. Publicly I have supported the grotto position. I now find that the times have passed me by.
The genie has been let out of the bottle and we can never put it back in. Maybe we should spend a little time over a couple of brews thinking about how we are going to deal with him.
This is taken from an editorial by the President of the (Pittsburgh) Explorers Club in their newsletter (May 1994) and makes a point about handling controversial subjects in an organization. What do you think? - EB
We are privileged to have many members who are outspoken and concerned about the environment, the wilderness, wildlife, and our ability to play in and enjoy the great outdoors. Like any large diverse organization, we have members with differing viewpoints, different interests and, occasionally, conflicting opinions. We also have members who passionately support outside groups and causes and who introduce these organizations to the club membership, often at the club meeting. Often a request for cash contributions accompanies this introduction.
We are a generous club and like to support causes that promote these ideas that we feel affect our ability to enjoy our outdoor activities. We are also a thrifty club and we don't spend our meager funds thoughtlessly or recklessly.
In order to make an informed decision, the Executive Committee has requested that you submit any new request for club donations to the Committee for their review, not in order to pass judgment on the request, but to see that all the facts are available and to do additional research, if necessary. The goal is to be able to present to the membership a concise request, recommended by their EC. This insures that the club meetings run as smoothly as possible. You may still make requests from the floor, of course, but we encourage you to talk to the EC first wherever possible.
Occasionally, issues arise which, when presented cold at the club meetings, elicit emotional responses and motions for actions which, when reviewed in a non-passionate environment, are not necessarily in the best interest of the club or the general membership. A strongly opinionated speaker, especially a respected one, can sway a group for a short time. Later, after things have quieted, their ideas may not seem quite so attractive. When other equally opinionated people argue against or for the point, a meeting can degenerate into a noisy, boring, non-productive session. This kind of meeting discourages any newcomer to the club and offends many of the older members who appreciate facts, not opinions. That is why the EC asks that these issues, too, be presented to them first, when practicable. We must respect our members' valuable time. Rare is the instance when an issue must be voted on without being first offered to the EC and, if warranted, written up in the newsletter.
Please be considerate of our time at the club meetings. Plan ahead.
E. Bradshaw, I/O Chair
We've all been inundated a lot lately with propaganda affirming that the East is running the NSS, while Westerners get short shrift. Then, suddenly, Truth broke through the clouds. It was only a short time ago, as Bill Mixon reminded us, that Texans in disproportionate numbers served on the Board of Governors. Residents of Mid-Atlantic states may sometimes look askance at the number of leaders coming from the heartland of the country.
What we are seeing, friends, is a classic case of ins vs. outs. As if we became really different when we slip into the inner circle: jump several points in IQ, add rows of figures faster in our heads, solve crosswords better because of our command of the language. As if, whether in or out, we didn't all start out with five fingers on each hand, and both left and right feet, etc.
Ins do develop a protective feeling about their status and are careful to perpetuate the lower status of the outs. But ins and outs may find, if they can get underground together, that mutual trust and respect is not hard to come by when the focus is not on power but on survival. Suggestion: Arrange to go on a cave trip with a member of the NSS Board of Governors; this can happen at conventions and regional events. And if you are an in, make an effort to listen to what the outs are saying and make room for them.
(This first appeared in the March 1994 NSS Administrative Memo.
At the spring BOG in San Diego, California, the BOG ratified that the NSS shall not discriminate in its selection of officers, members of committees and commissions, or employees on the basis of age, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, handicaps, or national origin, nor shall it condone such discrimination in its internal organizations or NSS activities.
While this may go over swimmingly in many areas, there is unfortunately evidence that in some other communities it could provoke cross-burnings or worse. One point to remember is that what people most fear or get riled up about is often what they know least about. You might be surprised at how many highly respected citizens (including cavers) fit into one or another minority bracket. So far, the I/O chairman reports, there have been no major ripples caused by this new policy.
DOES YOUR GROTTO SHUT OUT NEWCOMERS?
The locations of the grottos in this article and of the neophyte in question are withheld but it is a true story. If you haven't accepted any new members in several years, how about some soul-searching? Have you cold-shouldered some to the detriment of our caves, not to mention the fellowship goal of NSS? The source for this article was a grotto newsletter published in 1994 and is reprinted with the permission of the author. We will call the hero "Joe" and the grotto that accepted him "Newtown."
Since Joe joined the Newtown Grotto and the National Speleological Society in the same year, he has been on close to 400 cave trips. He began wild caving fifteen years earlier and had visited over 200 different caves by the time he joined the grotto. He has always kept records of his caving experiences; however, before joining the grotto he kept records only of the different caves he visited and not the repeat trips.
Shortly after he began wild caving, Joe tried to join a grotto located in his home state (Newtown is in the same state) and wanted to join the NSS but could not find a sponsor. Consequently he was snubbed and rejected. Ten years later he once again tried to join this grotto and wanted to join the NSS but again he was snubbed and rejected. There is a happy ending, however: Joe's caving friend and co-worker convinced him to apply again for membership. This time he applied to Newtown, a new grotto. They welcomed him into the grotto. They never had the old "KMA and maybe I will let you join" routine.
The Newtown Grotto was and still is a very friendly grotto. They believe that it is important to let everyone join. Being a member in the grotto enables the grotto to train the new members properly. If the local grottos do not provide the training for want-to-be cavers, who will provide that training?
Being rejected twice left Joe with a bad attitude towards the "official" cavers and their "private clubs." After all, who passed a law or decided that they were the only "official cavers"? Over the years, Joe found himself caving with some very congenial NSS members who helped Joe develop his skills and an appreciation for caves and their fauna.
Those who refuse to help train the novice caver or can't be bothered with them are the ones who help breed the cave vandals. There are those who vandalize caves and cave registers because they feel that they were mistreated by the "official cavers" who rejected them. One particular person was encountered outside the Somewhere Cave in which a register had been placed by Joe and a friend for the Contemporary Cave Use Study. The individual indicated that he would trash anything that was related to the NSS or a grotto because he was not good enough to join. It seems that he had tried to join the same grotto that Joe had tried and was also rejected. Now his mission in life is to trash all cave-related items of the NSS or grottos. Two registers have been stolen from this cave and no information has been retrieved. The cave protection law didn't seem to bother him because it is one thing to have a law and another to catch someone in the act.
Do you know what the cavers you didn't welcome to your grotto are doing now?
U.S. News and World Report in its 11/22/93 issue includes an article spelling out some of the threats to significant caves despite the 1988 passage of the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act. Now that government agencies are mandated to manage public lands in a way that would protect cave resources, one hurdle to coming up with a master list of "significant" caves is the deep mutual mistrust between federal agencies and cavers. Cavers are notoriously taciturn about the location of "wild" caves, in part to protect them from vandals but also to avoid having federal officials prohibit cavers' access to their discoveries.
But an even greater threat may be from development of oil and gas and mineral resources. The law states that cave conservation should not interfere with such development and that only "significant" caves must be protected in any case. The problem with the latter provision, say critics, is that many caves are still undiscovered and unexplored. For instance, until 1986, when a team of cavers dug through a short, rubble-filled passage, Lechuguilla looked pretty insignificant.
Even as scientists and surveyors probe the depths of Lechuguilla they themselves are changing it forever. Even when great care is taken to minimize physical damage, cavers trample formations. Explorers undoubtedly introduce foreign insects and microorganisms as well as nutrients in the form of hair, tiny flakes of skin, droplets of sweat, and crumbs of food.
In a sidebar feature beside the article on Lechuguilla, the story of the Prince of Wales Island caves in Alaska and the threat of logging is presented. Prehistoric bear bones have been discovered in these caves and further research may provide a unique window into the prehistoric past. Yet heavy logging in the timber-rich area continues to damage these caves. Clear-cutting releases topsoil which, in such a rainy region, drops quickly into the vast network of caves below, clogging the caverns and disrupting ecosystems miles away.
The U.S. Forest Service has just begun the difficult task of evaluating this rich underground resource. Officials are considering rearranging timber sales to protect the more vulnerable caves and preserve the cultural legacy that may be hidden below.
Charles Pflanze on CaveNet shares excerpts from Norbert Casteret's book, More Years Under the Earth.
If I was a little disappointed at having to leave the Gouffre Martel . . . I was soon to be richly compensated, for I experienced one of the greatest artistic and scientific joys I have ever known under the earth. I owe this privilege to the expedition's film expert, Bernard Magos.
During the 1953 and 1954 campaigns in the Cigalere, Magos surprised his companions by going off on solitary expeditions which he seemed to enjoy, although one day he returned exhausted and cut on the face. These wanderings of his were not really safe-in fact, they were dangerous and should not have been allowed, but I must admit they have an irresistible attraction for some people.
When we got back to the barracks, depressed and ravenously hungry, Magos took me aside.
"I expect you remember, my dear Casteret," he said, "that last year I discovered a fantastic gallery in the Cigalere. No one else knows where it is and it is very difficult to find. I haven't told anyone about this, but I would be very honored to show it to you, as the discoverer of the Cigalere. Would you like to come and see it?"
I remembered the cavern as it was before it was spoiled by every kind of degradation . . . when it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. I imagined that Magos must have found a corner of it that had stayed untouched.
I accepted his invitation, after giving my word of honor that I would not reveal the secret of the route to his "magic cave," though he had no objection to my describing what I saw. So I went back into the Cigalere with him for one last session of twenty hours, very tired, and a little skeptical about his cave.
As I promised to keep Magos' secret, I will say nothing about the dangerous and difficult route and the tremendous feats of swimming and climbing that were necessary to reach our objective. But I can certainly say that to get to Magos' "Seventh Heaven"-and it deserved the name-we had to use every bit of physical strength and skill that we possessed.
To begin with, the cave seemed ordinary enough, with rock walls and earth under foot. But some of the arches overhead were decorated with spouting bunches of mineral formations like club-top mushrooms, but pure white in color. After a sharp bend in the corridor, the scene changed. No more rock or earth-ground, walls, and roof were entirely covered with white, sparkling swags and concretions. Here was the fairyland that I had marveled at in other caves before they were despoiled. I complimented my companion on having found this grotto intact.
"This is nothing," he said. "We are only in the 'Angels' Corridor.' You'll soon see the 'Seventh Heaven.'"
As we went further the splendor of the cave did indeed become quite indescribable. In my forty years exploring underground I have never seen anything to match it. To say that it was like being inside a geode is the only comparison I can think of to suggest something that is really unimaginable to someone who has not seen it. Words themselves are a poor substitute for the visual language of innumerable shapes and color.
I will only say once again that the whole of the cave was utterly pure, diaphanous and so fragile that it crumbled at the slightest touch. It was an enchanted palace festooned with all the jewels and crystals of which a few dusty specimens can sometimes be seen in a museum. Among all the scrolls, plumes, gypsum flowers, translucent spearhead, and crystal-like jewels of onyx, some of the most extraordinary shapes were the nests of gypsum filament literally as fine as a spider's thread. . . there are also long, fine, absolutely straight filaments and needles. Many of the needles from twelve to twenty inches long are more delicate than the finest needles used for sewing . . . what circumlocutions we made as we covered the 200 yards of this cave on tiptoe! We had the eventual satisfaction of knowing that we had broken nothing, that we left this unique gallery as intact as it was when Bernard Magos discovered it alone in 1954 and in his poetic enthusiasm rightly christened it the "Seventh Heaven."
Charles Pflanze, who presented this on CaveNet, feels that it belongs in the continuing discussion on secrecy. Perhaps, says Charlie, we can compare caving to prospecting. We search not for gold, but for beauty, or at least some of us do. It is only natural to be secretive and personal about our favorite caves. I'm not sure if the term "macho" quite applies here, or at least not in every case. I know I've never seen anything as fabulous as what's described above. However, I have seen some nice caves, as have many cavers. Let us hope that conservation efforts will ensure that some caverns will remain unspoiled to delight the future generations of cavers.
There is no such thing as a secret cave. We heard this somewhere recently. Perhaps you can keep a cave secret during your lifetime but often natural events such as floods, earthquakes, forest fires, oil and gas drilling, to say nothing of the encroachment of man via industrialization and home sites defeat the best efforts to maintain secrecy. - EWB
This controversy may never been completely resolved as long as there are caves and cavers. A brief quote from a convention talk by Dr. Louise Hose from Colorado highlights the dilemma. "The more successful and less controversial practice of secrecy keeps the existence as well as the location of the cave completely secret from all but those directly involved in the cave or with a true 'need to know.' Practitioners of secrecy at this level accept that friendship does not demand that every cave location be shared.
"So, where has secrecy worked best? Tom Rea, while President of the NSS, wrote that secrecy doesn't work. But how could one counter his claim without revealing a secret? Secrecy works for some caves, particularly in wilderness areas or de facto wilderness areas, and there it works extremely well. It is commonly applied and works well at archeological sites… . However, cavers must be careful. In one case, secrecy among cavers was not enough."
For a time, Lechuguilla was thrown into the midst of this controversy. The people of Carlsbad tried to make a case that this world-class discovery was on public land and hence should be made available for viewing to the general public. This turned out on investigation not to be feasible… but suppose the situation had been different but the formations as unique as they are?
These comments by Ken Byrd, NSS 11781, on bumper stickers - printed in the CIG Newsletter for February 1994, are thought-provoking.
In these days of caver proliferation, the continuing popularization of caves and caving, and the increasing stresses upon both caves and their owners, the presence of any sticker or label that identifies a vehicle as belonging to a caver has definite risks. Some of the risks are:
Some say that caving stickers or labels let them identify other cavers; I suggest that one can easily identify other cavers by simply looking in the windows of their vehicles or (better yet) asking people what their vehicles look like.
Ed.(-This misses the point of a traveling caver wishing to make contact with other cavers in unfamiliar territory. Sometimes the only identifying feature for me is the little bat sticker, for I don't keep caving gear and hard hats etc. in plain sight in my car. And many's the time in an unfamiliar part of town I know I have found the right house for that evening's business meeting by the number of cars with bat bumper stickers. Of course, I may have other bumper stickers such as "Virginia is for Lovers," "Live Simply that Others May Simply Live," or a Nature Conservancy membership sticker. While I stay away from religious slogans, would juxtaposing with a caving sticker one of them, "Christ Loves me" or one like that, really confuse a person trying to psychoanalyze the owner of a 1989 Oldsmobile?
Then, too, wouldn't an individual closely inspecting the inside of an unattended parked car (as above suggested) arouse the local law's suspicions too?
But having taken issue with Ken to this extent, let me hasten to add that I would probably agree with him about SOME of the caving bumper stickers he mentions: "Cavers do it in the Mud," "I Guano go Caving," "TAG Caver," etc. ) --EB
Much of the following is based upon material drafted by the Windy City Grotto, Chicago, Illinois, including an article in their April 1993 newsletter and correspondence in 1994
As the Windy City people note, caving has become an increasingly popular sport. The NSS now has over 11,000 members. Thousands of others go caving without joining any organization, or on one-time trips. Commercial tour operators sell caving trips and major newspapers write feature articles on caving as a sport. Caving is now a popular weekend "adventure" activity.
WCG has been receiving a number of requests (and in a number of cases, demands) for assistance in leading caving trips (and they are not the only ones to be so approached, are they?). One caller even wanted the grotto to give him locations and keys for gated caves. Grotto members have helped many groups in the past few years satisfy their interest with presentations and led trips.
But now internal guidelines are needed with the grotto deal with such requests.
While these policies are only proposed, other grottos may have similar policies in place. An exchange and general discussion could benefit us all. All such discussion, however, needs to recognize the different situations as we move across the country. What is appropriate in Ann Arbor, Michigan, may cause a disaster in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Windy City Grotto's "Intro to Caving" series has existed in various forms since the mid-1960s. It was originally started for the same reasons as today-to educate beginners. It consists of slides and show-and-tell on whatever happens to be the topic for the month, administered by a grotto member the Board feels is the most qualified to do so. Sometimes the area of interest merits 45 minutes to an hour for its presentation (like the September topic on Ropes), and sometimes it's just a 15-minute mini-presentation that will precede some other slide or video show during the "Program" half of our monthly meetings. In the event that a complete set of show-and-tell items is not available (or is not practical), members of the safety committee and whoever else was necessary and available gathered for a photo session of the items. Slides are then shown for items that can't be passed around the room, and are therefore an important part of the Intro to Caving ("slide") series.
The January topic is "Intro to Caving." The first program of the calendar year, during a relatively cold month to go caving, is an overview of the upcoming program in its entirety. It uses selected slides from all the following eleven months, slides of various trips and locations, and anything else to bring some excitement to the mind of the novice. The January program, by its nature, is a long one, and does not allow time for presentation of any other unrelated slide or video materials during the Program half of our meetings.
The February topic is "Extremities." This program deals with helmets, gloves, boots, and socks. Right and wrong examples are shown. Reasons are given why one helmet or boot is better than another. "Extremities" can be either long or short in program length.
The March topic is "Clothing and Coveralls," dealing with what you should and shouldn't wear into a cave. . . the bare minimum to get by, and the "Cadillac" way to go. Cave packs can also be discussed. "Clothing and Coveralls" is a short program.
The April topic is "Carbide Lamps." One of our most experienced cavers (and collector of carbide lamps) gives his annual talk on his areas of interest. History, usage, safety, and maintenance are all explained. "Carbide Lamps" is a short program.
The May topic is "Electric Lights." Various types are shown; room lights are turned off and bulb brightnesses are compared. Batteries and battery packs, with advantages and drawbacks, are discussed. "Electric Lights" is a short program.
The June topic is "Horizontal Techniques." How to move through a cave . .. . using hand- and footholds properly… crawlways, duckwalking, and other styles of movement… and safety tips. "Horizontal Techniques" can be either long or short in program length, depending on whether you want to hold a "crawling contest." (Just set up an obstacle course using the chairs in the room.)
The July topic is "Vertical Techniques." Our most experienced vertical caver explains information on climbing, points-of-contact, and basic ropework. Basic harnesses are shown, various kinds of ascending/descending devices are explained, and safety is given a thorough discussion. "Vertical Techniques" is a longer length program.
The August topic is "First Aid." In addition to basic safety, a discussion of hypothermia is presented, as well as first aid kits and what should belong in every caver's pack. "First Aid" is a short-length program.
The September topic is "Cave Conservation." Overall appreciation of the world underground and its frailty is emphasized. Water purity for cave formation is explained. Cave-owner relations and bats are also discussed. This topic makes for a short-length program.
The October topic is "Ropes." Differences in rope construction are shown, pieces of rope are given to everyone in the room as the leader discusses knots. There is also an explanation of rigging and more safety. "Ropes" is usually a longer program.
The November topic is "Surveying and Maps." This is usually the topic the most people know the least about, but are eager to learn. How to read a topo map… the function and use of all the different survey instruments… the function of each person on the survey team… all ending in a "hands-on" survey of the room. This program can be either long or short.
The December topic is "Photography." Basic camera gear is discussed… different types of flash units… tripods… camera cases… techniques… and a mention of videography. "Photography" can be either a long or short length program.
The series serves as vital information for the novice, as well as a refresher for the more advanced grotto member. The point is hopefully to serve the interests of all levels of cavers in a grotto.
In addition to the above series, our membership committee is assembling a New Member Packet, containing a list of essential caving clothing and basic equipment for novices, a checklist for personal first aid, a lit of what a cave pack should contain, and a list of suppliers for all of the above. The packet might also contain a list of essential equipment for vertical caving, outfitters providing training in climbing techniques, scuba shops, where to find or order books on caving, and an updated history and information sheet on the grotto.
Others who have tried programs for caver beginner orientation that work are encouraged to write them up for the Internal Organizations Committee and the Administrative Memo. What works for one grotto may not work for another, but out of many ideas may come some aspects that will fit into your specific needs.
From article by Art Hanson in August 1992 Dead Dog Dispatch, Tri-state's newsletter.
The purpose of the 1992 summer caving program was to take young science students and introduce them to the world of speleology. To date our group of students have had three meetings. The first was an introduction to the course. We showed slides of several local caves and talked about what we would do during the summer.
Our second meeting was a conservation trip to the cave near a dam on the C&O Canal in Washington County, Maryland. We cleaned several years' worth of graffiti off the walls of the cave, returning it to its natural look and making it a much more pleasant cave to visit.
Our third meeting consisted of a lesson in Karst Geology in which we explained how caves are formed. We also discussed plans for our long trip into Norman Cave, West Virginia.
[At the time this article was written, the other planned meetings had not yet taken place.]
Our fourth meeting will be a trip to the Rohrersville caves of Washington County, Maryland. On this trip we will visit two caves, Rohrersville Column Cave and Hogmaw Cave. While in the caves we will expand on our geology lesson, letting the students see first-hand what they learned in the classroom. We will also be passing out written instructions on how the students are to pack their bed packs for the Norman trip.
For our fifth meeting we will return to the classroom. We will be talking about the Norman trip in detail and have a lesson in cave surveying.
At our sixth meeting we will be back underground putting our surveying lessons to practical use. One week after this trip we will set off on our Norman trip. The Norman cave trip will be the grand finale of our summer caving program.
Norman Cave is located in karst-rich Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The cave has nearly seventeen miles of passages. The purpose of our trip is to survey and map an area of the cave called the Great White Way. The Great White Way is several thousand feet of beautiful gypsum formations. It is an easy walking passage and will be delightful to survey. The adventure will be in getting to it. To get to the Great White Way we must pass by a beautiful underground waterfall and negotiate an underground river. We will see pure white drapery formations twenty feet tall and walk over rocks as big as a house. We will be camping nearly a mile underground in a wide flat dry base we call the Archway Passage. The trip will be a safe one. The trip leaders are all highly experienced cavers and members of the Tri-State Grotto of the National Speleological Society. The ratio of experienced cavers to students will be one to one. Enclosed in this packet is a list of equipment needed for this trip.
At our August 15th meeting, before we go on our practice survey trip, I will give a demonstration on how to pack all the equipment. I would like to have at least one parent from each family attend this meeting.…
If you are not already a member of the Human Sciences Section of the National Speleological Society, you are invited to join. Dues are $5.00 a year, payable to the NSS Human Science Section. Members receive the newsletter periodically, and have the right to vote at the Annual Meeting, held at the NSS Convention each year.
r Yes, I would like to join the Human Sciences Section. Here are my dues in
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(dues of $5/year may be prepaid for up to three years).
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Please send this form with check/money order made out to NSS Human Sciences Section
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