/r/caving

Photograph via snooOG

A subreddit about caves, caving, and caver culture. We welcome trip reports, photographs of caves, gear reviews, questions about caving, and cave science.

Do not ask where to find caves! Be excellent to each other.

"Cave Softly: Take only pictures, leave only footprints (in the right places), kill only time."


/r/caving Subreddit Posting Rules

  • Do not SOLICIT cave locations (to avoid vandalism and accidents).
  • Do not POST cave locations (to avoid vandalism and accidents).
  • No pictures of cavers without helmets or doing anything else unsafe.
  • Keep it civil.

Resources

Please join the NSS, find your local grotto (cave club) to learn caving and cave locations.

NSS Webpage: caves.org

Find a Cave Club

Guide to Responsible Caving

Safety & Techniques Guide

CaveChat

Cave Discord

Basic Vertical Manual


Organizations

National Speleological Society

British Caving Association

Alberta Speleological Society

Caving Canada

Speleological Union of Ireland

New Zealand Speleological Society

Australian Speleological Federation

Find a caving group in your own country: International Union of Speleology


Shop for Cave Gear

Inner Mountain Outfitters

Karst Sports

On Rope 1

West Virginia Underground

Elevated Climbing

The Headlamp Speadsheet


Related SubReddits

/r/CampingandHiking/ Camping General

/r/alpinism Take hiking to the high slopes

/r/climbing Vertical Hiking ;-)

/r/outdoors Outdoors

/r/kayaking Paddle to your camp site

/r/outdoorsgear Gear up.

/r/adventures Meet other Adventurers

Part of the Outdoor Network

/r/caving

42,180 Subscribers

36

Pretty cool waterfall that we found

6 Comments
2024/11/06
12:29 UTC

12

Application for cave mapping

Hi! I've had this idea for a while and have finally mastered the courage to ask about it its target audience. So, it's a mobile app that doesn't require Wi-Fi/gps for tracking user location. It tracks in all three dimensions, so climbing and descending are also taken into account. You are able to record a certain route, which is represented by a 3d map,and you can see your position within it. I believe such an app can be made, but would it be in any demand?

English isn't my first language, sorry

6 Comments
2024/11/05
18:15 UTC

94

Cave Camp Menu

5 Comments
2024/11/05
17:35 UTC

3

resizing an oversuit

Hi,

does anyone have any experience in resizing an oversuit? I have an extra one (the standard orange ones, waterproof) and would like to atempt to make it smaller because it is huge on me. And the other one i use is also too big but if i fail i can still use that one (i got both second hand, but dont want to buy a new one just yet because i am still a beginer).

I think i have a sewing maching strong enough and i know ld have to buy an waterproof seam sealer.

Does anyone have any experiences or tips on how to resize it, espacially make the torso part smaller. And how do diffrent seam sealers hold up, what stiching wpuld you recomend. I am on rope so i dont want it to just burst because i sat in a harnes also caves in my area are pretty wet.

Thankssss

4 Comments
2024/11/05
13:20 UTC

4

Cave below dam.

The other day one of the members of a canyoneering group I'm a part of, found a cave (in basalt bedrock) below a huge dam. It's only accessible during the winter when the lower reservoir is low (the dam is in the middle of two reservoirs). The cave is directly below the waterfall formed by the water outlet. It's currently unexplored, would it be safe to explore when the reservoirs are dry? Also would the cave be a structural concern for the dam above.

7 Comments
2024/11/05
02:17 UTC

7

Mementoes

On my last caving trip last week. We decided on cutting our dead harnesses as they were accidentally taken into a cave and I cut the brand off so got me thinking about what other mementoes are out there

3 Comments
2024/11/04
20:58 UTC

31

Official r/caving tiny space discussion thread!

The mods have noticed, and received feedback, about the overwhelming amount of posts here regarding passing through tight spaces, rescuing from them, etc. In a way, it feels like a passive violation of Rule 4. Future posts about small spaces may be removed under Rule 4. This post however is open for discussion of all things small spaces!

Please, however, we still do not want to talk about Nutty Putty.

If you find the thread is too big, please feel free to make use of the search feature to look for tight spaces.

23 Comments
2024/11/04
20:40 UTC

203

Our restoration project in central Pennsylvania. It's like a "Wheres's waldo" but with speleothems...

18 Comments
2024/11/04
17:47 UTC

4

Does anyone wana cave with me in wv

I

3 Comments
2024/11/03
18:37 UTC

0

youtube channel

I posted this on this subreddit a couple years ago but no one was able to help me figure it out. I’ve spent the last couple years scouring youtube to try and find it but I can’t, maybe this description could help someone else remember it though, and the channel is not Mr. Ballen or Mr. Deified.

I don’t know if anyone will be able to help me, but i’m trying to find an account on youtube that often discussed tragedies involving caving. The youtuber did one video on floyd collins, and another video that was about a scientist(I’m not really sure what he was but for some reason i think he was a scientist) who went into a cave/crevice and while he was ascending his rope snapped and he fell to the bottom hitting his head. He was too heavy to lift and he basically died at the bottom of the cave a few days later, and then he was cremated and his name was inscribed on a rock. I doubt if that will be helpful to anyone but if it is please tell me the youtubers name because I’ve spent the last 20 minutes searching for him.

8 Comments
2024/11/03
09:12 UTC

119

Some 50 meters below ground, i would lie if i said that i wasn't scared, but God it was amazing

4 Comments
2024/11/02
15:40 UTC

23

Question for cavers about meeting another caver in a tight tunnel

So I’ve been thinking …..how do you know there isn’t another caver in the very tight & long tunnel you are about to enter, either ahead of you going forward or coming back your way??
Has anyone encountered this & what did you do?

32 Comments
2024/11/02
10:01 UTC

8

Are mining boots good for caving

I’m wanting to start caving and was wondering if mining boots are good for caving or not. The only reason I ask is because I figured since most mining is done underground and with all the sharp and jagged rocks that in caves I feel like they would be better than hiking boots or lightweight winter boots since they’re probably more durable and suitable for being underground

9 Comments
2024/11/02
05:12 UTC

13

New friends?

Hi, I’m new to the hobby and looking to possibly meet people interested in the same thing in my area. I’m a photographer mainly and I like photographing beautiful places and caves are definitely on that list! I have a bunch of places I already found that I’d love to explore - Hartford county area CT. Private message me if interested!

5 Comments
2024/10/31
10:32 UTC

10

Any of you guys participate in Bridge Day?

Let's a video I made of my second rappel. This was my first Bridge Day and it was pretty awesome. Working up the skill and confidence to take on some of deep ones in Mexico!

17 Comments
2024/10/31
01:55 UTC

7

Need Form Responses Regarding Rope Use

For our high school Capstone Project, we are required to engineer a device that could help solve an issue that many people encounter (Me and my Team are in a STEM Academy, hence the Capstone Project needing to be related to engineering). Our team have decided to make a device that could help to more efficiently and cost effective solution to clean rope as research has shown that dirty rope can be weakened by up to 30%, we would really appreciate it if people could fill our form as we need survey response to get an idea about how impactful our product could potentially be that would be greatly appreciated.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdd1sGDmNUuz4WSae17u4uFL6ShPLzMv8A1jv92B95qJeRCgQ/viewform?usp=sharing

9 Comments
2024/10/30
18:47 UTC

37

Can someone tell me what the circled numbers mean? Just getting into reading cave maps and survey. (Sorry for bad photo quality)

17 Comments
2024/10/30
16:26 UTC

11

Have you ever gotten wedged in a tight cave? How for you get out?

30 Comments
2024/10/30
02:06 UTC

100

Found in KY cave. Can anyone help with an ID? Just a mutation? He was pretty far back in the cave I was in.

15 Comments
2024/10/29
19:22 UTC

8

planning for convention

hi everyone! i've been caving pretty casually for about two years, but recently joined my local grotto and have fallen head first in love with it since having the opportunity to go more frequently. i'm already thinking about going to convention next year, but having a hard time trying to conceptualize the logistics. so, a few questions:

  1. would you mind sharing your total cost, and a general breakdown of it? please include any expenses you can think of related to convention, no matter how insignificant!

  2. what were your travel/lodging logistics? i'm in the west and will need to fly, so bonus points if you've done the same and can talk about how you transported all gear, camping supplies, etc. i hear they have motels, too? what's that all like?

  3. what's something you wish you had known before you went? any advice? information regarding the general vibe/environment of the caves in cobleskill and type of gear you'll want to have for them is appreciated as well.

and really just anything you want to share, i'm all ears. none of my close friends i've made through caving are able to go this year so i'm feeling nervous and lacking guidance! thank you in advance :)

14 Comments
2024/10/29
02:09 UTC

3

South Florida Cave Friends!

Hi, I am a researcher who just moved to Florida only a few months ago. I study speleothems and I'm well versed in the lab side of things but not until recently have I started to collect my own samples. Being inside a cave is a new world for me and I'd like to practice caving more outside of my job.

I know about the Grotto but just haven't had the time to reach out to that group.

Would any local cavers be interested in info dumping about Florida caves to me so I can learn more about them from frist hand experience?

(For context I do not do research in Florida just the lab I work in is here and I genuinely know nothing about Florida caves)

7 Comments
2024/10/28
23:58 UTC

7

Overall Guidance Questions

Hi, I’m a climber with background experience bouldering in climbing gyms and some amateur nature bouldering in my area.

Im getting into anchoring and belaying and I’m trying to build a gear set up/kit before my first major/serious climbs but I don’t have much knowledge on the gear because usually i am using a mat when I climb.

I’m about to try a taller nature climb and i wanted to ask an exprienced group what the best list of gear would be for climbing heights of say up to 50 feet. What would I need? Maybe brands you’d suggest or safety tips? Anything would be appreciated thank you so much!!🙏

Also I’m from the northeast area and I’d love to meet anyone in the community who’s interested in new friends! Plus an added bonus if you can give me some tips and tricks in process lol!

6 Comments
2024/10/28
23:30 UTC

137

Laurel Caverns in flood stage, July 2019.

2 Comments
2024/10/28
21:11 UTC

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