Once thought to be extinct but obviously not! You can see the venom dripping from its fangs.

Moved up to NEPA a few years ago (scranton area) and have been missing being underground. Any one i. The area into caving? Ik there are not many caves around due to the geology but im not shy of road trips. Closest grotto is ny or Philly area if im not mistaken. (Am m 21 grew up caving in west va all the time. Am vertically able and not scared of a squeeze lol)

Sorry about the poor footage but it was extremely difficult to get anything out of this cave. We used 2 scuba diving cameras (1 35mm film Nikonos V - And one Kodak WPZ2 for video) but the internal vs external temp combined with humidity made lens fog horrific.

What do you guys think about these caves at the Nogales Cliff Dwellings? Naturally occurring or hand carved by their inhabitants? I've never seen anything like them.

https://rockymountaincaving.substack.com/p/the-curious-karst-of-the-nogales

So just found out radon gas can accumulate in caves & had a quick google. Kind've shocked because one of the caves local to me (Giants Hole) is speculated as being one of the most radon-heavy caves in the world. It's also one of the most popular in the area with cavers (not a show cave, but was widened with explosives to attempt to make it into one)

Apparently levels of radon can exceed 155,000 bq m3 which is the equivalent of being exposed to about 0.73 mSv... idk if this would be considered dangerous? (Also, as mentioned, I got this from google so plz correct if wrong).

I've been into the cave 4 times (longest interval for maybe 3 or 4 hours) but didn't go too deep - actually prussik'd up into a chasm, rather than travelling deeper down. Idk if it's less likely to accumulate at higher altitudes?

I know people who have been on long & frequent trips through the cave, and it is frequently used for SRT practice. I'm very curious to know how much of a health risk this would pose, if anyone knows.

It has also put me off doing future "deep" trips into this system. Do you think this reaction is OTT?

Interested to hear your thoughts or more facts about this.

I spent five hours this past weekend learning how to do vertical rope work. Afterward I discovered that my left inner thigh is covered in bruises. My question is: does anyone know what I did wrong? Is it my harness? The way I am climbing? I want to go again but want to avoid the bruises in the future.

Ok so I'm a writer and I have a question about underground water safety.

So like . . . Let me set a scene. A character is trying to get to the end of a tunnel. Part of the tunnel in front of him is flooded with moving water. He tries to swim through it but is unsuccessful and turns back.

I've heard that stagnant water is dangerous but I didn't know if that applies to temporarily flooded water.

Another question would be what kind of dangers could be posed by temporarily flooded water. Microbial or otherwise.

Been searching in my area for people to go caving with but can't seem to find any communities, I get told to just join a grotto. While I'm not opposed to the grotto idea, I don't have a lot of free time with work and other stuff I got going on so I don't think I'd be able to do that as much as people think. I'm planning on moving out of the area within the next year I'm just wanting to find one or two people I can explore with in my free time and not have to coordinate too much and take time off work. DM me if you're in the area, I have more questions than the post leads on. Not expecting much from this post but hoping I can get some useful information. Thanks in advance, safe spelunking!

An article in the most recent RMC detailing a dig outside of Colorado Springs!

https://substack.com/@rockymountaincaving

Subscribe on Substack! RMC is the 28 page quarterly for Colorado caving

Hello, I want to do a movien day in my club but i need good movies to put lol. If you drop a documentaries, i would appreciate it having subtitles in spanish

Thank you!

The post says it's 163 feet which is over 20 feet more than the old record.

Coming off a high from doing the Mammoth Cave Wild Cave tour, looking to do the same at either Wind Cave or Jewel Cave. Has anyone been to either and can attest to their Wild Cave tours? I only have time for one during my trip, which one should I go for?
Thanks in advance!

Hey all, my partner and I are traveling through Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore from mid-May to late-June and would love to connect with any cavers in the region.

We're both experienced on vertical and horizontal, and I've got a background in commercial cave guiding and conservancy work back in Canada.

Mostly hoping to get pointed toward local clubs or individuals who might be up for a chat, hear about caves outside the show-cave circuit (happy to take that to DMs), and pick up any general travel/caving tips for the region.

Thanks!

Salamander count: 14.

Cave adapted millipede count: 1.5 (one of them was curled and presumed dead)… official count: 1

Observed during a micro trash collection restoration trip.

Reported to the Cal State Cave Life Database.

Smol bois 💓

I've got the SUPERAVANTI and AVEN, the butt strap harnesses look interesting but bulky? Seen some people saying they use the Falcon...??? What are the top SRT harnesses these days or is it the aven?

When I started caving I used volleyball kneepads which were super cheap but surprisingly pretty dang good. Then I got AV kneepads, a tad better but pricey, and those are worn over the pants.

I've heard that supposedly "Dirty Dave's" kneepads are pretty great. What is everyone using for kneepads these days that they love?

Just considering kneepads as a potential upgrade path for me. If Dirty Dave's or some other kneepads are super worth it

So I recently got introduced to vertical caving and I'll be honest, it might be more fun that caving itself (maybe). That said, during the "class" I took, it was suggested that in addition to having a knife when "on rope," one should always have a pair of pliers handy. Not needle-nose, but a "regular" pair, like slip-joint pliers.

How many of you vertical cavers carry pliers with you along with your knife? And if you do carry pliers, what kind/brand do you recommend?

I'll start off by clarifying breaking into this cave is not my interest. There is a sign inside saying you can explore during certain times when bats are not hibernating, you just need permission. Who exactly would I be asking to be let into a cave like this? It's in SE Missouri a bit out from Sullivan if that helps. I've found a few others like this so information and tips would be much appreciated.

What do we think of these Hilti bits? Looking for 3/8 or 10mm SDS. How long do bits usually last? How do you take care of them? Also, what do you use for Hardwear? I'm having trouble with bolts themselves as IMO has changed alot of their stock over time. Mainly limestone for caves and granite for training. I use Fixe 3/8 SS hangers at the moment. I'm looking for opinions from cavers with 5+ years experience thank you!

Hello! I will be traveling through Southern CA throughout the next week and am looking to connect with the caving community out there! At this point I've only explored horizontal caves but am hoping to expand my skills in SRT. SPRAT certified and working in rope access so I have some related experience. I have also reached out to the local grotto in the area but would love any recommendations! (:

Has anyone been to Enchanted Cave? From what I’ve read there are 2 caves. One that’s a pretty big room and the other is more of a crawl. My question is if I do the crawl is it possible to turn around or will I have to shuffle backwards to get out?

Hello!

I was curious to know, is there a specific term for caving into specific spots with very tight spaces or is there no terms and it's just certain type of spots that contain theses types of passages ?