Caving or spelunking is the recreational sport of exploring caves. In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment.
When you think of caves you probably have a picture of BATS and STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES, but thats not all that's in a cave, there's history and not to mention the NAMES of other people on the walls.
I'm only a beginner at caving, but if you have questions MAIL ME.
If you're more of an advanced spelunker, though; you might want to
check the links that I have added on the bottom of the page. I hope you
like this page, and if you know of any caves in the Oregon area, tell
me. Overview
The challenges of the sport depend on the cave being visited, but often include the negotiation of pitches, squeezes, and water (though actual cave diving is a separate sub-specialty undertaken only by very few cavers). Climbing or crawling is often necessary, and ropes are used extensively for safety of the negotiation of particularly steep or slippery passages.
Caving is often undertaken for the enjoyment of the activity or for
physical exercise, as well as original exploration, similar to mountaineering or diving.
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Practice and equipment
Hard hats
are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks. The caver's
primary light source is usually mounted on the helmet in order to keep
the hands free. Electric lights are most common, with halogen lamps being standard and white LEDs
as the new competing technology. Many cavers carry two or more sources
of light - one as primary and the others as backup in case the first
fails. More often than not, a second light will be mounted to the
helmet for quick transition if the primary fails. Carbide lamps systems are an older form of illumination, inspired by miner's equipment, and are still used by some cavers.[2]
The type of clothes
worn underground varies according to the environment of the cave being
explored, and the local culture. In cold caves, the caver may wear a
warm base layer that retains its insulating properties when wet, such
as a fleece ("furry") suit and/or polypropylene underwear, and an oversuit of hard-wearing (e.g., cordura) and/or waterproof (e.g., PVC) material.
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