MACaver

[Ceicei]

Part 5: Seeing the Formations

Wow! I look at the walls and ceiling. I observe that the stalactites were not just randomly spread around, but rather, following the lines of what are or used to be crevices. I realize then that’s how the stalactites were made with moisture coming from above and through the ceiling. I had previously thought it was just trapped liquid on the ceiling that collects then drips (such as sometimes seen happening in an aquarium). Most of the stalagmites are below the stalactites, sometimes touching together to make columns.

There are some formations called Quill Anthrodite and Sodastraw. I’m glad some pictures were taken of them! They look so fragile. It is so fascinating! I reach out to touch them gently. It is very beautiful being underground! There are also flowstone formations. Byron and Byron got to stand behind some interesting columns, stalactites, and stalagmites for some pictures. The boys then scramble further down and disappear from sight.[font=&quot][/font]

 

[Ceicei]

Part 6: Rat Skat Crawl

Fortunately, some of the path inside the cave is marked with tiny reflector tabs, white going down and red going up. I follow the tabs. Ralph and Hank are still behind talking about and examining the formations, pausing frequently to take pictures.

I stop to look around while traveling between the larger popcorn formations. The popcorn formations are big enough to provide secure hold while climbing down. Space gets smaller and smaller. I no longer see the lights of the boys’ headlamps. They’ve disappeared again. At least the reflector tabs are there and they are leading to a very small hole. If the tabs are there, that means it is okay for people to go through this tunnel. I get down on my knees. This is the area called “Rat Skat Crawl”. I realize I can’t go through on all fours, so I get down prone on my stomach. My backpack snags. I take it off and shove it in front of me. I’ll have to push it all the way through. My head keeps banging. Good thing I’m wearing a helmet. To get through better, I turn over onto my back. The ceiling is only a few inches away from my face. I wonder if any one has ever got stuck at this spot. I wiggle through for approximately 10 feet, pausing frequently to look ahead as this tunnel curves. It opens up to a space about the size of two combined house rooms. I find the boys in there lying on the ground. I join them and lay down too. We eat some beef jerky, granola bars, and sip from our drinks. Hank and Ralph finally join us. We pass the bag of beef jerky around to Hank and Ralph too. Hank takes a picture of us. [Ralph is in red suit.]

 

[Ceicei]

Part 7: On the Way Out

We’re at the lowest part of the cave. We all turn off the headlamps for a short moment, enjoying the complete darkness. We turn the lights back on. I experiment with the lights by dimming and switching between two types of lights. I really like this helmet. I’m thinking of getting one like it. After several minutes, we all reluctantly get up to go back through the Rat Skat Crawl. I repeat the same procedure, crawling on my back with the backpack pushed in front of me. We return back to the columns for some more group pictures taken by Hank as photographer. Ralph suggests a mother/son picture. Byron and I pose together.

The hard part will be climbing back up to the entrance. We arrive to the incline. Instead of attaching two ascenders (as we normally would when climbing straight up on the rope), we only need to use one on the rope to hold and walk our way up the incline. We do not need to hook the ascender to the harness. Hank, Byron, and Braydon take their turn to go up.

Walking uphill was not as easy as it seems. The incline is a bit slick. I lean back too far, off balance by the backpack, and stress my knees. My Universal Pattern necklace swings, hits me in the chest, and slides to my shoulder. The necklace—the symbol of multiple directions of motion. Right, there are some concepts from Kenpo I can use for caving. One of the concepts is to conserve energy—do not expend more than necessary. I stop, recalling my Kenpo instructor’s words. Keep your back straight, center yourself to align with gravity, change your stances to maintain balance, breathe to focus. I look at my feet and change my posture to modified “neutral/forward bow” stances. I look upward to the others waiting and switch the stances left and right, going up. My knees do not hurt any more and I have better traction with my feet.

Ralph hitches on to the rope behind me while I’m halfway up. The rope tightens, now with two human bodies weighing on it. The rope wants to lower down closer to the ground. Again, I modify my stances to compensate and continue walking up.

I reach the sandbagged wall and climb over. Ralph joins me shortly and pulls up his ropes. He unties them off the wall and ties them up in loops to carry. He will need to take them out with him. Since he will be the last one out, he asks when I get close to the entrance, I help pass them out to the entrance. He needs his hands free to maneuver his way out through the small entrance. I agree.

Ralph says that sometimes going up on the rope with the backback strapped to the shoulders will throw the rope climber off balance. He feels that for climbing up the rope, it is easier and less off balance if the backpack is hung on a short rope attached to the rear of the harness. Byron makes a face. He says he tried that the last time and didn’t like it. This time, he wants to climb up with his backpack slung on his shoulders.

I wonder which way is better. Ralph suggests I try it with the short rope. He gets out one and attaches it to my harness and backpack. I watch Hank, Byron, and Braydon climb up the rope. Now it’s my turn. I attach the ascender with foot loops and croll to the rope. I climb up thinking this will be easy as it is my favorite part of rope climbing. I’ve practiced this a lot!

I find out it is not as easy, since I’ve never practiced with a backpack before. Ralph is right, it takes me off balance. I struggle going up. I wonder whether it would be easier having the backpack on me instead of below me. Already off balance, I keep trying to pull up with my arms and getting tired in the process.

My Universal Pattern necklace swings again and sends me another Kenpo reminder. Conserve energy. I stop and sit in the harness to rest. I wave to Ralph. He takes another picture of me.

I recall my Kenpo instructor’s words again. Use your legs and hips for power. I move my feet directly underneath me with the foot loops. In a similar manner as I would with a martial arts “horse stance”, I tilt my hips forward and keep my back straight. I push directly upwards with my legs and use my arms only to keep me close to the rope rather than pulling up. Even with a backpack dragging, I no longer feel exhausted doing the rope climb.

 

[Ceicei]

Part 8: At the Entrance Again and Going Home

I arrive to the small space leading to the entrance. I move up on a narrow ledge to wait for Ralph and help him with the ropes. Ralph reaches me. He suggests I pass my backpack up to Braydon so that my hands will be free to help. Braydon climbs down a few feet from the entrance and takes up the backpack. Ralph passes on the ropes and I hand them off to Braydon. We then get out through the entrance. Ralph unties the rope from the entrance. It is nice to see the sunlight again. It feels warm compared to the cave.

We pack up the caving gear and get down the steep mountainside. We walk down the path. My feet hurt, especially my right foot. I wonder whether my boots are too small, but they shouldn’t be. They felt fine this morning. We got to the first footbridge. Before I cross over, I slip on the ice. I try to do a martial arts back breakfall, but with a backpack on, it is difficult to do a proper breakfall. I slam on my right hand. Ralph backs up and extends his hand. I wave him off. I want to lay there on the ground for a moment, mentally assessing my body. I move my wrist and stretch my back. My joints work fine and my back is okay. My right palm shows a bruise. I accept a hand from Ralph and he helps me get up. We cross the icy bridge together.

We finally arrive to the parking lot gate. I take off my boots and look at my right foot. The big toe is half-way bruised with a partially detached toenail. I remember hurting my foot in the cave. Ouch!

Hank has to leave to go home. He has a long drive, so we thank him for letting us use his caving gear. We then go eat pizza and head for home. I make sure to stretch out my body completely so I won’t be as sore. Yes!!! The Spanish Moss Cave trip is a success!!

The following Tuesday, I go to my Kenpo class. While practicing a brown belt technique, my black belt female partner hard blocks my right kick. Now my right big toe is no longer just halfway bruised, it’s entirely bruised. Maybe it is a good thing; the loose nail sticks now because of the blood. If I’m lucky, I won’t lose the nail. My Kenpo instructor advises to ice the toe. After class at home, I ice the toe and tape it up. It is healing very nicely.

I am grateful for what Kenpo teaches me. I am also grateful that Kenpo gets me in a good physical condition. Kenpo transfers over well with my other activities. I smile, thinking life is good—it’s terrific!

- Ceicei

 

[MA-Caver]

I thank you (publically this time) for such a wonderfully written report/article. Thank you also for helping me show how Martial Arts can help with (any) endeavor in our lives, yea even unto caving.
Ceicei and her son Byron have come a long way even though only one/two trips under their belts (so far). I have to accredit their MA training in their rapid advancement of the various vertical and caving skills they've learned.
Ceicei and I did a "private" lesson (because her boy wanted to go shredding on the snow-covered slopes with his new Snowboard) and her youngest asked "what belt would you say Mom is at right now". Hanging there (was on a rope at the time, an indoor climbing wall) I thunk for a moment then said that she's somewhere between purple and blue, in relation to skill level comparative to a Martial Arts (Kenpo) belt. It's the closest thing I could use to help them gauge their advancement.
I only teach up to intermediate level as far as caving/vertical rope techniques. Much of the advance (Brown-Black) stuff one learns on their own via experience and the number of caves done and amount of rope work involved for that particular cave.
The next cave I plan to take them to is Candlelight. A 95 foot free-hanging rappel down a 220' mineshaft and one has to swing into the entrance. Enroute out one has to literally step out into free space to begin their ascent up the rope. I've watched experienced cavers (out of state) come visit this cave and when they get ready to begin their ascent, they pause realizing that they have a 135 foot free fall to the bottom of the shaft and they edge out as cautiously as possible ... on their butts. They watched one of us just simply get on rope, double check everything and then step out. ...(chuckling) guess you had to be there.
Anyway this next trip will prove to be challenging but I think they're capable, otherwise they wouldn't be on the trip roster.

Good job Ceicei!

 

[MA-Caver]

Another neato trip made by Ceicei and her son Byron. I'm only going to post a group photo and let the "report" go to her with her own additions of photos.

The group consists of some not some typical cavers (one is missing the guy who took the photo.. James). But if any of you are old enough to remember actor Steve McQueen then Stan (far right) is ole' Steve's cousin (somewhere on the tree not too distant either).
Also there's Yifan Shi who is from mainland China and learning to cave for the first time here.
Peter is one of the most experienced cavers I know as he's been doing it for nigh 40 sumpthin years.
We had a good trip and it was a good experience for all. Especially for the men who have never caved with a deaf person before. They commented that it was ... different. But they complimented that she done very well. As if she wouldn't for some reason, oh geez!

 

[MA-Caver]

My personal deepest is -1165 feet or -355.09 meters. (Neffs Canyon Cave in Utah). This is roughly six times that, I can't possibly imagine doing that cave six times straight in a row. And yet the search goes on for the deepest. As the aforementioned Neffs took a back seat last fall when a new cave (in Utah) was found to be -1174 feet. Article for that is here in pdf format enjoy.

NG: Photo in the News: Cavers Reach "Bottom of the World"
—David Braun

April 21, 2005—In a newly released photograph from the May National Geographic magazine, caver Alan Cressler, shown last August, rappels into Krubera Cave in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia—the world's deepest. Cressler was part of first phase of the Call of the Abyss project. The project's second expedition, in October, became the first to descend more than 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) underground.

Working underground for nearly four weeks, the August expedition involved 56 cavers, 45 men and 11 women, representing seven countries. They hauled in five tons of gear, rigging nearly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of rope and stringing a telephone wire to the bottom. Battling numerous vertical drops and freezing torrents of water—and blasting rubble from narrow passages—the August team reached a depth of 1,840 meters (6,037 feet).

In October a nine-person Call of the Abyss team entered Krubera. Using the ropes and anchors left by the August group, the 17-day expedition reached a depth of 2,080 meters (6,824 feet).

"Like climbing an inverted Everest," is how one caver described descending into Krubera. But "there is an important difference," said Alexander Klimchouk, the project organizer. "When you explore a cave, you don't know where the final limit lies—the terrain is not known in advance. And even now, we don't know whether we've reached the limit—or if it will go on. We're pretty sure we'll eventually go even lower."

National Geographic article

 

[MA-Caver]

Went out caving last Saturday with a group of friends and (some) former students of mine (meaning they've acquired enough skills that they don't need me to help them out with their vertical/caving skills. I'm computer stupid so I haven't quite figured out how to post several pics with some text underneath each. Someone showed me how but it went over my head. Soo, it will have to go with pic 1 = caption, pic 2 = caption then the pics in order below.

This will be a two parter because there were a lot of good pics taken ...

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This is at Indian Springs Cave somewhere along the Pony Express trail going through Utah. The cave is in an abandoned mine and we have to shovel the dirt out of the entrance to gain access. Inside we had to set up some safety lines to get over some spots. But once inside the cave itself there were only a few spots that required a safety line for those desiring it. An absolutely GORGEOUS cave to be sure... But it's very technical in the climbs and maneuvers through it... physically challenging.
Enjoy

Pic 1 = Me going feet first through a wet/muddy entrance. Above me is solid rock (I know it looks like mud/dirt but it's solid I assure you). The entrance crawl is only a full body length long, after that the whole thing become walking passage.

Pic 2 = Everybody saw Awww, once inside about 50 yards in I found a rats nest (see other pics in this thread for the adult) with at least a week old baby inside. I thought at first the mother had abandoned it and it turned out that we spotted the mother with the rest of the litter clinging tightly to her belly as she tried to hurry away from us. Seems she didn't have enough room to get the last baby. When we came back through on our way out the baby was missing and apparently momma stashed the others and came back to get this one. We were careful to avoid touching it so to not leave our scent on the baby, because that would've given the mother cause to either kill it or just abandon it to die.

Pic 3 = Part of the abandoned mine that we had to go through to reach the cave. It looks scarier than it actually is... as long as you don't touch the timbers you're fine Oh and you had to watch out for false floors here and there.

Pic 4 = Just one small corner of the "entrance chamber" of the cave itself. The photographer didn't get a shot of it but the room was dripping wet and in one spot water was pouring down like a leaky faucet. There were formations of all kinds in this room. Truly stunning.

Pic 5 = One of my favorite spots in the cave because it's too small to fit a full sized human so you can only just take a good peek inside without actually getting inside.

 

[MA-Caver]

Pic 1 = One of the reasons that we bury this mine back up after we're done is evident from the large broken Stalactite just left of the center of the photo. This particular piece (among many others ) was probably broken off by the miners who first discovered the cave years and years ago. They didn't know better. What they were mining for isn't clear either.

Pic 2 = More pretties...

Pic 3 = After the trip... we just love the mud... :lol: A lot of it was on our rears and back. Left to right: Brittany and Doug and MACaver. Brittany was a student of mine briefly before she trained under other cavers. She's an awesome gal. She and her husband (Doug) met on-line via a dating service and decided to choose caving as something new they can do together. Both are great fun to be with. She coined the phrase for us as we were going in (and out) the entrance "On Mud!"

Pic 4 = She was very proud of the mud she gotten into her hair. Thought it was cool. My kind of girl... likes to get down and dirty. :lol: That's Cody behind her (another student of mine). He wanted to bring yet one more of my students, his (now) 11 yr old daughter Kiaya but mom had to take her shopping as if that's more important... geez.

All in all a very good trip and lots of fun. Most of the caves I visit aren't that muddy... but we've been having quite a bit of rain and the ground water is seeping through more than usual ... thus... Mud!

 

[Ceicei]

Cool!!!! Thanks for the update of your trip! Sorry I missed going with you on that one.

This coming weekend, I plan on going caving with MACaver to Pink Lime Pit. I'll be sure to post my pictures and report on how it went.

- Ceicei

 

[MA-Caver]

..... (dripping of water is heard)..... need to revive this thread... more pics and posts coming soon...

 

[MA-Caver]

Better late than never I guess...
This was last weekend and a training trip for several people... this gal learned quick... the guys did just as well...

 

[Cryozombie]

Holy Cow! Did anyone else spot the calcified alien corpse in that pic of 'Cavers?

 

[Ceicei]

Wow! Good eye!! Yep, it sure does look like an alien. - Ceicei

 

[MA-Caver]

Agrees with Ceicei, definitely a good eye and a great imagination. I've been to this cave more times than I care to count (leading beginners to their first vertical cave and all...) and seen this formation more times than I care to count... never saw that figure/shape/whatzizit until you pointed it out.
Now I'll always see it every time I go there.
Way to go Techno!... heh

 

[arnisador]

Cool-looking photos! Makes me claustrophobic...let alone the alien!

 

[MA-Caver]

Check this out... what a shame... but good job on the LEO's part in busting this up. http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/16405.asp

 

[MA-Caver]

More caving pics from a four-day/three night trip to Great Basin National Park.
These are all permit caves requiring filling out a form and getting keys and entering at the designated time frame.
Main reason is to protect bats which use the cave(s) either as a nursery or a hibernaculum.
Didn't see no bats but had lots of fun. No the dog in the last pic didn't go in to the cave. Dust masks are needed for the first 100 feet as it's very dry and loaded with rat/bat guano.
Enjoy.

 

[MA-Caver]

A few more pics from the same weekend. Helmet in second pic is for scale (of course) ... that cave was all crawling and tight stuff... loved it.
It helps enforce a mental and physical calm to get through all of that.
No, not for claustrophobics but a challenge for them to get themselves under control to be sure.
At one point I ended up taking a nap while waiting for one other guy to finish exploring this one side passage. Shows how comfy I get in places like these.

 

[bluemtn]

Those are great pics! I used to like caving (walking in)- not sure if I'd like the climbing a rope. Still, great pics!