Going Batty

Going Batty
By:  Cave Spelunking

Bats are called trogloxenes.  Trogloxenes are animals that live part of their lives in caves.  Bats are strange-looking creatures and have been the subject of many horror stories.  They're associated with Halloween and witches and ghouls and goblins and things that go bump in the night.  But bats have a bad reputation that isn't really deserved.

Okay, I admit, bats aren't ever going to win any beauty contest, and they really are weird looking.  But the truth is that we all need bats.  Some bats eat insects.  Without bats, our world would soon be overrun with all kinds of insects.  Bats also are pollinators of plants that bloom at night.  Without bats, we wouldn't have bananas, cashews, mangos, or figs, because bees only work during daylight hours.  Bats pollinate these plants.

Some bats eat fruit, pollen, and nectar.  These bats are essential to the survival of the world's rain forests.

There are 46 different species of bats in the United States.  Most of these (2/3) use caves or structures that resemble caves like abandoned mines.  Bats give birth to their young and raise them in caves during the summer months; and during the winter months, bats hibernate in caves.  Humans have encroached upon the bat's living space to the point that some bat species are endangered.

There's one thing that all spelunkers have in common, and that is a great respect for Mother Nature and the world that we live in.  They are conservationists (although they might not identify themselves as such); they care about the Earth and the things that live on it and in it. That's why conscientious cavers avoid caves that are being used by hibernating bats during the winter months as well as during summer months to protect the mommy bats and their young.


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Cave Spelunking.

Caving Hazards

Caving Hazards
By:  Cave Spelunking

Caving isn't the safest way to spend your day off.  If you want "safe," you could make like a couch potato and take up origami.  It won't be as much fun, but the biggest hazard in origami is a paper cut.


Caving does have hazards, but most caving accidents and injuries are preventable.  The most common caving injuries are caused by trips and falls and falling rocks.  Injuries can also occur when cavers get lost, or suffer from dehydration or hypothermia.  Here's how to avoid accidents and injuries:

Tripping & Falling:  Most tripping and falling cave accidents happen near the end of the caving trip rather than at the beginning.  At the beginning of a caving adventure, the cavers are very aware of their surroundings and they are fresh therefore they are sure-footed.  As the caving expedition goes on,
cavers begin to lose focus and get tired. That's when tripping and falling most often occurs. The trick is frequent rest periods and eating high-energy foods as well as drinking plenty of fluids.

Falling Rocks:  Rockfall is the second-leading cause of caving injuries. Caves aren't solid rock. If you look around, you will see loose rocks lying around everywhere. They're there because they fell from above. First, a good helmet is essential, and then awareness of your surroundings is vital.  If there are loose rocks in the area where you are, there's a very good chance that rocks are going to fall.  Avoiding rockfall zones is the surest way to prevent falling rock injuries.
Lost:  A cavers' worst fear is getting lost, and it can happen even to the best of them.  First, stay with your group.  Second, pick out landmarks at each intersection.  If you get lost, stay put and wait to be found. 

Dehydration:  Dehydration happens more frequently than you might imagine. Drink plenty of water and do so frequently.

Hypothermia:  It's a lot easier to prevent hypothermia than it is to treat it.  Wear layered clothing that is of the proper weight for the temperature of the cave that you are exploring.

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Cave Spelunking.

Underwater Caves

Underwater Caves
By:  Cave Spelunking



Caves exist all over the world.  They exist in mountains and in valleys.  They exist in frozen regions of the earth and in the hottest deserts.  Caves also exist underwater, either totally or partially.  Underwater caves are some of the most fascinating places on the planet.  They are also some of the most dangerous caves on the planet for cavers to explore.

Cave diving became very popular in the 1970s in the United States — and during that decade, about 100 cavers were killed attempting it.  The problem was that interest was high, but information and training opportunities were nearly nonexistent.
Sheck Exley was the first and best-known cave diver in the United States.  He began his cave-diving career in Florida when he was only 16 years old.  He would continue his cave diving career for the next 29 years.  He made over 4,000 dives and is one of only seven divers in history to successfully make a cave dive below 800 feet.  Sheck Exley died doing what he loved to do when he was only 45 years old.  He was trying to dive to a depth of 1,000 feet.

Cave diving is a dangerous sport, but it is one that draws cavers like honey draws flies.  Today there are strict and enforced rules concerning cave diving.  Divers must have proof of their level of training in order to be allowed to cave dive in the United States.
Much of the focus of cave diving clubs and organizations today is focused more on training, exploration, public awareness, and cave conservation than on simple adventure and pushing the envelope for the thrill of it.

There are cave diving venues all over the world. Northern Florida is the most popular venue in the United States, but cave diving can be done in the Bahamas, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil.

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Cave Spelunking.

What's Under Alaska?

What's Under Alaska?
 By:  Cave Spelunking

Alaska is a land of extremes.  Most often when people think of Alaska, they think of extreme cold and the extremes of daylight in the summer months and dark in the winter months.  But there's another Alaska extreme that's less well known.  That extreme is the number of caves that lay beneath it.

Volunteer cavers, attached to the Forest Service, are working hard to map the amazing cave systems that have been found.  In the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in America, visitors are invited to feast their eyes on some of the wonders of nature that abound, like eagles, bears, and spawning salmon.  The vistas of this wild land are breathtaking.  But, as they say, "you ain't seen nuttin' yet!" That's just what's on top of the ground.  Wait until you see what's UNDER the ground!
So far, more than 600 caves have been found and charted in the Tongass National Forest.  That is probably only a very small fraction of the number that are actually there.
The temperature in Alaska can be a pleasant 80 in midsummer (or even higher), but the temperature dips well below zero during the winter months.  But underneath Alaska, the temperature remains a constant 40 degrees. That might not sound like a really comfortable temperature, but as compared to the temperatures above the ground, it's wonderful!

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the caves of Alaska, you'll never regret going.  You'll see moon milk — a lot of it.  You'll also crawl through openings so narrow they look impossible to get through and then you suddenly see a 15-foot drop right in front of you that drops into a silo-shaped room — and the wonders just keep coming!

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Cave Spelunking.

Troglobites

Troglobites
By:  Cave Spelunking

Can you imagine living in a totally dark environment your entire life?  That is exactly what troglobites do.  Troglobite is an all-inclusive name that defines a group of insects, animals, and fish that live deep within the bowels of the earth in caves that no ray of sunlight ever has ever penetrated or ever will penetrate.

Many troglobites are completely unique to only one cave. These little creatures exist nowhere else on (or in) the Earth.  They've evolved and developed the attributes necessary to not only live but thrive and multiply in the very specific and entirely unique environment of ONE cave.
Troglobites have highly developed senses of smell, taste, and vibration detection.  Those are the senses that are needed to live in a world of total darkness.

While the senses of smell, taste, and vibration detection have gotten stronger, sight has disappeared entirely.  There's not much point of eyesight in total darkness.  There isn't even any point of having eyes that can't be used to see.  So Mother Nature developed the senses that would allow troglobites to exist in darkness and removed totally useless sight.  Most troglobites don't just have blind eyes; they have no eyes at all.
In the animal kingdom, coloring has a purpose.  Sometimes the coloring of animals is used to make them less easily seen by other animals that would have them for lunch.  However, in the depths of a cave, where there is no light, color has no use at all.  So Mother Nature deemed color unnecessary.  Most troglobites are albino — that is, they have no skin pigment and thus no color at all.

The fish, salamanders, crayfish, insects, and spiders that have adapted and live out their entire lives in total darkness are of particular interest to biologists as they provide insights into biological processes and evolution.

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Cave Spelunking.

Ropes For Caving

Ropes For Caving
By:  Cave Spelunking

Caving ropes don't live an easy life.  They are punished relentlessly by being stretched, knotted, squeezed in metal devices, soaked in water, dragged through the mud, and hauled over rough rocks.  And still the cavers will entrust their very existence to a rope that's been seriously abused.  When a caver is hanging above an abyss and a single rope is all that stands between him and certain death, he will certainly question the condition of the rope.  It's really a good idea to question the condition of the rope before being in that precarious position.

It starts with choosing the right rope to begin with.  You want a 10-10.5mm diameter, low-stretch nylon rope designed for SRT ( Single Rope Technique ).  There are big advantages to this rope.  It's strong enough to provide for a reasonable safety, yet it is lightweight and won't exhaust cavers who are carrying it.  Not only that but this kind of rope can also be used for traverse lines, hand lines, lifelining ladder climbs, and more.
Yes, this is the most expensive caving rope, but saving a few dollars on your caving rope really isn't the place to start cutting corners.  After all, your life is going to depend upon that rope on each pitch.

Eleven-mm ropes should be used for intensive use by caving clubs or by cave rescue teams.   The principle is that the more use and the greater weight the rope will have to hold, the bigger the rope should be.  While a 9mm rope might be just fine for short drops and light weights, and it is certainly lighter and easier to carry, you wouldn't want to have to depend on a 9mm, overly used, and worn rope if a life hung in the balance...


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Cave Spelunking.

Cave Spelunking - Cave Weather

Cave Weather
By:  Cave Spelunking  

You probably wouldn't think of a cave as having "weather."  It obviously isn't going to rain inside a cave, is it?  Seasonal changes aren't going to affect the temperature, are they?  Caves don't have seasonal changes like the sunlit world that we live in, do they?  Not exactly, but that doesn't mean that caves don't have weather. Caves do have weather.

Weather changes don't occur nearly as quickly in the dark, dank underground world of a cave, but changes do occur.  The cycles are slower — a lot slower than they are up here on the surface of the earth.

All caves don't have identical weather patterns.  As a matter of fact, each cave has its own completely unique weather patterns.

The temperature inside a cave can vary slightly according to the movement of air near the mouth of the cave.  The temperature of the water entering the cave can also affect the air temperature in the cave.  The location of the cave (whether it is in a mountainous region or in a valley) also affects the air temperature inside the cave.
There is even a wind chill factor deep underground in a cave.  The difference in the temperature between the entrance temperature and the temperature of the inner passageways causes a kind of "chimney effect" and creates wind.

This chimney effect can also cause "rain" inside a cave.  It won't be rain as we know it here on the surface, of course, but there will still be water falling in drops when the chimney effect changes the dew point inside the cave.
Changes in the barometric pressure can also affect the weather in a cave.  Air movement, humidity levels, and dew points are all affected by barometric pressure, and an experienced spelunker can discern weather changes on the surface even if he's hundreds of feet below the surface.

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Cave Spelunking.

The Old Woman In The Cave

The Old Woman In The Cave
By:  Cave Spelunking


According to Sioux legend, as told by Chief Lost Feather, there is a secret and mysterious cave that is located on the West Mountain (near Hot Springs, Arkansas).  There's an old woman and a dog that have been living in this cave for many generations.

The old woman never grows any older.  The dog never ages, either.  They both stay exactly the same, and they have since anybody can remember.

The old woman spends her days weaving a rug.  She is using pine needles that she has collected in the nearby pine forest.  The old woman has been weaving now for many centuries, and yet the rug never gets any bigger. The dog watches his mistress weave through narrow slits in his eyes as he appears to just nap in the corner.

Occasionally the old woman puts the rug down and leaves it while she goes to stir the pot of soup that she has cooking on a fire at the mouth of the cave.  The soup has probably been cooking for several centuries, as well.  The minute the old woman leaves, the dog rises slowly and sneaks over to the rug.  He grabs the rug and shakes it as hard as he can until part of the rug unravels.

The old woman returns after stirring the pot of soup. She picks up the rug and patiently begins to restore the damage.  But, the soup must be stirred.  So,she must put the rug down again and again to go and stir the soup.  Each time the old woman leaves, the dog unravels part of the rug.

So, through the centuries, the old woman and the dog have continued the cycle of weaving, unraveling, and reweaving.  The rug never gets any bigger.

This is, of course, a good thing according to Chief Lost Feather — because should the rug ever be completed, the world, as we know it, would end...

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Cave Spelunking.

Looking For Life On Mars In A Cave

Looking For Life On Mars In A Cave
By: Cave Spelunking

You probably aren't ever going to see the inside of Lechuguilla Cave. A special permit is needed to enter the cave, and those special permits are given only to researchers. Lechuguilla Cave is located inside the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but it is not open to visitors and the entrance to the cave is well hidden and well guarded.

If you could go, you'd have to rappel down a 90-foot rock face to a ledge and then squeeze down a narrow crevice into a small chamber. Inside this chamber is a 30-foot metal culvert. The culvert was installed after the wonders of the cave were discovered more than a decade ago. There's a airtight, sealed hatch to keep out surface contamination. Behind the culvert is the deepest cave in the United States. It's also where scientists and researchers are looking for life on Mars and the cure for cancer.

Lechuguilla Cave was not formed by water like most caves. This cave was formed from below, rather than from above. No bats or other animals live in the cave, so nothing is brought into it from the outside world.

Some amazing things have already been discovered. One such thing, for example, is bacteria that oxidizes minerals. Scientists say that the evidence "strongly suggests" that organisms derive energy from the rocks, and it also strongly suggests that similar life might well exist on Mars.

Mars and Earth were at one time very similar about four billion years ago. The atmosphere on Mars changed, and life on the surface of the planet (if there was life) was killed. But what about underground? The research being done in Lechuguilla Cave might prove that life can and even does still exist on Mars — underground, in caves!


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Cave Spelunking.

Life Underground

Life Underground
By: Cave Spelunking

Caves are dark. When you go into a cave, in the entrance zone there will be plenty of light. As you proceed into the cave, there is less light. The area is called the twilight zone. It's the area where sunlight and total darkness meet. There is still some light, but not very much. When you reach the dark zone, you have really arrived in the cave.

You couldn't live in the dark zone of a cave. Your body is not adapted to living in total darkness. You need sunlight. Even if you could adapt to living in total darkness, you'd starve to death because there are no green plants in caves. Green plants require sunlight in order to live, and there is no sunlight in the dark zone of caves. Food sources would be limited, to say the least. The lack of light would cause you to lose your sense of time.

The creatures that do live deep in the dark zone of caves have evolved over millions of years and are totally suited to live in complete darkness. The creatures that live deep in the dark zones of caves are albinos; that is, they have no skin pigment or color. The total darkness of caves makes coloring as camouflage useless. Sight isn't possible in total darkness, so all of the creatures that live deep in caves are blind.

The creatures that live out their entire lives in total darkness have developed extra sensory organs to compensate for the loss of sight and lower metabolic rates to compensate for a low food supply.

Cave biology is called biospeleology. S cientists who study cave biology care called biospeleologists. Cave organisms provide direct evidence of evolutionary changes. Evolution is, after all, the adjustment of life to a changed environment.


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Cave Spelunking.

Preparing To Enter A Cave

Preparing To Enter A Cave
By: Cave Spelunking

Going caving is an exciting adventure. Caving is one of the fastest-growing sports in America today. Exploring caves is a lot of fun, of course, but nobody who has ever done any caving will tell you that it is the safest activity you could engage in. If you want "safe," take up knitting. If you want "adventure," take up caving.

The main objective of all conscientious cavers is "safety first." Yes, we are all eager to get started, but we all know that we need to make preparations BEFORE we enter the cave.

* We form a caving party of at least four members because it isn't safe to go caving alone.

* We tell someone who will remain on the surface what our plans are. We tell them which cave we are going into, and we tell them what time we expect to return.

* We always pack a small first aid kit when we are caving. Stuff happens. We know that we need to be prepared.

* We thoroughly check our equipment before we enter a cave. We check ropes, pulleys, harnesses, and other equipment for undue wear.

* The most experienced caver is always in charge of the party.

* The pace is determined by the slowest caver in the group.

* Each and every member of the caving party carries a minimum of three working light sources.

* Each member of the caving party wears a helmet.

* We always take a good supply of water and high-energy foods.

* We plan frequent rest periods. Caving is exhausting. We don't ever plan to "push the envelope" of endurance.

Going caving is exciting and fun, but the most important thing when starting a caving adventure is to do everything possible to ensure that all members of the caving party get back to the surface safe and sound.

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Cave Spelunking.

Why People Go Caving

Why People Go Caving
By: Cave Spelunking

If you're not a caving enthusiast, it's easy to understand why you would ask why people go caving. I must admit that looking from the outside in, caving does look just a bit, well, screwbally. Why would anybody strap ropes around themselves lower themselves into a hole and crawl around underground on PURPOSE?

Okay, and putting it like that makes it sound more than a little odd. But unless you've ever experienced the thrill of crawling through a tight passageway and emerging into an underground cathedral of amazing proportions and amazing beauty, you probably can't understand the attraction. However, I DARE you to try it just once and NOT get hooked!

Caving is adventure in its highest form. The world that lies beneath our feet is every bit as exotic as visiting another planet might be. It's a foreign world that holds mysteries and secrets. You never know what you are going to see next.

Creatures that live in caves are so totally adapted to life in the dark that they would die if they were exposed to sunlight. There are rock formations down there that you are never going to see anywhere above the ground; stalactites and stalagmites that will blow your mind, moon milk, helictites, gypsum flowers, and so much more.

You might find prehistoric campfire sites, and pottery or pieces of pottery that's been laying there for a million years. You could find cave art that was left by men that lived before recorded history. You just never know what you are going to find.

Yes, it does start by tying a rope on, lowering yourself into a hole in the ground, and crawling through small tight passages. It's the way to get really dirty that's the most fun you'll ever have. Adventure! That's the best answer for why people go caving.

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Cave Spelunking.

Big Eagle Cave Legend

Big Eagle Cave Legend
By: Cave Spelunking

American Indians used caves in many ways and for many purposes . Some caves were considered sacred. Some were simply used for shelter. Some caves were used to store food. Others provided necessary materials like flint.

American Indians are great storytellers. As you might imagine, many of the legends and stories that are part of the various Indian cultures center around caves because caves played an important role in everyday existence.

One of my favorite Indian cave legends is about three boys who went out hunting and never returned. The legend says that a war party was formed and the boys were tracked to the entrance of a cave. Each member of the war party descended into the cave and immediately disappeared without a trace. The last member of the war party heard a death song that he'd never heard before coming from the cave.

Rescue was attempted several times, but each time a man got to a certain point of the descent, he disappeared and the eerie song was heard.

One day a boy appeared at the Indian campsite. He was leading a blind man who was completely white. The tribe thought that the boy was one of those who had been lost to the cave, but he said that he came from another tribe to the Northwest.

The all-white man became a great healer. The chief asked the all-white man to try to find out what happened to the three boys and the war party at the cave. He and the boy went to the cave and descended down into it. Just as they disappeared, the song of death became louder.

Much time went by, but finally the all-white man came out of the cave alone. He climbed into a canoe and paddled away across the lake. Later, some adventuresome braves descended into the cave and found a chamber where there was a giant empty throne, and laying about it face down around it, the bones of all the boys and men who had descended into the cave.

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Cave Spelunking.

Caves Of Belize

Caves Of Belize
By: Cave Spelunking

Belize is a tiny country in Central America. It was once called British Honduras, and way back in the dim and distant past, it was part of the Mayan Empire. Belize has a long and storied history, and even today, political unrest is the norm.

But beneath Belize is one of the most beautiful cave systems in the entire world. Once inside the caves, everywhere you look — on the ceiling, along the walls, beneath your feet, and hanging off ledges — you'll see cave formations that will put every "crystal" or "cathedral" cave you've ever been into to shame.

There is also evidence of the humans who lived eons ago evident in the caves beneath Belize. You'll see the charred wood and ashes from fires that were build eons ago and scattered around the ashes, you'll see broken pieces of pottery and other artifacts that make it look as though the fire had been set yesterday and the fire builders might return at any moment.

It's clear to archaeologists who have studied the caves that the caves were very important in the ancient Mayan culture. Clay pots have been found sitting beneath stalactites that were apparently placed there to collect water. Belize has a long dry season when water is scarce.)

In drier caves, even larger pots containing grain have been found. Archaeologists believe that the Mayans stored grain in the caves to preserve it during the rainy season.

Mayan legends tell us that the caves were also sacred. They represented a portal through which the spirits of the dead could come and go between the real world and the spiritual world. Because they were so sacred, according to the archaeologists, the caves were the site for many rituals that included human sacrifice.

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Cave Spelunking.

Clothing For Caving

Clothing For Caving
By: Cave Spelunking

It isn't warm in a cave and the humidity is high. That combination makes for some very specific clothing needs — not only for comfort but for safety as well.

The clothing that you need for a particular caving trip will vary according to the conditions within the cave and the activities you will engage in. For example, if the cave that you are going into is very wet but no swimming will be involved, you'd want your first layer to be a pair of swimming pants or buffalo skids to protect your lower body. You'd want to cover them with a pair of wool pants as the second layer, and the third layer would be fleece.

If, on the other hand, your trip into this wet cave is going to involve swimming, you'll want to forget the wool/fleece combination and use a wet suit instead.

You need a warm, preferably one-piece outer layer. It needs to be both durable and waterproof. There are several on the market. You don't want this outer layer to be confining. You need to have full movement of your arms and legs.

You need good, sturdy, waterproof boots for caving. You need a good pair of wet socks, too. You loose body heat from your feet. Cold, wet feet can absolutely ruin an otherwise great caving experience.

Kneepads do restrict your walking a bit, but if your caving trip is going to require a lot of crawling through passageways, kneepads are a very good idea.

Wear gloves only if you are a weekend caver. There's a saying among cavers: "Vikings don't wear gloves." If you are an experienced caver with the good tough hands to prove it, forget the gloves.

Helmets aren't really optional. I've seen cavers go in without a helmet. They usually come out feet first with very nasty head wounds.

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Cave Spelunking.

A Cave Is More Than A Hole In The Ground

A Cave Is More Than A Hole In The Ground
By: Cave Spelunking

Humans have been exploring caves since the beginning of time. Caves are fascinating…intriguing…mysterious. A cave is much, much more than just a "hole in the ground," as non-cavers claim.

Early humans made their way deep into caves for the purpose of performing rituals to appease whatever "god" was being worshipped (or feared) at the time. Today, caving is a sport. In America caving is sometimes called "spelunking." In England, it's sometimes called "potholing."

Caving is a sport that is enjoyed by more and more people all over the world every day. The haves have been there waiting for eons, but humans have just recently begun to appreciate the beauty and the mystery that lays in these underground wonderlands.

As you leave the world of light behind and descend into a world of utter darkness, there is that moment where light meets dark; where the two extremes blend into a twilight zone that is truly awesome. It appears that the dark rises and turns the sunbeams away.

What lies behind that twilight zone is even more amazing. There are cave formations that have been in the making for millions of years. Stalactites hang from the ceiling, and stalagmites rise from the floor. Sometimes the two meet to form a column. There are helictites that look like tree roots that have been turned to stone. There are gypsum flowers that actually reflect light. And moon milk — let's not forget that wonder. It looks like milk, but it isn't liquid. It's not rock, but it is almost solid. Amazing!

Who knows what mysteries lay yet undiscovered in caves that haven't yet been found? Yes, caving is one of the fastest growing human activities (I hesitate to call it a sport, but that's what others call it.)

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Cave Spelunking.

The Bandits Of Colossal Cave

The Bandits Of Colossal Cave
By: Cave Spelunking

Caves and bandits just go together! Stories abound of bandits burying their loot in caves. There's probably at least one such story that's associated with every cave in America. Some of these are just "tall tales" and are not based on any kind of substantiated fact but some of the stories are true.

Colossal Cave is a cave in Arizona near the town of Panto. Panto is a small town that lies just a few miles east of Tucson and just a few miles south of Colossal Cave. In 1884, near Panto, four men held up a train and got away with $72,000 in cash and gold. There escape route led through the Rincon Mountains and toward Colossal Cave.

The sheriff, a man by the name of Bob Leatherwood, got a posse together and went after the gang. He and his posse tracked the bandits to Colossal Cave. When the sheriff tried to go into the cave, the bandits fired several shots at him, so the sheriff decided that he could just wait them out. "The bandits," he reasoned, "would finally just get hungry enough to surrender."

So Sheriff Leatherwood and the posse waited. They waited for two weeks. Finally a deputy came riding up and told the sheriff that the four men were about 70 miles away at the Corner Saloon in Willcox. He said four bandits were throwing money around, whooping it up and telling everybody how they had fooled the sheriff and left him sitting in front of an empty cave out in the hot desert.

Sheriff Leatherwood and his posse went after the bandits. They cornered the bandits, and there was a shootout in which three of four of the bandits were killed. The robbers didn't have the money with them when they were killed. The fourth robber served 28 years in the Yuma Prison.

The sheriff and his men searched Colossal Cave. They found the hidden entrance where the bandits had escaped, but they never found the $72,000. Maybe it's still there...

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Cave Spelunking.

Caves Of Madagascar

Caves Of Madagascar
By: Cave Spelunking

There are 18 different ethnic groups in Madagascar. The common thread that connects all of them is a powerful spiritualism that is both simple and complex. There are groups that practice Islam and groups that hold Christian beliefs, but all of them have a belief system in everyday life that is dominated by reverence for the spirits of their ancestors and other spiritual beings that roam the Earth, both above the ground and below the ground in the extensive cave system.

The people of Madagascar believe that when a person dies, the spirit stays behind. The spirit can "manifest" in any of several metaphysical entities. The most important spirits are the spirits of each person's own ancestors, called "razana." But there are other spirit entities that have almost the same importance. These other spirits are called "tromba" and are said to be the spirits of kings, queens, and children.

Then there are the earth, fire, and water genies to be considered. The razana, the tromba, and the earth, fire, and water genies control the destiny of the living.

Many of these spirits live in or have a connection to the caves that lay beneath Madagascar. The spirits most often found in the caves of Madagascar are those of people who have died in the caves or those who had some direct connection to the caves in life.

The beliefs vary between the different ethnic groups. One group believes that the dead live out their Earthly existence inside the caves, while others believe that the dead live out their Earthly existence among the living.

There have been several attempts to open the caves of Madagascar to the public and gain the financial advantage of tourism. There was even one attempt to electrify a cave, but fortunately, that didn't come to pass. Recently, a five-cave complex was opened near Belopoka.

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Cave Spelunking.

Creepy-Crawly Cave Dwellers

Creepy-Crawly Cave Dwellers
By: Cave Spelunking

When you first enter a dark and dank cave, it would be easy to think of it as devoid of life. It isn't. Dark, dank caves are places that many creepy-crawly creatures call home, sweet home.

You might expect to see bats hanging (pun intended) around inside a cave but you probably wouldn't expect there to be such an abundance of life.

Scientists study the insects in a cave with great interest. The environment of a cave changes as you descend into the earth. There are three major cave "zones": the entrance zone, the twilight zone, and the dark zone.

Different creatures live in each cave zone. Over millions of years, creatures have evolved that are perfectly suited to not only live, but thrive in caves. The cave zones are distinguished by the amount of sunlight each has. The entrance zone has a lot of light. The twilight zone has much less light, and the dark zone has no light at all.

In the entrance zone of a cave, the creatures and insects that live there can all live either inside the cave or outside the cave. They usually come and go from the cave. Some creatures that live in the twilight zone of the cave can also come and go, but they almost all leave the cave only at night. Those that live deep in the dark zone of the cave never leave the cave. They have evolved to the point that sunlight would be fatal to them. They don't have pigment, and they're blind.

Scientists see caves as "evolution in a bottle," so to speak. There are species of the same insect family that live in each zone of the cave. Each species has developed characteristics that have made life in different levels of the cave possible.

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Cave Spelunking.

Lighting For Caving

Lighting For Caving
By: Cave Spelunking

Caves are dark places. As a matter of fact, you might say that they are the darkest places on — or in — the Earth. The sun never shines in a cave. You have to take your light in with you. Going into a cave without reliable lighting would be foolish, to say the very least. There are safety headlamps, flashlights, torches, emergency strobe lights, and lamps available today for caving. Led, halogen, waterproof, and portable technologies are all used.

Every caver will have his or her own preference for lighting. Mine is the LED. The latest generation of the LED caving lights are really "state of the art" in cave lighting. This latest generation features an incredibly small maintenance-free rechargeable lithium ion battery in an anti-static housing. But there are other choices — lots of them.

Of course, different kinds of lighting are needed for different kinds of caving. Lighting that would be more than sufficient for a decent into a cave on dry land wouldn't be worth anything to cave divers.

For many years the typical recreational dive light consisted of a self-contained light head that contains the power supply and bulb. There would be a handle attached to the light head. Then, to attach the light to the user's wrist, there'd be a lanyard. It was the combination of the parts of a typical recreational dive light that made it basically unsuitable for serious cave divers.

Things have gotten better over the last few years. The new generation of cave-diving lights are made up of a waist-mounted battery canister that's connected by a power cord to a separate, very compact, light head. This newer design allows the use of larger power supplies so cave diving lights can burn brighter and last longer.

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Cave Spelunking.

Cave Formations

Cave Formations
By: Cave Spelunking

There are more than a dozen differently named cave formations. The collective term for all of them is "speleothems," much like the collective term for blooms is "flowers." The best-known cave formations are stalactites and stalagmites.

Stalactites are the icicle shaped rock-like formations that hang from the ceiling of cave chambers. All of them began ages ago with a single drop of water and all of them have a central hallow tube.

Stalagmites might be thought of as the children of stalactites. They are formed by water dripping off of the parent stalactite. Stalagmites are smoother than stalactites, and they don't have a hallow tube at their center.

A column is a speleothem that's formed when the stalagmite grows upward and the parent stalactite grows downward until the two meet and grow together to form a column.

Helictites are another speleothem, and the best minds in the scientific world still can't explain them. They remain a mystery. They look a great deal like a tree root that is growing in all directions in search of water. Helictites are the most delicate and most beautiful of the cave formations.

One of the more interesting speleothem is the Gypsum Flower. Gypsum is a mineral made up of calcium and sulfur. Gypsum forms in the dry areas of the cave. It forms a crust that reflects light and makes it appear to sparkle. Gypsum Flowers are twisted projections that don't require any support. Usually they are about a foot in length. They're very fragile and sometimes fall from their own weight. Native Americans harvested gypsum and used it as paint for their faces and body and also for medical purposes.

All of the apparent magic afforded to modern-day scientists still can't unlock many of the mysterious formations in caves.

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Cave Spelunking.

Cave Spelunking Google Profile

Check Out Cave Spelunking Google Profile
By Cave Spelunking

http://www.google.com/profiles/cavespelunking

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Cave Spelunking.

Alf Bolin's Outlaw Loot

Alf Bolin's Outlaw Loot
By: Cave Spelunking

The treasure isn't buried IN the cave, but it's buried near the cave using the cave entrance as a landmark. At least that's what legend tells us. Alf Bolin was an outlaw who terrorized Missouri and Arkansas in the 1800s. He built a fortune in stolen gold and silver over the years. Obviously, Alf couldn't just deposit his ill-gotten fortune in a bank, so he buried it.

Alf Bolin was a heartless outlaw, and he terrorized the people of Missouri and Arkansas. When he was tricked and killed by a Union soldier masquerading as a sick Confederate soldier, his head was cut off and placed on a pole, and all of Missouri and Arkansas rejoiced. Alf Bolin was only 21 years old when he was killed.

Caves were often used by outlaws in those days as hideouts and as safe resting places. Caves are easily guarded, so they make the perfect place for those who don't want to be found.

Many years ago, a man claiming that he had been told by a member or Bolin's gang where the treasure was hidden, came to a farm in Taney County, Missouri, and talked the farmer into letting him look for the treasure with a promise of dividing the loot when it was found. He didn't find the treasure, and nobody else has either over the years. Still, the rumor persists that there IS treasure and it IS buried near the mouth of the cave on Fox Creek.

Outlaws aren't known for being the most truthful of souls, however. The facts are: Alf Bolin DID steal a lot of gold and silver. He didn't have it with him when he was killed. He was known to hide out in or near the cave on Fox Creek. It stands to reason that the treasure is still buried there waiting to be found.

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Cave Spelunking.

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns
By: Cave Spelunking

Carlsbad Caverns are part of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Southwestern New Mexico, in the Guadalupe Mountains. Carlsbad Caverns is one of the best-known caves in the world. The show cave can be visited by the general public. You can walk down or take an elevator down to the Underground Lunchroom. The Underground Lunchroom is 750 feet underground and it is strictly a tourist attraction.

Walking or riding an elevator down 750 feet into the earth is an experience like no other, and it's as close as most visitors will ever get to spelunking or caving. Besides the Underground Lunchroom, there are 20 other named rooms in Carlsbad Caverns.

The named rooms in Carlsbad Caverns are the Balloon Ballroom, Bat Cave, Bell Cord Room, Bifrost Room, Big Room or The Hall of the Giants, Chocolate High, Green Lake Room, Guadalupe Room, Hall of the White Giant, King's Palace, Lake of the Clouds, Left Hand Tunnel, Mystery Room, New Mexico Room, New Section, Papoose Room, Queen's Chamber, Spirit World, Talcum Passage, and The Rookery. Those names sound so fascinating, and they are, but not nearly so fascinating as the rooms themselves.

Lechuguilla Cave was discovered in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 1986. Lechuguilla Cave is not open to the public. It's been mapped to a depth of 489 meters, and that makes it the deepest limestone cave in the United States. The entrance is kept hidden to preserve the cave in its most undisturbed state so that researchers can uncover the mysteries hidden there.

Carlsbad Caverns is home to 16 different varieties of bats. There's a big population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats. Seeing the bats take flight at dusk is one of the attractions at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

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Cave Spelunking.

Creatures That Live In Caves

Creatures That Live In Caves
By: Cave Spelunking

The creatures who live in caves are divided into four categories. There are troglobites, trogloxenes, trogolophiles, and incidentals...

Some creatures live their entire lives inside dark and sunless caves. They never see the light of day. As a matter of fact, many of these creatures are so acclimated to living without sunlight that sunlight would kill them. They're called "troglobites." Troglobites include the blind Texas salamander, blind flatworms, eyeless shrimp, eyeless fish, cave beetles, cave crayfish and some bristletails, isopods, and copepods.

Trogloxenes are creatures that live part of their lives in caves, but also go outside of caves to complete their life cycle. Some examples of trogloxenes are animals that sleep only in caves, like bats; or animals that nest only in caves, like packrats; or like cave crickets, who live inside the cave but eat outside the cave. Gnats and flies are also trogloxenes.

Trogolophiles are creatures that sometimes live in caves but sometimes live in other places. It isn't necessary for trogolophiles to leave a cave or go into a cave because they need to do either. Trogolophiles simply choose to live in caves sometimes. Some trogolophiles are cave crickets, cave beetles, salamanders, millipedes, snails, copepods, segmented worms, mites, some spiders, and daddy longlegs.

Incidentals are us. Human beings are considered incidentals. Incidentals are creatures that occasionally visit caves but don't live in caves. Frogs and raccoons, for example, sometimes visit caves. Humans also sometimes visit caves.

Various types of creatures live in various parts of a cave. There are three cave zones: the entrance zone, the twilight zone and the dark zone.

The entrance zone (some light) is home to rats, spiders, beetles, earthworms, salamanders, snakes, millipedes, and any other creature seeking shelter.

The twilight zone (less light) is home to cave crickets and cave beetles.

The dark zone (no light) is home to blind crayfish, eyeless shrimp, and other creatures that are totally adapted to life without light.

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
Cave Spelunking.