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.

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
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.

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
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.)

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
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...

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
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.

Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
Cave Spelunking.