Spelunking...... Why ?

So after the Man discovers eerie sounds coming from abandoned mine put up by Ghost my youtube became filled with caving suggestions so I got watching and I can't fathom why anyone would enjoy doing this.

I mean just look at these





You're hundreds of feet underground, your only source of light is what is attached to your head and you have to literally crawl on your hands and knees through the tightest of cracks you could possibly ever find and it's wet & cold and the air is probably stuffy too.

Why would anyone do this as a hobby ? I do get why certain caves have people spelunking that have grand caverns with beautiful crystal formations like these



but those are rare and generally tourist spots where one doesn't actually have to much actual crawling, it just seems like a lot of risk and effort crawling through rocks to look at more rocks

It's lethal too



I used to think drowning or being burned alive would be the most terrible way to die, but now I'm not so sure whether starving to death trapped upside down hundreds of feet underground is a worse way to go

I wonder if any members are Spelunkers ?

Always seemed like good harmless fun to me.

I have spelunked before and it was amazing. The sense of exploration and the beautiful formations are awesome. I didn't like some of the tight squeezes to get places but it feels good to overcome the fear of being trapped. Also you never ever go explore a cave without at least 3 sources of light and extra batteries...Ever!

a reply to: Discotech

I've crawled into deep crevices and stuff in the past. I would usually quickly crawl back out with the fear of being crushed by the stone. But I could also feel the peace of being isolated from all the noise of the world. I could also feel the urge to explore and discover what's further, and further.

I can somewhat understand both parties.

I'm in agreement with you, but I think being a submariner would possibly be worse. There is something about the clausterphobic quarters of a submarine and knowing that you are underwater in conditions that could crush you like meat man.



And burning alive would be bad too.

It's a chance to go where no man has gone before.

Sometimes stuffing yourself into a dark, tight and dirty hole can be fun.

Maybe that didn't come out right. You get my drift though.

a reply to: Discotech

I've been caving plenty in my younger years and yes, it was a little nerve wracking at times but, worth it. One needs to be calm, level headed, slow paced and as another member above mentioned 3 sources of independent light (at least). One never knows what they'll find in a cave and being somewhere that few have been before can be exciting.
Careful planning and preparation go a long way and I personally never went in a cave alone the first time.
Verticals are tricky and also wet caves.
Anyway, it really was fun and I made some great friends while doing. Gotta trust your partners.

a reply to: swanne

When I was a child and care/risk free I wouldn't have said no to exploring a cave and have been inside some caves/abandoned mineshafts but never proper spelunking caves like in the video, I guess as I've gotten older and more cynical I don't see the adventure in being between some rocks, you've seen one rock you've seen them all lol

a reply to: Nickn3

But man has been there before, many men, it's like Everest, no longer something for man to truly conquer but now a tourist destination for the fit & wealthy, they gradually become like the town bike that everyone has ridden

a reply to: Discotech

There will always be people who like to push the boundaries, as well as people who love to take different kinds of risks. We could ask the same questions about people who like to go sky diving or bungee jumping. Though it's not always as bad as it seems.

When I was in grade school, our entire grade went to a cave for a field trip. It was an overnight stay divided into 2 separate trails (a safe trail and a "dangerous" trail). The day we got there, we started with the "dangerous" trail. They gave us disclaimers beforehand because everything was dark & super muddy, plus there were some areas which were very narrow. We had to go through it single file with flashlights & helmets, crawling in some areas while walking through sideways in other areas. It also had some side areas that branched off that were blocked off because they were too dangerous.

The next morning we went on the safe trail. It was dry, completely wide open, had lights everywhere, had a picnic type area in the middle, etc. Most of us liked the "dangerous" trail even though some people panicked because of the tight spaces. But the "safe" trail is where I would take someone if they'd never been in a cave before.

If I didn't move off to a larger city, I could've seen myself going there every year just for the thrill (I only went back once). It gave the same sense of adventure and adrenaline rush that I got from going to different amusement parks & "rugged" nature hikes. I imagine the people who love spelunking feel the same way. And some people even get paid for doing it which would be awesome if that was also your hobby.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

See that's the weird thing, Bungee Jumping I get, I've done it myself it's fantastic but it's not something I'd want to do as a hobby, Sky Diving however sounds awesome to me (minus the 0.0000000001% of your chute failing) and I can easily understand why people love doing it, even scuba diving which is another thing I'd like to try.

But caves ? I just honestly don't get it, I really don't see the enjoyment from crawling, getting dirty and the potential for getting stuck or having rocks fall on you, I can understand the adrenaline side of things for it but not the ability to savour the enjoyment, you know the "feel" from doing it, it just doesn't seem like something that's fun

a reply to: ketsuko

Yeah man definitely with you on the Submarine thing, although I'd imagine death would be quick due to the pressure no ? so it's not so bad as slow painful death

I get why some people would consider this fun but...not for me chef.

I have had a re-occurring dream since childhood that I'm trapped vertically and head first in some type of sewer or pie or sometimes its a cave like in the videos posted too...its to tight for me to move at all in fact so tight i struggle to breath and I'm usually at the bottom too with my head forced as far backwards as possible.

Aw feck...odds on I'm having this dream tonight now.

a reply to: Discotech

I suppose it's not for everyone (quite an understatement). Not in the too distant past discoveries have been made in caves that are fairly significant.
Near me there is Devils Step Hollow Cave. No longer can the public have access. It was privately owned years and years ago but, is now part of the park system.
nooga.com...

Devilstep Hollow Cave, located near Crossville, Tenn., has been identified as one of the state’s most archaeologically significant caves. Twenty-two charcoal pictographs, engraved petroglyphs, and a small panel of mud glyphs have been found within the depths of the cave, which is located on 400 acres of the Cumberland Trail State Park. This Falcon Warrior petroglyph inside Devilstep Hollow Cave dates to the Mississippian culture. (Photo: Cumberland Trail State Park) Images there include a bird effigy with human arms, weeping eyes, dog effigies, and a six-foot long fish-like monster with a forked tail and long sharp teeth. “Devilstep Hollow Cave is very important archaeologically - not just in Tennessee, but all over the region,” says Jim Brannon, a park ranger and interpretive specialist with Cumberland Trail State Park. “What makes it unique is that all three art forms are found in one cave: petroglyphs, pictographs and mud glyphs.”

I can't imagine what it must have felt like for the one who discovered that!

Watched a few programme's about spelunking and looks pretty fun plus you never know what you might find.

a reply to: Discotech

I thought it was amazing because of all of the weird rock configurations you could see. That and sometimes you'd be going through one part that would seem like a puzzle or labyrinth. You'd go on for minutes in a tight or abnormal path and then boom! It opens up to a wide "room" that may even have paintings/markings or other signs that people had been there. It makes the imagination run wild, wondering what the room could've been used for or even how they got there.

Some caves even have underground streams and waterfalls. And some of the caves are so large with ceilings so high that large buildings could fit inside of them. I'd imagine those would be breathtaking to see in person. Then there are the people who just like to explore and others who may be searching for gemstones or other mineral deposits.

ETA: It may help to think of the cramped spots and crappy areas as secondary while the other features are the primary point in going. Kind of like going on a somewhat long & boring nature trail that has an amazing waterfall near the end of it.

I like exploring anywhere from cave systems to old buildings on official tours. It really changes my perspective on things...

Once did a tour on the basements of one of the buildings in the Royal Mile. What I thought was a road at street level, was actually raised above a valley between two hills that had been completley filled in with basements and sublevels that had been used in the past for housing - the old city had become so overcrowded that property owners were renting out their basement and storage levels. At least until the time of the plague. It's safe apart from the very narrow spiral steps, but scary due to the lack of lighting.

a reply to: Discotech

The last video was so sad. Poor John and his family. He was stuck for 27 hours upside down. That is a terrible way to die.

a reply to: stormcell

Once did a tour on the basements of one of the buildings in the Royal Mile. What I thought was a road at street level, was actually raised above a valley between two hills that had been completley filled in with basements and sublevels that had been used in the past for housing - the old city had become so overcrowded that property owners were renting out their basement and storage levels. At least until the time of the plague. It's safe apart from the very narrow spiral steps, but scary due to the lack of lighting. Text

This sounds very cool, and i do enjoy exploring myself...I'm just not exploring somewhere if i have to force my body through a tunnel or cave so tight there's a very good chance i may get stuck there

originally posted by: Discotech

This was a terrifyingly sad story.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

Right! Can you imagine how his family felt knowing John was stuck in a cave? It made me cry watching the video.