tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post1445443644219398226..comments2024-03-27T23:42:36.619-05:00Comments on Mock Ramblings: The Caving ListMichael Mockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233321050691782148noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-5644775870331301762010-11-11T06:09:34.412-06:002010-11-11T06:09:34.412-06:00Depends entirely on the cave. Carlsbad, for exampl...Depends entirely on the cave. Carlsbad, for example, you can hike through; I'd be more worried about agoraphobia than claustrophobia in there. That's not really spelunking, though - not in the usual sense of the word.<br /><br />I wouldn't take you through the cave with the mud room; it has some areas where you pretty much have to crawl on your belly to go forward. (It's worth it, though. If you go far enough back, you'll find the waterfall, which is gorgeous. Also noisy.) On the other hand, I can think of at least two other caves where you'd probably be fine; one of them is quite spacious, and has three separate entrances. Oh, you can squeeze back into some tighter, winding passages if you want, but you don't have to.<br /><br />There are caves that require ropes and harnesses to get into (and out of), and some that require ropes and harnesses to explore them. That's generally more work than I care to put in, but it can be fun. (And in those cases, I actually would recommend a helmet.)Michael Mockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06233321050691782148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-21873092881231025412010-11-10T18:53:48.066-06:002010-11-10T18:53:48.066-06:00I've not been caving, and I'm not sure I w...I've not been caving, and I'm not sure I would like it. I don't know maybe I would, but sometimes I have a bit of claustrophobia and depending on the cave that might bug me. It does sound adventurous though! I might be willing to try it as long as I could get out quickly if I needed to. Can you get out of a cave quickly?theagnosticswifehttp://theagnosticswife.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-66477307446265910842010-11-10T15:33:05.497-06:002010-11-10T15:33:05.497-06:00Warm & dry depends a lot on the cave. All the ...Warm & dry depends a lot on the cave. All the caves in that part of the country are water-carved, and many still have water in them. One of them actually has a mud room - irregularly shaped, about thirty feet long and eighteen feet wide, with the floor constantly buried beneath a foot of the stickiest, squelchiest mud that you've ever lost a tennis shoe in.<br /><br />When it comes to protective gear... when I first went caving in my youth, I smacked my head against the rock a couple of times. I've done it again once or twice over the years since then. But mainly I learned not to hit my head on the rocks. And honestly, if I take the boys caving, they probably won't use any more gear than I did... though again, that depends a lot on the cave.Michael Mockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06233321050691782148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-7992942290518615232010-11-09T11:15:36.262-06:002010-11-09T11:15:36.262-06:00lol well I suppose you stayed warm and maybe dry, ...lol well I suppose you stayed warm and maybe dry, however no need for eye or head protection.:) It's only after we have kids that we really began to think about these things. Or at least that's when I did. I'd ride my bike all over without a helmet but I won't even let my kids sit on one without it.theagnosticswifehttp://theagnosticswife.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com