Caving, potholing, claustrophobia, etc

[Mobsta]

My contribution to this thread will be meagre at best,
But I remain fascinated and terrified, nevertheless.
(award kudos for rhyming stanza)

Fear is a friend like no other. Listen carefully in any situation in life, and it will clearly spell out the risks, pitfalls and impending doom for you. I think caving is where the mind caves in though, the only situation where thinking doesn't help.

First caving experience was a squeeze between two bent bars, a small chamber (which felt cut off 'from the others') and a short upwards pipe crawl to a vent through which I could see my mates again. Looking back, nothing could have gone wrong, the fear was entirely claustrophobia. Meaning I'm not cut out for caving.

Second, potholing in Africa. No sumps, no water, no proper squeezes. I went in, not thinking (a good thing when the brain isn't in overdrive) with a buddy and others we had randomly met up with by the entrance, wormed along on my belly in an incredibly narrow tunnel which was half filled to the ceiling with sand, And back out. Panic set in half way through, knowing there were just inches above my head in places, but if everyone else was fine then I should and could be too, was my thinking.

I later that day turned down the offer to be shown a system which began with a dry sump type squeeze which would have had to have started with a climb in the dark across an incredibly deep chasm and immediately into a down then up wriggle into blackness, beyond which I had no idea. I chicken out of nothing but chickened out of that.

Third similar experience was a watery hole in the side of a rock, which lead into blackness, underwater, around a corner after a depth of down-swimming. It sounds horrific and was at the time, perhaps a proper cave diver might have taken the plunge in a heartbeat without stress, compared to me. I was terrified, hated the idea (gives me nightmares) but couldn't ignore the immense curiosity of diving into a dark underwater hole so tight there was no chance of turning around inside when everyone else was doing it.

I did it, surfaced a good 25 seconds later, knowing it was not going to be a quick 5 second duck, 15 years later I still can't figure out why. Addrenaline perhaps is all i can think of. It was the best and worst experience of a lifetime.

I'm no caver. I'm too st scared, more of getting stuck than drowning. But I remain uttey fascinated by it all. I don't ever want to do it again, but at the same time I want to face my fears (with good supportive company who will help me conquer them).

Anyone else find exploration of the depths incredibly fascinating, or scary, or enjoy these types of jaunts as a hobby?

I'd like the rush again, but wouldn't like not to be able to back out of a hole which (fear) could kill or drown me. I don't ha e any caver friends so wouldn't know where to Start, and I'd imagine the caver types are probably pretty anal when it comes to introducing newbies, you are either born one of them, or not.

Edit because I cant type on a phone weethout speeling meestakes.

Edited by Mobsta on Friday 6th January 13:47

[Mobsta]

prand said:

The OP has done much, much more than I would ever be interested in.

Not really. Story 1 was about exploring drains near my home, borderline laughable looking back, no where near as thrilling or scary as some of the stories posted so far. Id put myself near the bottom of the list of regular folk when it comes to this type of bravery, but have noted I continually YouTube and google up the material out of keen interest.

Like snakes, hate them but can't get enough of reading about them, type thing.

[Mobsta]

Ayahuasca said:

ApexJimi said:

there's not a hope of turning around, although reversal is possible in parts.

See, that is what would put me right off. And what if someone gets stuck behind you?

Precisely this. Having never done any proper potholing the first time, before I backed out the second time (on the same day) the three blokes we randomly hooked up with, despite their apparent knowledge of the local systems, scared me simply by being there.

I refer to the tiny tunnel which could only be passed through by slithering on ones belly, the one I mentioned which seemed as if it was filled up with sand. Now sand doesn't pour and flow and fill up on top of you as in the movies, but the fear at the time was that the sand felt like rising water in a very, very confined space.

Out of the five of us, I'm pretty sure there were two ahead and two behind. I was a teenager and seem to remember being placed in the middle, for safeties sake. Admittedly, the sand filled tunnel wasn't so narrow that I had to turn my head to squeeze along as someone else posed/experienced, but there was absolutely no way of turning around, climbing over or reversing back and passing anyone.

It was probably the wind blowing through the tunnel (up in the mountains) which made my mind equate the sand filled tunnel to a flooding crawlspace and the fact that I had people both in front of and behind me (2 sets of people either way) which - with just a single spare foot in front and behind - made the imaginary feeling of the 'rising sand' all the worse.

I can definitely relate to the rising panic that makes you want to scream out like a girl, the fear is that if you do, everyone will die ... The same applied when half way through someone asked if I was OK. Why ask if I'm OK, unless you know something I don't know, like we are all about to die.

Forever afterwards, I wondered why a team didnt bail the sand out with buckets and ropes so other naive pothers wouldn't feel the tunnel was flooding to the roof with sand, but then that's just life and a part of that system I suppose.

Memories as a kid include loving/hating the claustrophobia of slithering under my parents bed between various objects and taking turns with my sister to roll each other up tightly in blankets, arms pinned to our sides, to the point we can't move, another activity which was somehow vaguely fun but scary in it's own way.

The trouble with pothing in this country can be the weather. It rains heavily on Friday night. The weekend is sunny and dry. Monday is also sunny, the day you and your chums explore a new system, to coincide with the rainwaters making their way to the sea, starting to flood the tunnels you are in just hours after you started your descent (so I was told). You need to check last weeks weather before committing.

[Mobsta]

rhinochopig said:

You should make a movie about your interests starring Samuel L Jackson - "Snakes in some drains"

[Mobsta]

skoff said:

As regards newbies getting into it I have always found cavers to be a very very welcoming bunch that are always happy to take newbies down. Much better that than they go off on their own without the right equipment or knowledge and have to be pulled out by the rescue. There are plenty of clubs out there, just get in touch and I am sure you will get invited along and loaned suitable equipment to see if you like it.

I hate to bump my own threads (actually I don't) but ill speak to the GF about this. If newbies are welcome and the cavers generally good folk, it's well worth asking to go on a few easier adventures before deciding whether this is for us, or me, or not.

I think not, not the super scary stuff anyway, perhaps the urge to try this, which still hasn't gone away, is similar to the urge to jump out of a plane. I never had the parachuting bug, not even a smidgen of it. If rather try down than up, unless I was flying the plane (which would be riskier as I have no license!).

More caving banter please
Now would be a very dangerous time of year to go, I'd guess. What with all the rains. But there must be baby caves, for caving babies like me ?

Not done any googling yet, but I'm based in the south east. Has anyone else done any scary but easy and low level introductory stuff down here? Stuff which won't cause my testicles to jump back up inside me in panic or with fright?

Edited to add: Having now re-read the thread, start to finish, most of which I'd forgotten, I've been put off again there are some horror stories here for sure, and they've definitely not helped me rekindle the enthusiasm to get stuck in.

Edited by Mobsta on Saturday 3rd November 01:08

[Mobsta]

BlackVanDyke said:

No no no no no no nononononoNO. I used to love climbing/scrambling but anything with a real possibility of getting physically stuck? No fking way. PS the Wiki surfing caused by this thread lead me to the case of baby Jessica McClure. :shudder:

From memory, a Canadian or American baby who fell down a well and was stuck there for 3 days. Or something similar.

[Mobsta]

deadtom said:

ADM06 said:

Got to admit that last page proper gave me chills!

yeah its a good yarn, It's quite long for a short story but I still ended up sitting and reading it through in one sitting, and like you said, its quite chilling in places.
for about 80% of it I was pretty convinced it was real, but towards the end it just started to overstep the line into the unbelievable.

I still highly recommend it as a way to kill an hour or so

Reading it now. No idea what you refer to, but the dog is suddenly freaking out underground, they have extra drill batteries and sense something is wrong.

[Mobsta]

silverthorn2151 said:

I seem to have developed a morbid fascination with this subject.

I refer you to:

http://www.jocosarblog.org/jocosarblog/2009/11/man...

which I found whilst enjoying lunch today.

To me, as someone around 200lb, I would look at an opening 18" x 10" and think, nope, not big enough. He got stuck in it! Well no s$%t Sherlock!

These people are crazy I tell you!

Grim.
Wiki said:
"John Edward Jones (1983–2009) in Nutty Putty Cave in Utah November 2009. John, an experienced caver, had gotten wedged in an unmapped portion of Ed's Push at a 170-degree downward angle with his feet over his head complicating rescue. After some 24+ hours they had been able to move him two feet upward, and lower down food and water, when a part of the rescue rope system failed dropping him fully back into the wedge. It was after this that he became much too weak to help the rescuers in their efforts and he expired shortly thereafter. As of now it's been decided by JAYB and the family and landowner to leave his body in place and seal the cave permanently."

Sky News Link

[Mobsta]

Fun Bus said:

VinceFox said:

Just googled caving and tight...





What the hell is wrong with people?

fk that.

The only thought I would have would be "What if something moves and squashes me? Or I get stuck and nobody realises?"

I'd rather st in my hands and clap everyday for the rest of my life, thanks.

That water wriggle is toe curling.

The one Ezi posted for me is worse to my mind.

ezi said:

I'd rather st the bed...

Pinned arms and zero space... I'll take water any day, with a bit more room.

Funny how you both want to st yourselves as an alternative, though

[Mobsta]

silverthorn2151 said:

In an idle moment, just before bed, I searched YouTube for tight squeeze caving.

Why did I do that?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8M7883VXkIc

OK. Cool. So, for the formal PH breakfast next month, us men will meet in the mens chamber which has the beer tap.
And we'll bring you the nail file, polish and lipstick, to the wimmins cave. Which is actually just a makeup booth disguised as a cave to get them on board.

OK, I admit, I wouldnt go there.
You can still have your manicure and a sip of the dregs if there is any left, though.

[Mobsta]

Ruskie said:

Don't mind the big caves. But the little tight ones?! No way. I have been along time ago and didn't have a problem. Being 6ft 4 doesn't help I don't think.

This is my thinking. Big Dwarves type Lord of the Rings style beer cave inside. (6 food inside will do).
We drink it all and stumble outside heroes!
Cinematography DEPT will make it look perilous! = More beer for us Heroes!

[Mobsta]

silverthorn2151 said:

Oi! Mind you, I expect its murder on the nails.

You'll be fine. Apparently, no one is meeting in the mans breakfast cave today, so we could sort of prop up a tarpaulin with a rock pattern on it, against a fryup joints front door. But you wouldn't be allowed to tell anyone. Or we would do your nails in the following week when my third cousin Jippo Jessica and her nail file elephant come to town.

[Mobsta]

BlackVanDyke said:

Link for people not on a mobile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h7F7Rz8I9w
Jesus H Christ, nothing would ever persuade me to so much as go near a hole like that.

I'd sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. Wait for theses to hopefully return.

I do admire the casual banter of those cavers though. As if a stuck human is a daily occurrence. I'd love to cave, but not like that. Imagine the panic of the stuck caver in a slowly rising flood. You need to check the weather... Not today's weather, but what the weather was doing 3 days ago, to avoid the water. The fact it was muddy indicates that squeeze floods.

On the banks with a sandwich. You'd not find me in there.