Independent Caver – 2 days
You wish to head out and cave with friends and family and start a passion for cave exploration being independent without hiring a guide or instructor.
This course will prepare you to do just that. It’s a great two days of learning, caving and really getting to grips with what a fantastic sport caving is.
It will combine horizontal caving with straightforward short vertical sections that require ropework and ladders.
Previous Experience – No previous experience is needed
Minimum age – 18
Overview of main Instructional and coaching content
- Equipment, what to use, why and how
- Weather and it’s effects on cave systems
- Cave flooding
- Cave formation and environmental protection
- Use of guidebooks and cave surveys
- Navigation underground
- Packing for a day underground & what to take
- Emergency procedures and self help
- Anchor selection and use
- Abseiling
- Use of caving ladders for ascending
- Technical rope work
- Ladder rescues
Ratio and costs per person per day
- 1.1 = £160
- 1.2 = £90
- 1.2 = £70
- 1.4 = £60
Equipment supplied
- Helmet and light
- Gloves
- Harness
- Cows tails / lanyards
- Knee pads
- Elbow pads
- All technical equipment and ropes
- Wet suit socks
Equipment you will need to supply
- Wellies only if you have a pair
- Old waterproofs top and trousers or boiler suit
- Warm clothes to wear under waterproofs
Examples of cave trips that you could consider after the course are
Yorkshire
- Valley Entrance to Rowten Sump
- Long Chruns / Alum Pot down to base of Dolly Tubs
- Wilsons cave
- Great Duke
- Thistle and Runcsar
Peak District
- Carls walk cavern and Eyam Dale Shaft
- Certain parts of Giants
- P8
North Wales
- Poachers
- Xmas