Many thanks to all those who helped me with caving technique advice at http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51132
I thought you might like to know how we fared so here is a report of our 3day 2 night trip. 24 16-17 year olds doing their DOE Award, 2 teachers, 1 tag along teachers husband (me) and a guide.
Camp site was at the edge of the forest. We did a long walk through secondary jungle, lots of palms and bracken to a stream where the kids cooked lunch.
Bloodied by the leeches the jungles baptism by blood
Guide eating lunch. (Top bloke)
These kids were fresh to the bush in many cases and, being young, did not listen to advice on how to pack their kit. They had difficulty remembering things despite being told a dozen times.
The lead teacher is a let-them- learn-the-hard-way believer and that was refreshing. The kids were nice and well-behaved a couple whined and a few others felt stretched by the effort of carrying their packs but generally pleasant company
We traced the creek down stream. This was good fun. There was some exposure in the small gorges but no fixed ropes and they had to rely on vines and rattan. Its very slippery and harder than it looks
The second night was hard as some had wet sleeping bags (strapped them on the outside while river tracing!) and wet clothes (not bothering to waterproof them!). (Ive done dumb things like that so I cant be harsh on them. I thank the instructors who left me in wet gear in winter Ive never made this mistake again.)
Day two we went to a cave. Not wild caves quite the opposite in fact, but we detoured to do adventure caving. These are caves above ground in some limestone hills.
There were some nice critters inside - Cave crickets, centipedes and a cave racer snake.
Nice formations too and some chambers with skylights showing the hills and forest above us.
Could I get through the tight passages I was worrying about?
Well this is me looking glum after trying.
I tried on my back and with one arm and shoulder extended over my head and a few different angles of attack.
The opening was like a flattened diamond. I had space to the side but a low clearance. Had to have head on the side. Each time the lowest section stuck on my chest. Only way through was to exhale and move but I could see more tight sections ahead and figured that to reverse through a series of tight squeeze was not worth it as the guide had told me a tighter one was ahead. Id just delay the trip.
This is what I was trying to get into
Psychologically it wasnt a problem but concentrating was hard as the cave water had something that felt like sea-lice bites all over your body. Anybody have any idea what this could be?
The kids were beanpoles and had little trouble size wise. No fat or big kids The guides and teacher were all small and about 54 max.
Still I had a good time. Going back I was able to spend more time poking about in the cave.
Spider web. Why are they so erratic? The spider cant see in the dark?
Thanks for your help and for reading.
I thought you might like to know how we fared so here is a report of our 3day 2 night trip. 24 16-17 year olds doing their DOE Award, 2 teachers, 1 tag along teachers husband (me) and a guide.
Camp site was at the edge of the forest. We did a long walk through secondary jungle, lots of palms and bracken to a stream where the kids cooked lunch.
Bloodied by the leeches the jungles baptism by blood
Guide eating lunch. (Top bloke)
These kids were fresh to the bush in many cases and, being young, did not listen to advice on how to pack their kit. They had difficulty remembering things despite being told a dozen times.
The lead teacher is a let-them- learn-the-hard-way believer and that was refreshing. The kids were nice and well-behaved a couple whined and a few others felt stretched by the effort of carrying their packs but generally pleasant company
We traced the creek down stream. This was good fun. There was some exposure in the small gorges but no fixed ropes and they had to rely on vines and rattan. Its very slippery and harder than it looks
The second night was hard as some had wet sleeping bags (strapped them on the outside while river tracing!) and wet clothes (not bothering to waterproof them!). (Ive done dumb things like that so I cant be harsh on them. I thank the instructors who left me in wet gear in winter Ive never made this mistake again.)
Day two we went to a cave. Not wild caves quite the opposite in fact, but we detoured to do adventure caving. These are caves above ground in some limestone hills.
There were some nice critters inside - Cave crickets, centipedes and a cave racer snake.
Nice formations too and some chambers with skylights showing the hills and forest above us.
Could I get through the tight passages I was worrying about?
Well this is me looking glum after trying.
I tried on my back and with one arm and shoulder extended over my head and a few different angles of attack.
The opening was like a flattened diamond. I had space to the side but a low clearance. Had to have head on the side. Each time the lowest section stuck on my chest. Only way through was to exhale and move but I could see more tight sections ahead and figured that to reverse through a series of tight squeeze was not worth it as the guide had told me a tighter one was ahead. Id just delay the trip.
This is what I was trying to get into
Psychologically it wasnt a problem but concentrating was hard as the cave water had something that felt like sea-lice bites all over your body. Anybody have any idea what this could be?
The kids were beanpoles and had little trouble size wise. No fat or big kids The guides and teacher were all small and about 54 max.
Still I had a good time. Going back I was able to spend more time poking about in the cave.
Spider web. Why are they so erratic? The spider cant see in the dark?
Thanks for your help and for reading.
).
