Caving & Safety

Summary: Caving is a popular recreational sport offering a close look at some of nature's most interesting geological formations. For many years "spelunking" was the favored term for describing those who explored caves with or without ropes and climbing equipment. Now, however, "cavers" are identified as experienced and knowledgeable cave explorers, while "spelunkers" are hobbyists who do not know as much about the dangers or techniques of caving. "Potholing" is a term catching on for using ropes to climb vertical caves or holes.

In this free video series, expert caver Laszlo Turi teaches you about safe caving. Safety is an important issue in caving, with many cavers specializing in rescue caving to help other local climbers. Laszlo covers safety equipment like boots, lights, gloves, helmets, and more. He goes over maps, when to eat before caving, how to handle getting lost or separated, and other things to know before jumping into a cave with friends.