Spelunking

There's so much to say about spelunking, the thril and challenge of cave exploring. Maneovering through some tight spots, ducking low, barely seeing anything except for your feet directly below you, seeing only the part of the walls that are touched by the glow of your flashlight, and the careful climbing up some walls.

Cave 1:
I am greeted by a narrow passage where I slip through by walking sideways. This is the entrance to Horne Lake Cave 1. My friends and I must duck low so we don't hit our heads on the craggy rocks hanging above us. Darkness greets us with the first step we take, and so the flashlights all click on. I enter the first cavern and am fascinated by the rock formations and limestones. I clamber up part of the cave wall for a better view of the nooks and crannies, for a better view of this geological wonder. But climbing up takes me nowhere, so I maneoer my way back down and move to the second cavern. Here is where the crowds are.

Here is where the exploring slows down, and becomes stressful. This cavern is much more narrower than before. People are moving slower, and it is a traffic jam. In single file we climb a ladder, then shimmy over along a ledge, and climb a near-vertical wall. With the crowds, I was not confident that I could climb the wall without breaking my neck or falling. After careful deliberation I turn back a few feet (with most of my friends already at the top) and find an easier way. I am almost to the top when my friends come my way and say they've had enough. It was getting too challenging, too scary for them. I was disappointed to not make it all the way through but there was no way I was going to stay behind while my friends exited the cave. It's never smart to climbe alone.

We exit the cave all muddied. It is pouring outside as we step from our rocky shelter.

Cave 2:
Reduced from a party of 8 to a party of 4, I venture on to the second cave. It runs along a river, and we are hopping from rock to rock. One slip and I am in the river, wet to just below my knee, socks, shoes, and pants all wet. I step back onto the rock. To go on, I must leap from a rock to an upper ledge where the true caving begins. I peer into the cave and the next few feet involves walking on a slanted ledge several feet above the river. The leap is too big and I am overwhelmed. If I attempt the leap, I will fall and break a bone, possibly an elbow or arm, or bruise my back as I fall onto the rock just below in the river - that rock looks sharp, and is an unlucky rock, the same rock that I slipped on. I am no longer brave and return to the car. The party of 4 becomes a party of 3, and they move on.

By the time I reach the car, I am drenched from river-water and rain. My feet are uncomfortable, but I am smiling and happy for attempting such a great feat. The report from those who've completed Cave 2 is that it was much more difficult than Cave 1. Instead of a near-vertical wall, there was a vertical wall. For you climbers out there, keep in mind that it is a vertical wall in the dark - footholds and handholds are difficult to see.

Despite the challenges I met while spelunking, I can say that I've been bitten by the "climbing and spelunking" bug. After some practice sessions at the climbing gym, I will return and tackle the caves again, next time completing all 2 caves.