I wrote this May 23, 2007 ... well over ten years ago, but someone reminded me of it today and I thought I'd put it up.
Why Do You Cave?
I am going caving in three days! Actually, by the time this
article is published, I’ll have gone and come back and hopefully written a trip
report. The reason for this article is made clear in its title. Why do you
cave? I believe that’s a question all of us cavers have been asked before. Do
you have an answer readily available? I never have … until I just heard an
inspiration this morning.
While watching a television show about the caves under Budapest, a caver showing
the host one of the recently discovered caves below the city said, “It’s like a
playground”. I found myself grinning because the concept rang so true for me,
and it was so simple.
When people ask me why I like to go caving, I’ve never had a
good, articulate answer for them. Now I do. Although it is a bit more
complicated than just saying caves are like a playground for adults. I don’t
want to give the impression that caves are a place to run amuck because they
are such fragile environments. The act of scrambling, crawling, climbing, and
traversing a cave’s varied passages is almost an art form. It is one of the few
environments in which I feel truly agile. I am apt to, and have tripped over my
own feet above ground! Perhaps another part of my love for caving is rooted in
the fact that as a child I was never athletic in the traditional sense. I
climbed trees and rode my bike, but I was never involved in school sports like
track or basketball. I wasn’t good at them. I think I’m good at caving. And the
fact that it is an unusual activity makes me feel all the more special. Take
that all you cruel kids who picked me last in gym class!
Some people might counter the playground description with:
“But you’re an adult now, don’t you think it’s time to grow up?” To that I would
say absolutely not. I still know how to have fun. Real fun. Fun that I can
express with my entire being, both mental and physical. In the cave
environment, I am forced to put my whole self into the “now”. It commands all my
attention, which may be why every day worries and troubles temporarily have
less hold over me, or don’t seem as dire.
I just had to edit the last paragraph from using the
point-of-view from second person (you) to first person (me), because I cannot
speak for all cavers, just myself and how I feel. I hope though, that this
article helps non-cavers to better understand this unusual activity we
participate in and that it perhaps gives another caver insight into their own
experiences.
Caving has so many varying aspects and that is probably why
it draws people from such diverse backgrounds. Some people cave for the sport
(and that doesn’t necessarily make them spelunkers), some cave to map, some
cave to study cave life, some cave to develop better rescue practices, some
cave to search for cures to diseases, some cave to study history, some cave to
photograph, etc. And typically, a person falls under more than one category. That
is why you’ll find such people ranging from doctors to students to payroll
professionals (myself) all labeling themselves as “caver”.
So the next time someone asks me why I like to go caving,
I’ll answer, “because it’s like a playground for adults”. And hopefully that
will open up a conversation that involves describing what I enjoy doing below
ground, why, and how safe caving practices are good for both cavers and caves. Nobody
likes it when vandals graffiti or trash children’s playground equipment, right?
In caves, it’s all the more important because it’s a natural environment.
This paragraph comes from another article I wrote just over
a year ago, but fits here as well: Caving makes me feel alive and I try to be aware of the following things so they can
permeate throughout the rest of my life: to constantly challenge myself,
appreciate all of nature, and love all the people in my life.
Cave softly. Cave passionately.
