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General Climbing Discussion

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Caving!

elephant

31-Mar-2005
11:33:41 AM

Hm, from reading who learnt to climb from a uni club? thread, sounds like there's a few cavers out there.
Just out of curiousity, how many climbers do we have that caves?
I'm currently an active caver, but I don't see any climbers out there (more like in there) caving.

climbau

1-Apr-2005
8:18:31 AM

The only reason I started caving was because I got paid to do it. Now I don't get paid, I don't cave. However I came close the other weekend when some mates wanted to go and asked me to take them, I said yaes and the trip was all planned but then my mates had to work, so Phew!!!(wipes sweat from brow) It will probably be a long time until I'm sucked in like that again.

Robin

1-Apr-2005
4:36:25 PM

Mmm, not enough poll options. How about I've been caving, I like caving but I'd rather go climbing.

nmonteith

1-Apr-2005
4:54:37 PM

yere - i would tick that one Robin! I really enjoy caving the few times i have done it - but it suffers a bit form the 'secret crag' mentalilty. There is no glossy Mentz/Tempest style guide to the hot spots of Victorian caving. The caving at Buchan is much better than the climbing...

elephant

1-Apr-2005
6:37:24 PM

I have to agree with you Neil. Caving in Australia, esp in Victoria is very different from caving in other countries. In UK they do have caving guide books like what we have with climbing.

We only have something over 800 caves tagged in Victoria so far (mind you, some of them aren't even caves), we are trying to preserve the caves, so those drunken yobbos won't be throwing party and rubbish down the caves and breaking the fragile decorations, that's the reason why there's no caving guide (apart from the extremely outdated karst index which doesn't tell you where the caves are anyway), and the major caves are gated. Also, a huge portion of the caves in Victoria are actually on private properties.

However, unlike VCC, the VSA (Victorian Speleological Association) actually does surveying, mapping, and maintaince works on the caves. They have a library of information on the caves. All you need to do to get access to these information is be a member. They even maintain good relationships with most of the private land owners.

If anybody wants to find out more, PM me.

AlanD

1-Apr-2005
8:01:06 PM

There are guide books to several of the NSW caving areas.

Rich

3-Apr-2005
5:23:09 PM

On 1/04/2005 Robin wrote:
>Mmm, not enough poll options. How about I've been caving, I like caving
>but I'd rather go climbing.

yeh me too. :)

neats

4-Apr-2005
8:04:54 AM

same...

BA

4-Apr-2005
11:13:57 AM

And why would the VCC want to do "surveying, mapping, and maintaince works on the caves"?

Chris Watson and I are just finishing off 4-5 new maps of Beckworth whilst another map has been updated. In version 2.00 of the guide there are just over 60 maps and topos, so the VCC and WVCC do "surveying, mapping" while maintenance is left up to CliffCare, a VCC initiative.

And you don't have to be a member to get this information, just go into a shop and pay your money. If you are a member however you can buy that information at far less than RRP.

steph

4-Apr-2005
1:07:43 PM

I recently caved at Wilson Caves in Bucchan and it was actually more like climbing than I thought. Climbing up steep rock with the only difference being that you have rock all around you not just in front. Obviously less exposure but still tiring, strenuous and a lot of fun!

Rich

4-Apr-2005
1:15:00 PM

On 4/04/2005 steph wrote:
>I recently caved at Wilson Caves in Bucchan and it was actually more like
>climbing than I thought. Climbing up steep rock with the only difference
>being that you have rock all around you not just in front. Obviously less
>exposure but still tiring, strenuous and a lot of fun!
>

other differences: no rope, no friction (sometimes), often exposed but can't see the ground

There are 11 messages in this topic.