Safe Caving – California Cave Survey

Rope work is common in California caving and requires the correct equipment and proper training. Caves use a set of rope work skills known as single-rope-technique. It is very different from what rock climbers and arborists use. *Dave Bunnell*

Visiting wild caves safely

Visiting wild caves can be fun and exciting. Or a casual afternoon outing can turn dangerous and even deadly. Everyone is responsible for their own safety underground.

Cave Challenges

Every year people in the US die in caves, and many more are injured. There are multiple causes – a drowning during floods, falling off a cliff or edge, hypothermia, and rocks falling and striking people. A few caves, including some in California, have “bad air” that is high in CO² and unsafe to breath. And in large and complex caves people do become temporarily lost, most often for a few hours, but occasionally for days.

Caves can be open and large and easy to walk through, but there are others that very physically demanding. These demands can include long sections of rope work in caves thousands of feet deep, and long, low crawls and tight spots that are very difficult to fit through. Cold water and thick mud can add to the challenges, and tricky, sometimes exposed, climbing maneuvers are common. In California, the caves also often come with long hikes across steep terrain in the mountains. Cave explorers have to be prepared for both the above ground and below ground parts of the trip.

Caves often have entrances and locations inside where things get small and narrow. This can be caused by rock fall, the accumulation of dirt and sediments, the growth of cave formations that narrow a passage or a combination. Moving through these locations is challenging and requires careful consideration of how to move and good body awareness. This tiny hole leads to a Shasta County cave that is more than a half mile long. *Heather Veerkamp*

Search and Rescue

If you do have a problem, due to the complexity of caves and the small spaces, search and rescue operations underground may involve a lot of people and be very expensive. Safe caving practices are always a good idea. You don’t want to be the person emergency services has to come and help.

Caving Best Practices

Cave explorers have a check lists of safety practices:

Always let someone not on the trip know where you are going and when you will be back.
Have appropriate gear including helmets, pads and gloves.
Each person should have three sources of light and extra batteries.
Use head lamps so that your hands are free for climbing and moving through the cave.
Never undertake any rope work without proper training and equipment.
Be aware of unstable floors and footing.
Avoid slips and falls into small spaces.
In difficult spots, carefully and gently help each other.

Getting to caves in California is part of the fun and the risk. Hiking off trail through steep, brushy terrain is the name of the game. Heavy packs, steep drop offs and rattlesnakes add to the challenges. *Heather Veerkamp*

Caving Clubs

The best way to safely go caving is to get involved with a local caving club, usually known as a grotto. These clubs are chapters of the National Speleological Society, based in Huntsville, Alabama. They know where the caves are and the gear and experience that you need to stay safe and have fun. For a list of grottos in California see: https://nsswest.org/grottos/ or see a list of grottos on this web page at https://californiacaves.org/index/go-caving/california-caving-clubs/