The world is full of amazing caves, to quote a mixture of Coleridge and James T Kirk .We can boldly go through caverns measureless to man.. If you want the ultimate caving experience we need to travel beyond these shores….
Through trips in the Pyrenees
The Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain contain some of the deepest and most interesting caves anywhere in the world. Even in the height of summer the tops can be shrouded in a dank cold mist that makes the whole place feel a little other-worldly. But beneath the surface the caves are both enormous and extensive. But more excitingly than that there is the possibility of entering a cave entrance high on a mountain and abseiling right the way through the cave and arrive in the valley below, quite often on the edge of a village only minutes from a bar or cafe. It is perhaps the ultimate in caving passing right the way through a mountain.
Deepest caves in the world
To descend below 1000m vertically into a cave is a very special experience, the sense of utter isolation the enormity of the challenge to escape the trap you have laid for yourself can be over whelming. It takes a special kind of person to not only be able to explore some of the wildest places on our planet but be able to enjoy it at the same time.
The skill of deep cave exploration is preparation and planning. If you are interested in visiting the deepest caves in the world our preparation starts in the UK where we will learn to use SRT (single rope technique) to descend and re-ascend vertical sections of the caves. And over time we will test those new skills against some of the classic challenges in UK caving. Once you are ready we will select our objective.
There are currently around 100 caves in the world that are more than 1000m deep, from New Zealand to South America and right across Europe. Some caves can only be accessed at certain times of the year while others have complicated access restrictions but most can be visited. Some are classics where the history of modern caving has been written while others have only recently been discovered. It is an adventure you will not forget.
My favourite caving trip
Trou de Glaz to the Grotte Annette in the Chartreuse Massif just outside Grenoble. The whole day is amazing, you walk up to the Trou de Glaz through beautiful countryside and then climb and descend all day long. The amazing thing is that you leave the cave at roughly the same altitude that you went in but you spend almost every minute that you are in the cave either abseiling down something or rock climbing back up again. When you reach the Grotte Annette late in the day you can see for miles across a landscape of hills and valleys that look so completely different from how you saw them in the morning. It is a fantastic trip and within the range of most reasonably fit people with the right training and preparation. Lets go.
Where would you like to explore?
I can help you achieve your goals. From something big to a hole you saw on your last holiday high on a cliff, I can help you develop the skills to explore any cave and keep you safe while you are there.
