Well said...
Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: dirt...@comcast.net
To: Cave Texas
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2013 5:10 PM
Subject: [Texascavers] Solo
Solo
I have found this to be a rather interesting thread.
James' question, which started all this, was " What is the general feeling
regarding solo caving?"
That seems to have morphed into "Why would anyone go caving alone?" And
finally into folks actually describing some of their solo experiences.
"Why would you cave alone?" has as many answers as there are cavers who have
been caving by themselves.
Usually, when I have been asked that question, it has been from someone who
cannot comprehend (and usually appalled by) someone who would go off by
themselves, especially in or into a cave.
To those of you who have seriously asked why someone would cave alone, this
is a sincere effort to reply. Not really to explain. Certainly not to
justify.
Hold this thought:
What is unknown and therefore fearful for one person may be rather
commonplace for another.
Cavers, in particular, should understand this. Is there anyone reading this
who has not been asked "Why do you DO that?" Caves are DARK. Caves are
DANGEROUS. In the mud and the cold? There is no light in there!
Those of us comfortable at being alone in a cave often do not talk about it,
even when asked. There is that stigma attached by those who do not understand.
There is a huge difference between attempting to answer the question and to
encourage or invite someone to go off alone in a cave or to glorify caving by
themselves. I feel that to encourage or glorify is unethical, dangerous, and
perhaps even criminal. We are correct to advise others to cave in a group.
There is also a big difference between the kind of experience beyond the
Turtle Hurdles that Pete and I described and the kind of time spent by the
Collins and Boons of the world. And by Jack Lehrberger or Bill Austin (the
manager of Floyd Collins Crystal Cave in the 50s and 60s) and other "secret"
cavers seeking discoveries that are "theirs", and theirs alone. The solo
experiences described on this thread, more in line with what James was
inquiring about, are of shorter duration and less technically demanding than
really serious solo exploration of a major cave system. They are usually fun,
at least when they start out.
Sometimes there is a commercial interest. For some, it is the personal
challenge: "I can do that!" (A little chest-pounding?) A few cavers are just
uncomfortable around other people. Some have sought comfort from other
pressures in life by hiding out somewhere comfortable for them - a few have
found that spot in a cave.
I can best speak from my own experiences. As a young geologist-mountaineer I
became comfortable being alone in remote mountain and desert wilderness. I did
not think I was driven by the desire to be alone. I wanted to go somewhere
and see something particular and there was no one around with a similar
interest. And I liked to explore. It was fun to be somewhere new and to see
sights from an unusual perspective. I had learned the skills, possessed the
equipment, and used forethought and planning. It became commonplace for me to
be alone in the wilderness. I had a great time.
I felt that I was at less risk there than I was when riding my bicycle down
the streets of Laramie - or any town or city. Lew Bicking and I had a
discussion about that, just the two of us (not quite alone), in the Guadalupe
Mountains of New Mexico, shortly before he was killed on an eastern roadway.
I remember standing, very alone, high in the Rocky Mountains, looking down
into a bergschrund that seemed to drop downward forever, a blue-black slot
into an icy Hell. "If the snow I am standing on gives way, no one will know
what happened. No one has any idea where I am. I will simply disappear from
the face of the Earth."
I cautiously stepped back, for I have never been suicidal. At that time I
was a very good climber, an experienced leader but a cut below the best. A
climbing companion who was one of the best told me "You will never really be a
REALLY fine climber unless you put your life on the line."
I have never knowingly done so. I have enjoyed my climbing, caving, and
other experiences. I now look back on a full and interesting life. I was not
simply "lucky".
I have spent days alone in the wilderness, the mountains, the desert, and
many hours alone in caves. Quite often I started out above ground with no
idea where, exactly, I was going to be, although I had a goal. Somebody
usually knew, sort of. That would have narrowed it down, but the area might
be 10 or 20 square miles. I remember finding a remote cave, and well back into
it thinking that if I became injured or trapped there would not even be
buzzards circling above to help others (or predators) locate me. An
interesting thought that really did not bother me as I felt comfortable in my
environment, with my equipment, and with my knowledge, which included knowledge
of myself.
Another thing I have considered is my responsibility to others. I realized
long ago that if I did manage to disappear, others would probably expend
considerable time, effort, and expense, possibly risking their own lives,
trying to figure out what happened to me. It didn't matter if I cared whether
they found me or not.
Back to solo CAVING. At first, it just sort of happened. Separated from the
others for a variety of reasons. An attempt to find a way on, or a different
way out, as in the case of the Turtle Hurdles. Or in big caves as a result of
practical need (going out, meeting a different group, moving supplies or
equipment). I found that most of those times were not especially "enjoyable".
Occasionally some became "lessons learned experiences", as Speleosteele has
described. Not solo caving in the original sense of the question.
Three of us in a South Dakota cave. A rest and a snack. Passages went
everywhere. Each of us went our separate way for a while, planning on meeting
back again at a set time. All virgin cave. Discovery. Quiet. Beauty. Peace. A
step toward what you were asking about?
In a "new" Guadalupe cave. Alone because others were either resting, eating,
or resolving a survey issue from a prior trip. Just looking around. A little
duck-under - hmm, this is getting nice. Careful where I step, this is virgin!
Farther, longer. More time alone. More careful steps through very pretty
virgin cave. I was about to turn around and THERE, at the seeming end, was one
foot print. Clearly, another caver, also alone, had been here before. Both
of us carefully stepping toward what you were asking about?
Over time and with accumulated experience, becoming quite comfortable alone
in a cave. I have had some experiences that have been personally rewarding and
quite memorable, alone in a cave. There are also times, not alone, when I have
felt it more dangerous, and certainly more anxiety-filled, to be with someone
who is less skilled and less comfortable with themselves and their surroundings.
We should make our own choices and be cautious about judging the choice that
others make.
Dirt Doc
