Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505090047
SECTION: DISCOVER NRV PAGE: DNRV-38 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
The caves have formed over millions of years as weak acid in ground water gradually ate away the prevalent limestone. Among Virginia's counties, Giles is second, behind Scott County, in the number of documented caves. Some have underground passages of a mile or more.
For those who enjoy exploring the underground, areas like this are akin to paradise.
But serious cavers are a bit like serious fishing enthusiasts: They're reluctant to reveal the locations of their favorite holes, though for different reasons.
While it's true that some spelunkers simply don't want others tracking through their pet places, for most it boils down to the very nature of caves themselves.
First and foremost, caves can be dangerous - even deadly - places for the untrained and uninitiated, experts point out. In addition, in the New River Valley (and most other areas), all caves are on private property, and avoiding problems with landowners is a priority among caving clubs. Finally, though carved of rock, caves are delicate environments, easily spoiled by careless or negligent behavior.
"We all share an interest in conserving them," said Ernst Kastning, a Radford University geology professor and veteran caving enthusiast with a national reputation.
The Virginia Cave Board shares that interest. Its signs alert visitors to significant commonwealth caves that defacing, disturbing or dumping in them is illegal. The National Speleological Society offers rewards for information leading to the conviction of violators, who can be fined.
Three major caving clubs - or grottoes - all affiliated with the National Speleological Society, are active in the region and promote proper caving technique and etiquette. The VPI Club is mostly oriented to the Virginia Tech campus community, while the New River Valley Grotto and the Blue Ridge Grotto include other organized cavers.
As testament to the region's reputation as a caving mecca, the National Speleological Society holds its annual convention July 16-22 at Virginia Tech.
Jackie Hoell, adviser to Tech's cave club, said organized cavers think making an effort to cultivate good relations with cave owners is time well spent in avoiding problems.
"When we have people who don't ask [landowner permission] and don't follow the guidelines, then we do get into trouble," she said. A large number of nonaffiliated cavers - Hoell calls them a "shadow group" - also enjoy spelunking in the New River Valley, but not everyone who caves plays by NSS rules, she said, and they can spoil it for those who do.
Mary Socky of the Blue Ridge Grotto advises prospective cavers that clubs are not clearinghouses for cave information and locations. Clubs will, however, take beginners under their wing and share their knowledge and appreciation of caves and caving.
To guarantee access to their favorite haunts, cave club members have volunteered to help cave owners with various chores, from fixing a gate to perhaps painting a barn. "You basically use good-neighbor tactics," Hoell explained.
Hoell puts cavers into three broad categories. She puts herself in the recreational category, those who cave "for the joy of it." In the middle are sport cavers, who like the more challenging caves that require rigging and vertical drops. Scientific cavers are among the more serious enthusiasts; they map, conduct biological studies on bats and other fauna or investigate geology.
Beginners often are just curious about what's inside the cave. Dean Crane of the Blacksburg Recreation Department tries to corral some of that curiousity by conducting organized trips that stress safety. "I think the biggest thing is going with someone who knows caving," he advises newcomers.
Crane says trips like those he periodically guides can be a good introduction to caving. "That's how people find out what is safe and what is not safe," he said.
Types of caves vary. There are those with easy, horizontal access. Then there are the "vertical pits," which require rigging and special skill to enter and maneuver. Some, Hoell said, have "big booming passages with streams running through." Still others feature "slimy, slippery terrain."
Crane says each cave is unique and gives visitors a chance to see "a part of the world very few people get to see."
You don't wear your Sunday best to cave. Kastning and others advise a minimum outfit of hard hat (or helmet) to protect your head from the inevitable collision with hard places in the darkness, sturdy boots, a carbide or electric lamp, and old clothes.
Crane and others also recommend two extra light sources plus food and water. Total cost: Up to $125, Kastning estimates, and much more if you get into ropes and rigging for vertical caving.
by CNB