Some more info...
Where to Meet
McDonalds in Enniskillen @ 10:00 on 29th (Still in time for a Double Sausage & Egg McMuffin & Coffee) I drive a blue freelander 3dr, reg PEZ and I'll prob be inside with an Orange Caving helmet on the table.
McDonalds is on the right, just past the Landrover Dealerships as you enter the town.
It's a 1.5hr journey from Lisburn if you know the roads and stick to the speed limits.
From there, we'll travel together to Aghnahoo (Another 15 mins or so), our base for the weekend where we can dump gear and get changed into caving stuff.
Logistics, Safety & Cave Preservation dictate that we then split into 2 smaller groups of which I will be leading one and my friends Conor and Sean 'The Miner' will be leading the other.
I will provide helmets and lights and depending on what our club are doing they will either be funky new LED ones, or older pitlamp types ones. I will also be giving you a nylon boiler suit type thing to keep the worst of the water/mud off you. The rest of the gear you will have supply yourself but more about that later.
The place we are staying in is basic to say the least...
Living room with an assortment of chairs, some choice decorations and a fire
Kitchen is usually quite minging, although we have never poisoned anyone yet and there is almost always a kettle on the gas.
Upstairs there is wooden platform that people sleep on and under, snorers get kicked out into the cold.
No toilet/shower, but there is a fresh cold water pipe on the corner of the ruined cow shed.
Gear you will need to bring
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Mat
Warm Clothes to wear as normal (non caving)
Your own personal wash stuff (normally I don't bother, I've been led to believe it's good for your skin)
Your own food & drink for dinner on Saturday & Breakfast on Sunday
Something to cook your food on/in
Loads of Hi-Energy Snacks, caving is very energetic, maybe more so than a hill day and especially if you are not used to it.
A drink container you don't mind taking under ground that will get bashed/muddy (throwaway plastic waterbottles are good)
Something to carry your drinks and snacks in - A V.Small rucksac, bumbag etc just big enough to carry your personal snacks and drinks.
Usually we don't bother about proper lunches, instead focusing more on a big feed at Breakfast and Dinner and snacking during the day... (sandwiches can't just hack it underground)
Camera and something to protect it if you want pics...
What to wear under your caving suit...?
The air temp in Irish caves sits between 8-10C all year, regardless of what is happening outside. Water is colder.
Your big cave will be mainly dry, with a waist deep wade at the worst... With this in mind think about what you are wearing...
Normally under my caving oversuit I wear an all in one fleece suit... (about medium weight fleece)
That's all if I'm going to be active...
Too much you overheat and loose too water in perspiration, too little and it's cold and bits start to fall off.
I will sometimes wear a light thermal top if leading cause I'll be sitting about a fair bit.
Socks, either wetsocks or woolen socks as they keep the heat better than nylon ones...
What ever you wear, don't expect to be able to wash the mud out of it ever again....
On yer feet
Wellies are best, make sure they have a decent amount of tread left and try stay away from steel toecap ones as they have a habit of rubbing lots and I've seen some pretty nasty toes after a full day caving from steel boots...
If you've not got wellies, old hiking boots or similar that will give you some amount of lower leg/ankle protection...
Think wet, muddy, sharp pointy rock, what ever you wear you will want to to grip under these conditions
Hands...?
Those knitted gloves that have the palms and fingers dipped in rubber are cavers choice, you can pick them up in most garden/builder places for a few quid and they are the closest to cave proof gloves that you can get.
If you must insist in wearing your fancy seal skins/goretex/fleece gloves, be warned, they will last about 10 mins underground...
Extras...?
Buff/Balaclava
Hand Warmers (if you are a woose)
Bin bags for dirty stuff/makeshift seat protectors
Getting Moist...?
At least one of the caves will involve a swim/pull on rope... A wetsuit will make this bearable
I have very few that I can lend so try beg/borrow/steal one if you want to join in the fun...
Righto, my head is pickled now...
I'm off to bed...
Nite
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Topic: Try Caving Trip - 29th/30th Jan 2011 (Official Signup & Information Post) (Read 50401 times)