Re: Way OT: "The Descent"
- From: Chris Rockcliffe <chrisrockcliffe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2006 13:36:35 +0100
WadeInChugiak@xxxxxxxxx/08/2006 3:27
I come from cave country: over 50% of the known cave systems in the
United States are in the state of Missouri, where I was born. My
parents took me into safe, paved tourist caves from about age three or
four, and I was wriggling into wild caves from about age ten onwards.
And I liked this movie. Aside from the preposterous central premise,
(that such large creatures could exist in such numbers in a relatively
closed eco-system like a cave,) it's actually fairly accurate about
caving as it's evolved in the past couple of decades. It captures the
claustrophobia in a way that I've never seen in any other "cave movie."
Thanks for the write-up Wade... interesting stuff... I didn't know you were
into caving. If so, this part of Derbyshire has some fantastic cave systems
and folks come from all over the world to explore the cave systems here.
The most infamously named cave system in Derbyshire is the Devil's Arse cave
complex (that is its real name) and of which the front part is a public show
cave with an interesting history and a favourite with tourists. But there
are literally miles of unexplored or little explored caves behind it. It's
amusing to watch the expressions of tourists walking in, as cavers with
orange suits, helmets tanks and pick axes - faces smothered in mud come past
them.
RMMGAer Steve Hawkins and I went to the walk-in public Poole's Cavern here
in Buxton. It was a good excuse for me to see it too which I hadn't then.
That complex is many miles long and there is talk of opening it all up.
Also, when we had RMMGAers Charles and Joan Park and Linda over here way
back (UK4 I think) my partner Fiona suggested I take them down into the
Speedwell Cavern which having not seen myself either, I thought would be
basically just another walk in cave to a waiting boat ride through the man
made mine tunnels.
Wrong. It is quite a steep climb down (and back up) with quite a long
underground boat ride under the hills until one is about 1,500 directly
below the surface. The water (the entire cave entrance is flooded) is very
cold. Being early spring we were wearing late winter clothes, but even in
high summer the air temperature is a constant 7c underground. That's quite
cool for a lot of people.
Now Charles has a heart condition - so I was concerned, and which would seem
to preclude such adventures, but with some trepidation we continued.
We let everyone else get out first and took it easy and slowly with the
climb out (except we met the next tour party coming down). Is it much
further down one asked. Only 2047 more steps I said... with a grin on my
face....
Charles is a funny man and he wrung every ounce of humour out of the
situation. I can still hear Charles' voice.... *you told me there was an
elevator... you lied* *if you think you can kill me like this, you're wrong
- you'll see*.... (to Joan) you think you're gonna collect the insurance but
you aint - I've left it all to my other woman*. When we got to the top the
official asked if we were OK and I could hardly answer him for laughing so
much...
The experts reckon that the already-explored Derbyshire caves account for
less than 5% of the total of caves - access being very difficult or
currently impossible to much of it. The really intrepid go in for the cave
diving here - requiring long, deep cave dives with tanks to explore any
further. But there are underground wonders to behold. Pot holes and caves
are big business here. Maybe I should see the movie, but claustrophobia for
me is a bit real.
CR
.
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- From: WadeInChugiak@xxxxxxx
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