1. What is this thing? It’s called “The Cave,” and is an obstacle course built to look like a cave.
2. What is it for? “The Cave” is for teaching people how to go caving safely: How to avoid hurting caves, themselves, or other cavers.
3. How does it work? The person in charge of “The Cave” tells a participant (caver) when to start caving. The caver crawls into the entrance and through “The Cave.” As the caver crawls, they should try not to bump any of the cave formations. There are some really fragile formations that they should not even get close to. If the caver bumps a formation, sensors detect the bump, and a buzzer sounds. A computer keeps track of how many times each formation is hit. The caver continues to move through the cave until they get to the exit. They can then look at their score and the next caver can start caving.
4. Who can use “The Cave?” Anyone willing to follow the rules of “The Cave” may use it. The cave can be used by people who have never been underground and by experienced cavers alike. The cave can even be used for search and rescue training.
5. What are the rules of “The Cave?” Please see the rules sheet.
6. What is the cave made of? The formations are made of plastic and metal. The walls, floor, and ceiling are wood and latex paint. Over 60% of the paint is from the El Paso County Household Chemical Exchange. No real cave formations were harmed or even touched in making “The Cave.”
7. Who made “The Cave?” Dave and Tracy Jackson created The Cave with great support from Blue Star Recyclers (http://www.bluestarrecyclers.com/).
8. How did The Cave get here? The Cave can be taken apart and put on a trailer. Great volunteers help to set up The Cave.
9. How big is The Cave? The passage is generally 3 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide. In some places the passage is smaller. The Cave can also be set up with 5 foot wide passage. The Cave currently has 32 feet of crawling passage.
10. Will I get stuck? Probably not. If you feel like you’re getting stuck, back up and come out.
11. Will I get hurt? If you follow the rules of The Cave, you will not get hurt.
12. What do formations in The Cave look like? Here are some pictures:
12. What do formations in The Cave look like? Here are some pictures:
13. Will I get dirty? There is no real mud in The Cave, but you may get dirty from crawling. Dress clothes are not recommended.
14. Do I need some cave gear? The person in charge of The Cave will give you a helmet (with headlamp), knee and elbow pads, and gloves. Please return your gear to the person in charge when you’re done.
Frequently asked questions about REAL caves and caving
1. Isn’t it called spelunking? No, it’s called caving. Spelunking is a term coined by a reporter in the 1940’s, and cavers think of spelunking as amateur caving. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelunking. Cavers rescue spelunkers. ☺
2. Are there any caves in Colorado? Yes, Colorado has many caves. Anyone can visit Cave of The Winds in Colorado Springs, and Glenwood Caverns in Glenwood Springs. Both "show caves" offer a variety of tours at at different difficulty levels ranging from lit walking tours to crawling wear a helmet and headlamp type tours at different prices and time lengths.
3. What's inside a cave? Caves contain many types of formations like the ones in the pictures above. Cave formations are called speleothems.
3. What's inside a cave? Caves contain many types of formations like the ones in the pictures above. Cave formations are called speleothems.
