Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Recreation/Caving - Advanced

Caving - Advanced
General Conference
Skill Level 3 Answer-Keys 06.jpg
Year of Introduction: 1973


1. Have the Caving Honor.Edit

Instructions and tips for earning the Caving honor can be found in the Recreation chapter.

2. Obtain geological survey maps of the area where you go caving. Map out on them the location of all known caves you have explored.Edit

Maps of your local area may be bought at an outdoor sporting goods store, and in some cases, at book store. You can also order them from the USGS if the area you want a map of is in the United States. The USGS also provides free downloads of digitally scanned topographical maps.

(Never post exact cave locations, (i.e. GPS coordinates) or directions to caves in public places, such as the internet.)

3. Be able to give an explanation for how these caves were formed; what they have in common; what can be expected in them in the way of physical characteristics such as types and extent of formations, effects of prior water activity, presence and nature of fossils, presence and nature of life forms including bats.Edit

4. Obtain proper rappelling equipment and learn how to use it either by studying a book or mountain climbing techniques or locating a person or club group already experienced who are willing to instruct you. Plan and execute a cave trip where it is necessary to rappel at least forty feet (12 meters) and climb back out.Edit

5. Conduct a biological survey of a cave entrance, the cave twilight zone, the deep cave floor, the deep cave wall and the deep cave ceiling. Photograph single specimens of, and identify every form of plant and animal life in each of these troglodytic zones. Compare pictures with nearest natural history museum for help in identification. Publications on cave flora and fauna of the National Speleological Society will help also. Remember slogan, "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."Edit

You can contact a local chapter of the National Speleological Society, known as a Grotto, to help you find someone to assist in identifying your pictures. Find the closest Grotto to your area by visiting their website:

Memorize and practice the slogan of the National Speleological Society, "take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time." They added "kill nothing but time" on the end to remind cavers to be careful in caves because they are very sensitive habitats. Additionally, formations in caves are described as "growing". These formations (such as stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, etc.) take hundreds of years to grow. So cavers should be extremely careful to avoid "killing" these formations by staying on designated paths when inside a cave.

6. Log 100 hours of caving experience. Keep accurate records of each caving trip.Edit

A good cave log will contain
  • Cave Name
  • Type of Cave (Horizontal or Vertical)
  • Group Size
  • Hours Spent in the Cave
  • Comments about the Cave

7. Conduct a caving course, to be climaxed by several field trips for a group of young people in your community or church.Edit

8. Make friends with at least one cave owner. Determine what he expects of cavers exploring his cave, and do more than he expects you to do in following these directions.Edit

Develop a good relationship by respecting his cave and his property. Also try to give them a gift each time you go to their cave, if you give them the same thing each time, they will remember you better and give you more access to their cave.