DESCRIPTION

Escape the winter and explore several incredible caves while experiencing the refined culture of the American South!

We will spend two whole days exploring some of the world's largest cave networks, including the legendary Mammoth Cave, which is both a World Heritage Site and a World Biosphere Reserve!

All cave tours will be guided by experienced park rangers, and are very interesting and interpretive.

We will visit some very scenic, rugged caves, as well as souvenir and gift shops.

This is your chance to become an expert on Karst geology and hydrology at the American Cave Museum.

The return date Feb 22. But we can change it as people come up with new ideas.

MAX GROUP SIZE: 12 people

IMPORTANT DETAILS

Date and time: Meet in front of IWC South Entrance on Saturday, Feb 18. at 7:00 AM

Cost: To be announced soon. 

Registration opens: To be announcd soon.

Registration deadline: To be announced soon.

Info session: Tuesday, Jan 31, 6:00PM at DBAC WB113

YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT for crossing the Canada-USA border!
If you are an exchange student or not a citizen of Canada, you will need your student visa documents with you.

WHY GET EXCITED ABOUT CAVING?
BECAUSE IT'S AN ENTIRE WORLD THAT FEW PEOPLE GET TO SEE AN EXPERIENCE!

Below is a trailer for one of the best caving films. Hopefully it'll tell you what's out there to be seen!

Into Darkness Trailer from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

TRIP DETAILS

Itinerary: TBA

Transportation:Car-pooling. We need 1 more car!

Accommodation: Hotel (4 people per room)

Included in the trip cost:
•    Transportation and fuel (we will car-pool to save money)
•    Accommodation (hotel)
•    All cave tours
• 

What’s NOT included:
•    YOUR VALID PASSPORT. You must have one!
•    Emergency medical insurance coverage for visiting USA (~$3 per day)
•    Personal clothes, boots, gloves or headlamps.
•    Food
•    Dinners in Kentucky (dinners at restaurants)
•    $10 Outdoor Club membership for non-members

Mammoth Cave National Park:  6-hour guided Wild Cave Tour
Description: Meet Mammoth Cave on its own terms as you and a small group of adventurers don helmets, headlamps, boots and kneepads and venture into miles of undeveloped passageways. Climb, crawl and canyonwalk your way through passageways no other tour sees. On the way, your guides will share their knowledge of the history and geology of places like Cleaveland’s Cabinet, Thorpe’s Pit, and Cathedral Domes.

Hidden River Cave: 4-hour guided adventure tour

American Cave Museum

Diamond Cavern: 1-hour guided tour, museum-style

PHOTOS

Check out photos from past trips on out Gallery

See Photo Gallery of the Mammoth Cave National Park on the NPS web site.

 NOTES:

At the Mammoth Cave, we will be doing the 6-hour Wild Cave Tour, which sounds really adventurous and fun!

Please review the admission requirements below for the Wild Cave Tour:

You must be prepared for free-climbing cave walls; lengthy crawls through areas as tight as 9 inches high; walking in a crouched position; hand and knee crawls over jagged rocks and dirt; crawling through wet areas; twisting into and out of tight crawlway openings.  

6-6½ hours long, 5 miles. Group size limit: 14. Age limit: 16+; proof of age may be requested.

Elevation change: 300’.

Chest or hip measurement must not exceed 42 inches; if you are larger, you cannot physically pass through the crawlspaces.

High-top, over-the-ankle lace-up boots, with lug or deeply treaded soles, are required. No low-cut hiking or athletic shoes allowed. You will not be allowed to participate in the tour if you are not wearing proper footwear—No exceptions. 

Gym shorts and t-shirts  are recommended for wear under coveralls. 

Please bring extra pair of tennis shoes or sandals for use during boot decontamination at the end of the tour.

All equipment and outerwear provided; no personal caving equipment allowed. 

Food is available at the Snowball Room. A box lunch can be purchased for $7.50 (cash only). Visitors may bring a lunch and/or water bottle-a small fanny pack will be provided. 

Bring no cameras—there will be no opportunity to use them on this activity.

Meets at the Visitor Center. 

Difficulty: Very Strenuous.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT LIST

For caving:
•    A separate set of dirty clothes and socks (caves are warm, so no need for warm clothes)
•    Leather or other gloves to protect hands from mud and rocks. Avoid rubber gloves.
•    Boots (there will be lots of mud and occasional water up to ankle or above)
•    Good quality headlamp and spare batteries. NO FLASHLIGHTS, unless you have 3 hands.
•    Knee pads to protect knees during crawling (optional)
•    Camera
Keep in mind that cameras aren’t allowed during Wild Cave Tour at Mammoth Cave (they are useless), and it’s way too dark (pitch black really) and muddy for good pictures in Hidden River Cave. But we can have 1 or 2 designated photographers in the group, to minimize camera damage.

For camping:
•    Warm clothes for evenings: hat, gloves, warm socks. It’s better to have than to have not!
•    Musical instrument

HOW TO SIGN UP

Come to the Info Session! See details at the top of page.

To sign up, you will need to register at the DBAC main office WG-101, near the front entrance of the DBAC building.
You will need to fill out the ‘Instructional Program Registration’ form and Outdoor Club Membership form if you’re not already a member. $10 annual membership fee applies, that covers outdoor equipment and other related expenses. Both forms are available on the tables outside of that office.

INTERESTING MAMMOTH CAVE FACTS AND BROCHURES

				For more brochures please visit the Mammoth Cave Web Site
Park Interesting Fact Sheet - 2009	Archeology of Mammoth Cave	Biology and Cave Life	Karst Geology