Saturday, July 30, 2011

International Conference on Cave Photography

On Saturday 20th of August the first International Conference on Cave Photography will be held.

The conference will take place in the village hall of Olargues in France. 
There will be projections in 2D and in 3D. 
Screening will start at 20h.

The entrance is free.



Source: La salle 3d

Friday, July 29, 2011

Fifth Annual Indiana Bat Festival



The Fifth Annual Indiana Bat Festival will be held at Indiana State University, Saturday, August 27, 2011. Free activities, including live bat demonstrations and talks by leading bat biologists, will be presented at ISU. This year’s festival is shaping up to be a great forum with plenty of activities to educate young and old in a fun environment.

Speakers during the event include John O. Whitaker, Jr., director of the Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation and Rob Mies with the Organization for Bat Conservation. You won’t want to miss seeing bats live and up close. Rob Mies will give a demonstration the kids and grownups will truly enjoy. Rob’s demonstration uses live bats, including large fruit bats and other exotic species.

State and federal agencies and other organizations will also be there to answer questions and provide information. More activities are scheduled for after dark when the bats are flying. Visit our website for more details coming soon.

The festival emphasizes that people don't have to be afraid of bats. With all the media discussion of “going green”, John Whitaker raises the issue that, "most bats are insect eaters, but what people don't realize is that bats eat many harmful insects. These harmful insects are detrimental to crops that farmers raise. Crops can be beneficially affected in natural ways simply through bats being present. If we have a healthy bat population we should have decreased crop damages," he said. "This should reduce the use of harmful pesticides and give us a cleaner water supply as well."

Saturday, August 27, 2011
Presentations from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Science Building, Indiana State University

Bat Science Night
7:00 pm to 10:00pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Dobbs Park, Terre Haute Indiana



Source: ISU Bat Center

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Year of the Bat Photo Contest


Cavingnews.com published today following announcement for a new photo contest:


"In celebration of 2011 being the “Year of the Bat“, a photo contest of the flying critters has been announced. The goal of the contest is for photographers to”convey their vision of the bat world from a graphical, artistic and aesthetic view representing the diversity and ecological importance of this amazing group of animals.”

To give everyone a more equal chance, the contest is open only to non-professional photographers. There is no entry fee, and you may enter up to three photos.

The contest closes midnight GMT on August 31st, 2011, so you still have another month to snap that winning shot."

For more information visit, The Year of the Bat Photo Contest 2011.

Heavens below: Divers explore amazing underwater caves known as The Cathedral

Floating through a vast chasm, seemingly freed from the constraints of gravity, Liz Rogers explores the massive chamber of an underwater monolith.

Flanked by gently swaying pond weed, photographer Liz glides past the white limestone walls of 'the Cathedral' to a spot where it is possible to look up from 30 metres down and see clouds in the blue sky above.

Such is the amazing clarity of the water in the Cathedral, part of the Piccaninnie Ponds cave system on the Limestone Coast of South Australia.

Liz Rogers enters the Cathedral, a 35-metre high white limestone cave in the Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park on South Australia's Limestone Coast

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Bulgarian Town Plans Recreational Park in Ledenika Cave

Ledenika Cave nearby Bulgarian town of Vratsa.
The Bulgarian city of Vratsa announced Tuesday the project of constructing a BGN 5.3 M recreational part in the LedenikaCave.

The project is funded by the Regional Development Operational Programme within the framework of a strategy for developing tourist attractions in the region.

The recreational park will consist of separate thematic units, with light and music themes within the different halls of the cave.

Shows will include images projected in the cave lake, a volcano simulation, as well as music played in the so-called Concert Hall.

Another unit of the park will give tourists important information about Ledenika - one of Bulgaria's most popular and spectacular caves.

A small tourist train line is set to join the entrance of the cave with the informational Natura 2000 center nearby Vratsa.

The project is expected to be completed within 2 years.

Ledenika is located 16 km off Vratsa in the Western Stara Planina Range. With a length of some 300 m, it includes 10 separate halls and countless karst formations.

Stranded boat rescued from Pentland Firth sea cave

The 10 passengers and two crew took shelter on rocks inside the cave
A boatload of tourists has been rescued after becoming trapped in a sea cave in the Pentland Firth.

The rigid-hulled inflatable boat North Coast Explorer went into the cave but was not able to get out after losing its reverse thruster.

Thurso Lifeboat was called to the scene, on the island of Stroma, off the northern coast of Caithness.

The 10 passengers and two crew, who had left the boat and scrambled on to rocks, were said to be fit and well.

They were picked up from the rocks by the lifeboat and were being taken ashore at John O' Groats.

Aberdeen Coastguard received the call at 15:00 BST and requested the Thurso RNLI lifeboat to launch.

The coastguard helicopter from Shetland was also scrambled and a yacht, 'Gulan' also went to the scene and stood by, ready to assist.

Source: BBC News

First German Stone Age Cave Art Discovered

Researchers in Germany have discovered Stone Age cave art in the country for the first time including carvings of nude women that may have been used in fertility rites.

Archaeologists working for the Bavarian State Office for Historical Preservation came upon the primitive engravings in a cave near the southern city of Bamberg, a spokeswoman for the authority said.

Archeologist and geologist Bernhard Häck who discovered the art.
The spokeswoman, Beate Zarges, confirmed a report to appear in the weekly newspaper Die Zeit that the engravings were believed to be around 10,000 to 12,000 years old, which would make them the first Stone Age artwork ever found in Germany.

"They include schematic depictions of women's bodies and unidentifiable symbols, among other things," she said.

The ancient artists appear to have taken their inspiration for the erotic images from rock formations in the caves resembling breasts and penises and then carved the images in the walls of the cave, Ms Zarges said.

Die Zeit quoted geologist and archaeologist Bernhard Haeck, a member of the discovery team, as saying that the five-metre-long chamber in the cave may have been used for fertility rituals.

"It is a place full of magic," he said.

Ms Zarges said the examination of the site was still ongoing and thus closed to the public.

Source: Die Zeit

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Reindeer cave art 14,000-years-old discovered in Gower peninsula

Archaeologists believe a wall carving in a south Wales cave could be Britain's oldest example of rock art.

The faint scratchings of a speared reindeer are believed to have been carved by a hunter-gatherer in the Ice Age more than 14,000 years ago.

The archaeologist who found the carving on the Gower peninsula, Dr George Nash, called it "very, very exciting."

Experts are working to verify the discovery, although its exact location is being kept secret for now.

Call for help on new tv-show (Ireland)

Hi there, my name is Colin Morrison, i am a cameraman/director from west cork.

Myself and my production company business partner are trying to speak to professionals/weekend warriors within the speleological circles in order to gain information on the subject. We are in the process of putting together a pitch for a television program to R.T.E. about people that do normal jobs during the week and on weekends they do something out of the ordinary, ie. cave diving/exploring.

If you think you could possibly help me out or point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.

Thanks a million, hope to hear from you soon. All the best.

Colin Morrison 0870634977.

Source: Caving.ie

Archaeologist’s chance discovery may be Britain's earliest example of rock art

Dr George Nash
An archaeologist at the University of Bristol believes he may have discovered Britain's oldest example of rock art.

The chance finding by Dr George Nash from the University’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, of a reindeer wall engraving in a South Wales cave could be Britain's oldest example of rock art dating more than 14,000 years ago.

Dr Nash discovered the faint scratchings of a speared reindeer while visiting the Gower Peninsula caves near Swansea in September 2010. The drawing is believed to have been carved by a hunter-gatherer artist in the Ice Age.

Dr Nash, Visiting Fellow and Lecturer, said: “Although the characteristics of the reindeer drawing match many found in northern Europe around 4,000-5,000 years later, the discovery of flint tools in the cave in the 1950s could hold the key to the engraving's true date.

"In the 1950s, Cambridge University undertook an excavation there and found 300-400 pieces of flint and dated the occupation of the cave to between 12,000-14,000 BC. This drawing appears to have engraved by an artist using his or her right hand as the panel on which it is carved is located in a very tight niche.

"Colleagues in England have been doing some work in Nottinghamshire at Creswell Crags and got very nice dates for a red deer and one or two other images of around 12,000-14,000 BC. I think this [newly found carving] may be roughly the same period or may be even slightly earlier."

Dr Nash added: "We know from the glacial geology of the area this was an open area just before the ice limit came down from the glaciers between 15,000-30,000 years ago and it stopped just about two kilometres short of the cave site.

"We know hunter-fisher-gatherers were roaming around this landscape, albeit seasonally, and they were burying their dead 30,000 years ago and making their mark through artistic endeavour at this time when it was until recently considered Britain was an uninhabited land of ice"

The discovery is now being officially dated and has been verified by experts at Oxford and Durham universities. The project team that includes Dr Peter van Calsteren and Dr Louise Thomas from the Open University, and Dr Mike Simms from the National Museums Northern Ireland is being financially supported by Cadw and logistically administered by the National Museum Wales.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Fossils from 'Cradle of Humankind' may be new pre-human species

The birth of our genus has long been a conundrum for paleoanthropologists, to say the least. Only a few scattered and fragmentary fossils older than two million years have been argued to belong to the genus.

Now, the fossil remains found in a cave in South Africa in April 2010 could represent an evolutionary link between apes and our earliest human ancestors.

Lee Berger, a paleoanthropologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, and his colleagues believe the almost-complete fossilised skeleton belonged to an intermediate form between the primitive australopiths and our genus, Homo.

Crystal Cave celebrates 140 years of natural wonder, beauty

Crystal CaveMore than 1,000 people attended the "Discovery Days" celebration at Crystal Cave, which commemorated the 140th anniversary of the cavern's discovery on a Kutztown-area farm and marked the commencement of tours.
Organizers on Saturday treated those who bought tickets to enhanced tours, both underground and through time, by presenting stories, folklore and history of the Richmond Township cave.

Other activities included a live broadcast from WEEU-AM radio personality Charlie Adams, special prizes and drawings, a scavenger hunt, make-your-own stalagmites, and panning for gemstones.

Recall: Salewa Hot G2 Bent Carabine

item number 1557
Only the serial number 02 11 / 03 11

The carabine model Hot G2 Bent is affected by the recall.
The carabines concerned have the following properties:
Item number: 1557 Hot G2 Bent Colour: 0999/ rot

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Naica: Deadly Crystal Cave

A team of scientists explore a Mexican cave filled with giant crystals; some of the largest ever discovered. With temperatures near 120 degrees and over 80 percent humidity, the cave is one of the deadliest environments on earth.

Source: Landscape Photography Magazine

Speleogenesis & Evolution of Karst Aquifers #11 (2011)

Next regular issue (#11, 2011) of the journal "Speleogenesis & Evolution of Karst Aquifers" has been launched recently.

It currently contains six articles, both original and republished from other sources, as well as a number of Featured Articles - titles, abstracts and links to original online sources of papers published elsewhere, significant for speleogenesis, karst hydrogeology and karst evolution.

More articles will be published in the current issue till its closure in the end of December, and more Featured Articles will regularly appear, highlighting current developments in the field.

All previous issues are available from the left panel on the main page.

The UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis kindly invites the Speleogenesis community to submit articles to the journal.

Best regards,

Alexander Klimchouk

Current content:

Waltham, Tony
Fengcong, fenglin, cone karst and tower karst

Martini, J.E.J.
Paleokarst investigation near Saint-Remèze, Ardèche, France: discovery of an underground river fossilised during the Messinian salinity crisis

Mylroie, John E.; Mylroie, Joan R.; Jenson, John W.; MacCracken, Rob
Fresh-water lens anisotropy and flank margin cave development, Fais Island, FSM

Kelley, Kristin N.; Mylroie, John E.; Mylroie, Joan R.; Moore, Christopher M.; Collins, Laura R.; Ersek, Lica; Lascu, Ioan; Roth, Monica J.; Moore, Paul J.; Passion, Rex; Shaw, Charles
Eolianites and Karst Development in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico

Moore, Paul J.; Seale, L. Don; Mylroie, John E.
Pit cave morphologies in eolianites: variability in primary structure control

Featured articles:

Subglacial Maze Origin in Low-Dip Marble Stripe Karst: Examples from Norway, Skoglund, R.O.; Lauritzen, S.-E., 2011

Geochemical and statistical evidence of recharge, mixing, and controls on spring discharge in an eogenetic karst aquifer, Moore, Paul J.; Martin, Jonathan B.; Screaton, Elizabeth J. , 2009

Distinction between epigenic and hypogenic maze caves, Palmer, Arthur N., 2011

Hydrochemical variations of epikarst springs in vertical climate zones: a case study in Jinfo Mountain National Nature Reserve of China, Zhang, Cheng; Yan, Jun; Pei, Jianguo; Jiang, Yongjun,

Evidence for a hypogene paleohydrogeological event at the prospective nuclear waste disposal site Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA, revealed by the isotope composition of !uid-inclusion water, Dublyansky, Yuri V.; Spötl, Christoph, 2010

Characteristics of discharge at Rose and Gellért Hills, Budapest, Hungary, Erõss, Anita; Mádl-Szõnyi, Judit; Csoma, Anita É. , 2008

Imprints of hydrocarbon-bearing basinal fluids on a karst system: mineralogical and fluid inclusion studies from the Buda Hills, Hungary, Poros, Zsofia; Mindszenty, Andrea; Molnar, Ferenc; Pironon, Jacques; Gyori, Orsolya; Ronchi, Paola; Szekeres, Zoltan, 2011

Holocene glacier history from alpine speleothems, Milchbach cave, Switzerland, Luetscher, M.; Hoffmann, D.L.; Frisia, S.; Spötl, C., 2011

Speleogenesis in highly geodynamic contexts: The quaternary evolution of Monte Corchia multi-level karst system (Alpi Apuane, Italy), Piccini, Leonardo , 2011

Role of sediment in speleogenesis; sedimentation and paragenesis, Farrant, Andrew R.; Smart, Peter L. , 2011

Deep confined karst detection, analysis and paleohydrology reconstruction at a basin-wide scale using new geophysical interpretation of borehole logs, Laskow, M.; Gendler, M.; Goldberg, I.; Gvirtzman, H.; Frumkin, A., 2011

Recent developments on morphometric analysis of karst caves, Piccini, Leonardo, 2011

Hypogenic caves in western Umbria (central Italy), Menichetti, Marco , 2011

On the formation of dissolution pipes in Quaternary coastal calcareous arenites in Mediterranean settings, De Waele, Jo; Lauritzen, Stein-Erik; Parise, Mario, 2010

Derbyshire pipe veins - deep-seated speleogenesis, Ford, T.D., 2010

An external model of speleogenesis during Quaternary glacial cycles in the marbles of central Scandinavia, Faulkner, T., 2010

Conceptual modelling of brine flow into aquifers adjacent to the Konarsiah salt diapir, Iran, Zarei, Mehdi; Raeisi, Ezzat, 2010

Tracing the sources of cave sulfates: a unique case from Cerna Valley, Romania, Onac, Bogdan P.; Wynn, Jonathan G.; Sumrall, Jonathan B., 2011

Preliminary U/Th dating and the evolution of gypsum crystals in Naica caves (Mexico), Sanna, Laura; Forti, Paolo; Lauritzen, Stein-Erik, 2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Magnetic locking carabiners by Black Diamond

Black Diamond presents Magnetron Technology.

What’s so special about Magnetron Technology? One word: magnets. Yes, that’s right—locking carabiners that utilize magnets and not twistlocks or screwlocks on the gates. Available on select locking carabiners in July 2012.

Here’s the basics: using the power of magnetic fields to reinvent the locking carabiner, the Magnetron GridLock and the Magnetron RockLock locking carabiners combine maximum security and ease of use like never before.

• Magnetic attraction to a steel insert in the carabiner nose keeps two independent arms securely locked
• Locking arms must be individually depressed before the gate can be opened
• Once open, opposing magnetic fields repel the arms to ensure smooth and reliable gate operation
• Symmetrical design allows for easy one-handed operation (right or left)

For an in-depth look at the concept and development of Magnetron Technology, watch the video below, and then look for the Magnetron GridLock and the Magnetron RockLock to be in stores by July 2012.


Source: Black Diamond

Friday, July 22, 2011

3D Animation: In The Rough

Man has evolved throughout the ages… Relationships, unfortunately, have not. After being kicked out of his cave, Brog, the thick-headed Neanderthal in this Blur short discovers that living the bachelor’s life is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Blur Gallery Image


Source: Blur 



Thursday, July 21, 2011

Rare stromatolites discovered in Mulu's Deer Cave

Lundberg explaining about the formation of stromatolites.
KUCHING: The presence of stromatolites have been detected in Deer Cave, revealed visiting speaker Professor Joyce Lundberg from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

A suite of distinctive freshwater stromatolites developed in the low light zone close to the northeastern entrance of the cave located in Gunung Mulu National Park, is the first of their kind reported in the world.

Deer Cave is already famous for its huge passages and vast bat population.

According to Joyce, stromatolites are layered sedimentary fossilised structures formed from layers of cyanobacteria, calcium carbonate and trapped sediments.

“These stromatolites grow in a series of horizontal narrow shelves up a part of the cave wall that is exposed to low light, vertically underneath the guano-laden shelf washed by fresh water from a shower head above,” she explained in a technical talk given at the Tun Abdul Razak Hall yesterday.

The talk titled “Freshwater Stromatolites in Deer Cave, Sarawak – A Unique Geobiological Cave Formation” is part of a regular series of heritage talks organised by the Sarawak Museum Department.

About 40 people, comprising of students, academicians and officers from relevant government bodies, attended the talk.

Source: The Borneo Post

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Tres quimeras movie (Mexpé Project)

Tras Quimeras Entrance
Since 1987, the Quebec Speleogical Society (SQS) has been leading an important cave exploration project in the heart of the Sierra Negra mountains, located in Mexico, called the Mexpé project. With more than 28 kilometers and 900 meters deep, the Sistema Tepepa is part of an impressive karst terrain which culminates at 3250 meters and from which water resurges a few thousand meters below.

The group discovered a huge sinkhole in the area. Their descend into the cave, called "Tres Quimeras" and the traverse to the resurgence, 800 meters below has been filmed by Marc Tremblay and Guillaume Pelletier.

The movie is starring Al Warild, David Tirado, Bev Shade, Christian Chenier, Gustavo Vela, Franco Attolini, Mike Frazier, Eric Sanson, Andy Chapman…

More resources:

What goes down must come up


GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Miriam Cuddington takes a deep breath as she grips the rope — 3, 2, 1, go — and races against the clock in an attempt to break her own 30-meter vertical climbing record for the women's 60-69 age group.

She set the current record of 1 minute, 17.7 seconds last year at the National Speleological Society (NSS) convention in Vermont.

This year's convention, being held all this week in Glenwood Springs, presents a different challenge — altitude.

Bill Cuddington of Moulton, Ala., is a legend in the caving world for developing and perfecting different single-rope techniques to access deep vertical caves. He and his wife, Miriam Cuddington, are avid members of the National Speleological Society and are in Glenwood Springs for the NSS convention this week.



Miriam, who will celebrate her 68th birthday during the convention on Friday, ascends the rope rapidly, yet gracefully during the NSS vertical contest Tuesday in the Glenwood Springs High School auxiliary gym.

French cavers help police to locate murderer

A team of French cavers is helping the police by investigating 6 caves in the rocky area around Roquebrune-sur-Argens, Var, France. They try to find clues that can lead to the arrest of Xavier Dupont.

Des spéléologues à la recherche de Xavier de Ligonnès
The fifty year old guy who murdered his wife and four children is also suspected of the kidnapping of a young female. His card was last used at an ATM in the region and police believe he may be hiding in one of the caves in the area.




More information: Le Figaro & L'Express & Le Parisien (F) & Huffington Post (E)





Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Over 17000 pilgrims left for holy cave despite cloudy weather

Srinagar, Jul 19: Despite cloudy weather, more than 17000 yatris today left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalagam base camps for holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir, where more than 4.5 lakh yatris had darshan of the self made ice-Shivlingam since the commencement of the 46-day-long pilgrimage from June 29.

The yatra will conclude on August 13 when the Chhari-Mubarak, Holy Mace of Lord Shiva, will be taken to holy cave by Mahant Deepender Giri, the custodian of the Charri on Rakshabandan.

A yatra official said that pilgrimage was progressing smoothly though the ski was cloudy since this morning. There were reports of light rains at some places on both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam tracks.

About 10000 pilgrims, including women, children and sadhus today left Baltal base camp to cover the hilly track on foot to reach the holy cave, situated at 13500 feet above sea level.

He said the pilgrims are expected to reach the holy cave this afternoon and after a night stay, will start return journey tomorrow morning.

Over 7000 pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for last motorable halting station, Chandanwari. However, the pilgrims who had night halt at different halting stations on this traditional also started their onward journey towards the cave shrine early this morning.

More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims from all over the country had darshan of the ice-Shivlingam, which has now been reduced to only few feet because of unprecedented rush of pilgrims this time.

Against agree 10000 pilgrims from both sides, more than 25000 pilgrims are visiting the shrine daily, majority of unregistered.

Official sources said majority of the pilgrims who visited the shrine have since returned to their homes.

Source: New Kerala

Speleo Magazine n° 74 released


  • Isère : éboulement sur la Dent de Crolles
  • Hérault : Aven des Lauriers
  • Doubs : gouffre de Jardel
  • Gard : aménagement pour l’aven de la Salamandre
  • Gard : grotte de la Méduse
  • Actualités : Choranche : exposition grot(t)esque
  • Actualités : Activité spéléo régulée ou bridée ?
  • Gaz de schiste : karsts français en danger
  • Big survey : Savoie : grotte à Carret La vingt-neuvième séance de désobstruction
  • Secours : Retour d’expériences… vu par un sauveteur
  • L’ergonomie au service de la victime
  • 41 axes d’amélioration ergonomique
  • Récit : Neuvième pour les Enfants de la Lune
  • Canyon : Canyon de Gorgette – Craponoz
  • Géopoétique du Karst : Goutte à goutte
  • Concours photo : Jean-François Fabriol

Monday, July 18, 2011

Amboni caves and the story of the African hero

Amboni Caves are natural limestone underground caves formed during the natural Jurassic age around 150 millions ago. There are 10 caves - with fascinating chambers – and the longest is about 900m long. One of the caves is used for guided tours while some are up to 13 meters high. They form the most extensive cave system in East Africa.

The caves have religious significance to the local people who pray and make offerings in one of the shrines. The caves are very dark inside and potentially lethal. There have been reports of fatalities when people made the tour unguided.

Several stories about the cave are told on the cave tours. There is for example the story of two European ex-army officers. After World War II they tried to explore the caves with heavy equipment and accompanied by a dog.

Geothermal caverns heat up speleo convention

... But Crystal Valley treasure is off-limits to protect bat colony

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Nestled deep underground in the Crystal Valley between Carbondale and Redstone is one of the most unique geological discoveries, or rediscoveries in this case, anywhere in Colorado.

Access to the vast network of caves, via old mine shafts beneath Elephant Mountain, is now strictly controlled in an effort to protect a large colony of Townsend's big-eared bats discovered there about six years ago.

But geologist Mark Maslyn of Littleton and a team of cave researchers had the opportunity shortly before that time to explore the geothermal caves.

Maslyn was one of the many cave geology presenters during the National Speleological Society (NSS) annual convention being held at Glenwood Springs High School and elsewhere around town all this week. The convention promises to draw upwards of 1,400 people to Glenwood Springs later this week.

The Elephant Mountain vapor caves, similar to the Yampah Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs, are heated by the hot springs that flow beneath the mountain into the Crystal River.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Vapor Caves to reopen in time for caver convention

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — The underground steam caves at the Yampah Vapor Caves spa, closed since early June due to flooding from the high spring runoff, have reopened just in time for the National Speleological Society convention that's in town this week.

“The temperature of the water is a little hotter, and we've actually noticed some new springs coming into the caves,” Vapor Caves marketing director David Anselmo said Friday.

Although some areas remain closed for safety reasons due to the standing, 125-degree-plus hot water, the majority of the steam caves are available for use, he said.

The reopening of the Vapor Caves comes as some 1,400 cave enthusiasts are expected to be in town this week for the annual NSS convention. The convention is being held in Colorado for the first time since 1996.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Rainy Weather Generates Largest Visitor Day At Wind Cave National Park In 35 Years

Rainy weather, and problems at nearby Jewel Cave National Monument, are being pointed to as the reason for the largest visitor turnout at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota since August 10, 1975.

Fifteen extra tours were put in to handle the heavy traffic on July 12, park officials reported. Along with the damp weather, another factor thought to be behind the turnout was the temporary closure of the Scenic Cave Tour at Jewel Cave due to elevator problems.

“Tuesdays and rainy days are always our busiest days and when they both happen in July, we know we’re going to be busy,” said Wind Cave Superintendent Vidal Davila. “Our staff knew, as soon the clouds and cooler weather moved in, we would have a big day. We just didn’t know how big.”

The park normally schedules 30 cave tours a day in the summer time. With all the extra tours that were put in to handle the heavy visitor traffic, the park gave a total of 45 tours Tuesday.

“We couldn’t have done this without the cooperation of the interpretive staff at Jewel Cave,” Superintendent Davila added. “They have been sending rangers over to help lead tours here while work continues on fixing their elevators. Hundreds of people were able to see the cave yesterday because of their help.”

Despite the big day, year-to-date visitation figures show a drop of around 4 percent over last year, which was the park’s busiest year since 1977.

Tours begin at 8:40 a.m. at Wind Cave and the last tour is at 6 p.m. Visitors are reminded to come early, bring a light coat or sweater, and wear good walking shoes. For more information, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/wica.

Source: National Parks Traveler

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Separated for 20 million years: Blind beetle from Bulgarian caves clarifies questions


One of the smallest ever cave-dwelling ground beetles (Carabidae), has recently been discovered in two caves in the Rhodopi Mountains, Bulgaria, and described under the name Paralovricia beroni. The beetle is completely blind and is only 1.8-2.2 mm long. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

"When we saw this beetle for first time, it became immediately clear that it belongs to a genus and species unknown to science. Moreover, its systematic position within the family of Carabidae remained unclear for several years. After a careful study of its closest relatives Lovricia and Neolovricia, discovered in caves of the Dinaric Alps of Croatia, we came to the conclusion that all three genera belong to a new subtribe which we describe now under the name Lovriciina", commented Borislav Gueorguiev from the National Natural History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Into the depths: Student explores the underground

By Kendal Enz

Hood College student Corey Hackley has discovered too many caves to count.
Hackley, who works at Crystal Grottoes Caverns in Boonsboro as a guide surveyor and handyman, spends most of his time either in or looking for caves.


"The thing I like about caves is that they are one of the few places on Earth yet to be discovered," he said.
Caves "are the only spaces that escape social contrivances," he said. "Finding new caves is a way to embody ... what is beyond human activity."

Hackley, 19, said there are two kinds of caving: recreational caving and project caving.
"Recreational caving is what you do for fun," Hackley said. "Project trips are grueling, but worth it."
Project caving involves surveying uncharted caves by recording their distance, direction and angles of slope. These underground expeditions usually last two to three days.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Two people narrowly escape being engulfed by waves at Remarkable Cave

Amazing footage of Tasmania's weekend storms shows two people flee from a viewing platform just seconds before a huge wave engulfs it.

Jordi Nin was visiting Remarkable Cave, south of Port Arthur on Saturday, when the wave hit.

"I was down there probably two minutes before and got completely drenched,'' Mr Nin said.

"Luckily I saw the wave coming and got my camera under my jacket to protect it.''

The Stewart Bay Lodge manager said viewers on the walkway, got about five seconds warning before the cave filled with water.

The walkway was closed several hours later and Mr Nin said part of it had since broken free and washed away.

After experiencing the wave first-hand Mr Nin said he had gone back to the top to get the event on video.

"The waves were doing that for some time so I just waited and got one on camera,'' he said.

"According to the locals it does get like that, not often, but when we had that storm four or five months ago with the huge waves at Shipstern's [Bluff] it got quite big too.''

Remarkable Cave, about 2km south of Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula, is normally accessible from the beach.





Source: The Mercury

3rd Middle East Speleology Symposium

 
The Speleo Club du Liban (SCL), in collaboration with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (LNCSR), and under the patronage of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), is organizing the THIRD MIDDLE EAST SPELEOLOGY SYMPOSIUM (MESS3) at the Holy-Spirit University of Kaslik, from 23 till 25 September 2011. 


This Symposium tackles speleological, geological, hydrogeological,environmental, tourist, archaeological - scientific and sports subjects related to speleology and caving; as well as a complete section for Spele-media. It comes in a period where ecotourism occupies an important role in the rural economy and water resources became a strategic material that necessitate preservation of its quality and sustainability. 

This Symposium will widen the horizon of people working in social and environmental activities and sustainable development and will up date their knowledge with the latest events and discoveries in the region, since MESS became an international recurring event in the domain of speleology.

Further to this symposium a caving trip will be organized to the lava tubes in Syria. Kindly find attached the Second Announcement giving more details about the symposium and including a registration form and the procedure for abstracts/extended abstracts submissions. For further information, and for online registration or abstracts/extended abstracts submission, do not hesitate to visit our website:

http://speleoclubduliban.com/index.php?f=MESS_3

Wishing your honorable presence,
Sincerely,

Secretary MESS 3
Middle East Speleology Symposium 3
23 - 25 September 2011

http://www.speleoliban.com

Sunday, July 10, 2011

In Praise of Limestone

         In Praise of Limestone, by W.H. Auden

If it form the one landscape that we, the inconstant ones, Are consistently homesick for, this is chiefly Because it dissolves in water. Mark these rounded slopes With their surface fragrance of thyme and, beneath, A secret system of caves and conduits; hear the springs That spurt out everywhere with a chuckle, Each filling a private pool for its fish and carving Its own little ravine whose cliffs entertain The butterfly and the lizard; examine this region Of short distances and definite places: What could be more like Mother or a fitter background For her son, the flirtatious male who lounges Against a rock in the sunlight, never doubting That for all his faults he is loved; whose works are but Extensions of his power to charm? From weathered outcrop To hill-top temple, from appearing waters to Conspicuous fountains, from a wild to a formal vineyard, Are ingenious but short steps that a child's wish To receive more attention than his brothers, whether By pleasing or teasing, can easily take.

Hidden Earth 2011 Conference


Hidden Earth , UK's annual caving conference: 
23-25 September 2011, Monmouth, South Wales




Saturday, July 9, 2011

"Big Jump" For Living Rivers



This sunday, 10th of July, thousands of people all over Europe will jump into rivers in order to raise awareness for the European Water Framework Directive for ecologically healthy rivers. See this map for an overview of the actions or the dedictad website from the European River Network. In Belgium cavers will participate by jumping into the Lesse and swimming a tour into the showcave of Han-sur-Lesse. More info you can find all info via UBS or Bigjump.be


Friday, July 8, 2011

Clitheroe ‘Boggarts’ unearth caving mystery


A caving mystery of epic proportions has been unfolded with the help of Clitheroe-based caving club the Northern Boggarts.

Its members have been active in the Yorkshire Dales where “Witches Cave II” was discovered some 10 years ago by divers using sub-aqua gear. The divers swam underwater for around 300 metres and then, after ascending upwards for another 30 metres, discovered a cave with unique formations and massive underground passages.

Members of the caving fraternity were excited by the discovery, but unable to explore the cave without passing through the underwater passages. So the discovery lay dormant until last year, when one of the Northern Boggarts Club, Fred Rattray, and his brother Jim, both electronics wizards, built a radio beacon capable of sending signals through solid rock.

All that was needed was to persuade the divers to go through the underwater passages for a final time. They would take the radio beacon with them and climb as close as possible towards the surface and then leave the radio beacon switched on. On the surface Fred was waiting with his radio detection equipment and sure enough, he picked up a signal and, when he was confident that he was over the beacon, a marker was laid down.

Chauvet Cave Candidate for UNESCO World Heritage

The Chauvet Cave - Ardèche With the Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc and his paintings dated to 32,000 years, Vallon-Pont d'Arc and the Ardèche have the oldest jewel of Paleolithic cave art known to date. Unique in the world and considered the mark of the birth of art, the cradle of artistic creation.

With these characteristics, the Chauvet – Pont d’Arc Cave is unique and fully merits registration on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list (  911 classified sites worldwide).

The application file is currently being prepared and a support committee was officially launched on 14 June 2010 at Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. In summer 2013 the Chauvet – Pont d’Arc Cave could join the closed, very prized circle of world classified sites and appear alongside the Acropolis in Athens, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canyon in the United States and even Mont-Saint-Michel…

In Rhône-Alpes only the historic site of Lyons is registered as World Heritage and this very media oriented classification would provide a real spotlight with the coming to Ardèche of new visitors enthused by cultural heritage.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Man makes prehistoric discovery in backyard

Somewhere in Comal County is a small parcel of private land full of breathtaking views. Hidden amidst the beauty is a mysterious entrance to the unknown.
Inside, there is not much space, and it quickly goes from dry to wet. That’s because it's a cave full of spring-fed water. And there are plenty of creatures living inside.

“There's a small colony of bats in there,” said William “BT” Price, who owns the land.

Price bought the land where the hidden cave is located two years ago. Now, he's a retired banker who's become an explorer of his own backyard.

The cave is at least a mile in length. Price and friends are constantly pushing the limits by going into areas where the water and ceiling are separated by inches.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Cave explorers tackle Black River project

A Western New York group of cave explorers is getting ready for its trek into a Black River cave under the Watertown Veterans Memorial Riverwalk.

Members of the Niagara Frontier Grotto will be in the city Saturday or Sunday to prepare for the exploration later this summer of the cave under the city park.

While they're here, they will start planning to remove a cement seal that was put up in 1996 after two teens who had gotten lost inside were rescued, said Elliott B. Nelson, confidential assistant to the city manager. The cement seal will be removed and a gate will be installed in its place.

Members also plan to "do some scouting" in the cave and take some measurements for the new gate, which will take about three weeks to manufacture and install, member Joseph J. Giunta said. The group hasn't scheduled the day it will be going into the cave yet, he said.

In March, the Niagara Frontier Grotto, a Western New York chapter of the National Speleological Society with 35 members, including Mr. Giunta, contacted the City Council about exploring Watertown's caves. Council members have supported the exploration, contending that the caves could become some sort of tourist attraction.

For safety reasons, the group will send at least three explorers into the caves at a time, in case something were to happen. Members must sign an "assumption of risk" document that will get the city off the hook for liability in case of an accident.

Group members already have talked to Fire Chief Dale C. Herman about what they want to do in the cave and what the fire chief should expect from the exploration, Mr. Giunta said.

For decades, there has been a curiosity about the caves, an intricate underground maze of crevices. According to folklore dating back to the 1820s, the caves contain artifacts, treasures and gold. During the 1920s, ice was stored in them to keep beer cold in the summertime.

Source: Watertown Daily Times


Wind Cave to use grant to explain park's cultural importance to SD Indian youth.

Wind Cave National Park is one of 19 parks nationwide to get funding from the National Park Foundation for its America's Best Idea program that exposes certain groups to national parks.

Windy City Lake
Windy City Lake by Jim Pisarowicz
Park Superintendent Vidal Davila said the grant will be used to bring Lakota Sioux students to the cave in southwest South Dakota to hear from tribal elders about the cultural importance of Wind Cave and to introduce them to the National Park Service's stewardship concept.

Park officials said the students will view interpretation operations and see how the National Park Service interprets the cultural significance of Wind Cave. Students will be introduced to natural resource operations and learn about bison conservation, endangered species reintroduction, prescribed burns and wild fires, and the Ponderosa pine and prairie ecosystems.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Demolition starts at Cueva de San Roque

It has featured in two blockbuster films Conan the Barbarian and Indiana Jones, but now the Cueva de San Roque is about to be replaced by a shopping centre.

Demolition work has already begun on the well-known Almerian cave, known as ‘La Molineta’.

The ancient site – which played host to Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Conan movie in 1982 and later for scenes in Indiana Jones starring Harrison Ford – was due to be protected by the Junta’s culture department.

Now 30 residents associations have joined forces with the IU party to try to bring the construction to a halt.

The IU party has already raised questions in Andalucia’s parliament and a series of protests have been planned for the summer.

Under the banner Salvar La Molineta, local residents are demanding a stop to the construction of the commercial centre by company Carrida.

A demolition crew has already cleared much of the land around the so-called quarry area of La Molineta and last week started on the cave.

The residents claim that the work is also affecting nearby caves.

However, the construction company argue that the roof of the cave was about to collapse and that the site had become a haunt for local drug users.

Troisième Congrès Scientifique de Spéléologie en Tunisie (Bizerte 2011)


Organisateur : Club de Spéléologie de la Maison de Jeunes de Bizerte
Type : Congrés
Date Debut : Le 2011-07-12 09:00:00
Date Fin : Le 2011-07-17 16:00:00
Lieu : Maison de Jeunes de Bizerte
Tel : +216 98 295 269
E-mail : clubspeleobizerte@gmail.com



Description
Troisième Congrès Scientifique de Spéléologie en Tunisie(Bizerte 2011)
Bientôt du 12 au 17 Juillet 2011.
Des conférences, tables rondes, Sortie spéléologique(Grotte La mine), Sortie de loisir.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' has broken the revenue record for independent documentaries this year.


"Cave of Forgotten Dreams," Werner Herzog's 3-D documentary about an expedition into a French cave, has quietly been discovered by some moviegoers.

The film, which first premiered in late April in only five theaters, has since collected $4.7 million (Source: BoxofficeMojo), making it the highest-grossing independently released documentary of the year, according to distributor Sundance Selects. That means it's not being compared to concert films such as Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" or the nature documentary "African Cats," both of which were released by major studios and supported by big marketing campaigns.

After "Cave of Forgotten Dreams," the next highest-grossing documentary this year has been "The Last Lions," a National Geographic release that took in only $631,925 during its short run. And "Pom Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold," which had the advantage of a well-known director in filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, collected a weak $602,479.

Herzog also made the much-talked about documentary "Grizzly Man," which centered on a man who traveled yearly to Alaska to study bears and was eventually mauled to death by one. That film ultimately grossed $3.2 million.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

5th European Cave Rescue Meeting

From 15th until 18th, September 2011the 5th European cave rescue meeting will be organised in Starigrad Paklenica, Croatia by the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (Cave Rescue Commission).


The aim of the European cave rescue meetings is development of collaboration, interaction and exchange of experience and implementation of new technical standards. 

This fifth meeting will be focused on technical workshop and testing of equipment and rescue maneuvers.


More information and subscription: http://www.speleologija.hr/rescue/meeting/

Friday, July 1, 2011

NORTHERN KARST SYSTEMS IN OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

International Conference dedicated to the 300th Anniversary of the birth of M.V. Lomonosov

 'NORTHERN KARST SYSTEMS IN OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT' 
to be held 5-10 September 2011, Pinega region of the Arkhangelsk area

The International Conference 'Northern karst systems in our changing environment' will focus on the problems of northern karst territories, their natural character, details of their genesis and geography, structure and dynamics of karst system components, research on cave glaciation, changes in karst systems under the impact of global climate change and the issues of karst landscape and cave conservation. The conference will be held at the State Nature Reserve «Pinezhsky» near the small town of Pinega in the north of Russia, Arkhangelsk area. During the field excursions participants will be able to see the local gypsumkarst landscape and caves that are the world’s single example of north-taiga gypsum karst.

More informatiion can be found in the circular.

Magazine: Underwater Speleology Volume 38 n° 3 released


Journal of the Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society.
Contents of Volume 38 n°3:
  • A Little River Surprise! (Gene Melton)
  • Dominican Republic Diving (Cristion Pittero)
  • Conservation Corner (Kelly Jessop)
  • The Loop (Joe Citelli)
  • Visit With a Cave: Bozell Springs (Mat Bull, Ben Martinez)
  • 2011 NSS-CDS Workshop Review (Wendy Thurman)
  • Cave diving Milestones (Shirley Kasser)

Click here to download a copy (PDF, 8.01MB).

Ebook: A Guide to Responsible Caving




This booklet discusses caves and the many elements of the sport of caving. Exploring caves is becoming increasingly popular in all areas of the world, and caving responsibly is more important now than ever. Discussions include safety, training, and learning to reduce the detrimental effect cavers can have on caves and cave owner relations.

Source: NSS







Saturday, July 30, 2011

International Conference on Cave Photography

On Saturday 20th of August the first International Conference on Cave Photography will be held.

The conference will take place in the village hall of Olargues in France. 
There will be projections in 2D and in 3D. 
Screening will start at 20h.

The entrance is free.



Source: La salle 3d

Friday, July 29, 2011

Fifth Annual Indiana Bat Festival



The Fifth Annual Indiana Bat Festival will be held at Indiana State University, Saturday, August 27, 2011. Free activities, including live bat demonstrations and talks by leading bat biologists, will be presented at ISU. This year’s festival is shaping up to be a great forum with plenty of activities to educate young and old in a fun environment.

Speakers during the event include John O. Whitaker, Jr., director of the Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation and Rob Mies with the Organization for Bat Conservation. You won’t want to miss seeing bats live and up close. Rob Mies will give a demonstration the kids and grownups will truly enjoy. Rob’s demonstration uses live bats, including large fruit bats and other exotic species.

State and federal agencies and other organizations will also be there to answer questions and provide information. More activities are scheduled for after dark when the bats are flying. Visit our website for more details coming soon.

The festival emphasizes that people don't have to be afraid of bats. With all the media discussion of “going green”, John Whitaker raises the issue that, "most bats are insect eaters, but what people don't realize is that bats eat many harmful insects. These harmful insects are detrimental to crops that farmers raise. Crops can be beneficially affected in natural ways simply through bats being present. If we have a healthy bat population we should have decreased crop damages," he said. "This should reduce the use of harmful pesticides and give us a cleaner water supply as well."

Saturday, August 27, 2011
Presentations from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Science Building, Indiana State University

Bat Science Night
7:00 pm to 10:00pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Dobbs Park, Terre Haute Indiana



Source: ISU Bat Center

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Year of the Bat Photo Contest


Cavingnews.com published today following announcement for a new photo contest:


"In celebration of 2011 being the “Year of the Bat“, a photo contest of the flying critters has been announced. The goal of the contest is for photographers to”convey their vision of the bat world from a graphical, artistic and aesthetic view representing the diversity and ecological importance of this amazing group of animals.”

To give everyone a more equal chance, the contest is open only to non-professional photographers. There is no entry fee, and you may enter up to three photos.

The contest closes midnight GMT on August 31st, 2011, so you still have another month to snap that winning shot."

For more information visit, The Year of the Bat Photo Contest 2011.

Heavens below: Divers explore amazing underwater caves known as The Cathedral

Floating through a vast chasm, seemingly freed from the constraints of gravity, Liz Rogers explores the massive chamber of an underwater monolith.

Flanked by gently swaying pond weed, photographer Liz glides past the white limestone walls of 'the Cathedral' to a spot where it is possible to look up from 30 metres down and see clouds in the blue sky above.

Such is the amazing clarity of the water in the Cathedral, part of the Piccaninnie Ponds cave system on the Limestone Coast of South Australia.

Liz Rogers enters the Cathedral, a 35-metre high white limestone cave in the Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park on South Australia's Limestone Coast

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Bulgarian Town Plans Recreational Park in Ledenika Cave

Ledenika Cave nearby Bulgarian town of Vratsa.
The Bulgarian city of Vratsa announced Tuesday the project of constructing a BGN 5.3 M recreational part in the LedenikaCave.

The project is funded by the Regional Development Operational Programme within the framework of a strategy for developing tourist attractions in the region.

The recreational park will consist of separate thematic units, with light and music themes within the different halls of the cave.

Shows will include images projected in the cave lake, a volcano simulation, as well as music played in the so-called Concert Hall.

Another unit of the park will give tourists important information about Ledenika - one of Bulgaria's most popular and spectacular caves.

A small tourist train line is set to join the entrance of the cave with the informational Natura 2000 center nearby Vratsa.

The project is expected to be completed within 2 years.

Ledenika is located 16 km off Vratsa in the Western Stara Planina Range. With a length of some 300 m, it includes 10 separate halls and countless karst formations.

Stranded boat rescued from Pentland Firth sea cave

The 10 passengers and two crew took shelter on rocks inside the cave
A boatload of tourists has been rescued after becoming trapped in a sea cave in the Pentland Firth.

The rigid-hulled inflatable boat North Coast Explorer went into the cave but was not able to get out after losing its reverse thruster.

Thurso Lifeboat was called to the scene, on the island of Stroma, off the northern coast of Caithness.

The 10 passengers and two crew, who had left the boat and scrambled on to rocks, were said to be fit and well.

They were picked up from the rocks by the lifeboat and were being taken ashore at John O' Groats.

Aberdeen Coastguard received the call at 15:00 BST and requested the Thurso RNLI lifeboat to launch.

The coastguard helicopter from Shetland was also scrambled and a yacht, 'Gulan' also went to the scene and stood by, ready to assist.

Source: BBC News

First German Stone Age Cave Art Discovered

Researchers in Germany have discovered Stone Age cave art in the country for the first time including carvings of nude women that may have been used in fertility rites.

Archaeologists working for the Bavarian State Office for Historical Preservation came upon the primitive engravings in a cave near the southern city of Bamberg, a spokeswoman for the authority said.

Archeologist and geologist Bernhard Häck who discovered the art.
The spokeswoman, Beate Zarges, confirmed a report to appear in the weekly newspaper Die Zeit that the engravings were believed to be around 10,000 to 12,000 years old, which would make them the first Stone Age artwork ever found in Germany.

"They include schematic depictions of women's bodies and unidentifiable symbols, among other things," she said.

The ancient artists appear to have taken their inspiration for the erotic images from rock formations in the caves resembling breasts and penises and then carved the images in the walls of the cave, Ms Zarges said.

Die Zeit quoted geologist and archaeologist Bernhard Haeck, a member of the discovery team, as saying that the five-metre-long chamber in the cave may have been used for fertility rituals.

"It is a place full of magic," he said.

Ms Zarges said the examination of the site was still ongoing and thus closed to the public.

Source: Die Zeit

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Reindeer cave art 14,000-years-old discovered in Gower peninsula

Archaeologists believe a wall carving in a south Wales cave could be Britain's oldest example of rock art.

The faint scratchings of a speared reindeer are believed to have been carved by a hunter-gatherer in the Ice Age more than 14,000 years ago.

The archaeologist who found the carving on the Gower peninsula, Dr George Nash, called it "very, very exciting."

Experts are working to verify the discovery, although its exact location is being kept secret for now.

Call for help on new tv-show (Ireland)

Hi there, my name is Colin Morrison, i am a cameraman/director from west cork.

Myself and my production company business partner are trying to speak to professionals/weekend warriors within the speleological circles in order to gain information on the subject. We are in the process of putting together a pitch for a television program to R.T.E. about people that do normal jobs during the week and on weekends they do something out of the ordinary, ie. cave diving/exploring.

If you think you could possibly help me out or point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.

Thanks a million, hope to hear from you soon. All the best.

Colin Morrison 0870634977.

Source: Caving.ie

Archaeologist’s chance discovery may be Britain's earliest example of rock art

Dr George Nash
An archaeologist at the University of Bristol believes he may have discovered Britain's oldest example of rock art.

The chance finding by Dr George Nash from the University’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, of a reindeer wall engraving in a South Wales cave could be Britain's oldest example of rock art dating more than 14,000 years ago.

Dr Nash discovered the faint scratchings of a speared reindeer while visiting the Gower Peninsula caves near Swansea in September 2010. The drawing is believed to have been carved by a hunter-gatherer artist in the Ice Age.

Dr Nash, Visiting Fellow and Lecturer, said: “Although the characteristics of the reindeer drawing match many found in northern Europe around 4,000-5,000 years later, the discovery of flint tools in the cave in the 1950s could hold the key to the engraving's true date.

"In the 1950s, Cambridge University undertook an excavation there and found 300-400 pieces of flint and dated the occupation of the cave to between 12,000-14,000 BC. This drawing appears to have engraved by an artist using his or her right hand as the panel on which it is carved is located in a very tight niche.

"Colleagues in England have been doing some work in Nottinghamshire at Creswell Crags and got very nice dates for a red deer and one or two other images of around 12,000-14,000 BC. I think this [newly found carving] may be roughly the same period or may be even slightly earlier."

Dr Nash added: "We know from the glacial geology of the area this was an open area just before the ice limit came down from the glaciers between 15,000-30,000 years ago and it stopped just about two kilometres short of the cave site.

"We know hunter-fisher-gatherers were roaming around this landscape, albeit seasonally, and they were burying their dead 30,000 years ago and making their mark through artistic endeavour at this time when it was until recently considered Britain was an uninhabited land of ice"

The discovery is now being officially dated and has been verified by experts at Oxford and Durham universities. The project team that includes Dr Peter van Calsteren and Dr Louise Thomas from the Open University, and Dr Mike Simms from the National Museums Northern Ireland is being financially supported by Cadw and logistically administered by the National Museum Wales.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Fossils from 'Cradle of Humankind' may be new pre-human species

The birth of our genus has long been a conundrum for paleoanthropologists, to say the least. Only a few scattered and fragmentary fossils older than two million years have been argued to belong to the genus.

Now, the fossil remains found in a cave in South Africa in April 2010 could represent an evolutionary link between apes and our earliest human ancestors.

Lee Berger, a paleoanthropologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, and his colleagues believe the almost-complete fossilised skeleton belonged to an intermediate form between the primitive australopiths and our genus, Homo.

Crystal Cave celebrates 140 years of natural wonder, beauty

Crystal CaveMore than 1,000 people attended the "Discovery Days" celebration at Crystal Cave, which commemorated the 140th anniversary of the cavern's discovery on a Kutztown-area farm and marked the commencement of tours.
Organizers on Saturday treated those who bought tickets to enhanced tours, both underground and through time, by presenting stories, folklore and history of the Richmond Township cave.

Other activities included a live broadcast from WEEU-AM radio personality Charlie Adams, special prizes and drawings, a scavenger hunt, make-your-own stalagmites, and panning for gemstones.

Recall: Salewa Hot G2 Bent Carabine

item number 1557
Only the serial number 02 11 / 03 11

The carabine model Hot G2 Bent is affected by the recall.
The carabines concerned have the following properties:
Item number: 1557 Hot G2 Bent Colour: 0999/ rot

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Naica: Deadly Crystal Cave

A team of scientists explore a Mexican cave filled with giant crystals; some of the largest ever discovered. With temperatures near 120 degrees and over 80 percent humidity, the cave is one of the deadliest environments on earth.

Source: Landscape Photography Magazine

Speleogenesis & Evolution of Karst Aquifers #11 (2011)

Next regular issue (#11, 2011) of the journal "Speleogenesis & Evolution of Karst Aquifers" has been launched recently.

It currently contains six articles, both original and republished from other sources, as well as a number of Featured Articles - titles, abstracts and links to original online sources of papers published elsewhere, significant for speleogenesis, karst hydrogeology and karst evolution.

More articles will be published in the current issue till its closure in the end of December, and more Featured Articles will regularly appear, highlighting current developments in the field.

All previous issues are available from the left panel on the main page.

The UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis kindly invites the Speleogenesis community to submit articles to the journal.

Best regards,

Alexander Klimchouk

Current content:

Waltham, Tony
Fengcong, fenglin, cone karst and tower karst

Martini, J.E.J.
Paleokarst investigation near Saint-Remèze, Ardèche, France: discovery of an underground river fossilised during the Messinian salinity crisis

Mylroie, John E.; Mylroie, Joan R.; Jenson, John W.; MacCracken, Rob
Fresh-water lens anisotropy and flank margin cave development, Fais Island, FSM

Kelley, Kristin N.; Mylroie, John E.; Mylroie, Joan R.; Moore, Christopher M.; Collins, Laura R.; Ersek, Lica; Lascu, Ioan; Roth, Monica J.; Moore, Paul J.; Passion, Rex; Shaw, Charles
Eolianites and Karst Development in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico

Moore, Paul J.; Seale, L. Don; Mylroie, John E.
Pit cave morphologies in eolianites: variability in primary structure control

Featured articles:

Subglacial Maze Origin in Low-Dip Marble Stripe Karst: Examples from Norway, Skoglund, R.O.; Lauritzen, S.-E., 2011

Geochemical and statistical evidence of recharge, mixing, and controls on spring discharge in an eogenetic karst aquifer, Moore, Paul J.; Martin, Jonathan B.; Screaton, Elizabeth J. , 2009

Distinction between epigenic and hypogenic maze caves, Palmer, Arthur N., 2011

Hydrochemical variations of epikarst springs in vertical climate zones: a case study in Jinfo Mountain National Nature Reserve of China, Zhang, Cheng; Yan, Jun; Pei, Jianguo; Jiang, Yongjun,

Evidence for a hypogene paleohydrogeological event at the prospective nuclear waste disposal site Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA, revealed by the isotope composition of !uid-inclusion water, Dublyansky, Yuri V.; Spötl, Christoph, 2010

Characteristics of discharge at Rose and Gellért Hills, Budapest, Hungary, Erõss, Anita; Mádl-Szõnyi, Judit; Csoma, Anita É. , 2008

Imprints of hydrocarbon-bearing basinal fluids on a karst system: mineralogical and fluid inclusion studies from the Buda Hills, Hungary, Poros, Zsofia; Mindszenty, Andrea; Molnar, Ferenc; Pironon, Jacques; Gyori, Orsolya; Ronchi, Paola; Szekeres, Zoltan, 2011

Holocene glacier history from alpine speleothems, Milchbach cave, Switzerland, Luetscher, M.; Hoffmann, D.L.; Frisia, S.; Spötl, C., 2011

Speleogenesis in highly geodynamic contexts: The quaternary evolution of Monte Corchia multi-level karst system (Alpi Apuane, Italy), Piccini, Leonardo , 2011

Role of sediment in speleogenesis; sedimentation and paragenesis, Farrant, Andrew R.; Smart, Peter L. , 2011

Deep confined karst detection, analysis and paleohydrology reconstruction at a basin-wide scale using new geophysical interpretation of borehole logs, Laskow, M.; Gendler, M.; Goldberg, I.; Gvirtzman, H.; Frumkin, A., 2011

Recent developments on morphometric analysis of karst caves, Piccini, Leonardo, 2011

Hypogenic caves in western Umbria (central Italy), Menichetti, Marco , 2011

On the formation of dissolution pipes in Quaternary coastal calcareous arenites in Mediterranean settings, De Waele, Jo; Lauritzen, Stein-Erik; Parise, Mario, 2010

Derbyshire pipe veins - deep-seated speleogenesis, Ford, T.D., 2010

An external model of speleogenesis during Quaternary glacial cycles in the marbles of central Scandinavia, Faulkner, T., 2010

Conceptual modelling of brine flow into aquifers adjacent to the Konarsiah salt diapir, Iran, Zarei, Mehdi; Raeisi, Ezzat, 2010

Tracing the sources of cave sulfates: a unique case from Cerna Valley, Romania, Onac, Bogdan P.; Wynn, Jonathan G.; Sumrall, Jonathan B., 2011

Preliminary U/Th dating and the evolution of gypsum crystals in Naica caves (Mexico), Sanna, Laura; Forti, Paolo; Lauritzen, Stein-Erik, 2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Magnetic locking carabiners by Black Diamond

Black Diamond presents Magnetron Technology.

What’s so special about Magnetron Technology? One word: magnets. Yes, that’s right—locking carabiners that utilize magnets and not twistlocks or screwlocks on the gates. Available on select locking carabiners in July 2012.

Here’s the basics: using the power of magnetic fields to reinvent the locking carabiner, the Magnetron GridLock and the Magnetron RockLock locking carabiners combine maximum security and ease of use like never before.

• Magnetic attraction to a steel insert in the carabiner nose keeps two independent arms securely locked
• Locking arms must be individually depressed before the gate can be opened
• Once open, opposing magnetic fields repel the arms to ensure smooth and reliable gate operation
• Symmetrical design allows for easy one-handed operation (right or left)

For an in-depth look at the concept and development of Magnetron Technology, watch the video below, and then look for the Magnetron GridLock and the Magnetron RockLock to be in stores by July 2012.


Source: Black Diamond

Friday, July 22, 2011

3D Animation: In The Rough

Man has evolved throughout the ages… Relationships, unfortunately, have not. After being kicked out of his cave, Brog, the thick-headed Neanderthal in this Blur short discovers that living the bachelor’s life is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Blur Gallery Image


Source: Blur 



Thursday, July 21, 2011

Rare stromatolites discovered in Mulu's Deer Cave

Lundberg explaining about the formation of stromatolites.
KUCHING: The presence of stromatolites have been detected in Deer Cave, revealed visiting speaker Professor Joyce Lundberg from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

A suite of distinctive freshwater stromatolites developed in the low light zone close to the northeastern entrance of the cave located in Gunung Mulu National Park, is the first of their kind reported in the world.

Deer Cave is already famous for its huge passages and vast bat population.

According to Joyce, stromatolites are layered sedimentary fossilised structures formed from layers of cyanobacteria, calcium carbonate and trapped sediments.

“These stromatolites grow in a series of horizontal narrow shelves up a part of the cave wall that is exposed to low light, vertically underneath the guano-laden shelf washed by fresh water from a shower head above,” she explained in a technical talk given at the Tun Abdul Razak Hall yesterday.

The talk titled “Freshwater Stromatolites in Deer Cave, Sarawak – A Unique Geobiological Cave Formation” is part of a regular series of heritage talks organised by the Sarawak Museum Department.

About 40 people, comprising of students, academicians and officers from relevant government bodies, attended the talk.

Source: The Borneo Post

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Tres quimeras movie (Mexpé Project)

Tras Quimeras Entrance
Since 1987, the Quebec Speleogical Society (SQS) has been leading an important cave exploration project in the heart of the Sierra Negra mountains, located in Mexico, called the Mexpé project. With more than 28 kilometers and 900 meters deep, the Sistema Tepepa is part of an impressive karst terrain which culminates at 3250 meters and from which water resurges a few thousand meters below.

The group discovered a huge sinkhole in the area. Their descend into the cave, called "Tres Quimeras" and the traverse to the resurgence, 800 meters below has been filmed by Marc Tremblay and Guillaume Pelletier.

The movie is starring Al Warild, David Tirado, Bev Shade, Christian Chenier, Gustavo Vela, Franco Attolini, Mike Frazier, Eric Sanson, Andy Chapman…

More resources:

What goes down must come up


GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Miriam Cuddington takes a deep breath as she grips the rope — 3, 2, 1, go — and races against the clock in an attempt to break her own 30-meter vertical climbing record for the women's 60-69 age group.

She set the current record of 1 minute, 17.7 seconds last year at the National Speleological Society (NSS) convention in Vermont.

This year's convention, being held all this week in Glenwood Springs, presents a different challenge — altitude.

Bill Cuddington of Moulton, Ala., is a legend in the caving world for developing and perfecting different single-rope techniques to access deep vertical caves. He and his wife, Miriam Cuddington, are avid members of the National Speleological Society and are in Glenwood Springs for the NSS convention this week.



Miriam, who will celebrate her 68th birthday during the convention on Friday, ascends the rope rapidly, yet gracefully during the NSS vertical contest Tuesday in the Glenwood Springs High School auxiliary gym.

French cavers help police to locate murderer

A team of French cavers is helping the police by investigating 6 caves in the rocky area around Roquebrune-sur-Argens, Var, France. They try to find clues that can lead to the arrest of Xavier Dupont.

Des spéléologues à la recherche de Xavier de Ligonnès
The fifty year old guy who murdered his wife and four children is also suspected of the kidnapping of a young female. His card was last used at an ATM in the region and police believe he may be hiding in one of the caves in the area.




More information: Le Figaro & L'Express & Le Parisien (F) & Huffington Post (E)





Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Over 17000 pilgrims left for holy cave despite cloudy weather

Srinagar, Jul 19: Despite cloudy weather, more than 17000 yatris today left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalagam base camps for holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir, where more than 4.5 lakh yatris had darshan of the self made ice-Shivlingam since the commencement of the 46-day-long pilgrimage from June 29.

The yatra will conclude on August 13 when the Chhari-Mubarak, Holy Mace of Lord Shiva, will be taken to holy cave by Mahant Deepender Giri, the custodian of the Charri on Rakshabandan.

A yatra official said that pilgrimage was progressing smoothly though the ski was cloudy since this morning. There were reports of light rains at some places on both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam tracks.

About 10000 pilgrims, including women, children and sadhus today left Baltal base camp to cover the hilly track on foot to reach the holy cave, situated at 13500 feet above sea level.

He said the pilgrims are expected to reach the holy cave this afternoon and after a night stay, will start return journey tomorrow morning.

Over 7000 pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for last motorable halting station, Chandanwari. However, the pilgrims who had night halt at different halting stations on this traditional also started their onward journey towards the cave shrine early this morning.

More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims from all over the country had darshan of the ice-Shivlingam, which has now been reduced to only few feet because of unprecedented rush of pilgrims this time.

Against agree 10000 pilgrims from both sides, more than 25000 pilgrims are visiting the shrine daily, majority of unregistered.

Official sources said majority of the pilgrims who visited the shrine have since returned to their homes.

Source: New Kerala

Speleo Magazine n° 74 released


  • Isère : éboulement sur la Dent de Crolles
  • Hérault : Aven des Lauriers
  • Doubs : gouffre de Jardel
  • Gard : aménagement pour l’aven de la Salamandre
  • Gard : grotte de la Méduse
  • Actualités : Choranche : exposition grot(t)esque
  • Actualités : Activité spéléo régulée ou bridée ?
  • Gaz de schiste : karsts français en danger
  • Big survey : Savoie : grotte à Carret La vingt-neuvième séance de désobstruction
  • Secours : Retour d’expériences… vu par un sauveteur
  • L’ergonomie au service de la victime
  • 41 axes d’amélioration ergonomique
  • Récit : Neuvième pour les Enfants de la Lune
  • Canyon : Canyon de Gorgette – Craponoz
  • Géopoétique du Karst : Goutte à goutte
  • Concours photo : Jean-François Fabriol

Monday, July 18, 2011

Amboni caves and the story of the African hero

Amboni Caves are natural limestone underground caves formed during the natural Jurassic age around 150 millions ago. There are 10 caves - with fascinating chambers – and the longest is about 900m long. One of the caves is used for guided tours while some are up to 13 meters high. They form the most extensive cave system in East Africa.

The caves have religious significance to the local people who pray and make offerings in one of the shrines. The caves are very dark inside and potentially lethal. There have been reports of fatalities when people made the tour unguided.

Several stories about the cave are told on the cave tours. There is for example the story of two European ex-army officers. After World War II they tried to explore the caves with heavy equipment and accompanied by a dog.

Geothermal caverns heat up speleo convention

... But Crystal Valley treasure is off-limits to protect bat colony

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Nestled deep underground in the Crystal Valley between Carbondale and Redstone is one of the most unique geological discoveries, or rediscoveries in this case, anywhere in Colorado.

Access to the vast network of caves, via old mine shafts beneath Elephant Mountain, is now strictly controlled in an effort to protect a large colony of Townsend's big-eared bats discovered there about six years ago.

But geologist Mark Maslyn of Littleton and a team of cave researchers had the opportunity shortly before that time to explore the geothermal caves.

Maslyn was one of the many cave geology presenters during the National Speleological Society (NSS) annual convention being held at Glenwood Springs High School and elsewhere around town all this week. The convention promises to draw upwards of 1,400 people to Glenwood Springs later this week.

The Elephant Mountain vapor caves, similar to the Yampah Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs, are heated by the hot springs that flow beneath the mountain into the Crystal River.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Vapor Caves to reopen in time for caver convention

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — The underground steam caves at the Yampah Vapor Caves spa, closed since early June due to flooding from the high spring runoff, have reopened just in time for the National Speleological Society convention that's in town this week.

“The temperature of the water is a little hotter, and we've actually noticed some new springs coming into the caves,” Vapor Caves marketing director David Anselmo said Friday.

Although some areas remain closed for safety reasons due to the standing, 125-degree-plus hot water, the majority of the steam caves are available for use, he said.

The reopening of the Vapor Caves comes as some 1,400 cave enthusiasts are expected to be in town this week for the annual NSS convention. The convention is being held in Colorado for the first time since 1996.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Rainy Weather Generates Largest Visitor Day At Wind Cave National Park In 35 Years

Rainy weather, and problems at nearby Jewel Cave National Monument, are being pointed to as the reason for the largest visitor turnout at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota since August 10, 1975.

Fifteen extra tours were put in to handle the heavy traffic on July 12, park officials reported. Along with the damp weather, another factor thought to be behind the turnout was the temporary closure of the Scenic Cave Tour at Jewel Cave due to elevator problems.

“Tuesdays and rainy days are always our busiest days and when they both happen in July, we know we’re going to be busy,” said Wind Cave Superintendent Vidal Davila. “Our staff knew, as soon the clouds and cooler weather moved in, we would have a big day. We just didn’t know how big.”

The park normally schedules 30 cave tours a day in the summer time. With all the extra tours that were put in to handle the heavy visitor traffic, the park gave a total of 45 tours Tuesday.

“We couldn’t have done this without the cooperation of the interpretive staff at Jewel Cave,” Superintendent Davila added. “They have been sending rangers over to help lead tours here while work continues on fixing their elevators. Hundreds of people were able to see the cave yesterday because of their help.”

Despite the big day, year-to-date visitation figures show a drop of around 4 percent over last year, which was the park’s busiest year since 1977.

Tours begin at 8:40 a.m. at Wind Cave and the last tour is at 6 p.m. Visitors are reminded to come early, bring a light coat or sweater, and wear good walking shoes. For more information, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/wica.

Source: National Parks Traveler

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Separated for 20 million years: Blind beetle from Bulgarian caves clarifies questions


One of the smallest ever cave-dwelling ground beetles (Carabidae), has recently been discovered in two caves in the Rhodopi Mountains, Bulgaria, and described under the name Paralovricia beroni. The beetle is completely blind and is only 1.8-2.2 mm long. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

"When we saw this beetle for first time, it became immediately clear that it belongs to a genus and species unknown to science. Moreover, its systematic position within the family of Carabidae remained unclear for several years. After a careful study of its closest relatives Lovricia and Neolovricia, discovered in caves of the Dinaric Alps of Croatia, we came to the conclusion that all three genera belong to a new subtribe which we describe now under the name Lovriciina", commented Borislav Gueorguiev from the National Natural History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Into the depths: Student explores the underground

By Kendal Enz

Hood College student Corey Hackley has discovered too many caves to count.
Hackley, who works at Crystal Grottoes Caverns in Boonsboro as a guide surveyor and handyman, spends most of his time either in or looking for caves.


"The thing I like about caves is that they are one of the few places on Earth yet to be discovered," he said.
Caves "are the only spaces that escape social contrivances," he said. "Finding new caves is a way to embody ... what is beyond human activity."

Hackley, 19, said there are two kinds of caving: recreational caving and project caving.
"Recreational caving is what you do for fun," Hackley said. "Project trips are grueling, but worth it."
Project caving involves surveying uncharted caves by recording their distance, direction and angles of slope. These underground expeditions usually last two to three days.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Two people narrowly escape being engulfed by waves at Remarkable Cave

Amazing footage of Tasmania's weekend storms shows two people flee from a viewing platform just seconds before a huge wave engulfs it.

Jordi Nin was visiting Remarkable Cave, south of Port Arthur on Saturday, when the wave hit.

"I was down there probably two minutes before and got completely drenched,'' Mr Nin said.

"Luckily I saw the wave coming and got my camera under my jacket to protect it.''

The Stewart Bay Lodge manager said viewers on the walkway, got about five seconds warning before the cave filled with water.

The walkway was closed several hours later and Mr Nin said part of it had since broken free and washed away.

After experiencing the wave first-hand Mr Nin said he had gone back to the top to get the event on video.

"The waves were doing that for some time so I just waited and got one on camera,'' he said.

"According to the locals it does get like that, not often, but when we had that storm four or five months ago with the huge waves at Shipstern's [Bluff] it got quite big too.''

Remarkable Cave, about 2km south of Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula, is normally accessible from the beach.





Source: The Mercury

3rd Middle East Speleology Symposium

 
The Speleo Club du Liban (SCL), in collaboration with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (LNCSR), and under the patronage of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), is organizing the THIRD MIDDLE EAST SPELEOLOGY SYMPOSIUM (MESS3) at the Holy-Spirit University of Kaslik, from 23 till 25 September 2011. 


This Symposium tackles speleological, geological, hydrogeological,environmental, tourist, archaeological - scientific and sports subjects related to speleology and caving; as well as a complete section for Spele-media. It comes in a period where ecotourism occupies an important role in the rural economy and water resources became a strategic material that necessitate preservation of its quality and sustainability. 

This Symposium will widen the horizon of people working in social and environmental activities and sustainable development and will up date their knowledge with the latest events and discoveries in the region, since MESS became an international recurring event in the domain of speleology.

Further to this symposium a caving trip will be organized to the lava tubes in Syria. Kindly find attached the Second Announcement giving more details about the symposium and including a registration form and the procedure for abstracts/extended abstracts submissions. For further information, and for online registration or abstracts/extended abstracts submission, do not hesitate to visit our website:

http://speleoclubduliban.com/index.php?f=MESS_3

Wishing your honorable presence,
Sincerely,

Secretary MESS 3
Middle East Speleology Symposium 3
23 - 25 September 2011

http://www.speleoliban.com

Sunday, July 10, 2011

In Praise of Limestone

         In Praise of Limestone, by W.H. Auden

If it form the one landscape that we, the inconstant ones, Are consistently homesick for, this is chiefly Because it dissolves in water. Mark these rounded slopes With their surface fragrance of thyme and, beneath, A secret system of caves and conduits; hear the springs That spurt out everywhere with a chuckle, Each filling a private pool for its fish and carving Its own little ravine whose cliffs entertain The butterfly and the lizard; examine this region Of short distances and definite places: What could be more like Mother or a fitter background For her son, the flirtatious male who lounges Against a rock in the sunlight, never doubting That for all his faults he is loved; whose works are but Extensions of his power to charm? From weathered outcrop To hill-top temple, from appearing waters to Conspicuous fountains, from a wild to a formal vineyard, Are ingenious but short steps that a child's wish To receive more attention than his brothers, whether By pleasing or teasing, can easily take.

Hidden Earth 2011 Conference


Hidden Earth , UK's annual caving conference: 
23-25 September 2011, Monmouth, South Wales




Saturday, July 9, 2011

"Big Jump" For Living Rivers



This sunday, 10th of July, thousands of people all over Europe will jump into rivers in order to raise awareness for the European Water Framework Directive for ecologically healthy rivers. See this map for an overview of the actions or the dedictad website from the European River Network. In Belgium cavers will participate by jumping into the Lesse and swimming a tour into the showcave of Han-sur-Lesse. More info you can find all info via UBS or Bigjump.be


Friday, July 8, 2011

Clitheroe ‘Boggarts’ unearth caving mystery


A caving mystery of epic proportions has been unfolded with the help of Clitheroe-based caving club the Northern Boggarts.

Its members have been active in the Yorkshire Dales where “Witches Cave II” was discovered some 10 years ago by divers using sub-aqua gear. The divers swam underwater for around 300 metres and then, after ascending upwards for another 30 metres, discovered a cave with unique formations and massive underground passages.

Members of the caving fraternity were excited by the discovery, but unable to explore the cave without passing through the underwater passages. So the discovery lay dormant until last year, when one of the Northern Boggarts Club, Fred Rattray, and his brother Jim, both electronics wizards, built a radio beacon capable of sending signals through solid rock.

All that was needed was to persuade the divers to go through the underwater passages for a final time. They would take the radio beacon with them and climb as close as possible towards the surface and then leave the radio beacon switched on. On the surface Fred was waiting with his radio detection equipment and sure enough, he picked up a signal and, when he was confident that he was over the beacon, a marker was laid down.

Chauvet Cave Candidate for UNESCO World Heritage

The Chauvet Cave - Ardèche With the Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc and his paintings dated to 32,000 years, Vallon-Pont d'Arc and the Ardèche have the oldest jewel of Paleolithic cave art known to date. Unique in the world and considered the mark of the birth of art, the cradle of artistic creation.

With these characteristics, the Chauvet – Pont d’Arc Cave is unique and fully merits registration on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list (  911 classified sites worldwide).

The application file is currently being prepared and a support committee was officially launched on 14 June 2010 at Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. In summer 2013 the Chauvet – Pont d’Arc Cave could join the closed, very prized circle of world classified sites and appear alongside the Acropolis in Athens, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canyon in the United States and even Mont-Saint-Michel…

In Rhône-Alpes only the historic site of Lyons is registered as World Heritage and this very media oriented classification would provide a real spotlight with the coming to Ardèche of new visitors enthused by cultural heritage.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Man makes prehistoric discovery in backyard

Somewhere in Comal County is a small parcel of private land full of breathtaking views. Hidden amidst the beauty is a mysterious entrance to the unknown.
Inside, there is not much space, and it quickly goes from dry to wet. That’s because it's a cave full of spring-fed water. And there are plenty of creatures living inside.

“There's a small colony of bats in there,” said William “BT” Price, who owns the land.

Price bought the land where the hidden cave is located two years ago. Now, he's a retired banker who's become an explorer of his own backyard.

The cave is at least a mile in length. Price and friends are constantly pushing the limits by going into areas where the water and ceiling are separated by inches.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Cave explorers tackle Black River project

A Western New York group of cave explorers is getting ready for its trek into a Black River cave under the Watertown Veterans Memorial Riverwalk.

Members of the Niagara Frontier Grotto will be in the city Saturday or Sunday to prepare for the exploration later this summer of the cave under the city park.

While they're here, they will start planning to remove a cement seal that was put up in 1996 after two teens who had gotten lost inside were rescued, said Elliott B. Nelson, confidential assistant to the city manager. The cement seal will be removed and a gate will be installed in its place.

Members also plan to "do some scouting" in the cave and take some measurements for the new gate, which will take about three weeks to manufacture and install, member Joseph J. Giunta said. The group hasn't scheduled the day it will be going into the cave yet, he said.

In March, the Niagara Frontier Grotto, a Western New York chapter of the National Speleological Society with 35 members, including Mr. Giunta, contacted the City Council about exploring Watertown's caves. Council members have supported the exploration, contending that the caves could become some sort of tourist attraction.

For safety reasons, the group will send at least three explorers into the caves at a time, in case something were to happen. Members must sign an "assumption of risk" document that will get the city off the hook for liability in case of an accident.

Group members already have talked to Fire Chief Dale C. Herman about what they want to do in the cave and what the fire chief should expect from the exploration, Mr. Giunta said.

For decades, there has been a curiosity about the caves, an intricate underground maze of crevices. According to folklore dating back to the 1820s, the caves contain artifacts, treasures and gold. During the 1920s, ice was stored in them to keep beer cold in the summertime.

Source: Watertown Daily Times


Wind Cave to use grant to explain park's cultural importance to SD Indian youth.

Wind Cave National Park is one of 19 parks nationwide to get funding from the National Park Foundation for its America's Best Idea program that exposes certain groups to national parks.

Windy City Lake
Windy City Lake by Jim Pisarowicz
Park Superintendent Vidal Davila said the grant will be used to bring Lakota Sioux students to the cave in southwest South Dakota to hear from tribal elders about the cultural importance of Wind Cave and to introduce them to the National Park Service's stewardship concept.

Park officials said the students will view interpretation operations and see how the National Park Service interprets the cultural significance of Wind Cave. Students will be introduced to natural resource operations and learn about bison conservation, endangered species reintroduction, prescribed burns and wild fires, and the Ponderosa pine and prairie ecosystems.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Demolition starts at Cueva de San Roque

It has featured in two blockbuster films Conan the Barbarian and Indiana Jones, but now the Cueva de San Roque is about to be replaced by a shopping centre.

Demolition work has already begun on the well-known Almerian cave, known as ‘La Molineta’.

The ancient site – which played host to Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Conan movie in 1982 and later for scenes in Indiana Jones starring Harrison Ford – was due to be protected by the Junta’s culture department.

Now 30 residents associations have joined forces with the IU party to try to bring the construction to a halt.

The IU party has already raised questions in Andalucia’s parliament and a series of protests have been planned for the summer.

Under the banner Salvar La Molineta, local residents are demanding a stop to the construction of the commercial centre by company Carrida.

A demolition crew has already cleared much of the land around the so-called quarry area of La Molineta and last week started on the cave.

The residents claim that the work is also affecting nearby caves.

However, the construction company argue that the roof of the cave was about to collapse and that the site had become a haunt for local drug users.

Troisième Congrès Scientifique de Spéléologie en Tunisie (Bizerte 2011)


Organisateur : Club de Spéléologie de la Maison de Jeunes de Bizerte
Type : Congrés
Date Debut : Le 2011-07-12 09:00:00
Date Fin : Le 2011-07-17 16:00:00
Lieu : Maison de Jeunes de Bizerte
Tel : +216 98 295 269
E-mail : clubspeleobizerte@gmail.com



Description
Troisième Congrès Scientifique de Spéléologie en Tunisie(Bizerte 2011)
Bientôt du 12 au 17 Juillet 2011.
Des conférences, tables rondes, Sortie spéléologique(Grotte La mine), Sortie de loisir.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' has broken the revenue record for independent documentaries this year.


"Cave of Forgotten Dreams," Werner Herzog's 3-D documentary about an expedition into a French cave, has quietly been discovered by some moviegoers.

The film, which first premiered in late April in only five theaters, has since collected $4.7 million (Source: BoxofficeMojo), making it the highest-grossing independently released documentary of the year, according to distributor Sundance Selects. That means it's not being compared to concert films such as Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" or the nature documentary "African Cats," both of which were released by major studios and supported by big marketing campaigns.

After "Cave of Forgotten Dreams," the next highest-grossing documentary this year has been "The Last Lions," a National Geographic release that took in only $631,925 during its short run. And "Pom Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold," which had the advantage of a well-known director in filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, collected a weak $602,479.

Herzog also made the much-talked about documentary "Grizzly Man," which centered on a man who traveled yearly to Alaska to study bears and was eventually mauled to death by one. That film ultimately grossed $3.2 million.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

5th European Cave Rescue Meeting

From 15th until 18th, September 2011the 5th European cave rescue meeting will be organised in Starigrad Paklenica, Croatia by the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (Cave Rescue Commission).


The aim of the European cave rescue meetings is development of collaboration, interaction and exchange of experience and implementation of new technical standards. 

This fifth meeting will be focused on technical workshop and testing of equipment and rescue maneuvers.


More information and subscription: http://www.speleologija.hr/rescue/meeting/

Friday, July 1, 2011

NORTHERN KARST SYSTEMS IN OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

International Conference dedicated to the 300th Anniversary of the birth of M.V. Lomonosov

 'NORTHERN KARST SYSTEMS IN OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT' 
to be held 5-10 September 2011, Pinega region of the Arkhangelsk area

The International Conference 'Northern karst systems in our changing environment' will focus on the problems of northern karst territories, their natural character, details of their genesis and geography, structure and dynamics of karst system components, research on cave glaciation, changes in karst systems under the impact of global climate change and the issues of karst landscape and cave conservation. The conference will be held at the State Nature Reserve «Pinezhsky» near the small town of Pinega in the north of Russia, Arkhangelsk area. During the field excursions participants will be able to see the local gypsumkarst landscape and caves that are the world’s single example of north-taiga gypsum karst.

More informatiion can be found in the circular.

Magazine: Underwater Speleology Volume 38 n° 3 released


Journal of the Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society.
Contents of Volume 38 n°3:
  • A Little River Surprise! (Gene Melton)
  • Dominican Republic Diving (Cristion Pittero)
  • Conservation Corner (Kelly Jessop)
  • The Loop (Joe Citelli)
  • Visit With a Cave: Bozell Springs (Mat Bull, Ben Martinez)
  • 2011 NSS-CDS Workshop Review (Wendy Thurman)
  • Cave diving Milestones (Shirley Kasser)

Click here to download a copy (PDF, 8.01MB).

Ebook: A Guide to Responsible Caving




This booklet discusses caves and the many elements of the sport of caving. Exploring caves is becoming increasingly popular in all areas of the world, and caving responsibly is more important now than ever. Discussions include safety, training, and learning to reduce the detrimental effect cavers can have on caves and cave owner relations.

Source: NSS