Caving: The Essential Guide to Equipment and Techniques

This beginner's guide to speleology emphasizes safety and protection of fragile ecosystems. Learn how to plan a caving trip from start to finish. Instructions show how to maneuver through small areas and vertical caves using ropes and how to rig a pitch for ascending and descending a vertical climb. Knot-tying diagrams aid the first-time spelunker. The book gives background on the two main types of cave passages, vadose and phreatic, and tips on spotting rock formations and cave decorations such as flowstone, stalagmites, helicites, and rimstone pools. Sections on cave surveying and photography describe how more advanced cavers augment their experiences underground. Includes contact information for caving organizations in Australia, South America, Europe, Africa, and the United States.

Peter Swart is an avid caver and member of the South African Speleological Association. He began exploring caves above Kalk Bay, Cape Town, in 1973, and has expanded his caving interests to include surveying, mapping, and conservation. He is a technical computer consultant.