Hello from Northern California
Posted: Apr 11, 2015 12:03 amHello there! My name is Rudi. I have been caving for about fiver years, and can't get enough of it! I am a member of the Shasta Area Grotto. Great folks. We are located in a geologically unique area for cavers. I wish we had more karst, but we do have some bands of Limestone, a large Marble Karst, and an insane amount of basalt, loaded with lava tubes. There is a few small talus caves in the granite as well. The grotto has been cataloging and mapping the lava tubes for some thirty plus years and haven't run out yet! I really love it out in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, and try to get out there as many times as I can. Its a long hike, but so worth every inch of it! Bigfoot cave is the longest out there with I believe 12 miles of mapped passage and 1200 feet vertical variance from top to bottom. I have been a handful of times and still haven't seen close to all of the cave. Great place to be.
I have an extensive history in conservation and climbing, so when I discovered caving, it was a perfect fit. I got right into it and have purchased pretty much all the gear I need, and plenty of spare stuff. I use the frog system for caving, and love to get vertical. I read 3 of Roger Brucker's books on caving and exploration of Kentucky's Mammoth cave and it blew me away. I would literally wake up after reading the books at night, and be exhausted, having slept 8 hours, and caved for twice that long in my dreams. I recommend these books if you haven't read them.
I decided to splurge on a nice light, deciding that a cavers light is like a skydivers parachute. I bought an El Speleo, and I absolutely love it. I highly recommend this light.
I am looking forward to more caves, and cavers. If your in the area, or planning, feel free to contact me. Glad to be here, and I hope to see you underground soon!
I have an extensive history in conservation and climbing, so when I discovered caving, it was a perfect fit. I got right into it and have purchased pretty much all the gear I need, and plenty of spare stuff. I use the frog system for caving, and love to get vertical. I read 3 of Roger Brucker's books on caving and exploration of Kentucky's Mammoth cave and it blew me away. I would literally wake up after reading the books at night, and be exhausted, having slept 8 hours, and caved for twice that long in my dreams. I recommend these books if you haven't read them.
I decided to splurge on a nice light, deciding that a cavers light is like a skydivers parachute. I bought an El Speleo, and I absolutely love it. I highly recommend this light.
I am looking forward to more caves, and cavers. If your in the area, or planning, feel free to contact me. Glad to be here, and I hope to see you underground soon!