The Golden Age of Vertical Caving

[gdstorrick]

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[Cody JW]

I am sure we all have our own opinions on this but I always considered the "golden age" of vertical caving in America as the time when Cuddington , Richard Schriber, Bill Torode and other TAG cavers were discovering Surprise, Fantastic and Mystery. At about that time Cole developed the rack. Then the mitchell system, ropewalker and other things we take for granted today came .Vertical cavers were on cable ladders back when Mystery was first dropped. Then when they found Surprise, The Mitchell System was developed so us mere mortals could climb big pits like that.I would say the late 50s to late 60s were the Golden Age.It seems to me from what I read that the discovery of Surprise is what made vertical cavers realize that new techniques were needed to do the big pits that were being found.If any of you have the 89 TAG NSS convention guidebook, there is a story in that guidebook called The Dawn of an Era that explains this, I found that very interesting.

[gdstorrick]

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[jharman2]

There was an age of ladders (can you believe how many so-called vertical cavers never use ladders any more?), and an age of body rappels and prusiks (can you believe how many so-called vertical cavers never use prusiks any more? I'll cut them all slack for not doing body rappels.)

Guess that makes me a "so-called vertical caver" since I don't exclusively use knots and ladders.

[gdstorrick]

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[Phil Winkler]

Back when I joined the Huntsville Grotto around 1973 I think either our patch or the newsletter had "The Golden Age of Caving" on it.

During a grotto meeting Bill Torode was giving a trip report/slide show up on stage in TofToy Hall and showed a picture of a ladder made from rope and wood rungs. Someone asked if he still had it and with a perfectly straight face said "Yes, it's worth hanging on to"

All of us in the audience roared, but he didn't even get it at first, but that's Bill.

[Jeff Bartlett]

Oh no, you just have to use them on occassion, not exclusively

Harman, I'll translate for you: you're not old enough to have caved in an era when knots and ladders were commonplace, so you're not a real vertical caver. You're just going to have to wait for Hellhole to open back up so you can body-rappel it on Goldline, and re-apply for your merit badge then.

[ON_ROPE]

The golden age of vertical caving belongs to each of us. Just remember the first time you got on rope and descended into a cave. That was a golden moment. Be it 1963 on manila or last week on PMI. Discovery is a personal thing to try and make it a group thing cheapens it.

Safe cavin,
Allen Padgett

[Phil Winkler]

Nicely put, Allen.

Ahh...the moment of truth when you transfer your entire weight onto your rig.

[Stridergdm]

The golden age of vertical caving belongs to each of us. Just remember the first time you got on rope and descended into a cave. That was a golden moment. Be it 1963 on manila or last week on PMI. Discovery is a personal thing to try and make it a group thing cheapens it.

Safe cavin,
Allen Padgett

Hear hear!

(and the golden age of horizontal caving is having pizza, still warm, delivered to you in a cave. Thanks again for that Allen.)