A Conspiracy of Silence

[gillip]

I ran across an old article form Outside Magazine on the secrecy involved in caving. It is an interesting article that explains the reasons for the secrecy and at the same time seems to express some frustration about it. I am sure it was probably posted before, but a quick search did not turn it up.

A Conspiracy of Silence
Will Earth's most fragile unexplored ecosystems survive the age of adventure?

http://outside.away.com/outside/magazin ... disp1.html

[fuzzy-hair-man]

Good article

I'm glad they explained the reason for the secrecy, I find it slightly annoying when people know that cavers are secretive about cave locations but don't understand the reasons behind it and conclude that cavers are elitist and want to keep them all for ourselves.

It's not true, just we have to take our responsibility to cave preservation very seriously.

An interesting point that the article brings up is that some caving clubs or grottoes don't actively encourage new members this IMO is a mistake, not only do you force these people to go caving independently the very thing the secrecy policy exists to counteract, but you miss the opportunity to educate them and encourage an appreciation of caves, the more people who know something about caves and have an appreciation of them, the more people who can be mobilized to help protect and preserve them. In my experience relatively few of the people who come caving with us continue beyond a couple of trips, but hopefully they leave with a better understanding of why caves are precious, fragile, important, and need preserving. Here at least I don't think we are in danger of being over run by hordes of keen experienced 'lifer' cavers, it's the inexperienced ones that do the most damage, if a cave is so popular amongst experienced cavers they also are more likely to understand and accept the measures that are put in place to control damage and or access.

my 2 cents

[wendy]

An interesting point that the article brings up is that some caving clubs or grottoes don't actively encourage new members

Are you referring to this line "Cavers avoid any activity, such as enlisting sponsors, that would draw public attention to their activities"?

I read that a different way, not that they don't look for new members, but they don't solicate commerical sponsorship, not that we need Nike commercials about caving, but something along those lines.

[fuzzy-hair-man]

An interesting point that the article brings up is that some caving clubs or grottoes don't actively encourage new members

Are you referring to this line "Cavers avoid any activity, such as enlisting sponsors, that would draw public attention to their activities"?

I read that a different way, not that they don't look for new members, but they don't solicate commerical sponsorship, not that we need Nike commercials about caving, but something along those lines.

Yep, but the bit "that would draw public attention to their activities" suggests that the clubs etc in question would rather not have new members approach them, and would rather that caving in general was not brought to the publics attention (lest, everyone go find a local cave). Frankly every organisation wants money and therefore sponsorship, I read the quote as the associated attension from the public prevents clubs/grottos pursuing sponsorship. (this isn't why our club doesn't have a sponsor, I figure grotty cavers plastered in mud, isn't of great commercial value, except perhaps to caving suppliers)
Enlisting sponsors was only an example in the article of an activity that might draw attention and was consequently avoided.

To my mind it's a bit of an ask to request the general public to help protect caves, if they are discouraged from venturing inside them and experiencing them (caviate on commercial/show caves) in short if they don't know that caves exist and need protection they aren't going to do much to protect them.

Not so much in the article but I believe a more educated and aware public is more helpful to cave protection than an unaware public, and increasing awareness that caves exist does not nessicarily increase the amount of damage caused to caves, it may increase the number of cavers but it should also decrease the amount of damage each of those cavers does provided you can bring the new cavers in to caving through clubs/grottoes.

[Ralph E. Powers]

An interesting point that the article brings up is that some caving clubs or grottoes don't actively encourage new members

Are you referring to this line "Cavers avoid any activity, such as enlisting sponsors, that would draw public attention to their activities"?

I read that a different way, not that they don't look for new members, but they don't solicit commercial sponsorship, not that we need Nike commercials about caving, but something along those lines.

Might as well. Remember that Nissan (?) commercial that showed those guys driving up a rocky road to the edge of a pit and clipping on to the vehicle and rappelling in (thankfully they were at least wearing helmets)? Besides aren't grottos needing to buy newer gear for the next generation of newcomers for beginner trips? Heck lets have the corporations pay for it all. We can use our dues for gating projects and other stuff.

(yes, I'm being wholly sarcastic) ... No, we definitely seem to be doing well by word-of-mouth advertising and the occasional mention of the NSS on various programs (i.e. History, Discovery Channels, et al).
But I could see cavers not minding doing a Budweiser commercial ... nice cold bud after a hard caving trip... ahhh the best of both worlds... (yeeahh rriiigghhht!)

[Wayne Harrison]

As I posted in a similar discussion:

Read the comments after the incident report on a Feb. 2, 2005 caving trip in Arizona (p. 42 of NSS News -- American Caving Accidents -- May 2007 Part 2).

A caver aquaintance of mine, Pete Fine, was involved. Another caver was attacked by killer bees at a cave, even though other cavers knew there were killer bees there. "Due to the Arizona cave crecrecy ethic of some cavers, this information was not made available. Sometimes cave secrecy has serious safety consequences."