telephone: (703) 348-7133 - email: info@go-adventuresports.com
Caving and Spelunking in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
Guided Caving Excursions for Youth and Adults
Caving or “Spelunking” as many prefer, is an adventure sport that combines many different skills into one amazing experience. Crawling through tight squeezes, wiggling down tunnels on your belly or your backside, climbing up walls of rock – these are just a few of the challenges you might find in a cave environment. Pitch darkness is what makes caving so different from other adventure sports. All of the challenges of movement in a confined space are increased when you have nothing more than a headlamp or flashlight for light!
Whiting's Neck and Indian Caves
The wild caves near Shepherdstown, WV give explorers new to the sport an opportunity to
descend into timeless caverns with ancient speleotherms and unseen challenges. Keep your eyes open and you might see tiny “soda straws,” the beginning stages of stalactite growth. “Flowstone” deposits shaped like ribbon candy and wedding cakes, “cave coral” that looks like burnt popcorn. These are just a few of the formations you might find at Whiting’s Neck. At the end of the trip, most people are amazed not only by the beauty of the cave’s structures, but by the challenges that they have overcome. Whiting’s Neck cave presents the opportunity to rappel and ascend a rope, squeeze through the “keyhole,” (which only works if you figure out the right combination!) and cross over chasms that drop 20 feet. Whiting’s Neck is “adventure” caving.
The wild caves near Shepherdstown, WV give explorers new to the sport an opportunity to
descend into timeless caverns with ancient speleotherms and unseen challenges. Keep your eyes open and you might see tiny “soda straws,” the beginning stages of stalactite growth. “Flowstone” deposits shaped like ribbon candy and wedding cakes, “cave coral” that looks like burnt popcorn. These are just a few of the formations you might find at Whiting’s Neck. At the end of the trip, most people are amazed not only by the beauty of the cave’s structures, but by the challenges that they have overcome. Whiting’s Neck cave presents the opportunity to rappel and ascend a rope, squeeze through the “keyhole,” (which only works if you figure out the right combination!) and cross over chasms that drop 20 feet. Whiting’s Neck is “adventure” caving.
Indian Cave, located less than a quarter-mile from Whiting’s Neck, offers novice cavers and children an opportunity to explore with little risk of injury. A drier cave than Whiting’s Neck, Indian Cave is a bat habitat in the fall and winter, as well as home to frogs, crickets, spiders, and the occasional shrew. When temperatures drop outdoors, the cave maintains a steady 50-55 degrees, making the cave warm in winter (and cool in summer). One of the most interesting things about Indian Cave is the curious ice structures that form when seeping water freezes at the entrance to the cave. These frozen ice structures mimic the rock structures you find in the cave – stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone and columns! Join us for a caving adventure you will not soon forget…
What We've Been Working on for 2008...
Caving Overnight - The Caving Overnight is a two-day caving intensive instructional event for teams of 4 to 14 participants. On the first day, we'll 'get our feet wet' with some basic cave technique training, followed by an overnight campout. On the second day, we will continue our program with some level 2 techniques (rapelling, ascending a rope, rescue techniques, etc.) and end with dinner and a debrief. This multi-day caving event is sure to whet you appetite for adventure!
Check our Calendar for upcoming OPEN programs in rock climbing, caving, mountain biking, or wilderness skills. OPEN programs give individuals and small groups a chance to try out different adventure sports activities.
Who can benefit from our guided caving excursions and adventure programs:
- School groups
- Adults
- Not-for-profit groups
- Scouts
- Camps
- Religious groups
- Corporations
- Small businesses
- Government agencies
- Sports teams
- Fraternities and sororities
- Birthday parties
- And more