Caving, potholing and spelunking are basically the same thing. In short, it’s an adventurous activity all about exploring underground caves and caverns. From standing upright and walking around big open caverns to crawling through dark and incredibly narrow passages, the course of one caving experience can take you into some very different, and occasionally quite challenging, environments.
Depending on where exactly your guide takes you, caving can test you both physically and mentally. Do n’t let this put you off though. The activity can, if you ’ve got the inclination for it and it’s guided in the correct manner, be a genuinely fun thing to do. You ’ll get up and close and personal with the geological history of our planet.
Away from the staffed caves you can visit, you'll need to be a competent caver to go caving. We largely recommend taking a guide, or going on an organized caving experience for your first taste of underground exploring. Also if you like it, why not join a caving club where regular group outings are organized?
Safety is fundamental to what caving is, as it can be a dangerous pastime. We advise you to take heed of the British Caving Association’s document explaining what's caving for beginners, for info on learning to cave safely.
That’s the advantage of caving – it’s an each- rainfall exertion, with temperatures inside the grottoes staying much constant year round. You ’ll need to check things like water levels to see whether caves are accessible at the time you want to go though.