Safety

Caving can be done safely with appropriate measures to

assess and mitigate the inherent risks in the cave

environment and its approaches. As with any outdoor

adventure sport, it’s a matter of preparation, training,

experience, equipment, situational awareness and

caution. No matter how large or small the cave, how

well known it is, or how experienced you are:

•

Rule #1: Never go caving alone; and always stay with

your group.

•

Rule #2: Always let someone back home know

where you are going, and when you expect to return.

Then check back when you get out! (If you follow

rules #1 and 3 you should be able to allow plenty of

time and avoid an unnecessary rescue callout.)

•

Rule #3: Plan your trip carefully, including looking at

available surveys and trail information to minimize

the risk of getting lost, and ensuring that you and

your companions have proper equipment and skills

training for the nature of the trip. Is the cave gated

and if so, can you get in and out?

•

Rule #4: Monitor yourself and your companions as

you progress, to avoid becoming overtired or

hypothermic. Do not hesitate to turn back if issues

arise; too many wilderness incidents have resulted

from “pushing” a goal.

Injuries in caves are rare, but even minor ones can be

fatal if the victim is so far underground or in such a

constricted position that companions cannot extricate

the individual from the cave in time. Most caves in

Canada are fairly cold year - round, and an injured

person can quickly lapse into unconsciousness from

hypothermia.

We highly recommend training in wilderness first aid

and small-group self-rescue, as it will typically take a

long time for large – scale cave rescue resources to

arrive.

Typical caving dangers include being hit by falling rocks

(usually loosened by cavers climbing above the victim),

slipping on muddy surfaces, equipment failures, athletic

injuries such as a sprained ankle, getting confused or

lost, hypothermia and exhaustion. Simply put: approach

this sport very cautiously. Even if a cave initially appears

to be quite easy to visit, it is important to be properly

equipped and aware of your own limitations, and the

limitations of other members of your group. Instruction

and mentorship is highly recommended.

An underground injury could result in an extremely

difficult and expensive rescue. A serious accident

requiring help should be reported to the local agency

with jurisdiction (usually the RCMP, although it may be

Parks Canada or other agencies depending on location),

who will contact whatever resources might be available

in the area and potentially issue a tasking to an

organized rescue group such as the Alberta/BC Cave

Rescue Service.

There are numerous additional sources of good

information on caving safety on-line including relevant

web pages of the National Speleological Society [Add

hot link] in the United States. More advanced ‘technical’

safety and rescue techniques are available in numerous

books and on-line sources, although there is clearly no

substitute for experiential training with qualified

instructors.

A Word About Liability

Caving is similar to many other wilderness adventure

activities in that it can be done safely with proper

training, equipment and prudent behaviour, but there

are inherent risks which can never be totally eliminated.

Speleo Canada and all of its associated organizations

make no assurances or warranties, explicit or implicit,

that any individual will be free from harm, either on a

trip organized by an affiliated group or on a self-

organized trip involving individual cavers. We believe

that safety is the responsibility of each individual caver

within their underground team, and that in the event of

an accident it is the individuals involved who are

responsible for their actions and any costs associated

with a rescue attempt. It is a requirement of all

provincial caving groups that their members execute a

legal liability waiver which incorporates this principle.