Yesterday, I had my first real caving experience. The 'Hall of the White Giant' is one of the tours where you belly crawl, chimney, squeeze and climb your way around. At first I was a little nervous, but it was really a blast. Although this type of a tour is definitely not for everyone. You need to be in decent shape, and not afraid of tight spaces. There are a variety of challenges including climbing a knotted rope, where you need both upper body strength and good foot holds to get up the slippery flow stone. Several places where you squeeze yourself through tight tunnels.
The goal in this tour is to see the White Giant. It is a beautiful stalagmite, and worth the time to get there. There are not a lot of other spectacular formations, but you get to see crevices that drop off into what appears to be nothingness. This tour allows you plenty of time to look around and see the rocks sometimes only inches from you, other times your helmet light can barely reach the ceiling.
John would like this tour, although I'm not entirely convinced if his shoulders would make it though the tight spots. For once, being petite has a definite advantage! Regardless of your size, if you're adventurous and really want a true caving experience, this is an awesome tour. Make reservations. It's only offered to the public once a week!
That's it for now. More soon.
Val
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