Purpose: State & document best practices for
the organization of DC Grotto cave trips.
This should answer the question: How do I plan and organize a cave
trip for the grotto?
Safety: This guide does not address the
most important topic of safety,
nor of cave conservation.
By the time you consider coordinating a trip,
it's assumed that you know what you're doing in caves - specifically,
in the cave(s) you're considering to enter.
Planning: So here's guidance on how to best
coordinate a trip for the DC Grotto.
- Plan your trip well in advance. You might begin three months
before the date you're considering.
- Consult the grotto's calendar. If there are other trips with
which your trip might compete, attendance on one or both trips might be
lower than it otherwise would.
- The Limited
Cave Access List is on the VAR website. It doesn't give
guidance on what cave to visit, but it's good to get into the habit of
checking it before every trip.
- What's your backup plan: cancellation or another specific
cave? You don't have to announce this, but you'll streamline the
process if you begin thinking about one early.
- Chat with the grotto Gearmaster
to borrow helmets w/ lights. Anyone participating on a
properly-announced grotto trip may borrow grotto gear. In case
the gear is already promised to another trip, have this chat before
announcing your own trip. Arrange specifically how you're going
to get the gear from him.
- To help get good attendance, announce your trip well in advance.
When possible, two months of notice is really helpful.
- Mandate that each caver under 18 years old be accompanied
in-cave by at least one of their own parents or _legal_ guardians - not
someone else's. Sitting at the entrance does not count; they
must cave.
- Limit the trip to X cavers. Tip: Instead of counting X
total cavers, it's often best for the leader to count Y inexperienced
cavers plus Z experienced cavers. Initially, limit X to a low,
safe number, for which you know you'll surely have enough experienced
cavers. Then, as the signup progresses, you can increase X by a
few if you get enough experienced cavers to safely cover the number of
inexperienced cavers.
- If you *don't* announce the meeting time/place, cavers will
be forced to contact you to sign up. (That's a good thing.) Then
you can ask them about their experience level, provide any details you
left out of the flier, and repeat any details that need emphasis.
- See the web page for examples. If you first send your
draft to a respected, experienced trip organizer first, he or she will
usually be happy to review it. That often pays off!
- Post an announcement on the listserv. From there, the
Webmaster will pick it up and add it to the "Upcoming Highlights" part
of the main web page. If it's posted well enough in advance, the
Editor will also pick it up from the listserv and
include it in the Speleograph.
- During signup, discuss with each potential caver his or her
experience level and capabilities,
unless they're already well-known to you. Experience level isn't just a
number ("2 caves") or a word ("intermediate");
it's one necessary way for you to filter potential attendees to the
specific nature of your trip.
Does he/she have gear? Ask about any medical needs or concerns.
You'll need to know from each caver and accompanying parent/guardian:
- Name;
- 18 yrs old? (Y/N);
- Experience level (in your words);
- Relevant medical needs/concerns;
- Gear needs;
- Contact information: City or neighborhood*, email, and
regular & cell phone numbers.
(* The rough address will help when it comes time for folks to
organize carpools.)
When you're satisfied that the caver is a good match for your trip,
provide him/her with the exact meeting time and precise location.
Arrange how to be in contact with each caver just before departing for
the trip, in case of bad weather, etc.
- After signup begins:
- Arrange for a signin/signout person. (This is someone who
will be in town during the trip; who will not attend the trip; who
knows the contact information of several respected, local cavers who
will be in town during the trip; and who has emergency contact
information such as cave rescue numbers.) Communicate details such as
what cave(s) you'll enter, approximately where they are, the expected
dates/times you expect enter and exit the cave, the date/time you
expect to contact this person with the expected "everyone's out"
message, and the information you collected from each caver during the
signup process.
- If necessary, begin writing good (verified) directions to the
meeting place. As with everything else here, if you're in doubt, ask
someone who knows.
- When the signup is full or, at the latest, about a week before
the trip, check the Limited Cave Access List again.
Discuss with the Gearmaster how much loaner gear is required, and get
it.
- About a week before the trip, check the weather. Consider your
backup plan. Contact the cavers to confirm their attendance and contact
info. Provide the directions.
- A couple days before the trip, check the weather again. If
appropriate, begin to activate your backup plan.
- Just before you go, check the weather again! Contact the
signin/signout person with the final information on your plan,
state exactly who is attending, and reconfirm the details - especially
the date/time you expect to contact
this person with the expected "everyone's out" message.
- As soon as reasonably possible after exiting the cave, be sure to
contact the signin/signout person
to state that everyone on the trip is out of _______ Cave (or
appropriate communication).