Beginners On Trips
Bringing Beginners, Friends, or Families Caving
Wellington caving group encourages people to try out caving, these are some guidelines for members who bring people along on our trips.
A Guide
When bringing someone new on a caving please stay with them as support, they are your responsibility too.
The trip leader has the responsibility for the group, and cannot, and should not be expected to, spend the whole time on one to one training or coaxing. This can leave the rest of the party wanting, and reluctant about the return journey, not to mention reduce the opportunity for them to experience the cave.
Consider carefully before bringing more than one new person on a trip if they have little or no experience, unless you can actually look after and support them.
It could be you sitting in the paddock with them waiting for the return party.
Your children should be under your guidance at all times, or with someone you have arranged prior. Make sure the invited party is doing and making this challenge for the right reasons. It's a team event where each person has his or her own mental and physical challenge to overcome when entering a cave. Let new people know of any areas that fall into this category. Don't mislead them with "it's easy anybody can do it". We all have different capability levels.
If the mental or emotional outlook is right, is the physical capability right? Maybe the person may need to prepare for a while and join the next trip. We all need goals!
Follow the leader
Let the leader know ...
- register, we need to know prior to the day, provide full contact details
(Times and events could change, be cancelled or postponed, and enough gear needs to be arranged) - what each persons capabilities and experience is, and be honest
- meet at the designated place and time, be early.
If not following the leader to the next point, make sure the leader knows when and where you will be meeting. (Wandering off and doing your own thing can be a time waster, time that can be better spent in the cave - and that goes for support crew as well!) - bring the right gear
- book your equipment for hire, find out the costs and pay beforehand, or have the money ready on the day.
- attend the monthly meeting prior to the trip to meet the leader and club members
- pick up a gear list
- the leader has every right not to take anybody they feels is not up to it; mentally, physically, gear wise, clothing, or without a good ratio of experienced to novice cavers.
Soooo ...
After all they're the ones that spent time planning, making toll calls, getting access permission, arranging gear, and cleaning it. It's just courtesy
- NO HELMET = NO CAVING
- BE SENSIBLE = BE SAFE
When on the trip and in the cave
- follow the directions of the leader
- rigging is used for safety and to ascend and descend
- always have at least one point of attachment to the rigging
- do not adjust, alter, or de-rig ''without' the express permission of the person who set up the rigging
- advise your mentor, or the trip leader, if you are cold, have a medical issue, or need asssitance
March 2000