Quite what makes the sport of caving so addictive is difficult to explain, but without doubt, part of it is the challenge and the satisfaction of passing a whole series of natural obstacles. There is a real pleasure in learning to move efficiently through these complex three dimensional forms. There is also the element of curiosity that makes all of us want to know what lies round the next corner, particularly when we realise that many cave passages still await discovery.

Some of the types of caves most suitable for a novice may involve few special skills and no more equipment than protective clothing, boots, lamp and helmet; ...

... they need not be tame either! These caves may involve a fair degree of scrambling, crawling, or climbing and often all of these things may be in water.

More demanding cave trips entail vertical drops requiring the use of either wire ladders or, commonly these days, single rope techniques. These skills need supervised training and need to be practiced on the surface. Hanging in a spray of water half way up a vertical drop is no place to decide that you can't climb a flexible ladder or you don't know how to get past a point where the rope has been re-belayed to the rock!