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spelunking
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Anonymous
The proper term is the first, "caving".
It is an outdoor-pursuit rather than sport, the hobby of visiting natural caves and abandoned mines. This covers both simply visiting known caves for the physical and mental challenges and the aesthetic appeal; and searching for and exploring "new" caves.
It also covers Speleology - the umbrella term for scientific study of the caves and their natural contents.
It is not a hobby for the faint-hearted or dilettante as caves do present their own hazards; but approached properly, with the risks minimised by using the right equipment and knowledge, and appropriate level of fitness, it can be a very rewarding activity indeed.
That equipment can range from little more than old clothes and a simple lamp and safety-helmet to the specially-developed protective clothing and rope-climbing gear now common.
Cave-diving takes that an order of magnitude further, and definitely is a speciality for very experienced cavers first and foremost, wishing to learn the peculiarities and particular hazards of diving in caves in order to explore whatever lies beyond the "sumps" (water-filled passages). It is not a hobby of its own, but an adjunct to caving; and there have been open-water divers killed by venturing into deep, flooded caves without knowing the characteristics of such places, and the basic but vital precautions.
Finding a cave not previously entered, gives the discoverer team the unique experience of seeing something no-one else anywhere on Earth has seen; but other than on expeditions to remote areas of the world, this is now normally the reward for long-term, patient efforts that might be spread over some years.
"Spelunking" is an odd word. It was invented by some American cavers in the 1930s, as an attempt to sound fancy (the "spel" root is from the Greek for "cave"); but it did not catch on anywhere else, and after a while it became debased by cavers themselves in its own country.
In Northern England, caving was once also called "Pot-holing" - the region holds a lot of caves entered by open shafts loosely called "pot-holes"; but both terms are also practically obsolete even among cavers, save for surviving in the names of a few caving-clubs established in the first decades of the 20C.
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What are some interesting things to do in Colorado?
Rafting is great fun. Caving (spelunking) is awesome. Skiing... hiking... rock climbing... camping...
Who invented caving?
The sport of caving, also known as spelunking, does not have a specific inventor. Exploring caves has been a part of human history for thousands of years, with early humans seeking shelter or resources in natural underground formations. The modern recreational activity of caving has evolved over time as people became more interested in exploring caves for adventure and scientific discovery.
What is it called when you explore caves?
Caving - as simple as that. If the trip is genuine exploration, i.e. by the cave's discoverers as they find it, then we will use the word "explore", but it is used loosely as after all, if you have never previously visited the cave it is your personal exploration of it. It is NEVER called "spelunking" - that's a US-only word that was coined legitimately by a group of cavers for themselves, but later became a slang term of derision aimed at novices and dilettantes!
What is the name of a person who explores caves?
A CAVER - as simple as that, throughout the English-speaking caving world. Someone who studies caves and their contents scientifically is a Speleologist - though he or she is still a caver because you have to be able to negotiate caves in order to study them!
Do people go in caves?
The activity is called spelunking, and many people are wild about it. +++ Yes many people are very enthusiastic about it - but they rarely if ever call it 'spelunking'. This American slang word seems to used by cavers only in the US, and then only to deride dilettantes and novices. I've never seen it in US cavers' publications such as the National Speleological Society's journal. The correct word throughout the English-speaking word is "caving" and the enthusiast is a "caver".
Which hobby is referred to as spelunking?
Cave exploration. +++ Not these days. "Spelunking" was a rather pretentious but well-meant term coined in the 1930s(?) by a couple of American cavers, and used respectably enough for a while, but has since become a slang term of derision among cavers. It was never used outside of the USA, not even in the UK which tends to copy slavishly, US slang. The normal term throughout the English-speaking world is "caving", and its adherents are "cavers".
Is spelunking a sport?
Not really.
How does mountaineering deep-sea exploration and spelunking compare?
They don't, is the short answer. The only things they have in common are exploration and the need for specialist equipment and skills! Though deep-sea exploration involves equipment, manpower and expense some orders of magnitude greater than those of even a major Himalayan mountaineering expedition. ' Oh, and by the way, no-one goes "spelunking". They go "caving", even in the US where the word was invented in the 1930s by a couple of cavers who thought it sounded grand!
What is a dead cavern in spelunking cave-exploration?
I've not heard of a "Dead" cavern - and as far as I can ascertain "spelunking" is not recognised except perhaps as American-only slang abuse of novices or dilettantes. The proper word is "caving" throughout the English-speaking world. As for the "dead cavern", I wonder if this what is also, at least in Britain and Europe, called a "Fossil" or "Abandoned" series; i.e. one that has been left high and dry by its formative stream diverting to a new, lower course or vanishing altogether.
What do you call cave exploring?
Spelunking
How do you pronounce spelunking?
spee- lunk-ing
What do you call the hobby of exploring caves?
Spelunking
