Ohio Cavers and Climbers

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Caving is the exploration of wild caves.
“What are wild caves?”
Wild caves are the kind you won’t find on any map, that you may even need special permission to get into, and they definitely don’t include a helpful tour guide to tell you to watch your step on the paved walkways in a huge cave filled with electric lights. We love caves of ALL kinds, even the “commercial” ones, but we hold a special place in our hearts for those tunnels and rooms yet to be discovered!
“Oh! So you mean your Spelo...Spelll...Spelunkers!”
Aaahhhh!!! Whatever you do, don’t call us Spelunkers! Yes, I know it’s a fun word to say, but in the CAVING community, we refer to “spelunkers” as those amatures who dive into a cave wearing flip flops, holding one flickering flashlight and go skipping about through a cave just asking to get themselves or the cave in trouble. Cavers practice safe caving techniques, look out for and help one another, come properly dressed and prepared and respect the cave environment. Where
Unfortunately there are few caves in Ohio. We primarily go caving in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. There are also amazing caving events all over the nation we sometimes attend. These take place throughout the year in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana and more. These week or weekend events not only give us the opportunity to explore new caves but also to meet other cavers, have fun with special events, shop at the vendors and of course, PARTY! We meet the second Wednesday of every month at Simpson United Methodist Church and we often take advantage of our time together to practice some climbing and/or rappelling skills. The address is 4900 Middlebranch Ave NE, Canton, Ohio 44705. When
We try to plan trips in advance to give people a chance to plan ahead, but we are known for deciding on the fly to go on a cave trip, spend an evening at the climbing wall, do some rappelling at Dundee Falls or climbing around the rocks at a nearby state park. Some of our trips are just a day long but sometimes we have weekend long camp outs. Cave trips can happen year round because it’s always the same temperature in a cave! Come to our monthly meeting the second Wednesday of every month at Simpson Church to hear about past trips and upcoming adventures! Why
Every adventure is a new opportunity to explore a completely unique world and maybe even discover something no one has ever seen before! It’s a completely different way to appreciate and discover nature. Each trip presents us with new challenges, pushes us to our limits and leaves us with a feeling of huge accomplishment in every bruise, sore muscle and clump of mud we crawl out with. We feel mentally and physically stronger than we were before. Not many are willing to squeeze through narrow corridors, squrim through tight tunnels and continuously climb over rocks and boulders, but for those who are, the rewards are great! How
How do you get started caving? Caving is one of the least expensive sports/hobby/(we’re still not quite sure how to classify this!) to get involved with. We understand that caving isn’t for everyone, so any gear that you don’t have, we can usually loan you for your first trip or two before you start making any real investments. Our yearly dues are beyond low at just $10 for the year and there are no fees besides gas money and highway toll booths. To go on a trip with us, you need to attend one of our monthly meetings and show us that you are willing to listen to direction and respect the cave environment. Always remember, we are just a group of individuals who enjoy the same activity. Cave trip routes are not always well known and usually not very structured. This is NOT like going on a tour at a commercial cave and you are ultimately responsible for yourself. (They’re called WILD for a reason!)