When to Pee into a Bottle and When to Notify the Babysitter

Total darkness. Only the melodic echo of water dripping from stalactites could be heard. Well, that’s not completely true. The slow rhythmic breathing of my group provided a reminder that we were in this together. Then, upon reaching the silent count to 100, I switched on my headlamp and it was game on. The first part of our mission was complete- enter through a steel tube into the Cathedral Room, a chamber rich in tradition and adorned with stunning formations. This was just the beginning.

My group consisted of my friend, Chris, my wife, Serena, her sister, Amanda and her husband, Marcus. Having listened to my caving stories during the past few years, Marcus and Amanda were ready for a fun-filled visit from their home in Toronto. This was their first time in a cave. For Serena and I, it was a rare moment away from the kids, who were in very good hands with the babysitters.

We proceeded through the cave into the Pit Room where we pulled our vertical gear out of our packs and began setting up the rappel system. Chris and Serena were no strangers to this cave and even though we were not taking out clients through Balanced Edge, we decided to take the opportunity to field test a new ladder design. This ladder was positioned over the rim of the pit, allowing for the person ascending up the rope to transition out of the pit with ease.

According to Marcus and Amanda, experiencing the pit for the first time can be summed up as, “exhilarating”, “mysterious”, “intriguing”, “an inner struggle against your racing mind”. For the rest of us, it was like visiting an old friend- both comfortable and familiar.

Once we all rappelled to the base of the 86 foot pit, we explored the many pockets and unique formations of popcorn, columns, and cave pearls. And apparently, we took our time… A lot of it. No watches and no cell phones with no sunlight equals time deprivation. The term cave time comes from the feeling of time being magical- where your internal clock no longer keeps track of time.

By the time we had each ascended up the rope, packed up our gear, and made our way to the exit, a total of 8 hours had passed. We had a feeling of panic as we reached our car, knowing we had to notify the babysitters that we were safe and on our way back. Serena and I were greeted by two smiling faces upon our arrival.

Wondering how the new ladder design faired? The concept design worked pretty well, but it needs a few adjustments. Pee bottles? Peeing in caves is bad. Peeing in leaky pee bottles is just as bad. We did neither. Our bottles don’t leak :)

-Jason H.

Does this sounds like your kind of adventure? If so, check out one of the upcoming Experience Caving courses offered by Balanced Edge!