INTRO TO CAVING + A COAL MINER'S SON | Caver | Greg McCoy

Greg McCoy is a Virginia caver specializing in vertical caving [similar to rock-climbing rappelling but into a black hole...]. In this educational episode we get an introduction to all things caving: the difference between a spelunker & a caver; horizontal & vertical caving; white nose syndrome  [a fungus devastating to bats]; pouring dye into cave streams to test ground water; what sorts of cave critters one might see; and the extreme nature of cave rescue. We hear exciting anecdotes about regional discoveries ranging from ancient bones to burial sites and artifacts. Greg describes two of his caving trips, one about descending a 586-ft pit in Ellison's Cave in Georgia  [click to see epic pictures!]. Nearing the end we hear a bit about cave diving and wrap it up with some McCoy family history. Having descended from coal miners, Greg went to college to escape a miner's life, and yet he's spent a lifetime underground for work & for recreation!

Find your regional caving club [called a grotto] to reach out & join a caving excursion near you.


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