GO-Introduction to Caving

Whiting's Neck and Indian Caves
The wild caves near Shepherdstown, WV give explorers new to the sport an opportunity to descend into timeless caverns with ancient speleotherms and unseen challenges. Keep your eyes open and you might see tiny “soda straws,” the beginning stages of stalactite growth. “Flow stone” deposits shaped like ribbon candy and wedding cakes, “cave coral” that looks like burnt popcorn. These are just a few of the formations you might find at Whiting’s Neck. At the end of the trip, most people are amazed not only by the beauty of the cave’s structures, but by the challenges that they have overcome. Whiting’s Neck cave presents the opportunity to rappel and ascend a rope, squeeze through the “keyhole,” (which only works if you figure out the right combination!) and cross over chasms that drop 20 feet. Whiting’s Neck is “adventure” caving.

Indian Cave, located less than a quarter-mile from Whiting’s Neck, offers novice cavers and children an opportunity to explore with little risk of injury. A drier cave than Whiting’s Neck, Indian Cave is a bat habitat in the fall and winter, as well as home to frogs, crickets, spiders, and the occasional shrew. When temperatures drop outdoors, the cave maintains a steady 50-55 degrees, making the cave warm in winter (and cool in summer). One of the most interesting things about Indian Cave is the curious ice structures that form when seeping water freezes at the entrance to the cave. These frozen ice structures mimic the rock structures you find in the cave – stalactites, stalagmites, flow stone and columns! Join us for a caving adventure you will not soon forget…