Issue date: 5/9/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Photo courtesy: Bill Becher Tina Keller beginning the 165-foot rappel into Moaning Cavern [Click to enlarge]

First there was that movie, "The Cave," which was about a group of scientists that got stuck in an undiscovered cave and got eaten by underground demons. Then there was "The Descent," which was about a group of young girls that also got trapped in a cave and got eaten by monsters, explained to be evolved human-like creatures that are blind and move through sound. Hollywood has done an outstanding job at portraying caves and caverns to be deadly and terrifying places. On Saturday, Peak Adventures is taking a spelunking (cave crawling) adventure to Moaning Cavern and the closest thing to a man-eating monster at this place is probably the old legend of the rock monster.

Lisa Boulton, marketing director at Sierra Nevada Recreation Company, which is leading the tour, explained the legend.

"Native Americans had an old legend of a rock monster living inside Moaning Cavern," she said. "Because the cavern actually does moan - hence the name - it was said that it was from a rock monster called Yayali."

This was just a legend, and the real reason for the moaning sound is because there is water dripping into the cave into large bottle holes. It echoes throughout the main chamber and makes a loud moaning sound, Boulton said.

The cave can be very eerie, but the real dangers are not from any living creature. What can be real dangers to cavers are claustrophobia and fear of heights. Boulton said from the main chamber of Moaning Cavern, it goes down 165 feet - about as tall as the Statue of Liberty (not including the statue's foundation). Included in the Moaning Cavern Adventure is a rappel (descending a fixed rope) to carefully drop down into the cave. From there it is very physically demanding, with a lot of crawling, climbing and getting dirty.

Besides the small fear factors, it is a thrilling experience, Boulton said.

"It is absolutely fascinating and is unlike anything on ground," she said. "There is no sound of nature, no constant fresh flow of air, it is the darkest place on earth and is very mysterious."

The cavern is mysterious in a sense because there are potentially many undiscovered parts.

"Reports from the 1800s say that there is a very large undiscovered chamber," Boulton said. "Perhaps there are many."

Operations Manager for Peak Adventures Brad Pointer will be one of the guides at Moaning Cavern. Pointer is far from frightened of caves. He began his caving experiences at the age of two. He agrees that caving is a thrilling and mysterious experience like no other.

"At age two I remember my parents and grandparents taking me into a cave," Pointer said. "They shut off all the lights and it was completely pitch black. I can remember seeing the glow on my grandfather's watch floating around in the dark."

Pointer moved on to Boy Scouts, where he had many camping trips to various caves and caverns. He has gone caving at Eagle Cave in Wisconsin and at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

He said he goes caving because "it's a different world down there, and you see so many amazing things underground."

"People who are more timid can take a walk in a cave, but to really experience it you have to get on your knees and get dirty," Pointer said. You must literally go spelunking.

There are also a few risks in caving, as there are in any type of outdoor activity. In some caves, there is a lot of scrambling and climbing through small, confined tunnels, and it is possible for a person to get stuck. Also, it is necessary to be fully prepared and always have enough light, because there is pure darkness underground and if there is no light source, it can be almost impossible to find a way out. Sometimes there is insufficient oxygen or harmful gases, Pointer said, although many caves are commercial caves and have been explored, so people are well aware of any harmful aspects.

There will be guides from the Sierra Nevada Recreation Company who will provide rappels, helmets with a light, jumpsuits, gloves and seat harnesses. They will deal with many physical aspects of the adventure.

"On the trip, my role is to be a group organizer," Pointer said. "I will be in charge of potential team building and working together. I will also keep people calm and deal with medical needs."

Any person who is interested in caving can attend, as there is no experience required. It is $67 for students and $85 for general admission. A group for one cavern adventure is about 10 to 12 people. Peak Adventures will schedule caving trips based on interest. For more information visit Peak Adventures or visit www.caverntours.com.

Mindy Yuen can be reached at features@statehornet.com.

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