When I started at the Boiler House at C I Adventures, I had never been here so I was lucky to shadow a full day of activities when I arrived. One of the things I got to use was their indoor cave. I’d never heard of indoor caves and the only cave I had been in before were the ‘White Scar Caves’ near Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales. In those you remain vertical at all times, and they are fully lit, so I was still very apprehensive of ‘real caving’.
The indoor cave is an artificial 500ft cave passageway, which I could crawl round comfortably as an adult so children have no problems fitting in. It’s completely dark but you are equipped with a helmet and bright head torch so you can always see where you are going next. There are obstacles on the way such ‘Pete’s Peril’, ‘Cornish’s Crawl’ and ‘Ball Pool Duck’ which simulate obstacles you might find in an outdoor cave, such as finding water or squeezes. These were a surprise when I found them but not too difficult to overcome. Along the way there are numbers on the sides so if you encounter any problems you can knock on these doors and someone will be with you immediately.
It was a little unnerving at first, but as soon as I got accustomed to the surroundings, it was an exciting challenge. I just had to remember that when I got to what seemed to be a dead end, that it wasn’t a dead end, and to look upwards or round the corner. If you haven’t done any caving before and want to try it out before going outside, I can recommend it as a good way to start. Since doing it for myself, I have seen it is very popular with schools, and youth groups, and I can promise you that there aren’t any snakes or rats in there, despite what some children have told me they’ve seen!
