Vertical Training
No gear is necessary, absolute beginners welcome!
Email Trevor Cicchinelli at
trvcic@gmail.com if interested.
Survey Efforts on the Barbara Schomer Preserve
Email the board
pittsburghgrotto@gmail.com if interested.
2024
January
February
March
SPAR course
Date: March 7th-10th
Location: Menlo, Georgia
Link for more info:
https://caves.org/event/spar-menlo-march-2024/.
"This NCRC Small Party Assisted Rescue (SPAR) seminar is an intensive four-day introduction to cave rescue techniques that a party of six or fewer people can perform, using minimal gear that can be carried on caving trips. Topics covered in the class include preventing and preparing for common caving-related problems, basic medical skills, moving patients through obstacles, helping people who are stuck on rope, and building and operating haul and lower systems.
Students will need to study some material in advance so that the sessions reinforce and elaborate on existing information. Students will practice skills in a rope gym setting, and then will build on those skills at cliff and cave sites. The course will be demanding, with long days and evenings, but will provide participants with valuable skills that they can use to help themselves and others when they are needed most."
April
May
VAR field meeting
Date: May 3rd-5th
Location: East Fork Campground, Durbin, WV (Pocahontas County)
Hosted By: DC Grotto, more info:
var.caves.org
Vertical Practice
Date: May 4th
Location: McConnells Mills
Vertical practice at the mills.
Vertical Practice
Date: May 11th
Location: McConnells Mills
Joint vertical practice with OCC and Cleveland Grotto.
MAR field meeting
Date: May 17th-19th
Location: McClure Bean Soup and Festival grounds, McClure, PA (Snyder County)
Hosted By: Bald Eagle Grotto, more info:
mar.caves.org
Orientation to Cave Rescue
Date: May 18th - 19th
Location: Fayetteville, Indiana
A weekend course introduction to cave rescue. Enjoyable and useful for anyone of any skill level. More info:
https://ncrc.info/Courses.
Speleofest
Date: May 24th - 27th
Location: Lone Star Preserve, Bonnieville, Kentucky
Speleofest is an annual caving event in Kentucky that takes place on Memorial Day Weekend. It was started in 1972 by the Louisville Grotto and has continued ever since. Proceeds from the event have allowed the Louisville Grotto to purchase the Lone Star Preserve in Bonnieville, Kentucky, which functions as a permanent location for Speleofest and a year-round educational facility for caves and karst. More info
https://www.louisvillegrotto.org/speleofest/.
Bear Cave Beginner trip
Date: May 26th
Location: Bear Cave
Led by Tom Metzgar
loyalhanna@aol.com.
June
Rupert's Campout
Date: June 1st - June 2nd
Location: Rupert's Cave
Camp out near the cave. The trip into Rupert's is full, but we'll be leading trips to many other caves in the area.
NCRC levels 1,2, and 3
Date: June 7th-June 15th
Location: Camp Pinnacle, Voorheesville, NY
Link for info:
https://ncrc.regfox.com/ncrc-2024-national-seminar
"The seminar consists of extensive classroom instruction and fieldwork in all phases of cave rescue including the underground environment, search problems, extrication techniques, patient evaluation and care, patient packaging, horizontal and vertical patient movement, rigging, hauling and lowering systems, communication systems, and the organization and management of cave rescue operations. Students typically include cavers, emergency services personnel, and emergency managers. The Seminar is physically demanding and participants must be in good physical health. Students should be prepared to work in difficult situations, both above and below ground."
Karst-o-Rama
Date: June 20th-23rd
Location: The Great Saltpetre Cave Preserve (GSP) near Mt. Vernon, Kentucky
Karst-O-Rama (KOR) is the annual caving convention and fund-raiser hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Grotto (GCG). KOR takes place at The Great Saltpetre Cave Preserve (GSP) near Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. KOR is like a family reunion that's presented by cavers, for cavers (or those newly interested in caving!), and runs from Friday through Sunday. Activities include, but are not limited to, guided cave trips, cave equipment vendors, the Food Truck at the picnic shelter, and caving-related contests, among other things. There is a "Howdy Party" Friday evening for everyone to get reacquainted, and on Saturday evening there is a banquet, program, and door prizes, followed by live music and a great dance party. More info:
https://karstorama.com/
Carl's Vertical Practice
Date: June 22nd
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Vertical Practice in Carl's back yard. Email Carl
carlcaverpierce@gmail.com for more details.
July
NSS Convention
Date: July 1st-5th
Location: Sewanee, Tennessee
Held annually, the NSS Convention is a weeklong event bringing cavers together from all over the world. Join us in 2024 in Sewanee, Tennessee for cave workshops, sessions, field trips and more. More info:
https://caves.org/convention/2024-nss-convention/
AMRG Rescue Practice at Chestnut Ridge
Date: 9:00 am July 13th
Location: Bear Cave Parking Lot, Closest address 181 Hillside Road, Derry, PA 15627
The Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group (AMRG) will be conducting a Cave Rescue Training exercise near Hillside, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on Saturday July 13th 2024. Cave rescue volunteers should plan to attend if possible. Prepare for a long day in the woods and terrane of Chestnut Ridge. Food, water, appropriate clothing and cave gear required.
Led by Tom Metzgar
loyalhanna@aol.com.
Jenkinsburg Bridge
Date: July 27th
Location: near Cooper's Rocks, West Virginia
Vertical Practice off the Jenkinsburg Bridge. Rappel 65ft, change over, ascend back up. Email Carl
carlcaverpierce@gmail.com for more details.
August
MAKC board meeting
Date: August 17th, 10AM
Location: Danielson Center; 137 East Campbell Street Blairsville, PA 15717
More info
info@karst.org
Member's Meeting
Date: August 21st, 7:30PM
Location: TBD
Meeting for new and prospective members.
Barb Schomer workday
Date: August 23th
Location: Barbara Schomer cave preserve
Led by Tom Metzgar
loyalhanna@aol.com.
Frog's Head
Date: August 23rd-25th
Location: Red River Gorge, KY
200 ft rappel and ascent. Practice for Bridge day. Email Carl
carlcaverpierce@gmail.com for more details.
Old Timers Reunion (OTR)
Date: August 27th-September 2nd
Location: OTR campsite, WV
Annual gather of “cavers” in WV – generally a party atmosphere but caving is known to take place – Vendors for cave gear can be found here. You need an invite from a member of the TRA to attend. Website:
https://otr.org/, Become a TRA member:
https://otr.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TRA-Application-082122.pdf
September
Climbing with the Queer Scouts
Date: September 7th
Location: McConnells Mills
Top roping, lead climbing, bouldering and rappelling practice at McConnells mills.
Jenkinsburg Bridge
Date: September 8th
Location: Jenkinsburg Bridge, WV
Rappelling practice at the bridge.
Fall Picnic
Date: September 13th-15th
Location: Laurel Caverns
Annual picnic at Laurel Caverns. We camp out Friday and pack up Sunday. There will be cave trips into Laurel and Barton's Cave, the champagne toast and pleasant company.
Orientation to Cave Rescue
Date: September 20th - 22nd
Location: Elkins, WV
A weekend course introduction to cave rescue. Enjoyable and useful for anyone of any skill level. More info:
https://ncrc.info/Courses.
Bear Cave trip
Date: September 21st
Location: Bear Cave
We will most likely meet at the Bear Cave parking lot around 10 or 11am. The cave is about an hour and 20 minute drive from the South Hills area and is a wonderful cave to explore for all skill levels. I expect the trip to take around 3 hours, but if we have a bigger group and everyone is having fun, we could be in longer. Email Mike Weaver(
michaelrweaver26@yahoo.com) for more details.
Whitesides
Date: September 28th-29th
Location: Highlands, NC
Preparation for Bridge day. 700ft rappel, optional ascent. Email Carl
carlcaverpierce@gmail.com for more details.
Coon Cave closing
Date: September 28th
Location: Coon Cave
More info
info@karst.org
Lemonhole Cave seasonal closing
Date: September 28th
Location: Lemonhole Cave
More info
info@karst.org
October
Barton Cave seasonal closing
Date: October 4nd
Location: Barton Cave
More info
info@karst.org
Fall Vertical Practice
Date: October 5
Location: Rim Road, McConnell's Mill
Inter-Grotto vertical practice.
Tag Fall Cave-In
Date: Oct 3-6th
Location: 3591 Greenbriar Cove Rd, Union Grove, AL 35175
The Cave-In is the Southeastern caving community’s legendary yearly celebration of Caves and Caving. Attendance hovers around 1000 of your best caving friends. TAG is also the main fundraiser for the Dogwood City Grotto – to keep us going and helping new cavers, teaching safe vertical practices, and protecting caves and access to them. Any profit we make above operating expenses is returned to cavers in the form of Grants to various projects around the caving community.
Bridge day
Date: October 19th
Location: Fayetteville, WV
Annual event of rappelling and base jumping (for those that meet the experience requirement and are on a team) off of the New River Gorge Bridge – There is a cost involved and advanced training in vertical rope skills is required for the rappelling, food and festivities to be found along the highway above – don’t plan on going anywhere else the day of. Website:
https://officialbridgeday.com/
Member's Meeting
Date: October 30th, 7:30PM
Location: Room 4304, Gates-Hillman Center, CMU
Meeting for new and prospective members. Online and in-person.
November
MAKC board meeting
Date: November 16th, 10AM
Location: Danielson Center; 137 East Campbell Street Blairsville, PA 15717
More info
info@karst.org
December
Grotto Christmas Party
Date: TBD
Location: TBD
Annual get-together. A fun evening with cavers and pot-luck.