Caving, which is sometimes called pot-holing or spelunking, is a rapidly expanding outdoor pursuit as it covers a wide range of activities on different levels. Its growing popularity is perhaps connected to one of the many facets that define the nature of man: curiosity. This title introduces the beginner to essential caving techniques, equipment, safety aspects and worldwide caving locations. Step-by-step guidelines, practical illustrations and diagrams provide a cross section of the subject and inform the reader how to plan a successful caving trip.

Author Biography

Peter Swart is a an active caver and member of the South African Spelaeological Association. He started caving in 1973 by exploring the caves above Kalk Bay, Cape Town, in his native South Africa. His interest in cave exploration spawned an interest in cave survey (drawing maps of caves) and this has been his major focus since the early 1980s. In addition, his interest led to an interest in bats and today he is involved with BAT, a conservation organization which documents bat roosts and furthers the educational aspect of bat biology for school children. Most of Peter's writing on caving has been done for scientific purposes in the form of nature conservation reports. He has jointly written articles for Cave and Karst Science, the scientific journal of the British Cave Research Association. As a private project, he has started his own caving website.