Caving & Potholing

Lakes Outdoor Experience offers caving adventures not far from our base in the Lake District, Cumbria. The North Yorkshire Dales National Park, just 30 minutes drive from our location provides some challenging, adventurous and varied caving with hundreds of miles of passages to explore.

• explore the beauty of the underground world
• work with experienced and enthusiastic caving instructors
• do something different, challenging and memorable

With the help of our expert caving instructors and the odd leg up from your mates you can be sure of a highly enjoyable adventure. There are normally ways around the tight squeezes and apart from feet, getting wet is often avoidable!

Caving is a fantastic adventure and unlike any activity you can do on the surface! An introductory (Level 1) caving session would mean exploring cave systems such as Long Churns or Browgill cave. Once underground you'll go to places where relatively few people visit and see sights unlike anywhere else; huge passages draped with multi-coloured stalactites and flowstones to very small passages and thundering waterfalls plunging down vertical shafts; caving gives you the chance to adventure in a different world. Level 1 caving sessions involve vertical sections of no more than 2 metres (6 foot, six inches) in height where the use of a rope may be required to get you up or down.

Do you already have caving experience or have you been on an introductory caving trip with us before? If so, then you might want do have a more challenging adventure such as a Level 2 Caving session!

On a level 2 caving session we can take you to less busy and more extensive cave systems such as Kingsdale Master Cave or the Three Counties, Easegill System. These sessions can involve ascents and descents up to 18m, abseiling into caves and then climbing up caving ladders - they are a much more technical proposition and ideally, we should have observed you on a Level 1 caving session first.

Equipment for caving. We provide all technical equipment required for your caving session including a caving over-suit, wellington boots, a caving belt or caving harness (level 2 trips only) and a helmet with light. All you need to bring is clothing to wear underneath the caving oversuit, thick walking socks for the wellingtons provided, enthusiasm; and a change of dry clothing and towels to get dry at the end of your caving session.

Caving can be done as part of a multi activity session. Due to the cave locations, we can only combine this activity with a rock climbing session also available in the Yorkshire Dales National Park; or why not make it a full adventure day full of caving during which we can take you to several cave systems.

Prices for Caving Sessions.

• Prices can be as little as £65/person for a half day (4 hours) and £90/person for a full (8 hour) day of introductory (Level 1) caving. However, the minimum fee for a half day of Level 1 caving is £130 and the minimum fee for a full eight hour day is £180.00.
• Prices can be as little as £65/person for a half day (4 hours) and £90/person for a full (8 hour) day of advanced (Level 2) caving. However, the minimum fee for a half day of Level 2 caving is £130 and the minimum fee for a full eight hour day is £180.00.
• Group bookings discount and children’s rates are also available. Please contact us to enquire.

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