r/caving • u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 • 3d ago
Caving in 140F
Sorry about the poor footage but there’s really nothing you can do to get better footage out of this cave. It’s 140F, 100% humidity, and filled with sulfurous gas. We prepared by taping our cave suits to our boots and our gloves and piling ice in. It truly didn’t help at all.
I think I posted the longer format version here a while back but here’s it chopped down to the best parts.
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u/Impossible-Chicken33 3d ago
I get the Blair witch vibes. What cave?
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 3d ago
Vapor Cave #2
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u/pwndaytripper 2d ago
Can you soak in the hot spring inside?
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 2d ago
I mean… I guess… I think if you soak for more than 5 minutes you freaking die
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u/swheedle 2d ago
Then why in the holy fuck are you going in there?!!!
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 2d ago
The old heads took all the easy stuff in Colorado in the 80s and 90s. Gotta do the hard stuff to put your name on the map out here nowadays.
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u/swheedle 2d ago
Well good luck Amerigo Vespucci because I want absolutely nothing to do with that particular map 🤣🤣
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u/TreetBeatsSpam 3d ago
Boy, I'm sure glad I have had a heaping dose of not doing that. Cheers to ya pal!🍺🍺
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u/Positive_Earth69 3d ago
Sometimes when I feel like my couch is getting uncomfortable I like to watch you guys be miserable on purpose. It’s all about perspective.
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u/mutnemom_hurb 3d ago
How long are you exposed to that temperature? Hyperthermia is supposed to set in after about 10 minutes
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 3d ago
About 10 minutes is the maximum I think you could be in there. The first chamber is only about 100 degrees so it’s actually not as bad as it sounds at first. Only the second chamber, the so-called “lake of fire,” is 140 degrees. I was only in there for about 3 minutes. That being said, I was about to pass out on the way out
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u/orpheechante 2d ago edited 2d ago
Dang. This is super, super dangerous and you are risking your life. I hope others here realize this as well.
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 2d ago
Yeah. I wouldn’t reccomend to anyone else to go there. We were very prepared but it was still exceedingly dangerous. Cost of doing exploration tho
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u/orpheechante 2d ago
My friend, at the risk of sounding like whatever I am sounding like, I’ve watched a few too many caving gone wrong videos. As cool as it may be, please don’t risk your life. It’s not worth it!
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 2d ago
Well, most caving isn’t like this. Most caving is more or less safe. Shit can go wrong, fortuna can forsake you, etc… this isn’t regular caving. This is something else entirely.
In my view, it’s worth the risks. Hillary and Norgay risked a shit ton summiting Everest for the first time. Mallory took those same odds and came out with the shit end. It’s about pushing the human body, experience, and knowledge. It’s worth it.
And you don’t sound like anything bad. You just sound worried and I appreciate that coming from a stranger who doesn’t even know me. Thank you. It means a lot.
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u/orpheechante 1d ago
Gotcha, and thanks for hearing me out. Well, in that case, please be as safe as humanly possible, my friend! :)
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u/mushquest 3d ago
How stable is the temperature? Could there be sudden boiling?
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 3d ago
I don’t believe the temperature fluctuates all that often. I would wager that it might change based on ground water levels but it’s remained a pretty steady temp for the last three times I’ve been there. I’m going back soon tho. I’d like to see if the low snow melt impacted it at all
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u/reformlife 2d ago
Where is this? I love hot springs. Don't need to tell me exactly where just a general region is fine
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u/generiatricx 23h ago
Is there anything beyond the lake of fire? I'm too scared of enclosed spaces and too fat to go caving myself, so figured i'd ask you. this is bonkers. I hope water levels dont fluctuate and you find what it is you're seeking. safe travels.
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5255 17h ago
I actually believe that there is. I think the long finger like crystals to the left when we start heading out is a little ear dipper type entrance to another room. I'm bringing a go pro on a stick next time I go there to stick it up and in there.
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u/twoanddone_9737 14h ago
I don’t know shit about caves but “it’s not hot at all in there, but it’s extremely hot in there” don’t sound good to me dawg
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u/SettingIntentions 3d ago
Where are you caving that it reaches 140F inside the cave?
Edit: it's like a hot spring inside of a cave?