Sooner or later exploring caves will lead you to a vertical drop or pitch so the first progression is to 'potholing' which needs special training in climbing and descending flexible wire ladders or ropes.

Contact SUI for details of training in "ropework" skills.

Many cavers also spend time 'digging' or searching for new undiscovered caves. If you do discover a new cave, it should be mapped and the survey published with a full description in a caving journal such as 'Irish Speleology'.

Foreign caves always look better than those at home, and as caves can be found in most countries, caving can be included as part of a holiday or as a specific expedition.

To show your friends what caves are like and 'why you do it' many cavers try to take photographs in the caves. This presents many challenges and some cavers can spend hours on the 'perfect shot'.

The cave environment can be very harsh - total darkness, cold and liability to flooding - it is hard to imaging living there successfully. Some creatures manage it and become very highly adapted, also providing an interesting subject for specialised study.