3/21/2010 @ 7:30

3/21/2010

Postal code 40205, US
Louisville, KY 40205

Cost: $48/person Duration: 6 to 6½ hours Caving Distance: 5½ miles Sells Out at: 14 visitors (reservations required) Restroom Available? Yes, at Snowball Room - Lunch is also available seasonally for cash only - call the park at [masked] for availability Emphasis on: Safe caving techniques; environmental concerns; cave exploration (past and present); team building Landmarks Seen: Carmichael Entrance, Cleaveland Avenue, Split Rock, Snowball Room, Boone Avenue, various areas off developed tour trails, Frozen Niagara Tour route Elevation change: 300 feet Physical Challenges: Heights that involve free-climbing cave walls; lengthy crawls through areas as tight as 9 inches high; walking in a crouched position; hand and knee crawls over jagged rocks and dirt; crawling through wet areas; twisting into and out of tight crawl way openings Restrictions: • Visitors must have had their 16th birthday • An adult must accompany visitors under age 18 • High-top, over-the-ankle lace-up boots, with lug or deeply treaded soles, are required. No low-cut hiking or athletic shoes allowed. Failure to wear required footwear will result in visitor being removed from the tour prior to trip departure • No backpacks are allowed on the tour. Only small fanny packs may be taken • Chest or hip measurement should not be more than 42 inches to avoid situations that impact tour for all participants • Work or climbing gloves and long pants are recommended - do not overdress • Helmets and lights are provided • Visitors should bring their own kneepads • Soft athletic (i.e. volleyball) kneepads are recommended (hard plastic kneepads are prohibited) • If desired, visitors may wish to bring a pair of gloves and soft athletic elbow pads (hard plastic elbow pads prohibited) • Requires a minimum of 2 participants. It's obviously not a leisurely trip, here's a link to the description: http://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/tour-wildcave.htm You must RSVP with Mammoth Cave Park for the trip. As of right now there are 10 spots left. Sometimes tickets will become available if people cancel ahead of time. Direct link to the reservation page: http://www.recreation.gov/tourDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&tourId=206190&tourDate=Sun+Mar+21+2010&numberOfTicketsSearched=1&cat=1 The tour starts at 9a Central (10a eastern), and they ask you get there at least 30 mins early. Anyone wanting to car pool, we could meet at the same Meijer (on Preston Hyw by 265). We'd need to leave by about 7:30a.