The Caving Podcast

Marion Akers is an Indiana-based caver and cave cartographer involved in exploration in TAG, Indiana, and Mexico. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ More on the Carter Caves State Resort Park Winter Adventure Weekend: https://www.winteradventureweekend.com/   Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grottos/new_grotto_page-v2.s...

Mark Dickey is an NCRC instructor and helped create a new comprehensive advanced alpine SRT caving course called Caving Academy, which will hold its first class September 10th through 16th in Budapest. Learn more about Caving Academy! https://cavingacademy.org/   Pre-register for Indiana Cave Capers HERE: http://www.cigcaves.com/indiana-cave-capers/all-about-cave-capers/cave-caper-registration/  ...

Aidan Campbell is a land manager with the SCCi, and talks about that role and the passion he has for cave conservation. He talks about his caving genesis, and the various that have led him to and through his caving life. Join SCCi or find more info HERE: https://www.saveyourcaves.org/   Pre-register for Indiana Cave Capers HERE: http://www.cigcaves.com/indiana-cave-capers/all-about-cave-capers/cav...

Gretchen Baker is the current national coordinator for the National Cave Rescue Commission, but that barely scratches the surface of her credibility. We talk about her past and present work for the National Park Service, and her exploration efforts across the globe. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST   Buy Gretc...

"Ancient Caves" was released for IMAX 3D and IMAX Dome theaters just days into the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but thankfully the cycle for IMAX type educational films is years long, and this film could still be coming to a theater near you! I was fortunate to talk to director Jonathan Bird about making the film, and cave diver Todd Kelly who talked about not only working on this film, but als...

Thomas Hawkins has caved all over the world, but got started in one of the best places on Earth–West Virginia’s Germany Valley. He talks about caving via botany in Central America, salt caves in Chile, caving with some of my Hoosier friends in Mexico, and being part of survey efforts in a classic TAG cave. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over...

Holly McClintock has chaired the Louisville Grotto since 2012. She is an active member of the Cave Research Foundation, Central Kentucky Karst Coalition, SCCi, KSS, and of course the NSS. She assists with management of the grotto’s own 126 acre Lone Star Preserve. She manages the SCCi Daleo Preserve, home of the Daleo entrance to Roppel Cave, where she spends most of her time underground. We talke...

Reilly Blackwell has done an awful lot of caving since she first got serious about it in 2016. Since then she has worked for the NSS, been on several expeditions to Mexico, and served in various roles on several other projects throughout the country. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST   Find your local grotto! h...

Matt Pelsor has produced and hosted the Caving Podcast since July of 2016. He is a radio personality and voiceover actor from Indianapolis. In this episode, he and renowned caver Hazel Barton share a conversation about caving. Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattpelsorradio/ The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with pr...

Kirsten Alvey-Mudd is the executive director of the Missouri Bat Census https://www.facebook.com/MissouriBatCensus/ The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST   Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grottos/new_grotto_page-v2.shtml

Devra Heyer is the Education Division Chief of the National Speleological Society. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST   Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grottos/new_grotto_page-v2.shtml

Matthew Lachniet is a paleoclimatologist who studies cave formations to get a record of past climate history. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST   Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grottos/new_grotto_page-v2.shtml

This month is a series of impromptu interviews conducted at Indiana Cave Capers, which is an annual event put on by the Central Indiana Grotto. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST   Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grottos/new_grotto_page-v2.shtml

Jim “Crash” Kennedy has been passionate about caves, caving, and bats for most of his life. He reveals the unfortunate incident that earned him his nickname, discusses gating caves, working with Bat Conservation International, chairing the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, and the 2025 convention in a delightful hour of conversation. Find more on the National Cave and Karst Management...

Ceth Parker is a California-based caver who has done impressive research on iron caves in Brazil, which makes this podcast host re-think how most caves are formed. He has also designed experiments intended for the International Space Station and has tested them with parabolic flights aboard the so-called ‘Vomit Comet.” All of which are discussed in this episode. Learn about the NSS Western Region’...

George Veni is the executive Director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (http://nckri.org/), and the president of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), who is responsible for the International Year of Caves and Karst (http://iyck2021.org/). The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST Find your loca...

Canadian (former Hoosier) Dale Chase passed away on Monday, 5/3/21. He was a guest of the podcast on February 2018 after he wrote a book on his colorful caving life and shared several excerpts for this episode. You can buy his book here: http://www.blurb.ca/b/8493203-journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth

UK caver Martin Hoff has enjoyed lots of significant European caves throughout his storied association with caving. The Caving Podcast is sponsored by https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 any full-priced order over $300 with promo code PODCAST Register for the NSS “Virtual Topics in Cave Rescue” at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpf-GgpjouHdwIdzOugQThZebcwV8tsUGU MAY 12 -Search Op...

Carol Vesely is a California caver who has been caving all over the world. She enthusiastically shares a small fraction of her caving life in this interview. Support our sponsor! https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 off any light, or any regularly-priced order over $300 with the promo code "PODCAST" at checkout. Sign up for the NSS series “Virtual Topics in Cave Rescue” here: https://us02web.zoom.us/mee...

Steven Johnson and Marianne Russo are the President and Secretary (respectively) of the Western Cave Conservancy. Visit their website here to support and learn more about their efforts: https://www.westerncaves.org/ Support our sponsor! https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 off any light, or any regularly-priced order over $300 with the promo code "PODCAST" at checkout. Sign up for the NSS series “Virtua...

Mark Wenner is a caver and cave diver in the TAG area, but has also done a lot in Mammoth and elsewhere. Support our sponsor! https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 off any light, or any regularly-priced order over $300 with the promo code "PODCAST" at checkout. Sign up for the NSS series “Virtual Topics in Cave Rescue” here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpf-GgpjouHdwIdzOugQThZebcwV8tsUGU Fi...

We’re kicking off 2021 with a caving legend. Bill Steele joins us to talk about his early days in caving, plus leading expeditions to Huautla and other deep caves in Mexico. Order Bill’s book from the NSS Bookstore: https://members.caves.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=11330034 Support our sponsor! https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 off any light, or any regularly-priced order over $300 with the promo c...

Caver and cave diver Chrissy Richards has done some incredible work. This hour we talk about exploration in Florida, TAG, Mexico, and Hawaii. Also, a few things to consider if you want to get into cave diving. Support our sponsor! https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 off any light, or any regularly-priced order over $300 with the promo code "PODCAST" at checkout. Find your local grotto HERE: https://cav...

Fellow Indiana caver Danyele Green is co-chair of the Bloomington Indiana Grotto. She's done a lot, and I had so much fun just nerding out about classic Indiana caves with her for an hour. Enjoy. Grotto URL: https://bloomingtonindianagrotto.home.blog/ Support our sponsor! https://elspeleo.com/ Save $20 off any light, or any regularly-priced order over $300 with the promo code "PODCAST" at checkout...

Long-time TAG caver and founding member of the SCCi joins me this month, and what a talk we had. TAG classics, rescues (and recoveries), Lechuguilla... Enjoy. Support our sponsor, https://elspeleo.com/ and save $20 with promo code "PODCAST" on any order over $300 Donate to the Indiana Karst Conservancy to support their newest acquisition, an expansion of the Shawnee Karst Preserve. Learn more here...