People who do potholing for fun

[StrychnineIntheSandwiches]

I just watched this extremely distressing video of a fully grown man squeezing his fully grown self into a letter box sized hole. He probably doesn't even know where that hole leads. Pennywise might be down there waiting for him. He might never comes back.

'Ah' his friends will say 'but he died doing what he loved most, squeezing himself into creepy little caves'.

I'd rather walk across broken glass to embrace a naked Nigel Farage than go potholing.

twitter.com/jeremiahjw/status/1488607102452912129

Just seen someone else mention Mike ballen. The one that horrified me most was the man who was head down and squeezed down and got his ribs through but then his rib cage prevented him going back and slowly he swelled and fluid gathered killing him!

@Carriemac

I did long chummas a student - our leader couldn't fit through the cheese press and we had to continue alone. We got lost -3 hours underground. Went in as an adventurous person , came out deeply claustrophobic. Still am 30'years later . One of the worst experiences of my life .

So you were lost underground for three hours thinking you'd never see daylight again?

Not surprised it left a mark on you.

I’m reading these in recoil as claustrophobic but also intrigued

I haven’t Googled the nutty cave but get the gist from the thread

@BigValue
I suspect the cave I went down on my outdoor pursuits course was Lower Long Churn. Took a couple of hours, a bit of climbing (and abseiling IIRC) a leap across a pool making a wild grab at a stalactite above you and a wild grab at the fit young instructor on the other side. Our teacher misjudged it and fell in. We all roared laughing which was a shame as she was nice. An opening to a beautiful cavern then crawling on our bellies through puddles to get out. It was fantastic!

@Octomore

It doesn't matter how the money is raised, through donations, or taxes, it's still a lot of money for which I believe people involved in the most extreme of extreme sports should be prepared to take a modicum of personal responsibility.

Who the fuck do you think donates cash and fundraises for mountain/cave rescue teams? Climbers and cavers, that's who.

And who do you think runs them and volunteers their time and effort? Climbers and cavers again.

Claiming that the exact people who fund and run rescues need to take "a modicum of personal responsibility" makes you sound pretty stupid tbh.

Wow people are completely unable to tolerate opposing views to their own nowadays! At least I am intelligent enough Octomore to put my point across without swearing and being insulting.

If you had managed to read my posts properly, instead of just taking one aspect of them to suit your argument, you'll see that I wasn't talking about pot-holing specifically, I was talking about rescues and medical treatments of all sorts for a variety of extreme sports. And mountain rescue teams and helicopters are funded by many ordinary members of the public not just those who pursue extreme sports.

I’m extremely claustrophobic, I cannot wear polo neck jumpers because I can’t stand pulling anything tight over my head and as for the body-shaping underwear....let’s just say I couldn’t get it off quickly enough, hideous sensation of being constricted 😱. Even reading this thread is making my hands sweat!
I was a breech birth and I reckon that’s why I feel this way.
I am very risk adverse, I prefer others to try!

Cheese press people, you've actually done this?

No no no no no no X a million.

I used to go out with a cave diver. Quite porky, not agile. Lots of expensive equipment and mud. Very time consuming as long drive to the cave then hours down/in it. Cheap accommodation though as sometimes he'd just sleep in the cave.

Not a keeper for many reasons but he wanted to spent 3 weekends minimum a month caving.

@Spudlet

Came on to say that cave rescue in the uk is carried out by volunteers. Apparently we have some of the best cave rescuers in the world.

Anyone who hasn’t already watched The Rescue, I urge you to do it - it’s about the rescue of the boys football team from that cave in Thailand. Absolutely amazing that they all got out. I’ve seen it three times so far…!

Oh my, I watched that this week, absolutely stunning! Those blokes are proper heroes. They showed some pot holing at one point, nearly made me faint, utterly horrible!

Nutty Putty

~ wanders off jibbering ~

Well I think I would rather A) Visit The Dentist(Lifelong fear of Dentist since smacked by one as a child! B) Meet with Piers Morgan ,Boris and Katie Price .C) Wash the floor several times over (most hated chore!) Recently a guy had to rescued from the Brecon Beacons by The Cardiff Cave Rescue Guys .A 3 day event!

I used to love potholing.
But I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie.
It is pretty bloody scary sometimes.

I was talking about rescues and medical treatments of all sorts for a variety of extreme sports.

Right-ho then. Why don't you go away and do some research into the cost of treating 'extreme' (I hate that word, as it's total nonsense) sports injuries, as compared to the cost of treating injuries caused by things like running, football, golf, fishing etc.

The fact that you think that extreme sports might cost the NHS more than those sort of "run of the mill" sports display your level of knowledge on the topic, because I can promise you that they do not.

My horror is at seeing those urban free climber people.
Have they no fear?

Shit. I am claustrophobic. I have night terrors where I wake up convinced I'm trapped.

I can't travel in the back of a two door car (no exit) and avoid any venue which might fill up with people and trap me (night club for eg).

I can't watch submarines on telly and driving through the Dartford Tunnel is a nightmare.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to even try it.

My middle son has Autism and when he was four I 'lost' him somewhere in the house. He had crawled under his bed and zipped himself into a laundry bag.

I seriously thought of making him wear a tracker for fear of him squeezing himself into some tiny dark space and not able to get out.

I watched a horrific video about a guy that had done this and got stuck and they never retrieved the body.

Fortunately for me I'm far too chunky to even consider this sport.

Just seeing this title made my blood run cold I am so claustrophobic! Sometimes even being a car is too much 🙈

Did anyone read the weird stone of brisinghamen when they were younger? There's a part of that where they have to travel underground through Alderley edge and it's really narrow tunnels that are partly blocked by water. Stayed with me for years and years.

I've had to skim read this thread because there's content on here I don't actually want to know thank you very much.

There is a radio comedy sketch which has always expressed my feelings on the subject. It takes the form of a Thought For the Day talk and goes.

"Are you..in the dark?
Feeling trapped?
Unable to go backwards
Unable to go forwards
With no idea what's around you and whether you'll ever be able to get out?

Then you must be, a pot-holer.

Pot-holers! Stop it! It's silly!"

I finished your phrase in the OP with "must be mad."
It's one of the many inexplicable pursuits other humans get up to.

I was reading this thread out loud to DH. His view? 'We're not moles.' . I did sort of try it once but absolutely hated it. Didn't get more than a few metres in.

Well I've fallen down an internet rabbit hole on potholing today thanks to this thread. Absolutely fascinating and terrifying. I cannot fathom doing this. It looks so unspeakably horrendous.

I looked up The Rescue it has good reviews, will watch this week

Absolutely my worst nightmare
Would never send my child on an activity holiday if they do this

I have consumed far too many biscuits in my life to take this up as a hobby.