While most people like to spend their nights in hotels and resorts, at this point in my life... all that is cool... but unless you are a "7 star" in Dubai... BEEN THERE... DONE THAT!! So, my friends and I decided we will be sleeping in a cave.
I wasn't very surprised I couldn't really round-up a lot of people as excited as I was for a cave adventures... most were clearly afraid of bats, claustrophobia and dirt and would rather a comfy bed and pillow to lay their head but that didn't stop me. Luckily I was able to round-up about 4 people willing to make the journey with me... and the plans begun. Unfortunately, 2 of my friends had car troubles driving down to Tennessee and could not make it, but I was so thankful they were okay and got back safely.
As for me and the remaining 2... we had a blast, and recommend you check it out as well. So where do we begin....
We ventured off to Raccoon Cave in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The price per stay is about $60 per person, and decreases with the size of the group (my personal recommendation: Keep your party below 5.. you get to see more and do more with your guide!!) Check out this news clip about Raccoon Cave.
The Journey Begins
After being lost a little, we eventually made it to the caves, and got into our gear... cool little helmet (which didn't fit my head that well... I have a big head I guess), knee pads and gloves. WE then got bags to put all of our things in and started on our way.
It was amazing to see that everything was so close, literally as soon as you leave the cave offices, you walk directly into the cave. It was very well-lit, and looked beautiful. Eventually, you drop your things off at the location you will be sleeping and head on the tour. Lucky for us, our sleep area was near the entrance so we didn't have to crawl much with out bags.
Before we knew it our nice effortless walk transformed into crawling on or hands and knees, crawling and shuffling just on our stomachs, ducking, and maneuvering our bodies in the most awkward positions to get through very small and contorted spaces. It was a good thing that we had lights on our helmets because that well-lit path in the beginning became pitch black. We could only see as far as our light would allow us to go. In fact, half way through the journey we all sat in a peaceful area by a water fall and turned off all the lights... when I say pitch black, I could see not even my hand in front of my face...
We were lucky and got the best guide ever, and I suggest if you go to request him as well. His name is, Chris, and is actually the son of the woman who started the spelunking business. He just so happen to be a Jamaica lover, so that worked great since my friends and I were Jamaican. We spend 5+ hours going through the caves, seeing beautiful natural waterfalls, sliding, pushing through impossible holes, and just talking about any and everything.
After much exploration, making it through the BIRTH CANAL, wet and full of mud, we are brought back to the front of the cave to change for bed. For all your germophobes... no you do not shower in the night.. by the time we were done it was about midnight... we were literally just trying to get to sleep at that point.
We freshened up the best we could, and set out to make the cave our home for the night. Laying out our tarp, and sleeping bags, we talked endlessly of the experience, ate and played games for a little... By a little I mean like 10 minutes before we were all knocked out. The light's turned off soon after as we requested and it was la la land for all 3 of us.
Before we knew it, it was morning and with over 100 people sleeping in the cave that night it was time to head out and get our breakfast and shower (included in the price by the way). It was amazing to see just how many people were in the cave, because we literally did not hear anyone the entire night, that is HOW BIG this cave is. We had our own area to sleep and it was just amazing.
We rushed to the showers and grabbed our breakfast... and ended our wonderful stay in what I would call the 7 Star Cave Hotel. Raccoon Cave was amazing, the guide, the exploration, the beauty.
Things to Know Before Spelunking/Overnight Cave Stays
- Wear long sleeve and long pants (OLD ones you will get dirty)
- Wear comfortable sneakers
- Bring FOOD and DRINKS!
- Buy a disposable camera or have a go pro (Cameras and phones can get cracked in small areas)
- Bring GAMES
- Have an open mind and be curious!!
- Go with a small group.. large ones go usual paths and don't explore smaller passages because of difficulty and time
- Bring a pad for the ground to be used between you and your sleeping bag (we ignored this but the ground is kind of hard)
My final thoughts:
The caves were amazing! I felt like I was in a Sci-Fi movie, exploring the ends of the earth. It was amazing. I loved every moment of the adventure, and look forward to checking out a vertical cave... WHO IS COMING WITH ME???
