Mike Drake heads up exploration of the Studebaker/Wayne Cave system in Indiana’s Garrison Chapel Valley just west of Bloomington. He talks about the genesis and ongoing effort to survey the area’s longest cave. Plus, a bonus talk on Cave Week 2024 in June! Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Ca…

Dave Brumbaugh has been a cave guide in several show caves, including back home in Pennsylvania. He has also worked at Carlsbad Caverns and indeed still works for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park. We talked about his extensive caving career, which included helping the FBI locate and dispose of unexploded ordinances in a Carlsbad …

Rand Heazlitt is currently leading the continued exploration of Indiana's longest cave, the Binkley Cave system. He shares his perspective as the leader of the group that endured a 2016 flood that threatened the lives of him and his survey group in Binkley Cave. He also talks about current and future exploration of Alabama's Fern Cave, as well as d…

Rand Heazlitt is currently leading the continued exploration of Indiana's longest cave, the Binkley Cave system. He shares his caving genesis, key moments in his caving history, and the story of the loss of a dear caving friend in part 1 of a two-part conversation. Donate to the NSS! https://members.caves.org/general/custom.asp?page=donate&_gl=1*5p…

Jessica Jernigan is a TAG caver who has been at it for just over a couple of years, but has accomplished a lot in that time. We had a great talk about what caving does to fulfill not only our sense of adventure–indeed defining adventure as we looked at it through the lens of caving, but also how that fulfillment applies to other aspects of life. Do…

Mike Mansur is the author of The Cave Formation Repair Project. He and his team of volunteers have worked hundreds of hours repairing and restoring cave formations in such high-profile caves such as Carlsbad Caverns, Fort Stanton Cave, and Caverns of Sonora, among many others. Buy the book: https://speleobooks.secure-mall.com/item/The-Cave-Formatio…

Tray Heinke appeared on an episode of Naked and Afraid, which was a big part of this talk, but he's been an Indiana caver for many years, exploring Indiana's longest cave, Binkley Cave; including a harrowing trip in December of 2016 that trapped him and his companions for more than 36 hours. He tells the story, and shares his adventurous plans for …

Patti Cummings is the Vice President of the Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy, home of Indiana’s storied Buckner Cave. She talks about her caving history and life, as well as managing the NSS-owned Buckner property, and specifically the home of former owner Dick Blenz, who passed away in 2018. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptres…

Zeke McKee is a Tennessee caver who has explored and mapped many caves, including Heart of Gould, and Enigma–both of which we talk about at length, including details of a harrowing rescue in 2020. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grotto…

Host Matt Pelsor visits Cagle’s Chasm in Tennessee and chats with Chris Lee, Jennifer Young, Jeff Rose, and trip leader Jim Minie. This episode is part two of a three-part series recorded remotely during SERA Cave Faire in early May, 2023. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Indiana Cave Capers…

Host Matt Pelsor returns to Conley Hole in Tennessee for the first time since 2016 and talks with Justin Huffman about his successful effort to discover 500 new caves in a single year. Also along on this trip are Corey Ellis, and Alea Moore. This episode is part one of a three-part series recorded remotely during SERA Cave Faire in early May, 2023.…

Shawn Williams is a Missouri caver with a storied caving history and personal life. Both are on full display in this extended interview. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Register for SERA here! May 4-7 https://sera2023.com/ Speleofest! http://speleofest.com/ Indiana Cave Capers: http://www.c…

Kevin Mulligan helped develop the caving ropes course known as The Gauntlet, which has been seen at many caving events. We talk about how it has evolved since its inception, Kevin’s work with The Caving Academy, NCRC, and cave exploration. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Book The Gauntlet b…

Kelly Smallwood lives in the heart of TAG, and has been involved in many projects, including surveying for the Jack Daniels Distillery. She shares a lot about her caving life, including surviving a tough cancer diagnosis in 2017. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Check out Kelly’s YouTube cha…

Joel Despain is a California caver, the new co-editor of the NSS News, and has made caving a big part of his professional life. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ Pre-register for SERA here! May 4-7 https://sera2023.com/ Find your local grotto! https://caves.org/committee/i-o/grottos/new_grott…

Miki Manning is a caver from TAG who is heavily involved with fundraising for the NSS. We talk about her active caving life, as well as specific ways to financially support the efforts of the NSS. Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ More on the Carter Caves State Resort Park Winter Adventure We…

Indiana caver and gifted cave map cartographer Glenn Lemasters died on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at the age of 70.

Chad McCain is a caver based in St. Louis, Missouri. He shares a number of great exploration stories, and a few harrowing tales of what can happen when things go wrong. RIP Marion O. Smith AKA: The GOAT 1942-2022 Order a custom cave suit from our sponsor, Sophireaptress! https://www.sophireaptress.com/ More on the Carter Caves State Resort Park Win…

Former NSS President Tom Rea passed away on Saturday. He was 88.

Fenn Spencer is a lifelong legacy TAG caver. 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.shtml…

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://cave…

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://cave…

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/a…

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.c…

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 o…

"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 t…

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:/…

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…

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 w…

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…

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.s…

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. Fi…

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…

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 orde…

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/tZEp…

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…

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 "PODCAS…

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/meetin…

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…

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 …

This weekend, if we're lucky to get clear enough skies, check out one of the best moon phasesfor lunar observation.By viewerswfyi@wfyi.org (WFYI Public Media)

Right in the center of Taurus the Bull is the bright orange giant Aldebaran. Aldebaran is close… just over 60 light years away. And because of that, it’s easy to miss what’s behind it… about 90 light years behind it, to be exact. But even then, at over 150 light years away, the Hyades is one of the closest open star clusters. Compare that to the Pl…

Observations of the bright, open cluster known as The Pleiades have been recorded since the 17th century BC, and likely even before that. It was scientifically and spiritually significant to many ancient cultures across the globe, and continues to educate and inspire observers today.The Pleiades is a collection of B-type stars, which are bright, ho…

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 o…

Saturday night is the spookiest night of the year. Not just because it’s Halloween… but also because it’s a Halloween with a full moon. This sort of thing happens about once every 18 or 19 years. Less rare, but still pretty rare is the fact that it’s also a Blue moon, meaning it’s the second full moon in the calendar month. We get a blue moon about…

We all know about… the dippers. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor—the big and little dippers. We know about them because they’re out every night. But there’s another bright northern-hemisphere constellation you should know about… Swirling around the northern sky year-round are the five bright stars that make up… Cassiopeia.Cassiopeia is popular with amateu…