Caving Extravaganza (3 caves, 24 hours)
Allie Shellhammer Reporting:
Trip Members: Allie, Lillie, Jack W, Jack G, Amanda, Lincoln, Shunmei, Scott, Will, Eric
This past weekend marked another legendary Caving Extravaganza—a beloved UVA tradition where we pack as much caving as humanly (and sometimes inhumanly) possible into just 24 hours. This year, I decided to shake things up and split the trip between UVA students and Charlottesville Grotto members for the ultimate tag-team adventure. We made our way to the John Guilday Cave Preserve, home to not one, not two, but three caves: Trout, New Trout, and Hamilton. Let’s just say… things got dusty, muddy, and a little unhinged in the best way.
Trout: Trout isn’t exactly the Mona Lisa of caves. There’s guano. There’s more guano. And then, surprise, even more guano. But the real magic? The Virginia Big-Eared Bats. These summer residents are like the celebrities of the bat world—rare, elusive, and rocking ears that could pick up satellite radio. Because of how endangered they are, access to this cave is tightly controlled—like a one-night-a-year kind of special. We get the midnight shift, too: 11PM to 5AM. Pure nocturnal chaos.
We arrived in the cave parking lot yawning but buzzing with anticipation, already halfway asleep but way too hyped to turn back. The trail up? A brutal warmup hike that had us questioning our life choices before we even saw a stalactite. Then we got to the gate… and the gate said nope. The code wasn’t working. We tried everything—different combos, sheer willpower, even straight-up lock-picking. Eventually, one brave soul sprinted back down the trail to grab my phone, which held the sacred instructions to unlock the cave's secrets. Once reunited with the magic trick (and my phone), we finally broke through and reentered the underworld. Inside, we weaved through the breakdown passages, spotting bat after glorious bat, admiring trail markers, and stumbling into a secret mud sculpture room that felt like a secret level in a video game. At one point, during a lights-out break, we all nearly fell asleep, pure sleepy cave gremlin energy. We resurfaced around 3:30 AM, crusty-eyed, slightly feral, and absolutely glowing from another magical night in the depths.
New Trout: Running on a grand total of four hours of sleep and sheer determination, we groggily emerged from the campsite like cave zombies and dragged ourselves back to the underground—this time, to the dusty depths of New Trout. A soot-covered, saltpeter-mined fever dream of a cave, New Trout was calling our name with its signature combo of grime, nostalgia, and just enough airflow to make us think we were still alive. Inside, we found bats lounging in their usual spots, stumbled through some gnarly breakdown, and stopped to recreate some truly cursed photos from the last Caving Extravaganza. The highlight? The legendary Art Room—a small pocket where all ten of us crammed together like some cozy little cave cult, surrounded by historic graffiti and weird vibes in the best way. Of course, another lights-out happened (because apparently turning the lights off and almost falling asleep in caves is our brand now), and once again, we all drifted into that blissful state of almost-snoring silence. Covered in soot and smiles, we finally shuffled our way back to the entrance—emerging with full-on raccoon eyes made of cave dirt and a desperate need for snacks. And after a mini break that definitely wasn’t long enough, it was time for cave number three.
Hamilton: Ah yes, Hamilton—the cave with the farthest hike and the most crawling. Just the way I wanted to end the trip: sore, sleepy, and dragging myself up a mountain. But we had a goal, and it was clear: Airblower redemption. For those who don’t know, the Airblower is a 20-foot sideways crawl deep within Hamilton, shaped like a “C” and designed by nature to test your flexibility, patience, and possibly your will to live. Last year, I went in the wrong way thanks to my inability to tell left from right (classic). I somehow completed it, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. This time? I dove in headfirst, the correct way, and wow—what a difference! Smooth sailing, at least by caving standards. And waiting for me on the other side? A Northern Long-Eared Bat, chillin’ like a little cave king. Not quite Virginia Big-Eared level of majestic, but still a top-tier bat sighting. Three other brave souls followed me into the crawl and absolutely crushed it. We emerged triumphant, trekked back down the hill with mud in our boots and victory in our hearts, and officially closed out year two of the Caving Extravaganza with a (very muddy) splash. To everyone who came: you’re legends. What an epic, ridiculous, unforgettable ride.
Check out the photos below and if you want to see more you can check out the google album.
