Belize
Members of the grotto organize a yearly trip to Belize in order to survey unexplored caves and locate new caves. The daily commute includes a 50-story rappel and hazardous atmospheres. Expedition members contribute to long running cartography efforts, rigging, hauling gear, and attending to basic camp tasks.
Expeditions can be found near home as well as abroad.
Sierra Nevada Mountains, California
The Sierra Nevada Mountains are home to some of California’s best karst geology. Members of the grotto visit many of the longest caves in California here to perform mapping and cave science as well as learn to be be better cavers in Sequoia and surrounding parks.
Long time SoCal Grotto member and recipient of the prestigious Lew Bicking Award Carol Vesely was interviewed for The Atlantic about caving in Sequoia.
Caves are often still being formed by water. Sometimes it’s necessary to survey while floating through river caves and project cavers employ specialized techniques and devices to accomplish these tasks.
Philippines
Members of SoCal Grotto have visited the Filipino Island of Mindanao for about a month each year to survey unexplored caves and contribute to the hydrology story of sinking streams in the municipality of Sultan Kudarat.
