Professional Spelunking: Exploring Caves & Caverns
From Neopolis
SECTION: Specialised Course
AVAILABLE TO: Everyone!
TEACHER: Theodore Renfield [THE CHRONIC ARGONAUT]
DESCRIPTION: A practical course in subterranean navigation, survival, and orienteering. Students will become familiarised with the equipment and practices required for caving and spelunking, including: hard hats, light-carrying practice, clothing and gear, ropes, knot-tying, the techniques of Édouard-Alfred Martel, the scaling-pole, mechanical rope-ascenders (including Mr. Renfield's own clockwork improvement on the patent), the single-rope technique, and the Petzl Croll. Knowledge of first aid also recommended for aspiring cavers; Vivian Brown will be teaching a weekly certification course available to students.
Reading list includes excerpts from Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Supplementary studies will revolve around research into subterranean societies and cultures, including those of goblins, dwarves, and the (still fictional, your teacher hopes!) Vrilya. Theoretical readings will cover some of Édouard-Alfred Martel's life plus a rudimentary overview of speleology, the scientific study of caves and the cave environment.
STUDENTS:
- Adam Booth
- Cicely Deacon
- Rob Donova
- Dorothy Duncan
- Ragnar Rasmussen
- Greta Regardie
- Lily Sterben
- Zoe West
ASSIGNMENTS: N/A
