![If you’re planning to visit New River Cave without going with a grotto (such as the VPI Cave Club), please remember the basics of safe, responsible caving:
At an absolute minimum, you must:
[1]Have a callout.
Someone above ground who knows exactly where you’re going and when to expect you out.
[2]Wear a helmet and carry three independent sources of light per person.(No, your phone does not count as a light.)
[3]Obtain a permit.
Entering the property without completing the permit means you are trespassing. (https://caves.org/preserve/new-river-cave-nature-preserve/)
[4]Read and abide by the rules you'll read on the above site, that are also posted at the kiosk on the way to the cave.
A note about the cave map:
Many people ask for it, but we, the club, will not distribute it. The map isn’t particularly helpful for on-the-fly navigation, and honestly, when was the last time you successfully operated a paper map underground without GPS?
The New River Cave Preserve is generously owned and maintained by the National Speleological Society (NSS). To keep this and other caves open to the public, it is essential that visitors take safety, conservation, and landowner rules seriously.
If a Callout Time is missed; make sure the person requests for the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Cave Rescue Team. As that is the closest Cave rescue in our region.
Take care of the cave, and take care of yourselves. Go prepared or go with a grotto.
PS: This applies to Grotto people too!](https://vpi.caves.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
Meetings
During the school year, the VPI Club has weekly meetings every Friday at 7pm in Smyth Hall 146. The club meets only when the university is in session, and does not have formal meetings in the summer or winter. Outside of meetings, the club hangs out, plans cave trips, and sows chaos on the platforms listed below.
@vpi.caveclub for trip pics, updates, and the occasional meme.
Email List
…Yes, people still use those! Especially within the wider caving community. Contact the current President or Vice President to get added. Meetings are announced on the list-serv, and it is also a great way to communicate with club alumni as well as the wider caving world.
Discord Server
Please attend a meeting to get an invite to the discord server.
Signal
Peeps are all about security and still use this for messaging. Download it and go to El Rods every Sunday.
GobblerFest and GobblerFair
The club has a booth at both the GobblerFest and GobblerFair events, each respectively held in September and January each year. Come say hi!
Meshtastic
Join us on LongFast!
Mailing Address
PO Box 558; Blacksburg, VA; 24063-0558