Why should you go to caves?

There isn't a "should" - you don't have to!

People visit show-caves to see something of the natural underground world in a degree of comfort and electric floodlighting, viewing large passages, chambers, stalactites & stalagmites, streams or lakes from concrete paths.

The drawback, which many modern show-cave owners do recognise, is the growth of "lampenflora" - a German term for algae and ferns flourishing in the flood-lamp light, and therefore spoiling the natural rock surfaces.

Cavers go a little further; exploring or simply visiting caves that have not been altered from their natural state. They do so for various reasons that fall into one or more of these broad categories:

Aesthetic - appreciating the underground scenery and the landscape in which it lies.

"Sporting" - the physical & mental challenges of the non-competitive outdoor pursuit.

Scientific - studying professionally or as amateurs, the hydrological & geological development of the cave and its features, its wildlife, archaeological evidence, etc.

Whatever the reasons, caving also provides a close-knit social life for many people from a range of backgrounds, nationalities, etc., across national as well as local boundaries.