Oral Presentation - Caving

 

Specific vocabulary used in the presentation on caving

pitchblack (adj.) totally black

helmet hardhat that protects the head

headlamp a lamp to be worn on the head (e.g. attached to the helmet)

wetsuit a suit that keeps you warm in the water

through trip a caving tour that leaves the cave through another entry

speleothems various types of stone formations that can be found in caves

stalactite speleothem growing vertically from the ceiling

straws very thin, long stalactite

stalagmite speleothem growing vertically on the ground, under a stalactite

column a stalctite that has met its stalagmite (or the ground)

flowstone a speleothem that looks like a frozen liquid

drapery a curtainlike, hanging and often thin sheet of flowstone

pitch a vertical drop in / into a cave

to abseil (br.), rappel (am.) to let oneself down on a rope (from German: abseilen)

to belay to secure

carabiner / maillon a metal loop that can be opened

to tackle to equip a pitch with a rope

anchor belay point

harness a safety system that indirectely connects the rope to the caver

caving gear equipment used by a caver

descender a device that enables controlled “abseiling”

ascender a device that allows one to climb up a rope

to jam to block

cowtails a set of short ropes, equipped with carabiners that allows cavers to attach themselves to belay anchors