Lava Tube Ice Cave

Claire, Carl and Roger went off to explore a lava tube ice cave with a guide. Two other people were on the excursion with us. We started with a 40 minute ride in a large truck with huge wheels where the tires are hooked into an automatic inflation system that allows the driver to inflate or deflate the tires based on need due to road conditions. The tires came up past my waist.

The “road” we traveled on for most of the 40 minutes was more like an off road trail. We traveled at 5 to 10 mph for much of the ride. Then we had a 20 minute hike across a lava field to a small trailer that held our gear for the adventure. That was really just a hard hat with a headlamp and rubber boots with spikes for grip when walking on ice.

Then it was down a metal staircase into this large hole. We waded 20 feet or so through a puddle to the cave entrance secured by a locked door. Once past the door we came to the “Oh My God hole”. So named, as our guide Bo explained, because many people say “Oh My God - I have to go through that?” when they first see it. The hole is sort of oval and maybe 3 feet wide and 18 inches tall and slopes up. Everyone made it through but our two co-excursionists were middle aged women from Australia and one of them was more than a bit challenged by it. I held a rope for her to pull on and Carl pushed her up by the bum

Once through the hole it was another 10 feet or so before we could stand up and then we were on hands and knees through a short passage. Another small standing space and then through another tight squeeze in a section where the floor was pure ice. Basically you slid up a slope by pulling on a rope and then slid down a corresponding slope on the other side. From here on into the cave, the floor was always just ice.

We went through several chambers, some with ice stalagmites and ended in a chamber that was perhaps 40 feet long, 10 feet wide and up to 15 feet tall. Bo also showed us that some of the ice stalagmites emitted a pleasant tone when they were gently thumped. Quite pretty between the ice and the colors of the rock formations. Then it was back the way we came. Spent a bit more than an hour total in the cave.

Out of the cave and it was another 40 minute drive back to where we had started.

Later that day we all went to a hot springs spa and soaked in the mineral water for an hour or so before stopping at a local restaurant for dinner.Leia mais