Three Cavers. One Rope. 586 Feet Deep.

25 minutes ago

2 min read

586 feet underground, three people on one rope, visiting the North & South Poles, and a cave I hadn’t visited in more than 10 years… this was going to be one heck of an adventure!

Come along with Jason, me, and our good friends Chad, Kaley, Robby, Seth, and Chris as we set out to visit the deepest pit in the continental United States, a Fantastic 586 feet deep!

I’ve been here twice before, but both trips were more than 10 years ago, so I was excited to return to this fantastic place once more and even better with great friends.

We entered through the dug entrance and made our way down the 125-foot Warm-Up Pit before reaching the big one, the 586-foot pit known as Fantastic. As you approach the pit you have to crawl across a tiny ledge with the vastness of the pit on your right.

After what seemed like a never ending and long rappel to the bottom, our group explored the South Pole and North Pole, two areas known for their iconic cave formations. And of course, we had to stop and take some photos before making our way back to the main pit.

With seven people on the trip, we wanted to save some time on the climb out, so Robby, Jason, and I trandem climbed the rope together, yep all three of us, while the other four climbed tandem in sets of two. I had never climbed with three people on the rope before, so I’ll admit, it made me a little nervous! But I knew the rope could handle it, and up we went, one step at a time.

Once we reached the top of the pit, we pulled the rope and we made our way back through the cave, out the entrance, and down the mountain.

What a fantastic trip! And honestly, it felt pretty darn good to know that after more than 10 years, I can still do it!

Thanks for coming along with us on another underground adventure!

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