Deep Southern Caves — Photo Gallery — National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue November 2009
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Deep South

Hard-core cavers in three southern states stop at nothing to probe an underworld wilderness.

/2009/06/tag-caves/img/01-rumbling-falls-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-01.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez Rumbling Falls Cave Tennessee Far from the light of day, cavers illuminate the four-acre, 350-foot-high Rumble Room. Reaching the limestone cavern entails dropping down a 68-foot shaft, climbing up two 14-foot waterfalls, and stooping or crawling along 2,000 feet of passageways, some barely a foot wide. (This is a panoramic composite of four images.)]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217538 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/02-sub-soloman-475.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-02.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez Sub-Solomon Cave Tennessee Dissolving layers of ancient limestone, moving water sculpts underground terrain. Cavers ready for a long shower enter 405-foot-deep Sub-Solomon at its base and climb up against the flow of four waterfalls, including this 65-footer.]]> /2009/06/tag-caves/img/03-iron-hoop-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-03.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez Iron Hoop Cave Alabama Millennia in the making, fantastical chambers like this are decorated by the infinitely slow accumulation of minerals (chiefly calcite) deposited by water dripping through rock. Encounters with such rare and fragile beauty are highly prized.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217540 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/04-marion-smith-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-04.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217542 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/05-stephens-gap-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-05.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez Stephens Gap Cave Alabama Two entrances beckon even novices: Walk in on the right, or learn rope skills and go vertical on the left. The sunlit pedestal drops three more stories to the cave floor.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217539 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/06-tennessee-river-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-06.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217543 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/07-hollow-cave-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-07.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez /2009/06/tag-caves/img/08-green-well-475.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-08.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217550 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/09-thunder-hole-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-09.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez Thunder Hole Cave Alabama Prime qualification for cavers: tolerance for a tight squeeze. John Benson can make progress only with his helmet off and his head turned just so. He exhales, making his body as flat as possible, slides a few inches on his back, stops, inhales, and repeats.]]> /2009/06/tag-caves/img/10-indianapolis-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-10.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez /2009/06/tag-caves/img/11-ellison-cave-475.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-11.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez Ellison's Cave Georgia The 586-foot-deep pit dubbed Fantastic ranks as the longest single cave drop in the lower 48 states.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217541 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/12-bonfire-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-12.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez /2009/06/tag-caves/img/13-tag-party-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-13.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez /2009/06/tag-caves/img/14-cave-explore-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-14.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez /2009/06/tag-caves/img/15-fern-cave-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-15.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez /2009/06/tag-caves/img/16-mcbride-cave-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-16.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217553 /2009/06/tag-caves/img/17-tag-master-714.jpg /2009/06/tag-caves/img/caves-60-17.jpg Photograph by Stephen Alvarez