Horizontal 12 Award
The Horizontal 12 award is designed to promote better cave owner relationships by reducing the traffic to some of the more popular caves. It is hoped that providing an award such as this will also encourage caving proficiency.
Requirements:
Traversing the major portion of 12 Alabama caves that are more than one mile in length. There are numerous caves you can choose from to fulfill this requirement, as there are currently over 50 caves in Alabama that are over one mile in length.
Obeying reasonable safety and conservation practices.
Membership in the National Speleological Society.
Open Cave Suggestions for Horizontal 12 Award
These are Alabama caves that are either currently open (with appropriate permission) or caves we have planned trips to this year over a mile in length
SCCI Caves:
Anderson Cave
Kennamer Cave
Limrock Blowing Cave
Moody Cave
Steward Springs
Tumbling Rock Cave
Public Land:
Guess Cave
Jess Elliott Cave (Iron Hoop Entrance)
Kettle Branch Cave
Private Caves (Please contact HG Board for more info):
Ashmore Springs
Bluff River Cave
Couey Caverns
Eudy Cave
Glover Cave
Graves Cave
Gross Skeleton Cave
Guffey Cave
Hans Kennamer Cave
Hering Cave
Jess Elliott Cave
Old Blowing Cave
Talley Ditch
Wolf Cave
JV Award
The award was conceived by the Huntsville Grotto in honor of long-time member, conservationist, cave steward, and SCCI Director John Van Swearingen IV, who passed away in 2001. JV served for many years as the Fern Cave Access Coordinator, providing stewardship of the Fern Cave system and preserve for both the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Southeastern Cave Conservancy.
The purpose of the award is to meaningfully recognize the successful stewardship efforts of an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization that has provided significant stewardship activities for one or more caves, cave preserves, or karst properties, personally conducted over an extended time period. The award, sponsored by the Huntsville Grotto and the SCCI, is also intended to promote long-term cave conservation and stewardship activities and to encourage and thank those individuals and organizations who perform them.
The award consists of a one-of-a-kind certificate, with one of JV's artistic photographic images in the background, and an honorarium in the form of a donation in the award amount of $250 or more made to the SCCI in the name of the award recipient. Previous award recipients can be found listed here.
Vertical 8 Award
The Vertical 8 award is designed to promote better cave owner relationships by reducing the traffic to some of the more popular caves. It is hoped that providing an award such as this will also encourage vertical caving proficiency.
Requirements:
Descending and ascending 8 Alabama pit-caves:
All of which were more than 100 feet, single pitch
Two of which were more than 200 feet, single pitch
One of which was more than 400 feet (on rope) in depth
Personally rigging at least one of these pit-caves
Obeying reasonable safety and conservation practices
Membership in the National National Speleological Society
Classic 8 Award
The Classic 8 award is designed to promote proficiency in the 3-knot climbing system.
Requirements:
Descending and ascending 8 Alabama pit-caves on a 3-knot climbing system:
All of which were more than 100 feet, single pitch
Two of which were more than 200 feet, single pitch
One of which was more than 400 feet (on rope) in depth
Your climbing system must have three points of attachment and not include any mechanical device. Prusik or helical knots are acceptable. A quick attachment safety doesn’t count as a point of attachment - we encourage you to have a quick-attachment safety as part of your climbing system!
Personally rigging at least one of these pit-caves
Obeying reasonable safety and conservation practices
Membership in the National Speleological Society