Join Kroka’s resident caver and explorer Ezra Fradkin on a journey into the unknown world of caves. The secrets of the underland are revealed on this bold new adventure for students ready to take their caving experience to new depths. We begin our journey at Kroka where we will learn vertical rope techniques used in caving and prepare the food and gear for our expedition. Heading west across the Hudson River, we will face our first test as we squeeze, chimney, crawl, and descend through some of New York’s most famous caverns. Then turning southward we will follow the limestone belt of the Appalachian Mountains down to Greenbriar County, West Virginia. Here caves are measured not in feet but in miles, and the history and lore of cave exploration goes back to before the revolutionary war. Camping in the wooded Appalachian uplands by night and exploring by day, we will visit pits, crawlways, blowholes, fissures, and decorated cathedrals. Deep underground we rely on our spirit, teamwork, and wit to discover the secrets that lie in the Center of the Earth. Along the way we experience the rich folk music tradition of the region, help out at a honeybee sanctuary, visit abandoned Appalachian coal fields, and give back through meaningful community service.