Conquer Mount Everest, and the world thinks you are a daredevil of a hero. Conquer Ellison Cave in Georgia, and much of the world wonders why you would ever choose to do so.

    "Caving, unlike mountain climbing, doesn't come with bragging rights," says Steve Baksa (Honours BSc '78) who successfully made the 560- feet sheer underground drop to the pit of Ellison Cave, which is one of the biggest challenges for spelunkers. "At best, you get a mixed reaction from people, so it's a sport you do strictly for yourself, not for glory."

    Baksa, a research chemist by profession, has ascended many mountain tops, but he says he prefers going down rather than up. He started caving in small holes on the Niagara Escarpment as a teenager, only turning to mountaineering for a while to develop his rope and climbing skills to be a better caver.

    "Caving is one of the best sports imaginable," says Baksa, "It uses every muscle in your body." But he adds, the real reason he's hooked on exploring dark recesses is because "it's one hell of an adventure."

    It's not for the weak of heart. Baksa guides beginner trips for the Caving Club of Toronto to make sure wannabe spelunkers understand what they're getting into. "A lot of people think caves are out of Batman movies -- nice, smooth corridors with a McDonald's tucked in a corner." In real life, caving means crawling over broken rock and slugging through tight passages. Still there are rewards, Baksa says, including surprising sights, such as waterfalls and streams, and a "sense of accomplishment."

    However, the ultimate in accomplishment for many spelunkers is to "explore a cave where no man has been before," he explains. But even Baksa doesn't share that dream. "If a cafe is untouched, it's likely because it's full of bats, reeks of bat droppings, and conditions are generally horrible -- that's not my cup of tea."