In December 2016 a group of explorers gathered in Abaco, Bahamas for an exploration, mapping, and survey project with a big emphasis on involving the local people in Abaco. Volunteer documentarian Jill Heinerth gave herself the challenge to shoot, edit, and post a video blog every night to make the expedition live and accessible online. This program is the compilation of the video blog of the Abaco Blue Holes Expedition.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 5 other programs from the 2017 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2017 Awards Show (D146a)
• Castleguard Expedition (D146c)
• Edgewood Caverns (D146d)
• Exploring Sistema Huautla 2016 (D146e)
• The Hunt for Bat Boy – Episodes 1 – 4 (D146f)
  

This program is a surreal comedy looking at British caver stereotypes, which is loosely based on Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2014 Awards Show (D141a)
• NSS Convention 2014 Promo (D141b)
• Black Water (D141d)
• Caves - Underground Realms (D141e)
• Phantom Spring (D141f)
• What To Do With Those Pesky Spoils (D141g)
  

In the 1850s local professor T.A. McFail discovered a large limestone cave in New York State, a cave that eventually took his life. One hundred years later, cave explorers pushed deep into the cave and proved it to be the longest in the state. Soon after, it became the first cave owned by the National Speleological Society. In this film we will explore McFails Cave with caver Steve Millett and gain a better understanding of its geology and witness its beauty first hand.

Comment:

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

Also on this DVD are 4 other programs from the 2019 NSS Video Salon:

• The Lost Cave of Monroe (D151b)
• Main Drain Sump Dive 2016 (D151c)
• Rat's Nest Low Point Push (D151d)
• This is Bisaro Anima (D151e)
  

The rolling hills of southern Indiana are riddled with gateways to adventure and geologic wonders. In this video, you'll be guided to them by the greatest adventurer of all time - Indiana Jones! Follow Indy and see all of the opportunities for exploration, knowledge, and comradery available at the 2007 NSS Convention in Marengo, Indiana.
Indy begins the quest at the pre-convention camps, and then journeys to the convention site at Marengo. There you'll see the convenient layout of the facility and get a day by day description of events. After convention, you'll end the quest at the post-convention camps. You'll learn everything you need to know and a few things you'll wish you didn't!
Come to Indiana and experience the disappearing waters of The Lost River, beautifully decorated caves, and access to a vast compilation of karst knowledge. These are just a few of the many attractions drawing cavers from all over the world to the 2007 NSS Convention in Marengo, Indiana.

Professional

In 1940s British Honduras, an enigmatic and energetic explorer stumbles across an intriguing centuries old myth.
Thirteen crystal skulls from an ancient civilization were said to be scattered throughout the Central American Jungle.  For the first time in history, the skulls were found in the realms of the underworld.   Dr. Handley knew it was important to get them to Washington in order to discover their secrets.

Professional

Comment: Also on this DVD, Bats are Beautifull.

Also available on Video (V413a)

Comment: Also on this DVD, Bats, Bats, Beautifull Bats

Also available on Video (V413b)

The Battle For Bats lays out the science and challenges of the White Nose Syndrome crisis.

This program won a Merit Award in the 2010 NSS Video Salon in Essex Junction, VT

This unofficial convention promo mocks Florida clichés and stereotypes. Two young lasses are sunbathing when a third says their SPF 45 sunblock is not adequate. Instead, she takes them bikini caving, where they are protected by SPF 2008. Warning: Underground scenes were filmed by professional bikini cavers, and should not be attempted by novices.

Amateur

In 1838 three slaves were brought to Mammoth Cave to work as guides: Stephen Bishop, Materson Bransford, and Nick Bransford. These and many other black individuals have made major contributions to the history of the cave over the years. Leading tours in the cave and exploration became a family tradition for generations of guides. For example, the Bransford family has had five generations work as guides from Materson Bransford to his great-great-grandson present day guide Jerry Bransford. These are their stories.

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon and won a MERIT Award.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Black Guides of Mammoth Cave

Cave diving preparation: Beowulf took a day to fight Grendel in a cave under the water. Today’s cave divers prepare just as thoroughly.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2014 Awards Show (D141a)
• NSS Convention 2014 Promo (D141b)
• Abigail's Underground (D141c)
• Caves - Underground Realms (D141e)
• Phantom Spring (D141f)
• What To Do With Those Pesky Spoils (D141g)
  

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - A Brief Conversation with Roger Brucker

Produced by:
Gary A. O'Dell
Jim Kiffmeyer
Jeffrey Hill

This video was created as a class project by a group of students at Morehead State University in History, Geography, and Communications.

Comment: From the 2009 NSS/ICS. Produced in Portugal. Aspect ratio is 16:9

Disclaimer: This program is in its native PAL format, so that English subtitles of the Portuguese text can be seen. It will play in any computer and most quality stand-alone players, but not in cheap players.

The audio in this program is only in Portuguese, due to the limitations of the transcoding process. Try the PAL version first; it has English subtitles.

Three renowned Australasian cave divers come to the Canadian Rockies in winter to dive a frigid 900-meter sump in Castleguard Cave – Canada’s longest – to see what lies on the other side. This passage was unexplored for years. Why? Does it go? Over several freezing days, they struggle hauling heavy and sensitive gear through tight, miserable passage in pursuit of their goal to explore the unknown cave beyond.

Comment: This program won a Merit Award in the NSS 2021 Video Salon.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Castleguard Cave: Hindsight 2020

This video is about the most recent speleological expedition to Canada’s longest cave: Castleguard

Comment: Also on this DVD are 5 other programs from the 2017 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2017 Awards Show (D146a)
• Abaco Blue Holes Expedition Live (D146b)
• Edgewood Caverns (D146d)
• Exploring Sistema Huautla 2016 (D146e)
• The Hunt for Bat Boy – Episodes 1 – 4 (D146f)
  

This is an educational DVD for teaching some of the basics of philosophy. It uses Plato's allegory "The Cave" as the basis for the instruction, and is played out entirely underground. This is not a 'caving' video but is nonetheless thought-provoking and fun to watch

Comment:

First program: Video of a good introductory slide program by Horton Hobbs III on cave biology presented during the Second Annual Biology Field Camp.

Second program: Video of a slide program by Horton Hobbs III on how cave animals adapt and evolve. Presented during the Second Annual Biology Field Camp.

Third program: Dave Culver and Horton Hobbs III leading cavers during the Second Annual Biology Field Camp through various West Virginia caves to observe biota in situ.

Amateur

This 12 minute video is designed to foster a greater understanding of the world underground, to encourage safe enjoyment and to promote efforts for the conservation of these unique resources. It is not intended as a "How to" video of caving techniques.

Professional

Steve Bogaerts is one of the leading underwater cave explorers in the world. This film follows Steve through one of the most fascinating, challenging, and beautiful environments found anywhere, as it takes you inside the real world of an underwater cave explorer.
These underwater cave systems in Mexico are more extensive than anywhere else in the world. In fact all three of the planets longest submerged cave systems are found here on it's Caribbean coastline. Truly a cave diver's paradise!

This program won a Merit Award in the 2010 NSS Video Salon in Essex Junction, VT

In late 1967 Stanley Ulfeldt, the Southern California Chairman of the National Speleological Society, proposed the making of the documentary film Cave of the Winding Stair. A shooting script was drafted and the first filming began in 1968. Ulfeldt's selection of 16mm high-speed black and white film allowed the use of only one auxiliary light during filming. The bulk of the picture was made solely by the caver's headlamp illumination. Ulfeldt's dedication to authenticity produced one of the most realistic films on caving made to date and also the first major caving film ever made in the Western U.S. All of the vertical techniques and equipment in the film are authentic to the period and Cave of the Winding Stair is a remarkable historical document of the period of changeover from the 1950's cable ladder era to the beginnings of modern single rope techniques. An actual rescue during one production trip also became the first confirmed cave rescue ever to be filmed in the U.S. Ulfeldt's remarkable foresight has created a lasting document of the cavers and the techniques of 1960's caving in the West .

DVD copy of a 35 mm film produced in 1960. The DVD has no menue or chapters.

Comment: Also available on VHS Tape

This is an original attempt at a short black and white film with a cave conservation and safety message. A town is harassed by a vampire who is looking to bring attention to the mysterious disease affecting his friends the bats.  A town member is kidnapped and Caver Hope is sent to the rescue.  Just as an angry mob gets out of hand, they learn a lesson about the value of caves.

2013 NSS Video Salon

Comment: Joe Caver in "The Crystal" is also on this DVD

Superb photography highlights this treatment of the well-known Texas show cave, including its discovery, development, evolution, and a selection on cave conservation. One of the better show cave videos.

From the back cover: Caverns of Sonora: Natures Art Gallery is a 48 minute glance at earth's inner beauty.  Join us on an informative and entertaining journey through the breathtakingly beautiful passages fo the Caverns of Sonora.  Along the tour you will encounter the most beautiful, crystalline formations anywhere in the world. In addition to helectites and our world-renowned butterfly, you will see sights few have ever seen.  After this experience, you will agree the Caverns of Sonora are truely Nature's Art Gallery.

"The beauty cannot be exaggerated, even by Texans" - Bill Stephenson, National Speleological Society Co-Founder.

Plus Bonus Features:

• Dr. Georage Veni, Hydrologist, and 3D Map
• Cavern Class Instruction
• Restoration Project
• Discovery Tour
• Dr. Veni Close

Caves and Legends is a web series focusing on exploring historically important caves. In this episode we examine Balls Cave. Discovered in 1831 by Revolutionary War veteran, Peter Ball, it is one of the earliest caves to be explored and mapped in New York state. We take the viewer on a journey through the cave including some very tight, wet passages!

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon and won an Honorable Mention Award.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Balls Cave

A documentary on the interconnected caves of a 33 square mile karst drainage basin in Kentucky that culminates in the spectacular underground stream of Short Creek Cave. It represents the volunteer efforts of dozens of cavers and focuses on the ecological threat of the proposed I-66 roadway scheduled to be built through the drainage basin and the haz-ards of disturbing the natural karst drain-age. Initially produced for submission to the KY Transportation Cabinet's envi-ronmental assessment, it was later broad-cast via public access and local cable TV outlets as a public service. This video dramatically demonstrates the impact caver videography can have on karst issues

Comment: Also available on VHS Tape (V641)

The experience of being in a place where no one else has ever been, and to capture and bring back images of wonder has a very strong pull. Why do some risk their lives to go into these places? As we follow three individuals into the deepest depths of caves around the United States we will unlock new sights never before captured by human eyes, and start to understand the pull that brings these intrepid explorers underground.

Caves are places rarely seen by most people.  This video illuminates the dark places, showing the beauty of what lies below.  We let the caves speak for themselves, using only music to guide the imagination.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2014 Awards Show (D141a)
• NSS Convention 2014 Promo (D141b)
• Abigail's Underground (D141c)
• Black Water (D141d)
• Phantom Spring (D141f)
• What To Do With Those Pesky Spoils (D141g)
  

Brian Bachmann, an assistant professor of chemistry at Vanderbill University, has combined his interest in natural product drug production with his hobby of caving to set up the first systematic program to search for novel drugs produced by cave-dwelling microorganisms.  Microbes that thrive in these highly competitive environments are good candidates for producing compounds that can be used to fight disease.

Welcome to the world of wild caving in China, where there is such a great quantity and variety of caves that there is truly a little something for everyone. This program shows, through the details of just one expedition in march of 2015, that caving in China can satisfy the desires of just about any caver. Not only is there plenty of vertical caving to be had, but there is even more very nice horizontal discoveries to be found.  Dry caving – sure. Wet caving – no problem.  Bit caves, small caves – you name it, it’s there..

This fanciful little DVD documents a long-time tradition of the Boston Grotto: the annual April Fools Dinner in Ward-Gregory Cave, Clarksville, NY. The lo-gistics of getting all the necessary ele-ments into the cave are shown, culminat-ing in a formal dinner complete with tuxedos, gowns, fine wine, and dessert.

Comment:

What do goats and waterproof lipstick have in common? This part documentary, part comedy introduction to this cave exploration effort will leave you laughing.  Drive across the ranch with the landowner Joe Eisenhauer as he explains the history of the cave.  Follow tank haulers s they stoop walk through wet passage. Swim weightless through water filled cave passage as divers map and lay line in virgin cave in central Texas.  This movie was made by cavers using lightweight cameras, with all footage made entirely during original exploration.

Comment: Also on this DVD: Honey Creek Cave Extravaganza by Joe Furman. Also, see D143 for other programs from the 2015 NSS Video Salon

This program is about exploration, pushing a cave to the limits of endurance, about surveying and mapping in order to track leads to find more cave. But it’s primarily about connections – one connection in particular. The connection, through a sump, of McClungs Cave to Maxwelton Sink Cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The sump dive, which took place on August 31, 2019 created the 42-mile Great Savannah Cave System, which is now the 9th longest cave in the US.

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon and won Best of Show.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Connecting Caves

Join veteran exploration divers Brett Hemphill, Michael Poucher, and Rudy Sturm on a fascinating journey through a unique Gulf Coast cave system, from the no-mount restricted entrance through dynamic scooter-sized passages to the mysterious and living phenomenon known as the Dragon's Lair.
There is some compelling video here, shot in the most difficult of conditions wherein the divers had to remove their tanks and gear and push it ahead of them through the very constricted entrance area. Equally compelling is the exquisite footage in the Dragons' Lair, gliding through the halocline.
This video is a follow-on to an earlier production on this cave, "Crystal Beach Spring Project 1996" (V751).

Comment: See V751 for 'Crystal Beach Spring Project 1996'. This program won an Honorable Mention in the 2007 NSS Video Salon.

This video was made to mesmerize the viewers with the beauty of the smaller speleothems of a cave and has been set to a simple background of new-age style music.  It is meant to be enjoyed while sitting in a room with fellow cavers all drinking their favorite beverage and having soft conversations.  It was also made to help demonstrate to non-cavers one of the main reasons why we go caving, and to emphasis conservation practices to preserve our scenic underground splendors.  All of the footage was shot in one small, but spectacular cave in the southeast.

Comment: Accepted in the 2012 NSS Video Salon

This program is an introduction to Lava Beds National Monument and the resources it protects, including Crystal Ice Cave, where visitors can reserve tours to see unique and timeless ice formations beneath a volcanic landscape. The national monument will be heavily featured during the 2021 NSS Convention in California.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon and won a MERIT Award.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Crystal Ice Cave

Documentary on biological work in the submerged caves of the Bahamas. Features Dr. John "Capt. Karst" Holsinger and Jill Yager, discoverer of a new family of crustaceans called "Remipedia" in 1981.

Scenes of Fred Luiszer pursuing several promising digs near Cave of the Winds, CO. After 9 months of digging, Big Alcove Cave was connected to the NE Passage of Cave of the Winds. Also shown is an impressive find of a Pleistocene bone in the cave.

This program is about all the new dis-coveries made in Grand Caverns (Au-gusta Co, VA) in 2004-2005. After a lit-tle history of the cave's original discov-ery, this program portrays the challenges that confronted cavers as they probed and mapped huge new areas of the cave. The main emphasis is on the fantastic formations that were discovered around every corner in the new section of this cave that has been commercialized for over 150 years. This program shows what lies beyond the "tight crawl" and small squeezes that prevent entry by all but the slightest cavers, and lets viewers appreciate the wonders and beauty of the "other" Grand Caverns. Excellent videography of this pristine world

On a small farm in upstate New York, cave explorers have spent the last four years digging where they believed a cave to exist. Finally, one day in the summer of 2019 all their hard work paid off and a truly amazing discovery was made, a cave, completely untouched by man. But what did these explorers find upon entering the cave? What never-before-seen sights did they behold? Now, we will meet the discoverers of the cave and go deep inside to get a glimpse of this subterranean landscape!

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Marshalls Cave

This segment of the Made In Texas series gives an overview of caving in the Texas hill country. Includes a strong groundwater conservation message.

This is the story of the 1965 original Exploration of the Lower Fullers section of Culverson Creek Cave as told by Rock Ward. It includes the discovery of the tall canyons of Lower Fuller, Mud Everest, the Dragon's Breath Room, and of course, Dream Lake. But what really makes this story exciting is Rock and Marty's encounter with something terrifying, something that was following them, something ... evil. This is the story of their discovery, their encounter, and their supposed escape.

This also includes an introduction by Phil Lucas, which is 4 minutes in length.

Comment:

YouTube Link - The Dream Lake Story

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2018 Awards Show (D150a)
• Riding Shadows (D1150c)
• The Secrets of Church Cave (D150d)
• What it takes to Get The Shot (D150e)
• The World of Caving (D150f)
• No Cave for Old Men (D150g)

An odyssey across Australia as a Swiss film team attempts to follow the path of a drop of water; includes an underground city, climbing, hard-core caving and cave diving.

This is a DVD of a electronic slide show of the Dunbar/Woodward Cave System in Montgomery County, Tennessee, by Tom Cussen. This program covers the exploration and mapping of the cave by the Northern Indiana Grotto of the NSS

After an initial set of photos, there is a short introduction to the slide show, and then the rest of the program are slides of the cave system set to music.

Edgewood Caverns is located in the East Mountains, outside of Albuquerque in the small community of Edgewood.  Closed for many years due to landowner relations and liability concerns, a trip into the cave was finally organized. This video documents the trip to Fossil Flats, perhaps the most beautiful part of the cave.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 5 other programs from the 2017 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2017 Awards Show (D146a)
• Abaco Blue Holes Expedition Live (D146b)
• Castleguard Expedition (D146c)
• Exploring Sistema Huautla 2016 (D146e)
• The Hunt for Bat Boy – Episodes 1 – 4 (D146f)
  

The Texas Blind Salamander was first discovered in Ezell's Cave around 1870, but was not de- scribed until 1967 and was the first species placed on the Endangered Species List. In 2007, the first scientific mark-and-recapture study was made, affording a unique opportunity to document the underwater world of the Edwards Aquifer and this unique troglobyte.

Amateur

Eighth in the Expeditions to the Edge series (NG Channel), the Cave Flood episode presents a reenactment of the 1997 McBrides Cave rescue near Stevenson, AL. Trouble strikes soon after eleven of TAG's finest take on this classic wet pulldown trip after days of rain. The highly realistic portrayal, shot in McBrides with most characters playing themselves, serves as a cautionary tale for anyone challenging the weather gods. An honest depiction of cavers saving cavers, Cave Flood aired on the National Geographic Channel in December 2004.

Entertaining video of a slide program by Matt Oliphant on one of the most exciting areas of Mexico caving using slides by Bill Stone and other participants.

In this episode of Caves and Legends we explore one of the best known and most visited caves in the Northeast US. Full of unexpected twists and turns, water filled passageways and tight squeezes, one that is enjoyed by both beginner and expert cavers alike. Get ready to go underground into Clarksville Cave!

Comment: This program won a Honorable Mention in the NSS 2021 Video Salon.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Exploring Clarksville Cave

The biggest challenge in Huautla caving isn’t facing the rigors of the deepest cave in the Americas; it’s on the surface dealing with the ancient beliefs about the caves held by the Mazatec Indians. While annual expeditions happen and teams are long-term camping underground, a concerted community outreach effort is taking place on the surface.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 5 other programs from the 2017 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2017 Awards Show (D146a)
• Abaco Blue Holes Expedition Live (D146b)
• Castleguard Expedition (D146c)
• Edgewood Caverns (D146d)
• The Hunt for Bat Boy – Episodes 1 – 4 (D146f)
  

Italian scientist Giovanni Badino specializes in studying glacier caves, a unique world that holds promise of revealing the secrets of glaciers and of new organisms that may help fight disease. Follow Giovanni through icy crevasses that can kill the unprepared.

This is a caver's music video, set to the tune of Jim Croce's "Five Short Minutes." The storyline is about two cavers ridgewalking on public land, only to come upon a fence. They must decide whether or not to cross the fence in order to check out the sinkholes they can see on the other side. This music video is about the consequences of their decision. The title song, ably written, played and sung by Dan McConnell, won a Merit Award in the 2004 Cave Ballad Salon.

In 1925, explorer Floyd Collins became trapped in a tight, descending passage in Sand Cave, Kentucky. Despite the heroic action of the rescuers, Floyd died before a shaft could reach him. This film shows the event as seen through the eyes of the newsreel camera. The newsreel footage is in black and white and color.

Flying Fox: The story of the world's largest bats, narrated by William Conrad.

Flying Foxes:More great photography of these giant bats

This video is about the search for unknown and forgotten species of underwater creatures.  The search starts from the beautiful Boka Kotorska (Montengro) bay, in the springs from the Orjen Mountains.  The search is carried out by scuba, diving deep into the underground river.  The first creature to be found was a common cave shrimp.  In another area, the search is for the rare blind cave salamander, Proteus Anginus.  In the back of the cave, on the way back, they find two white, blind cave salamanders.

In Turkey, they dive in the unexplored Sekerpinari spring.  Far in the back of the spring, they come upon a large school of foot long, light colored fish, of unknown species.  The school consisted of hundreds of fish, maybe more, at a depth of 30 meters.  These fish are the forgotten species.

This is a ‘short’ of different caving scenes set to music.  The program opens and closes with a caver doing vertical in and around waterfalls, but includes some great scenes of photographing large rooms.

This exciting video follows a group of 70 cavers from Andalucia (Spain) as they attempt to push deeper into Sima GESM, one of the world's deepest caves, located in the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France. After establishing a base camp at an incredible -950 meters, the push team of 10 cavers sets about exploring leads remaining from the end of the 2005 expedition. The video quality in such an extremely remote location is exceptionally good, and the viewer becomes a part of the team, feeling the disappointment of defeat and the exhilaration of discovery.

An access hole to an electrical service was desired in a newly discovered section of Grand Canyon Caverns (a private, commercial cave). A cave radio beacon location set the drill location.  This video includes scenes of the surface drilling and what the room experienced underground during drilling.

Floyd Collins is touted as being the greatest caver in the world. But this reputation was obtained only after his tragic death, in 1925, due to being trapped in a small and unstable crawlway in Sand Cave, Ky. Because the rescue was widely publicized, it captured the hearts, minds, and hopes of millions of Americans. Not only did the rescue attempt make for a dramatic story, but the fact that thousands of Americans from all over the country showed up to watch, wait, and hope, made Floyd into a great American folk hero.
Because of the drama, the tragedy, and the excitement of the event, people from all walks of life began collecting memorabilia about Floyd Collins. As time went on, the photographs, letters, banners, and other items increased in value, making a these collections quit valuable.
This program is about some of the Floyd Collins collectors, and their collections. In describing their old photographs, postcards, newsreels, and other items, the story of Floyd Collins, and his untimely death, is told.
The DVD version contains 2 extras. The first is an extra interview with Dr. Halliday and the second is the uncut version of the 16 mm newsreel film.

What waits beyond some of the most challenging, difficult, and dangerous restrictions ever negotiated by cave divers? Hart Attack explores the psychology of pushing extreme underwater cavers and the rewards that wait beyond. Exceptional underwater footage by the master of the craft.

Beautiful visuals highlight this visit by Florida cave divers to the crystal waters of Hawaii, including an underwater lava cave.

Follow a group of cave divers to the premier underwater caves of Mexico's Yucatan. Includes the logistics of getting gear to the often remote sites, and some spectacular underwater footage.

Fred Stone gives a talk, along with a slide show, about the history of New York's McFails Cave at the 1991 NSS Convention is Cobbleskill, New York.

On July 9, 2011, Berome Moore Cave, the 3rd longest cave in Missouri, was dedicated as the Lloyd and Ethel Hoff Underground Preserve.  Cave discoverer Dr. Stan Sides, and Jerry Vineyard, Dwight Weaver and other notable Missouri cavers spoke at the event.  The cave was open for general visitation and a great celebration was held in Perry County.  Vale, a member of MMV, recorded the proceedings, and then processed the event for easy viewing.  If you couldn’t be there – or you’ve ever been to Perry County, this is the show for you.

This is a conservation video which covers the problems of water pollution in caves and karst areas. The program starts with a short discussion on the formation of caves. It then presents the many sources of water pollution involving caves and karst areas, and includes a number of solutions. This is an excellent educational resource on the subject of conservation and water pollution.

Backup diver David Moore wakes up early, nestled in a hammock that is strung up across an improbably low, wet, muddy passage near the sump. He checks his watch, and wonders wy the dive tea hasn’t returned…

Comment: Also on this DVD: CM Cave Adventure by Joe Furman. Also, see D143 for other programs from the 2015 NSS Video Salon

Now here is some history - interviews of a young Mark Minton, Bill Steele, and Jan Fitzimmons from around 1990. The interviews incude discussions about the Sistema Huautla exploration and archeaological studies in the area.  The interviews are 14 minutes long. 

In addition, there is 31 minutes of raw footage of caving in Huautla from Jay Arnold, which is set to music.

Huautla: The Mexican Cave is 35 minutes long.

This DVD was edited and mastered by David Socky of Hodag Video Productions

See original exploration as it happens, as American cavers push Sistéma Huautla to a world depth record. Includes scenes of Anthodite Hall, heavy water in the Gorge, Camp III and beyond.

Also on this DVD - "The Huautla Interviews"

This DVD was edited and mastered by David Socky of Hodag Video Productions

The Hunt for Bat Boy is an award winning documentary that follows a team of scientists and cave explorers as they venture deep into Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, WV in search for the elusive creature known worldwide as Bat Boy. In episode 1, we find that Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, WV is where it all began. It was there that in 1992 the Weekly World News reported that a Bat Child creature had been spotted and subsequently captured. In this episode, Steve Silverberg the owner of Lost World, shares his experiences and knowledge of Bat Boy with The Hunt for Bat Boys mobile reporter Chuck Frostick.

The Hunt For Bat Boy tracks a team of explorers and scientists as they go deep into Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, WV in search of the elusive bat child commonly known as Bat Boy.  The cave is situated on a massive fault that drags the limestone over 2 miles deep that Weekly World News reported may be home to a highly developed underground world. In total the series will span over 20 episodes and involve drops, waterfalls, sump diving and a mysterious steel door in the floor at around 2 miles deep!

Comment: Also on this DVD are 5 other programs from the 2017 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2017 Awards Show (D146a)
• Abaco Blue Holes Expedition Live (D146b)
• Castleguard Expedition (D146c)
• Edgewood Caverns (D146d)
• Exploring Sistema Huautla 2015 (D146e)
  

This program is a promotional video for the 2009 International Congress of Speleology (ICS) which will take place in Kerrville, TX. The program shows the viewer where the ICS will be located, including views of the town of Kerrville and Schreiner University. It shows what facilities will be available, and what activities will take place during the convention. Also included are descriptions of the caving and other activities that will be available before, during, and after the Congress.

This short art film depicts how the author, poet Ian Ellis Chandler, is developing his art based on the experience of exploring caves. The poems, taken from his book of the same name, are about mustering the determination to go caving and then finding inspiration in the dark recesses of the earth, and are read by Chandler over beautifully crafted images by producer Antony Rohald. There is a wonderful blend of technical features and artistry in the visuals, such as displaying moving images in the static paintings on the artist's walls, and superimposing images on moving water.
Mr. Chandler is expat Brit living in Spain; he is an NSS member and recipient of the Arts and Letters Award.

New and improved.  This DVD includes 3 reels of Russell Neville's 1927 caving films.  Also included is a 20 minute audio introduction by George Jackson which included a number of stories on caving around Mammoth in the 1920's.  This DVD also has a photo montage of old photos from Neville's day plus data files of supporting material.  This is a treasure trove of historic information from the 1920's.

Shot by Russell Neville in 1927 using magnesium flares, this historic film includes scenes in Mammoth, Carlsbad, Salts Cave and others. B&W, along with background banjo music.

This video includes some scenes and interviews from the electrical resistivity test done inside Bracken Cave by the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in January 2014.  Their goal was to find the deepest area of guano inside the cave where core samples will be drilled so scientists can study the guano to learn more about the history of the cave, its past residents, and the area around it.

Into Darkness is a short adventure essay about the experience of exploring the secret underworld of caves. Journey along with a group of cavers who push impossibly small passages to access some of the final frontiers on earth. The images and sounds of spectacular and remote wilderness caves will reveal a fantastic world unlike anything we experience on the surface.

This program won a Merit Award and the Tom Zannes Award (Best of Show) in the 2010 NSS Video Salon in Essex Junction, VT

This program follows Rick Stanton and John Volanthen, two of Europe's most successful cave divers, at they attempt to explore the Cogol dei Veci, a massive flooded cave in Northern Italy. The film follows their attempts in 2004 and 2005 to find a dry cave passage beyond the 2400m long first sump, and at the same time provides a rare opportunity to look behind the scenes and understand what it takes to be at the cutting edge of under-water cave exploration. Excellent narra-tive and videography, including scenes beyond the sump.

This program is a slide show from 1966 that has been trasfered to DVD. It includes audio. The program is about the exploration of Fern Cave

The dangers posed by groundwater pollution resulting from sinkhole dumping are discussed by cavers and local experts.

This introduction to project caving describes some of the caving work objectives that motivate many cavers including conservation, ridge-walking, cave survey, science, cave rescue training, and cave photography.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon and won a MERIT Award.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Intro to Project Caving

This short movie is an introduction to the International Year of Caves and Karst. It was created to concisely and visually explain to the general public the importance of caves and karst, and the challenges they face, and recruit public and caver participation in the International Year. The movie was commissioned by the International Union of Speleology.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2021 NSS Video Salon and won a MERIT Award.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - International Year of Caves and Karst

In a journey inside the earth, we are introduced to the life and dreams of a Swiss explorer who searches for cave systems and underground rivers in a Colombian region that has been torn apart by an armed conflict for decades. This subterranean labyrinth is a metaphor for an obscure past that he keeps buried deep in his heart in hope that the eternal passing of time will heal the still raw war wounds.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2021 NSS Video Salon and won a MERIT Award and Best of Show.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - The Invisible River

Beautiful photography of cave diving in Jackson County, Florida with scenes of Florida Caverns State Park. Strong conservation message.

Philippe Axell and a video team set out to document Europe's finest caves on high-definition video - particularly those caves and passages which are never accessible except on very special occasions. A unique opportunity to visit the best of the best. Exquisite photography!

This is an original attempt at a short black and white film with a cave conservation and safety message. A group of spelunkers explore a cave to find the famous crystal and inadvertently lead a thief to the crystal. A chase ensues with Caver Joe coming to the rescue.

2013 NSS Video Salon

Comment: Caver Hope and the Vampire Cave is also on this DVD

DESCEND INTO WORLDS WITH NO LIGHT, NO AIR, AND NO ROOM FOR ERROR
Journey Into Amazing Caves is a visceral, suspenseful expedition with a new breed of scientists who boldly explore places once thought off-limits to human presence, let alone IMAX cameras. Join Dr. Hazel Barton and Nancy Aulenbach as they travel to unique and forbidding ice caves in Greenland, underwater caves in the Yucatan, terrestrial caves in the Grand Canyon and other spectacular locations. You will wriggle through tiny, twisting passages, swim through flooded underground vaults, drop into gleaming blue labyrinths of ice, and enter a world so extreme the microscopic creatures who live there are called extremophiles. For those compelled to push their limits in the world's most hostile environments, the risk of fatal danger and thrill of new discovery are the everyday factors that make cave exploration such an awe-inspiring experience.
Includes: "Making of" Documentary

Wide Screen (16x9) and full screen (4x3) on same disc. DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio.

Comment: Also available on VHS Tape

This video documents a beautifully preserved, rare paleo cave located in Southeast Kentucky. The program digs into the history of early cave explorers, including confederates during the Civil War, and then uncovers the mystery of the "tri-colored bat". The video explores the mystery of the Hidden Waterfall, that can been heard but not seen. It explores the nature of caves and karst.

This film presents the adventures of a team of speleologists who have set out to capture images that reveal to the general public the incredible forms and colors of the subterranean world. Exquisite scenes from the lava tubes of Lanzarote (Canary Islands), the caves of Postonja (Slovenia), the sunken depths of Fontaine de Vaucluse in France, and the crystal palaces of Cigalere in the Pyrenees.

This is a pilot for a potential caving series on the History Channel. The producers wanted to examine man's historic and prehistoric relationship to caves, and so turned to the ancient Maya, a culture whose cosmology places caves at the center of their physical and spiritual world. NSS cavers Hazel Barton and Paul Burger explore Naj Tunich cave in the Yucatan.

Comment: This program won Best of Show in the 2008 NSS Video Salon.

Video of a fast-paced slide program by Bruce Rogers on the lava tubes in El Malpais National Monument.

Video of a fascinating slide presentation by planetary geologist Ron Greeley from Arizona State University on the volcanism which recent spacecraft have observed on various planets and their satellites.

A video of this famous cave with its fabulous formations emphasizing its "wilderness" potential. The main program is about 25 mintues long. The extended section includes in-depth interviews with the explorers and plenty of outtakes and makes this DVD a full 68 mintues long.

Living On Karst introduces the general public to the basics of karst, how it functions and what makes it so sensitive to land use. The history of Hidden River Cave is presented as the poster child of polluted caves, whose ultimate restoration in modern times points at a hopeful future for raising consciousness about the value of providing good stewardship. David Foster, founder and director of ACCA shares personal thoughts about the tangible and intangible value of caves to humans and to life itself.

In the 1800s a marble cave was discovered in Monroe, Connecticut. As legend has it, the cave contains a room called the “King’s Ballroom”, a space that was said to be large enough to hold 75 people, with stone seats carved into the walls. For a short time the cave served as a tourist destination but proved unprofitable, eventually the entrance was blown up with dynamite. In this film we will reopen this long forgotten cave to finally reveal its mysteries.

Comment:

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD are 4 other programs from the 2019 NSS Video Salon:

• The Allure of McFails Cave (D151a)
• Main Drain Sump Dive 2016 (D151c)
• Rat's Nest Low Point Push (D151d)
• This is Bisaro Anima (D151e)
  

In the 1730s a copper mining boom took hold in the American Colonies. In this episode we will go in search of a lost copper mine dating to colonial times and investigate a tale of misfortune and murder. Get ready to rediscover and dig open a lost copper mine and go underground and underwater in search of its long-forgotten history!.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2021 NSS Video Salon.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Lost Copper Mines of Connecticut

The National Speleological Society is pleased to unveil the initial presentations in its long-awaited "Luminary Series" — featuring pioneering cave explorers, karst scientists, and other long-time NSS members.These talks are designed to give young and old cavers alike the opportunity to learn from some of the true superstars in our Society.

This program is the brainchild of AVP Geary Schindel, and is produced by Dave Socky and Webmaster Alex Sproul.

in addition to being a rock-climber, a mountaineer, a hiker, a scuba diver, a canoeist, a white- water river runner, a pilot, an engineer, and a scientist, Dwight Deal has enjoyed a great life as a cave explorer. Loaded with funny anecdotes, fabulous photography, and a great store of tales and skills, Dwight Deal's presentations are always popular features at caving events. Dwight's talk here explains a thing or two about calcite—and also employs the double-refraction property of calcite as a metaphor for his lifetime of adventure both above and below the ground.

The National Speleological Society is pleased to unveil the initial presentations in its long-awaited "Luminary Series" — featuring pioneering cave explorers, karst scientists, and other long-time NSS members.These talks are designed to give young and old cavers alike the opportunity to learn from some of the true superstars in our Society.

This program is the brainchild of AVP Geary Schindel, and is produced by Dave Socky and Webmaster Alex Sproul.

Jeanne Gurnee is one of the most accomplished women in the history of American speleology. In addition to having served the NSS in many ways, including as president, Jeanne is Vice President and Trustee of the National Speleological Foundation, and for a number of years was a member of the board of the National Caves Association. Somehow, all of these administrative duties have not prevented Jeanne Gurnee from enjoying more than a half-century of adventure underground.

The National Speleological Society is pleased to unveil the initial presentations in its long-awaited "Luminary Series" — featuring pioneering cave explorers, karst scientists, and other long-time NSS members.These talks are designed to give young and old cavers alike the opportunity to learn from some of the true superstars in our Society.

This program is the brainchild of AVP Geary Schindel, and is produced by Dave Socky and Webmaster Alex Sproul.

Dr. Will White is one of the most prolific, famous, and well-loved cave scientists on the planet. Will's career has taken him to an expansive array of dark, scary, and far-away places while coaxing secrets out of the earth. A long and distinguished career at Penn State University has given Dr. White the occasion to pursue significant ground-breaking science, supervise numerous excellent students, and enjoy a lot of interesting, challenging, and humorous adventures along the way.

A history of the Carlsbad Caverns Lint Camp, from its inception in 1988 through 2004. The program uses over 250 caver volunteers who spend their vacation time to remove accumulations of lint, hair, and skin left by cave visitors from the formations on the tourist trails. Tech-niques include everything from tweezers to compressed air and vacuum cleaners. Included are interviews with Pat Jablon-sky, founder of the program, interspersed with video and slides of the restoration work, which nets over 20 pounds of lint each year.

Comment: Also available on VHS Tape (V207)

Four Americans set out to experience remote regions of remote Madagascar on foot, by boat, and by a rickety 4x4. From the fabled Crocodile Caves of the Ankarana, down some 160 miles along the Tsiribihina and Manambolo Rivers, then crossing the Spiny Desert stretching from Morondava by the Mozambique Channel to Tulear, it’s unscripted adventure  documentary storytelling all the way.

Comment: This is a three disk set. Each DVD is about an hour.

The program was entered in the 2017 NSS Video Salon. For other programs in the 2017 NSS Video  Salon, see DVD 146

Main Drain is a deep alpine cave in the Bear Mountains of Northern Utah. It is thought to lead to a larger system with the potential to continue for several kilometers, but this connection requires diving through at least two sumps in near freezing water. The first sump lies below a series of technically challenging drops at -1300 feet. In 2016, a team of cavers from Utah and Texas successfully put two divers through the first sump. This documentary, narrated by both cavers and divers, tells the story of how they accomplished a seemingly impossible task.

Comment:

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

Also on this DVD are 4 other programs from the 2019 NSS Video Salon:

• The Allure of McFails Cave (D151a)
• The Lost Cave of Monroe (D151b)
• Rat's Nest Low Point Push (D151d)
• This is Bisaro Anima (D151e)
  

A Special Challenge. Caves are more popular for recreation than ever! And their ties to the surface world is increasingly more important. Because of this, proper cave management has become critical. This BLM video points out (very well) the importance of the cave resource and the need for good stewardship by federal agencies under the provisions of the Federal Cave Resource Protection Act.

Dramatic adventures highlight early explorations in Papua New Guinea by a Swiss/French team, including 360- meter deep sinkholes and kayaking into a giant resurgence.

Merlin Tuttle studying Mexican Freetail bats in Bracken Cave, Texas. Excellent bat-flight footage.

This video is of the Explorer’s Club Flag expedition to Sierra Madre.  An annual caver’s event to the Mesa Juarez in search of access to the Sistema Parificacion in Tameulipas, Mexico encouraged Explorer Club members to register the annual trip as a Flag Expedition.  For over 20 years cavers have been searching for an alternative access to Sistema Parificacion, the largest air-filled cave system in Mexico.

The adventure of six members of the Cullman Grotto during their winter break south of the border.

The sport of vertical caving knows no greater thrill than the deep shafts located in central Mexico. Six cavers from Alabama, Ohio, and Wisconsin spent a week exploring a few of Mexico's greatest caves. There are moments of relaxation and moments when the cavers thought they could go no further. The focus of this trip was the 618 foot deep Hoya de la Luuz, but the voyage there was no easy task!

Also includes Sotano de Cepillo, Grutas de Tolontange, and Pyramids.

In 2017 a small but enigmatic mine tunnel was discovered in Woodbury, CT. Who were the men who drove this tunnel? What minerals did they mine? In this film we delve deep into the history of mining in colonial America. The interior of the mine is excavated with the help of a rope and pulley system put in place by the Central Connecticut Grotto. The dig yields some interesting mineral specimens which help tell the story of copper mining during the colonial times.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Woodbury Copper Mine

On June 6, 2014, a cloudless day near the summer solstice, sunlight penetrated deep into Murder Hole Cave in Catawba, Virginia.  Property owner Marian McConnell took three friends into the cave, including video producer Randolph Walker. The warmth of the sun on the moist rocks formed mists that rose in the sunbeams, creating shifting, multicolored patterns.  No special effects are used in the video. Walker, who is also a musician, created a soundtrack using singing bowls and flutes to complement this impressionistic journey into inner space.

This program is the story, and history, of one of the largest caves in Botetourt County, Virginia – Catawba Murder Hole. Besides the history and legends, this program will show the viewer the splendor and beauty of this large cave, from the Daylight Cave to the depths of the lower levels. Come along and enjoy not only the legends of the past, but the beauty and adventure of the cave itself.

This very short (1-minute) piece is actually a commercial. Turner South Television, the corporate owner of numerous TV stations, held a contest that invited viewers to film a short commercial depicting some aspect of what they loved about 'their' South. Caver Michael Gilbert and the Central Alabama Grotto entered the contest with a 'down and dirty' spot about their caving passions - and they won! Their prize was to be able to reshoot and edit the piece using Turner's professional equipment and services, and have the spot air on the network.

The focus of this program is a project to map The Devils Sinkhole, near Rock Springs, TX. Visitors to the site can peer into the abyss from a platform near the edge of the 160-foot pit. Using the latest LIDAR laser technology, a group of geologists and cavers is creating a virtual 3-D model of the cave. This is an early edit of a program to be featured on Texas Public Television.

Comment: This program won an Honorable Mention in the 2008 NSS Video Salon.

Also on this DVD: NSS 2008 Convnetion promo (D56b) and Bikini Cavers (D56c)

Project caving in Germany Valley, West Virginia, comes alive in a short video by caver Pete Penczer. It tells the story of a weekend trip in Memorial Day Cave and includes pit drops, camp, rigging, and survey in the remote reaches of what was back in 2008 only an 11-mile cave. Shot during actual survey trips and populated by real cavers, this enjoyable video will both show non-cavers what you actually do on your weekends and make you wish you lived closer to West Virginia.

Comment: This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2018 Awards Show (D150a)
• The Dream Lake Story (D150b)
• Riding Shadows (D1150c)
• The Secrets of Church Cave (D150d)
• What it takes to Get The Shot (D150e)
• The World of Caving (D150f)

October 1942-Esther Stermer, along with some family members and a group of other families, seek asylum underground to evade being caught by pursuing Nazis.  They remain hidden below for nearly a year and a half-the longest recorded uninterrupted underground survival occurrence.

Magnolia Pictures and History Films presents a Sierra/Tango Films production in association with A List Films Unanico Group Delirio Films and Bayerischer Rundfunk

©2012 Into the Dark L.L.C.

Comment:

A humorous intro has a convention staffer dreaming that he is Steve Irwin, rescuing an errant cave diver who has become trapped in a swimming pool and needs to be returned to its native habitat. The rest of the program high- lights the facilities and events of the Lake City, FL NSS Convention.

This 7 minute video is an invitation for all NSS members to attend the 2014 Convention in Huntsville, AL. The video highlights why Huntsville is the perfect location for Convention and the new relocation of the NSS headquarters.  The video was created almost entirely from still photographs set to the narration of Ed Yarbrough..

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2014 Awards Show (D141a)
• Abigail's Underground (D141c)
• Black Water (D141d)
• Caves - Underground Realms (D141e)
• Phantom Spring (D141f)
• What To Do With Those Pesky Spoils (D141g)
  

This 9 minute video is an invitation for all NSS members to attend the 2020 Convention in Elkins, WV. The video highlights the facilities for the convention, the OTR campground, regional attractions, and the caving that is available.

Comment: This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD. It can also be accessed on YouTube.

This DVD is a reproduction of the 2003 NSS Photo Salon from the NSS Convention in Portersville, California. The program shows the best of the 2003 photo salon, fading from one slide to the next, and includes titles showing the name of each photographic along with the photographer. The entire slide series is set to music.

This DVD was produced by Dave Socky of Hodag Video Productions in 2006.

This DVD is a reproduction of the 2006 NSS Photo Salon from the NSS Convention in Bellingham, Washington. The program shows the best of the 2006 photo salon, fading from one slide to the next, and includes titles showing the name of each photographic along with the photographer. This program includes 111 photographs. The entire slide series is set to music.

This DVD was produced by Dave Socky of Hodag Video Productions in 2007.

This DVD contains the NSS Photo Salons from 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  This is a data DVD - it contains Window Media Video (*.wmv) files which can only be played on a computer. 

These Salon programs are exact duplicates of the Power Point presentations shown at the NSS Convention Salons.  All eight Salon programs are set to the original Salon music by Keith Goggin.  The Photo Salons are from the following NSS Convetions. 

• 2008 Lake City, FL - 26:57 minutes
  
• 2009 Kerrville, TX - 36:35 minutes
• 2010 Essex Junction, VT - 22:30 minutes
• 2011 Glenwood Springs, CO - 26:50 minutes
• 2012 Lewisburg, WV - 34:39 minutes
• 2013 Shippensburg, PA - 22:30 minutes
• 2014 Huntsville, AL - 33:25 minutes
• 2015 Waynesville, MO - 51:56 minutes

This DVD was produced by Dave Socky of Hodag Video Productions in 2013.

This 20 minute program was played at the 2014 NSS Awards Salon for the NSS Video Salon.  It includes 2 to 4 minute clips of the videos that were accpeted into the 2014 Video Salon and then announces the winners at the end.  A listing of the entries is shown below.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Convention 2014 Promo (D141b)
• Abigail's Underground (D141c)
• Black Water (D141d)
• Caves - Underground Realms (D141e)
• Phantom Spring (D141f)
• What To Do With Those Pesky Spoils (D141g)
  

This 14 minute program was played at the 2015 NSS Awards Salon for the NSS Video Salon.  It includes 2 to 4 minute clips of the videos that were accpeted into the 2015 Video Salon and then announces the winners at the end.  A listing of the entries is shown below.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 2 other programs from the 2015 NSS Video Salon:

• Inside Bracken Bat Cave with NCKRI & BCI(D143b)
• Thunder Hole (D143c)

See DVD 142 for the other two 2015 Video Salon entries

This 12 minute program was played at the 2017 NSS Awards Salon for the NSS Video Salon.  It includes 2 to 4 minute clips of the videos that were accpeted into the 2017 Video Salon and then announces the winners at the end.  A listing of the entries is shown below.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 5 other programs from the 2017 NSS Video Salon:

• Abaco Blue Holes Expedition Live (D146b)
• Castleguard Expedition (D146c)
• Edgewood Caverns (D146d)
• Exploring Sistema Huautla 2016 (D146e)
• The Hunt for Bat Boy – Episodes 1 – 4 (D146f)
  

This 13 minute program was played at the 2018 NSS Awards Salon for the NSS Video Salon.  It includes 2 to 4 minute clips of the videos that were accpeted into the 2018 Video Salon and then announces the winners at the end.  A listing of the entries is shown below.

Comment: This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• The Dream Lake Story (D150b)
• Riding Shadows (D150c)
• The Secrets of Church Cave (D150d)
• What it takes to Get The Shot (D150e)
• The World of Caving (D150f)
• No Cave for Old Men (D150g)

This 13 minute program was played at the 2019 NSS Awards Salon for the NSS Video Salon.  It includes 2 minute clips of the videos that were accpeted into the 2019 Video Salon and then announces the winners at the end.  A listing of the entries is shown below.

Comment: This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

The short clips for the 5 programs accepted into the Salon are shown below (the list below also links to the catalog entry for the full lenght program)

• The Allure of McFails Cave (D151a)
• The Lost Cave of Monroe (D151b)
• Main Drain Sump Dive 2016 (D151c)
• Rat's Nest Low Point Push (D151d)
• This is Bisaro Anima (D151e)
  

This introduction to the sport of caving describes types of caves, the cave environment, why people visit caves, and how to cave safely and with minimum impact.

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2020 NSS Video Salon and won an Honorable Mention Award.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Overview of Caving

PESH (Proyecto Espeleologico Sistema Huautla) is an official NSS Project.  It fields annual full-scale speleological expeditions to the caves of the Huautla de Jimenez, Oaxaca, Mexico area.  These caves were first discovered by NSS cavers in 1966 and have been explored and studied ever since.

This video is an interview with Bill Steele, PESH Coleader, who along with Tommy Shifflett organizes the annual expeditions and gives leadership in the field.  Steele joined the NSS in 1964.

Phantom Spring is owned by the Bureau of Reclamation and because of endangered life in its related surface pool it is an ecologically highly sensitive site.  In 2011 Dr. Tom Iliff of Texas A&M University obtained a permit to dive, document, map, and explore the site. New exploration immediately uncovered a deep source passage dropping deep under the nearby Davis Mountains which was pushed over the next year to a maximum depth of 462 feet.  This video shows some of the upstream passage in the system. 

This video is has no narration and is set to music. This is some excellent underwater videography.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2014 Awards Show (D141a)
• NSS Convention 2014 Promo (D141b)
• Abigail's Underground (D141c)
• Black Water (D141d)
• Caves - Underground Realms (D141e)
• What To Do With Those Pesky Spoils (D141g)
  

The Cave of Swallows (Sotano de las Golondrinas), in Mexico, is a 400-meter vertical shaft. It's deep enough to engulf the Empire State Building, yet few people even know of its existence. Caves are Planet Earth's final frontier, and this program will go where few have been before.
From Lechuguilla Cave's astonishing 6-meter long crystals to the vast Deer Cave in Borneo, the daytime retreat for 5 millon bats, from cave swiftlets, who build nests out of just saliva, to the extraordinary snottites of Villa Luz, Planet Earth 'Caves' is the first to go deep into this hidden world.
This landmark nature series was produced by a consortium of The Discovery Channel, the BBC, and NHK (Japan). Its eleven 50-minute chapters were filmed entirely in High Definition and were five years in the making. The series first aired in the UK in 2006, and in the US in May 2007.

This program is not particularly about caving, but it does have a section on caving and WNS. A synopsis of the video is below:

Americas spectacular public and private lands and waters provide some of the greatest opportunities for outdoor recreation in the world. But these beautiful and inspiring natural places in which we enjoy our outdoor recreation heritage are under attack from hundreds of invasive plants, animals, and pathogens. In response, outdoor enthusiasts - campers, cavers, climbers, hikers, and many others - are fighting back to protect and enjoy the places they love by becoming aware of what they can do and taking steps to prevent the spread of these invaders. Prevention and control of invasive species is an achievable goal linked directly to common outdoor recreation ethics and stewardship principles. Caring for the resources they love, Americans realize tthey can make a dirfference against invasive species while they enjoy the great outdoors. By working together, all of us can keep Ameraca's lands, caves, and waters protected for future generations.

There is different and new material in each of the 4 tracks, so to see everything, it is best to view all the tracks.

Professional

Track 1: Full length program - 26:46

Track 2: Short Version - 16:26

Track 3: Trailer - 6:05

Track 4: Bonus Program - 19:15

Excerpted from a longer and more technical version, the film introduces a traveling exhibit about the Priest’s Grotto’s survivor story and showcases the supporting platform for one component of the exhibit, a photorealistic virtual environment each visitor will explore to “learn” the cave and discover story elements. Highlighted are the key challenges encountered with photogrammetric 3D mapping, lighting, and post-processing, not to mention making it all work underground in a gnarly maze cave.

A close group of adventurous friends crawl more than five hours through tight, wet cave passages to dive a cold, muddy sump in the Canadian Rockies. They try to answer the question: What makes an explorer different?

Comment:

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

Also on this DVD are 4 other programs from the 2019 NSS Video Salon:

• The Allure of McFails Cave (D151a)
• The Lost Cave of Monroe (D151b)
• Main Drain Sump Dive 2016 (D151c)
• This is Bisaro Anima (D151e)
  

Riding Shadows was produced during an outing in southern Utah the summer of 2013. The cast, made up of members of the Cullman Grotto, were exploring the vertical canyons and red rock grottos of Zion National Park. The Great Arch, featured in the video, is located on the east side of Zion National Park near Pine Creek canyon trailhead. The rappel is estimated at 460 feet.  Permission was obtained from the Park’s Climbing Supervisor/Ranger. Somewhat intrigued by our request, after reviewing our experience as vertical cavers, he was most accommodating.

Comment: Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2018 Awards Show (D150a)
• The Dream Lake Story (D150b)
• The Secrets of Church Cave (D150d)
• What it takes to Get The Shot (D150e)
• The World of Caving (D150f)
• No Cave for Old Men (D150g)

In 1954 a limestone quarry in the Mendip hills broke into an unknown cave system filled with superb statctite formations.  This ave was the first of many revealed by the adnacning rock face including the equisite Balch's Cave.  But, "the quarry giveth, the quarry taketh away."

This film is a dramatised depiction of the real events based on the recollections of two of the original explorers, Brian Prewer and Bob Whitaker.

It is a story about caves and those who are drawn to explore them.  It is a story about friendship, about discovery and destruction.  It is a story that poses a fundemental question.  How do we place a value on the world around us?

This video was produced for the pleasure of those who enjoy beautiful caves and cave exploring.  Sounds of new age style music in the background provide a soothing atmosphere for appreciating the splendor of the cavernous world beneath our feet.  It is a particularly good video to show non-caver friends to let them see why you go caving.  I bought Secret Cave, the title of the video, 22 years ago to protect it from vandalism.  The difficult vertical entrance and its remoteness have kept it pristine.  Secret Cave has been gated with access granted only to National Speleological Society grotto members.  The video is approximately 16 minutes long and can be viewed online on YouTube in 2 parts, and at Vimeo.com in its entirety.

The long-awaited documentary by BCI which aired in prime-time on CBS. Features astonishing slow-motion photography by Dieter Plage. A delight to watch

Comment: Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2018 Awards Show (D150a)
• The Dream Lake Story (D150b)
• Riding Shadows (D150c)
• What it takes to Get The Shot (D150e)
• The World of Caving (D150f)
• No Cave for Old Men (D150g)

In this episode we delve deep into the history of the Hudson Valley New York to investigate legends of silver mines dating to before the Revolutionary War. We explore tight tunnels that twist and turn for silver ore, rappel deep into a mine with a mysterious past and paddle kayaks through flooded tunnels. Get ready to descend underground and back in time in search of a little known part of New York history!

YOUTUBE ONLY

Comment: This Program was from the 2021 NSS Video Salon and won an Honorable Mention.

This program is available only on YouTube at the following link:

YouTube Link - Silver Mines of the Hudson Valley

When caving, the most common feature encountered that requires knowledge of vertical techniques is: “the pit”. Getting down is usually pretty easy (but it does require a fair amount of knowledge in order to do it safely). But if one goes down, it is usually necessary to get back up.

Getting back up the rope is the main subject of this video. This program is intended to be an introduction to the different techniques and rigs that are used around the world to ascend a rope.

The program will start out with how to set up a climbing rope for training with a heavy emphasis on safety. Then we will cover the workings of different climbing systems such as the Frog system, knots, the rope walker and others. Important aspects of each system will be described, including how to use them in a safe and efficient manner.

Within the earth, within the mind - a journey of discovery and obsession. What drives a person to risk their life deep underground, and alone, in an unexplored cave? Solo explores the innermost thoughts and fears of a lone caver as he ventures into uncharted caverns, culminating in a tense and dramatic struggle for survival..

Winner of the National Speleological Society Video Salon Best of Show in 1999 and the Aon Prize at the Speleovision festival 2000.

This program is a slide show from 1967 that has been trasfered to DVD. It includes audio. The program is about the exploration of Sotano de las Golondrinas in Mexico.

SP CAVE
Underground Symphony
Cottonwood Cave

SP Cave - Forest Service efforts to protect and preserve this spectacular Arizona cave are the focus of this documentary. Unique monitoring and restoration techniques are highlighted.

Symphony - This whimsical piece demon-strates the magic that digital editing and animation have brought to amateur video. Cave formations come to life, playing classical accompaniment to dancing hodags and gremlins.

Cottonwood -Well-known cave specialist lead a thorough tour of this well-known New Mexico cave, describing its features and Forest Service restoration efforts. Strong conservation message for cavers.

Produced by Fred Bauman
SP Cave - 1997
Underground Symphony - 1997
Cottonwood Cave - 1997

This is a narrated slide program on an expedition by nine American cavers to explore and map caves in a remote Northern area of Thailand that took place in 1983. Expedition members included Bob Benedict (leader), Jean Benedict, Jeb Blakeley, Rick Rigg, Robert Humperty, Dave Evarts, Steve Zeman, Dino Lowrey, and Mike Ingram

This program is available only through the NSS YouTube channel. Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

This short film was produced for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society to highlight the 2018 Expedition of the Year - the Bisaro Cave Project. The Bisaro Anima cave is the current deepest cave in Canada and the Continental USA. The video compiles news footage of the confirmation of its status as the deepest cave, along with a reading of the story "This is Bisaro Anima"

Comment:

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

Also on this DVD are 4 other programs from the 2019 NSS Video Salon:

• The Allure of McFails Cave (D151a)
• The Lost Cave of Monroe (D151b)
• Main Drain Sump Dive 2016 (D151c)
• Rat's Nest Low Point Pusy (D151d)
  

This program is about the discovery of a new cave in New York State, Schoharie County. After nine year, the diggers were rewarded by breaking through into real cave on August 25th, 2007.

This program won an Honorable Mention in the 2015 NSS Video Salon

In October 2004, a large group of Native American flute enthusiasts gathered in Dixie Caverns, VA to have a flute con-cert in the cave's excellent acoustics. Twenty-six flutists are featured in this video, playing a wide range of traditional music. Each performance is intermixed with beautiful scenes from a number of caves, with scenes ranging from striking formations to underground waterfalls. It is a pleasure to watch

Comment:

Come explore the unknown gems of Se-quia National Park as we visit the under-ground world found there. From the al-pine caves of the high country to the re-mote canyons of the Kaweah River, join us as we crawl, climb, and rappel through dozens of the over 200 caves found throughout the park. Along the way, we'll learn about the geologic forces that created so many caves, we'll see some of the animals that call the caves home, and we'll learn the interest-ing human history of cave exploration in Sequoia, all from the cavers who know the caves best!

Comment: This DVD won a merit award in the 2005 NSS Video Salon.

Dudley Caving Club has two talented cave photographers, Mark Burkey and Brendan Marris. Over the years they have both taken some amazing cave photographs, but on this day in Ogof Gofan they were after capturing something a little different.

Comment: Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2018 Awards Show (D150a)
• The Dream Lake Story (D150b)
• Riding Shadows (D150c)
• Secrets of Church Cave (D150d)
• The World of Caving (D150f)
• No Cave for Old Men (D150g)
  

Cave digging is used extensively to find new cave, both from within known caves and new surface entrances.  But no matter where the dig is located, there is always the issue of what to do with all the dirt, mud, and rocks (spoils) if the dig is in anyway extensive.  This short 10 minute program portrays a number of digs and how the spoils are moved from dig to dump, set to music, and using a poem to describe the action. The conclusion is that many miles of cave can be discovered through patience and well planned digs.

Comment: Also on this DVD are 6 other programs from the 2014 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2014 Awards Show (D141a)
• NSS Convention 2014 Promo (D141b)
• Abigail's Underground (D141c)
• Black Water (D141d)
• Caves - Underground Realms (D141e)
• Phantom Spring (D141f)
  
  

Producer Nathaniel Bluedorn says: "My brother Hans and I have never made a movie. So we decided to hide our bad technique in a cave. Viewers may forgive a caving documentary for being amateurish.
"We wanted to bring viewers on a caving trip - to experience caving the way cavers do. Part of caving is dealing with extreme situations underground. We want viewers to think to themselves, 'If I was in a cave, or climbing a mountain, I want to be that way - confident, helping my team members, safe, etc.
"We filmed in HD, but editing HD files was too time-consuming, so we mastered our movie in standard definition. After experimenting, we chose to use only headlamps and flashlights held by our actors to light our movie. We didn't have trained actors, so we wrote our dialog to match our personal experiences as much as possible.
"We learned that being organized isn't enough. We have to be more organized than we can possible imagine, because it won't look so organized on shooting day. And we learned that movies are made by teams, and teams are built by networking and building trust."
For a first-time production, Wilder Cave is well worth watching. It is visually stunning, and captures the essence of being underground.

The producer says: "My objectives were to give the impression of actually going through this (Missouri) cave, to provide maximum time for my volunteer assistants to see themselves in the video, and to provide myself with a souvenir of this beautiful cave, my favorite. I am 69 years old and unlikely to ever enter it again."
All of these objectives were met in this thorough documentary of Rollins Cave. The first half shows the cave's size (both crawlways and corridors), extent, and challenges. The second half is the reward, showing the exquisite beauty of the left branch's terminal room and the grandeur of the right side's galleries.

This video opened a Golden Age of Cave Exploration, an event organized to celebrate 50 years of pioneering British cave exploration and scientific research which took place on 1st to 4th December 2017 at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Vocals are by Nigel Atkins. Backing music track - The Sound of Silence (Originally performed by Disturbed) by Karaoke Pro.

Comment: Click on this link to stream this program on the NSS YouTube Channel.

This program is available in DVD or Blu-ray formats. Please specify which format when ordering. The default is DVD.

Also on this DVD or Blu-ray are 6 other programs from the 2018 NSS Video Salon:

• NSS Video Salon 2018 Awards Show (D150a)
• The Dream Lake Story (D150b)
• Riding Shadows (D150c)
• Secrets of Church Cave (D150d)
• What It Takes To Get The Shot (D150e)
• No Cave for Old Men (D150g)
  

More than three times the height of Niagara Falls, much of Vietnam’s Mountain River Cave has remained untouched by humans. With exclusive footage, National Geographic reveals, for the first time in history, astounding evidence that this could be the largest cave in the world.

Together with renowned expedition leader Howard Limbert, cave geologist Darryl Granger uncovers the formula for how the cave grew so grand. And international zoologist Annette Becher identifies unique underground species that evolved there. Finally, the team climbs to the cave’s ceiling. Will their readings help confirm that they have just ascended to the top of the World’s Biggest Cave?