Matt Ewles, from York, said he has found a home in the caving community.
“It’s a very small, very friendly, very close-knit community,” says the 44-year-old, who was introduced to the activity by his future husband, Gary, 20 years ago.
“Most of my friends are cavers. You can have a day away from the world with your good friends – no mobile phones – and just focus on that friendship and enjoying that experience of going somewhere amazing and seeing something fantastic.”
According to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, more than 2,500 caves have been discovered in the Dales.
“Walking down a passage and thinking ‘I’m the first person in history to ever go there’, you are literally going into the complete unknown,” says Matt.
“I just find that utterly addictive, where else can you get that?”
Matt says rescue operations like the one at Dowber Gill Passage can give caving a bad reputation, despite the decision of the three men to go on the expedition being described as “perfectly reasonable” by the rescue leader.
“Caving tends to only reach the general public when there’s a rescue. A lot of people get this impression of caving as really dangerous,” he says.
“Caving is an extremely safe sport. The majority of trips go safely and without incident.”
