Newsletter 39 From the Editor An unusually long and hot Summer is fading into Autumn in Australia as I write this. Meanwhile around the world there is plenty of exciting news for show cave operators. The celebration of the Day of the Cave in France is imminent and looks like a wonderful series of events. Spectacular Postojna was successful in being named a National Champion in the European Business Awards - an outstanding achievement indeed. And, of course, the shadow of the upcoming Conference in Oman is beginning to loom large over us all. The draft program and welcome message from Andrew Hall in this Newsletter, with accompanying images, should be enough to start all ISCA members packing suitcases and booking flights if they have not done so already. It s going to be incredible! More information will follow, and registration will be opening in May. Dan Cove ALMOST TIME! ISCA CONFERENCE OMAN - NOVEMBER 2016 Turathna, the Oman Heritage Projects Development and Management Company, looks forward to welcoming the ISCA Team to the Sultanate of Oman for its annual conference from 6-12 November 2016 and hopes that members will block these dates in their diaries. We are planning an excigng conference that will take place in three separate locagons across the country - the ciges of Muscat, Nizwa and Sur, with a focus on a variety of caves and others sites of geological interest. These include Arabia s largest show cave, Al Hoota, and several other caves amongst which is the very special water cavern at Wadi Shaab, which we know delegates will enjoy swimming into and the Bimmah Sinkhole where you may also like to take a dip. culture and tradigons of the country and will be taking delegates on a 4x4 trail up to the Majlis al Jinn (MeeGng Place of the Genies) Cave high in the Eastern Hajar Mountains where we will also visit the 8m high, 4000 year old Al Jaylah tower tombs. For those concerned about security whilst traveling in the Middle East, please rest assured that Oman is one of the most secure countries to visit. In 2015 the World Economic The conference will also include a series of papers on topics covering Oman and internagonal topics around show caves, includ- ing high profile local and internagonal speakers. Oman is a quickly developing tourist desgnagon, an unspoiled country where the authengc culture of the Arabian Peninsula can be experienced through its heritage sites and the hospitality of its people. It is also a country of natural wonders, with beaugful scenery gioed to it by its geology. We plan to spend some of the evenings during the conference enjoying the Amazing Al Hoota Cave PAGE 1
Forum rated it the 9 th safest tourist desgnagon in the world, ahead of the likes of Spain, the UK, Germany, France, USA, Italy, Australia and China. Many of you may also be concerned about travelling in the extremes of a desert environment. It is precisely for this reason we have scheduled the conference for the second week of November, well into the temperate winter season when temperatures moderate around the mid- to upper 20s o C. Cave lighting design - Al Hoota Our team at Turathna is pu_ng together a package of hotels of varying cost and quality in each of the three ciges in which the conference will spend Gme and hopes to keep registragon costs at levels similar to the 2015 conference. Within the next few weeks we will confirm costs, release a formal programme and commence registragon. We hope to have as many of you as possible a`ending what promises to be an excigng and sgmulagng week in an unusual venue where you are guaranteed a memorable experience. We look forward to welcoming ISCA 2016 to Oman! Andrew Hall CEO Turathna Over 4.5km of developed show cave pathway PAGE 2
The truly awe-inspiring scenery of Oman The Golden Desert PAGE 3
PROVISIONAL PROGRAM - ISCA CONFERENCE, OMAN Day 1: 6 th Nov 2016, Sunday Arrival Muscat (Seeb International Airport) Registration Board Meeting Dinner: Beit al Luban Overnight Muscat Day 2: 7 th Nov 2016, Monday Formal Opening Lecture: Introduction to the geology of Oman Lecture: The wild caves of Oman Lecture: Adventure tourism in Oman Lecture: Caves and Social Media Geological Tour, Jebel al Akhdar area Dinner: Wadi Madden Overnight Nizwa Day 3: 8 th Nov 2016, Tuesday Al Hoota Cave Lectures & discussion Management of show caves Nizwa Souk Dinner: Nizwa Fort Overnight Nizwa Day 4: 9 th Nov 2016, Wednesday Wadi Bani Khalid & Waqal Cave Wahiba Sands Board Meeting (Traditional Majlis) Dinner: 1000 Nights Camp Overnight 1000 Nights Camp Day 5: 10 th November 2016, Thursday Salma Plateau: Majlis al Jinn Cave Salma Plateau: Al Jeela Tombs Dinner: Hotel in Sur Overnight Sur Day 6: 11 th November 2016, Friday Wadi Shaab Water Cavern Wadi Tiwi Programme for those unable to manage Wadi Shaab: Sur: Fortresses and dhow building yards Qalhat: Archaeological site Wadi Tiwi Overnight Sur Day 7: 12 th Nov 2016, Saturday Falling Star Sinkhole (Hawiyat Najm) Free time (Shopping in Mutrah Souk) Open bus sunset tour Old Muscat & Mutrah Farewell Dinner: Evening Dhow cruise Dinner at hotel in Sur Overnight Muscat Day 8: 13 th Nov 2016, Sunday Departure from Muscat Pre/Post Conference Tour packages: Variety of options through Tour Oman. See conference website. Airport transfer to conference hotels Three hours Special Guest TBC Geological Society of Oman Andrew Lawrence, Min. of Tourism Stephen Jones, Oman Sail Ed Mayfield, Caverns of Sonora Coach Tour Bedouin style dinner 850m + 450 stairs or adventure option ISCA to provide speakers Traditional Market Oman cultural evening 4x4: Nizwa - Wahiba Sands 2km walk 30km drive into dune fields 3 Hours Buffet with singers and dancers Tented desert camp 4x4 mountain route View entrance only 1-2km walk Venue to be finalised 6km rough terrain walk & 100m swim 3km walk 4km walk Bus: Sur - Muscat 800m walk + optional stairs +2 hours The historic quarters of Muscat Mutrah harbour Venue to be finalised Website will be online soon PAGE 4
FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear ISCA Members, I hope you are having a wonderful 2016! It s Spring season in Texas, USA with green grass and beaugful wildflowers including our iconic Texas flower the Bluebonnet. With the season came Spring Holiday, when children are on break from school for a week. It s a Gme when families travel and a`racgons such as show caves are very busy. The mengon of flowers brings me to some very tragic news. ISCA Member Jose Antonio Lasheras, director of Altamira in Spain died in a car accident near Burgos recently, and his wife is in a coma. We pray that she will recover soon and that she will be comforted and find peace while grieving the loss of her husband. I have extended condolences and heareelt sympathy to her, all their family, friends and colleagues along with an arrangement of flowers on behalf of ISCA. In many ways ISCA is like a big family, and I assured them that there will be thoughts and prayers going up from all around the world. On a happy note, congratulagons to Postojna Cave for being named a NaGonal Champion for the presggious European Business Awards! Thanks to all of our members who answered the call to acgon and voted for Postojna. If you have not seen their video, it s well worth watching: h`p://www.businessaward- seurope.com/vote/detail- new/slovenia/15997 as I said, ISCA is like a big family and we cry with each other at sad Gmes, and we celebrate with our mem- bers at Gmes of accomplishment. Speaking of celebragng, France s NaGonal Day of Caves is coming up very soon on April 3 rd. We hope it s a wonderful celebragon with lots of publicity and visitagon for the show caves of France! In an effort to improve communicagons, ISCA is now uglizing an email distribugon service called Mail Chimp. This newsle`er is our first communicagon to you with the new service, and it is our hope that it will increase the reliability and efficiency in communicagng with each of you. Another great communicagons tool that has been created for you is our Facebook pages. We built them and now we need you to join/like them! The President enjoying the return of Spring and the Texan Bluebonnet Flowers Actually ISCA member Ed Mayfield (Caverns of Sonora, USA) who I consider an expert on social media, set the pages up and administers them. We have a public ISCA Facebook page which is uglized to share with the public and promote member show caves. It s really simple, if you and/or your show cave have a Facebook page, go like the ISCA Facebook page. It will only take you a few seconds and it helps all show caves! Then when you have interesgng or newsworthy informagon about your show cave post it! Ed has also created a private ISCA Facebook page which is for ISCA members only and a place where we can ask quesgons and share advice with fellow show cave managers. You will find more informagon about this in Ed s argcle along with instrucgon on joining this group. We created these pages for YOU and we need your help to make them successful. PAGE 5
This newsle`er will provide you with informagon on the upcoming ISCA Conference in Oman including a provisional program and photos that will hopefully get you excited to a`end. Our hosts from Al Hoota Cave: Andrew Hall, Sarfraz Ahmed Sethi, Abdul Wahid Al Farsi and their team are organizing a fabulous conference for us. In addigon to Al Hoota Cave, their company also manages cultural and heritage tourism properges and projects across Oman. It will be a wonderful opportunity to experience the history, culture, caves, geology and scenery in a part of the world most ISCA members have never had the opportunity to experience. Conferences are also a Gme of congnuing educagon about subjects important to show caves and the Oman Conference will be no excepgon. One of the subjects for this conference is Adventure Tourism (including guided wild or adventure caving trips) which is a rapidly growing experience being offered by more and more show caves across the world. We will share addigonal topics with you as they develop. If you have suggesgons, please let us know. And as always, the Conference will be a great chance to meet with, network, share and learn from one another in the true spirit of ISCA. I look forward to seeing you in Oman! A few housekeeping ma`ers. We are a li`le behind sending membership dues invoices but will get those emailed to members soon. As you know, ISCA has a very small budget and your prompt payment of dues is greatly appreciated. I am also late in mailing your ISCA Membership cergficates, but I will get them to you as soon as possible- - my apologies for the delay. My wife, Lexi and I will be traveling to Italy soon for ISCA business and a brief vacagon which we are looking forward to. In the meangme, if there is anything I can do to help you, if you have interest in serving in some capacity, or if you have any suggesgons regarding what we can do to make ISCA even be`er, please let me know. God Bless, President InternaGonal Show Caves AssociaGon HAVE YOU JOINED THE ISCA FACE BOOK PAGE YET? If you have not yet joined the ISCA Facebook page, and liked it, then why not..? We now have an official business page that is open to the public to Like and to engage with your content! Please go here: https://www.facebook.com/internationalshow- CavesAssociation/ and Like the page and encourage everyone you know to do so also. The more engagement with our content we get the more we spread information worldwide about show caves. You can also Like the ISCA page from your show cave s Facebook page and we strongly encourage you to do this as well. Please send content to Ed Mayfield, our Facebook page designer and administrator. Ed can post about your show cave or you can post it to the ISCA page yourself from your show cave. PAGE 6
INTERNATIONAL SHOW CAVES ASSOCIATION #39 NATIONAL DAY OF CAVES 28 MARCH 2016 3E ÉDITION Journées nationales des grottes touristiques A sensational program of events has been planned to mark the occasion of the National Day of Caves in France this April. Events scheduled include a movie screening and prehistoric themed tours in La Grotte de Thaise, concerts in Grotte de La Cocalière, Grotte Des Memoiselles and Grand Site de l Aven d Orgnac, a display of caving techniques in Grotte de Dargilan and films and an exhibition at La Grotte de Choranche. There will even be a tightrope walking exhibition in Gouffre de Proumeyssac! Samedi 2 & dimanche 3 avril 2016 Découvrez les sites souterrains exceptionnels dans toute la France It is always terrific to see show caves celebrated for their significance at a national level in this coordinated and collaborative fashion. See the comprehensive programme of events at http://www.grottes-en-france.com/pdf/evenementiel.pdf José Antonio Lasheras En 2016, l ANECAT se mobilise autour de l association des Enfants de la lune. Animations, ateliers, conférences, concerts, randonnées, spéléo,... Retrouvez le programme événementiel Not for those who do not enjoy heights! www.grottes-en-france.com Gospel Choir, de l Aven d Orgnac PAGE 7
DO YOU KNOW A PROSPECTIVE ISCA MEMBER? Past President of ISCA David Summers was, as many would know, a tireless advocate of ISCA and a strong recruiter for the Association. His belief was always that the more members that the Association had, the stronger and the more useful it would be. It is a vision shared by our current President Brad Wuest and by the Board who continue to foster and encourage new membership. All Members have a role to play in All of the ISCA family has been greatly saddened by the terrible news of the tragic passing of José Antonio Lasheras, who had served as the Director of the Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira since 1991. The Altamira Museum managed the Altamira Caves in Northern Spain, a UNESCO site and one of the world s most extraordinary repositories of palaeolithic art. The work of José Antonio was widely regarded as having been the driving force behind the modernisation of the museum which is now well established as one of the finest in the world. He has been frequently called the great defender of Altamira for his commitment to finding an acceptable balance between the protection and the interpretation of this irreplaceable site. José was fatally injured in a road accident on Friday February 26. His wife, who was travelling in the car with him, was also badly injured in the accident. At last report, she was still in hospital in a critical condition. strengthening ISCA. Do you know of a show cave site that is not a member but is interested? Then make contact with them or send their information to the Board. All Members should be looking for opportunities to promote the benefits of the ISCA network and to bringing others into the growing ISCA family. We must all always remember that the more we can grow our Association, the stronger and more vibrant it will be! TRAGIC PASSING OF JOSE ANTONIO LASHERAS José Antonio Lasheras It is certain that all members of ISCA are thinking of José and his wife, and that their thoughts and prayers are with the family at this terrible time. His legacy is tremendous and will never be forgotten. The Altamira Museum, Cantabria Spain. ISCA Calendar 19-23 September 2016 NCA Convention, Squire Boon Caverns Indiana USA 6-12 November 2016 ISCA Conference Al Hoota Cave, Oman 15-18 November 2016 2016 IAAPA 2016, Orlando Florida, USA July 2017 17th UIS Congress Sydney, Australia October 2018 8th Congress of ISCA, Frasassi Italy Main Contributors Brad Wuest President of ISCA Friedrich Oedl 1st Vice President of ISCA. Andrew Hall Grotte des Demoiselles Ed Mayfield PAGE 8