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Dick Willis, Explorer of the World's Greatest Caves
Dick
Willis first went caving whilst studying at University in Bristol. He had been
training as a diver but, due to a back injury, the medics would not certify him
as fit to dive in open water. One of his friends suggested that he use his new
wetsuit to go caving and a couple of hours later he was in Swildon's Hole, in
Mendip. From that moment on his life has been dominated by caving … !
Dick has an absolute passion for expedition caving, which has taken him to many exciting areas of the world, including Europe, Greece, Uzbeckistan, Thailand, Java, Irian Jaya as well as multiple trips to China and Borneo where the worlds' greatest caves are located.
He describes caves as the only remaining true exploration frontier. The surface of the planets, the great mountain ranges, the depths of the ocean can all be remotely sensed but in a cave, the unknown is always around the next bend in the passage ...
His talks, which are vividly illustrated with his own photographs and those of his expedition colleagues, convey his passion for the fascinating environment of caves and the animals that live within them, for the people with whom he has had the privilege to go caving and for the societies which have permitted him to explore under their lands. Caving expeditions are about much more than just pure exploration; climate science, water resource development, geomorphology - all these play a part in Dick's expeditions and he describes these studies clearly, irrespective of the age of his audience.
Dick can adapt the content and length of his talks to reflect the nature of his audience. He has addressed audiences as varied as the WI, the Royal Geographical Society, Wilderness Lectures, school groups (primary and secondary) and a conference of over 1000 Italians. He has also given numerous radio interviews, written for the Sunday Times and appeared in a number of tv programmes on caving.
Talks
Steps into Darkness, the World's Greatest Caves
Of all the areas in which Dick has been caving, his favourite is the Gunung Mulu National Park, in Sarawak where 3 small limestone mountains contain the world's greatest caves. These have been explored by UK cavers since 1978 and were featured in the BBC landmark series 'Planet Earth'. In this talk Dick describes over 30 years of discoveries in this awesome and ancient environment, where boulders crumble with age beneath the explorers' feet. As well as the risks and rewards of exploration, this talk includes aspects of geography, geomorphology, hydrology, stalagmite dating, relations with the local people and the biology of both the forest and Mulu’s stunning underground world.
Caves, the Final Frontier
An introduction to caving and the world of caving expeditions - the explorers and their caves, the hazards of exploration, the varieties of cave science and the ways in which exploration and science can be harnessed to provide practical benefit to developing countries. Illustrated with slides from the UK, China, Borneo, Central Asia and Java.
Underground in Paradise
The highlands of New Guinea contain some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. Deep valleys, separated by steep, forested mountain ridges produced a mosaic of small tribal groups, often at war with each other. UK cavers began to explore caves here in 1975. The cavers took part in the country's independence celebrations, surrounded by tribesmen who had only recently given up cannibalism. Fifteen years later they returned, across the border in Irian Jaya, to explore the caves of the fabled Baliem Valley.
Under the Bamboo Curtain
In 1985, as the era of Mao began to close, UK cavers began to operate in China. On a series of expeditions, working closely with Chinese academics, Dick and his colleagues were taken out into the remote areas of this vast country, sharing conditions which can best be described as medieval. As China rockets into the 21st century, this talk looks back on a disappearing world and down into some staggeringly spectacular caves - some big enough to contain clouds!
