  In this paper, we present a qualitative study on speleology that aims to
widen the current understanding of people's practices in Nature and identify a
design space for technology that supports such practices. Speleology is a
practice based on the discovery, study, and dissemination of natural cavities.
Speleologists are amateur experts who often collaborate with scientists and
local institutions to understand the geology, hydrology, and biology of a
territory. Their skills are at the same time physical, technical, and
theoretical; this is why speleology is defined as a 'sporting science'. Being
at the boundary between outdoor adventure sports and citizen science,
speleology is an interesting case study for investigating the variety and
complexity of activities carried out in the natural context. We interviewed 15
experienced speleologists to explore their goals, routines, vision of the
outdoors, and attitude towards technology. From our study, it emerged that i)
the excitement of discovery and the unpredictability of an explorative trip are
the strongest motivations for people to engage in speleology; ii) physical
skilfulness is a means for knowledge generation; iii) the practice is
necessarily collective and requires group coordination. From these findings, an
ambivalent attitude towards technology emerged: on the one hand, the scientific
vocation of speleology welcomes technology supporting the development of
knowledge; on the other hand, aspects typical of adventure sports lead to
resistance to technology facilitating the physical performance. We conclude the
article by presenting design considerations for devices supporting speleology,
as well as a few reflections on how communities of speleologists can inspire
citizen science projects.
