Dunmore Adventure, Ireland, started as a watersports centre in 1993, offering windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and snorkelling to holiday makers and schools in the area. Early on the need for a broаder, weather proof range of activities occurred as a way to overcome the seasonal nature of the business. One such activity is the center’s artificial caving system, designed and produced by Walltopia back in 2014.
The cave was built into a part of Dunmore Adventure core building that was empty. With the cave it was successfully turned into a revenue stream for the park.
“The theming in the cave was the best and most realistic from any companies that we tendered, we even have an LED lava entrance which is always a big hit with everyone!”, shares Karen Harris, Owner at Dunmore Adventure, on their choice of Walltopia. “The cave is very easy to operate, we have safety hatches in the event that someone becomes claustrophobic and needs to get out quickly, although we have never had to use them for that purpose - just for maintenance.”, continues Karen.
In 2020 the center was awarded Best Small Business in Ireland as a recognition of their great service and ability to always up their game and add new challenges.
Dunmore Adventure’s cave was among the first in Walltopia’s portfolio. Ever since, Walltopia caves have risen in popularity. There are two main reasons for that trend - caves offer a unique mix of fun and education.
The rock realistic look of caves is achieved through the use of molds taken by real rocks and is produced from resistant glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). Among the favourite authentic cave features are stalactites and stalagmites, fossils, lava and sumps.
Tours usually start with the operator’s briefing and then, depending on the length and complexity of the cave, can continue as a guided or not-guided tour. The guided tour brings in added value for parents and educational institutions as it gives kids both the adrenaline of the walk and helps them acquire new knowledge. Kids crawl through narrow tunnels with a variety of routes, squeeze through tiny holes and pass different obstacles that challenge them physically, just like in a real cave.
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During a cave visit, kids are treated like little explorers and are given helmets, headlamps, knee and elbow protectors, as well as torches. They will are n ot only able to see and touch what a real cave is like, but also enjoy the sound and special lighting effects too.
Walltopia’s extensive knowledge with rock-realistic climbing walls made of GFRP, help the company develop its artificial caves to a level no other competitor can meet. Clients may choose through standard caves or go for a custom design. All caves come with a number of safety measures - fire resistant material, emergency exits throughout the tunnels, lights, ventilation system.
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“The theming in the cave was the best and most realistic from any companies that we tendered, we even have an LED lava entrance which is always a big hit with everyone! The cave is very easy to operate, we have safety hatches in the event that someone becomes claustrophobic and needs to get out quickly, although we have never had to use them for that purpose - just for maintenance.
Karen Harris, The Harbour, Dunmore East, Ireland, Owner of Dunmore East Adventure Centre
Walltopia constantly upgrades the artificial caves we offer in order to make them more fun and enhance the experience for the end-users. We develop new obstacles (like the recent addition of the Bridge and the Spider Net) and we add gamification features - our caves are currently the only ones on the market to offer the option of in-built educational games.
But the most important thing we focus on is safety. Artificial caves are by default, complex structures and require attention to details, in order to get things right. That is why our teams are making sure every element of potential danger is eliminated in the first place.
One of the ways we make sure our caves are safe is by carefully choosing materials used in the fiberglass structure. Every cave that Walltopia produces is made with fire-retardant GRP, which significantly reduces the risk of fire spreading through the tunnels and caverns. This is what allowed our caves to comply with the European standard EN 13501-1:2018.
In the video above, we are testing this in reality. Watch the comparison between a regular panel and our fire-retardant GRP to see what happens when each of them is treated with fire.
