Oxford University Cave Club

A Missive to 2011 Freshers

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Dear surface-dwelling-freshers,

Welcome to the Cave Club! If you've survived the endless drinking, dark stumbles home after drinking, falling over due to drinking, and general awesomeness that is Fresher's week, you've inadvertently been training for caving and, congratulations, you've qualified to join us!

Caving is an incredible sport and you don't even need any experience, aptitude, equipment, or (much) money to join. Just have to be awesome (which we will assess ourselves on a case by case basis).

We have a couple of Fresher's trips lined up this term so if you want to try caving this is the perfect time. We lend you gear, cook for you, provide accommodation and transport, and lead you round some epic caves, all for just £40 a weekend. Bargain. The trips are at the end of 2nd week and the end of 3rd week so sign up pronto to get involved. They're always incredible fun and the evenings in the hut are, if it's even possible, as exciting as the caves themselves! The trips calendar for this term is here: http://www.oucc.org.uk/current/thisterm/trips.htm so see what sounds interesting and email andrew.mawer@st-annes.ox.ac.uk to sign up.

Because we are forced, by the university, to spend an unfortunate number of hours above ground (although we have found certain libraries have cave-like aspects), we have devised a cunning plan to make this time go quicker: having caving socials. We meet Wednesday evenings in term time, they're usually in a pub, and they're always a lot of fun. This week we'll be at the Chequers pub (on the High Street, down an ally opposite Pizza Hut) at 8:30 on Wednesday. Please come along, just drop by, and have a chat, we'll wear funky helmets to be distinguishable and answer all the many many unanswered questions you have about the underground!

Next week (I'll email more details sooner to the time) is our intro talk when you get to see what exactly caving means in our somewhat dark (not in humour, in lighting) but mostly awesome video, and hear more about expeditions and trips which the club runs every year! The full social calendar is here: http://www.oucc.org.uk/current/thisterm/social.htm and if you have any questions about it, talk to me (Vicky).

We've got an incredible term planned with a lot of trips, including one with all the University Caving Clubs in the UK; a lot of socials, including a lot of alcohol consumption and caving games; and even a "Varsity Match" with 'the Other Place' which will involve an indescribable weekend-long-Oxford-Cambridge-pub-crawl. I've attached the Fresher's Fair flyer so that if you need more info or want another copy of the complete termcard, it's easily accessible (although admittedly the termcard's a little bit sideways)!

So come along to socials, sign up for trips, and generally up your street cred and life quality by getting involved with OUCC!

With all the most sociable love the club has to offer,

Vicky ~X~

Social Sec

P.S. Any questions and thingys feel free to ask me :)