Oxford University Cave Club

Club Caving Meetings, Michaelmas Term 2024

Please sign up to one of the OUCC mailing lists to be notified of new events.
(New members who gave us their email address will also be notified even if not on the standard mailing lists.)
Also keep an eye on the OUCC Facebook pages!
For enquiries about caving trips, contact the OUCC Meetings Secretary (Fiona Zhang ): meetsec@oucc.org.uk

(end of) Week	Date	Place	Cost	Accommodation	Meeting Leader
1
2	26-27 October	Mendips: Freshers' trip	£60	Wessex	TBA
3
4	8-10 November	South Wales: Freshers' trip	£60	SWCC	TBA
5
6	22-24 November	South Wales: CHECC	£65	Dolygaer Outdoor Centre	TBA
7
8	6-8 December	Northern Dales	£65	BPF	TBA

Other meets may be organised - please check at Social meetings or via the OUCC mailing lists.

Details of the trips will be advertised closer in time. They will mostly be advertised on the "oucc-all" mailing list.
So if you want to stay up to date, please sign up following the instructions on the website: http://www.oucc.org.uk/current/mailists.htm

PLEASE help and volunteer to organise a weekend. If no-one organises the weekends they won't happen.
There is a detailed crib sheet on the website telling you exactly how to organise a weekend. Take a Look!

How to Sign up for a Caving Trip
	Trips must be paid for in advance. Payment is by an online system. https://www.oxforduniversitystores.co.uk/product-catalogue/oxford-university-cave-club/ou-cave-club-trips Cost covers: loan of equipment, transport, accommodation, food on site; but not food in transit or what you spend in the pub! See here for more information. If you haven't been caving with us before but want to give it a go, membership and insurance for your first term with OUCC is free!
Your first Caving Trip?
	Read this important information and you must complete this online OUCC Pre-Trip information form
Single Rope Technique
	Going to the Dales or Peak? Going on an expedition ? Don't know the ropes ? - try SRT Training.

Trip Details

Week 2: 26-27 October. Our first Freshers' trip (week 2) will be to Mendips. It is a very good place to start caving. We'll be staying at the Wessex caving hut, a very nice hut which is an easy walk from Swildons, Eastwater, and Hunter's Hole(a good place for doing your first SRT trip), some of the Mendip caves we visit most. It also has its own SRT tower, so we might get chance for a little SRT practice too.

Week 4: 8-10 November. We'll be heading to South Wales' Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD)— the deepest cave in the UK and the most popular destination for beginner cavers! We will go explore the top and bottom entrances which are pretty different in character but both are suitable for beginners. For experienced cavers, I will try to get a Dan-yr ogof permit as well, which is a less usual trip for OUCC.

Week 6: 22-24 November. We'll be going to the CHECC (Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs) annual forum in South Wales. This is when student caving clubs from all over the country meet up to go caving and have a massive party! There are also lots of games, competitions, and training sessions(survey, set, cave rescue etc.), it's basically packed full of good things to do. This will be held in Dolygear Outdoors Centre. If we are lucky, we might be able to arrive in good time for Friday night's fancy dress fun.

Week 8: 6-8 December. As the last trip of the term, the Northern Dales (Yorkshire / Lancashire borders) is an area that offers some remarkable caves - many of them are deep and require some training/experience of SRT techniques. Bull Pot Farm is at a perfect location--within walking distance to many popular caves. The caves here can be more challenging but there are many beginner-friendly caves around and novices are welcome to join.

Accommodation:
BEC: Bristol Exploration Club; BPC: Bradford Pothole Club; BPF: Bull Pot Farm; DSS - Devon Speleological Society
Godre Pentre Croydon Caving Club; LCCC: Lancashire Caving & Climbing Club; MCG: Mendip Caving Group;
NPC: Northern Pennine Club; Orpheus: Orpheus Caving Club; SMCC: Shepton Mallet Caving Club;
SDB: South Dartmoor Bunkhouse; SWCC: South Wales Caving Club; TSG: Technical Speleo Group;
UBSS: University of Bristol Speleological Society; WCC: Wessex Caving Club;
Whitewalls: Chelsea Speleological Society; WSG: Westminster Speleo Group;
Yorkshire Dales Guides: (Hornby Laithe Bunkbarn); YSS: Yorkshire Subterranean Society.