Oxford University Cave Club

Club Caving Meetings, Michaelmas Term 2018

 Accommodation:
BEC: Bristol Exploration Club; BPF: Bull Pot Farm; MCG: Mendip Caving Group;
NPC: Northern Pennine Club; Orpheus: Orpheus Caving Club; SMCC: Shepton Mallet Caving Club;
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;
YSS: Yorkshire Subterranean Society.

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.
Trips must be paid for in advance. Payment is by an online system.
https://www.oxforduniversitystores.co.uk/browse/product.asp?compid=1&modid=1&catid=1722

Your first caving trip? Read this important information and complete this online OUCC Pre-Trip information form

• If you haven't been caving with us before but wanted to give it a go, membership and insurance for your first term with OUCC is free!

Going to the Dales? Going to Spain? Don't know the ropes ? - try SRT Training.

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.

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

As usual 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

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0th and 1st weeks, Sunday 7th October and Sunday 14th October: Day trips
We're starting with some day trips at the end of 0th week and 1st week so Freshers can have a go at caving before the work kicks in. We'll need to avoid the Saturdays due to Freshers' Fair and Matriculation, so Sundays it is. 1st week will be our classic beginner trip to Swildons (with the possibility to switch to Goatchurch if Swildons is very busy or we think Goatchurch might suit the new cavers better), but for 0th week I'm going to try and get a permit for Aggy or similar so we can have some fun in Wales as well. Aggy has big passages, beautiful formations, and bats!
 
2nd week, 19th-21st October: Freshers' Wales weekend
Our first full weekend of the term will be in Wales at the WSG (the SWCC was booked up I'm afraid). The WSG hut is a charming cottage and we'll have it all to ourselves, perfect for getting to know each other. In the daytime we'll probably head over to the SWCC, where we can do a variety of excellent beginner trips in OFD. OFD has a bit of everything- beautiful streamways, fascinating formations, exciting traverses, interesting climbs, etc.
 
4th week, 2nd-4th November: Mendips Bonfire and Freshers' weekend
Fourth week brings us bonfire weekend, and we'll be staying at the Wessex hut. We can walk over to the BEC where they'll be having a particularly wild bonfire party, then back to the Wessex when we actually want some sleep. It's also within walking distance of Swildons (a favourite cave of many, with its lovely flowstone and unforgettable sump), and Eastwater (with its surreal 45 degree rift and fun clamber down the 13 pots), so we'll have plenty of good caving options easily accessible.
 
6th week, 16th-18th November: Peak District weekend
As the term progresses, we move on to the Peak District, where our new members can have their first taste of vertical caving in Oxlow or P8 or various other Derbyshire caves. There's also the excellent options of Peak Cavern or Giants Hole for cavers who aren't ready for SRT yet, or if we just want a low-faff trip for the Sunday. We'll be staying at the TSG, which is an excellent hut in walking distance of six different pubs.
 
7th week, 23rd-25th November: CHECC forum
We round off the term with the CHECC (Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs) forum, which is unexpectedly also in the Peak District. Fear not, the Peak District has plenty of great caves, there's more than enough to entertain us for two weekends in a row. The CHECC forum is an event where student cavers from all over the country meet up and have a massive party. There'll be caving in the daytime and a fancy dress contest (Friday night), topless disco (Saturday night), and lots of games and contests- beer pong, squeeze machines, and caving-themed cakes to name but a few.