Best Caving Clubs to join as a novice??

[crickleymal]

One of the things I found most off putting when trying to join a caving club was the whole "just turn up at the club and find a trip to go on". I know loads of folk have done this, but it seems quite intimidating.  Also the whole "proposal / seconding thing" put me off.

I agree. In the GSS the people who run novice trips get the contact details of the prospective members and they get invited onto trips. We have a guest/temporary membership which in line with BCA policy allows newbies up to 4 trips before they are required to sign up to full membership. Also newcomers are invited to the club socials so they can meet people. Full membership is pretty much automatic once you pay the subs.

 

[2xw]

I'm a student caver and won't be leaving SUSS anytime soon, but when I graduate I think the friendliest clubs seem to have been the Eldon and the Orpheus in Derbyshire (when I've met them) and the Bradford, YSS and the Red Rose in the Dales. The latter have good, well equipped huts and the members I've met from each have been friendly. I imagine they're good for novices being welcoming, having decent facilities and having good access to the caves.

 

[paul]

For a peak-based club with a hostel and welcomes new members, http://www.orpheuscavingclub.org.uk/

 

[psychocrawler]

For the youthful novice, go to a university with a reputable sp.. spel... speleol... oh f*** it...caving club like LUUSS/ULSA at University of Leeds. Training, close to the Dales, a mix of old gits and youthful enthusiasm, caff and the Ancient Order of Salamanders. What more could you want?

Alternatively, for the wannabe 'veteran', join a more 'traditional' club like the NPC with a hut. Very cosy and much more friendly now the old 'blackball' membership roulette is long gone, and you might not even get your sausages 'rustled' or asked to hold the thermic lance (old metal tubular chair leg rigged up to an oxygen bottle used to get the fire going a bit) these days either. Almost 'right on' nowadays! Just don't leave any booze lying around at the hut as they tend to stay 'at home' and don't go to the pub any more.

 

[Pegasus]

Thanks everyone for their suggestions..

Mendip Caving Group

Brynmawr Caving Club

Gloucestershire Speleological Society

Wessex Cave Club

UCET North Wales

Cambridge Caving & Climbing Club

Rubber Duck Caving Club - South Manchester

Mendip Nature Research Committee

Yorkshire Subterranean (Not Speleological) Society

Plymouth Caving Group

Shepton Mallet Caving Club

Orpheus Caving Club - Peak District

ULSA - Leeds University

Northern Pennine Club

The Bradford and Red Rose Cave & Pothole Club were recommended for friendliness - would you recommend for novices?

Cheers, Pegasus

 

[Benfool]

The BPC is very suitable for novices

 

[kay]

BPC has more difficult trips on a Saturday, easier ones on a Sunday. It may be more daunting to join a big club, but in a small club you may wait a long time for a club trip within your current capabilities.

 

[skippy]

Craven Pothole Club also produces a meets card to entice novices/new cavers into the club. Again, we usually have two full weekend meets a month with one of the meets either aimed at complete novices or cavers with limited experience. We have recently had a successful recruitment drive and seen a significant rise in new, active members. Some with experience(Some with lots of experience) but mainly complete novices. Depending on who turns up on a meet determines how the meet is run.
We also use a public facebook page in an attempt to attract new members(whatever their experience) depicting what we've been up to recently.
Regarding facilities, we have the cottage and associated changing and drying rooms ,plans are afoot to upgrade our SRT facility and of course, there's Gaping Gill where new members are always made welcome and given the opportunity to explore the system with relative ease.

Glenn

 

[HardenClimber3]

Also, CPC (Craven) is based in Horton, which has a railway station and buses, so travel without a car is possible. A few years ago we made joining much simpler (no proposers etc). Best....now that's complicated, but we do have a fine, accessible, base in an good caving area with a full meets list (with a named co-ordinator to contact) and members who'll make people welcome.

 

[Antwan]

Thanks everyone for their suggestions..

Mendip Caving Group

Brynmawr Caving Club

Gloucestershire Speleological Society

Wessex Cave Club

UCET North Wales

Cambridge Caving & Climbing Club

Rubber Duck Caving Club - South Manchester

Mendip Nature Research Committee

Yorkshire Speleological Society

Plymouth Caving Group

Shepton Mallet Caving Club

Orpheus Caving Club - Peak District

ULSA - Leeds University

Northern Pennine Club

The Bradford and Red Rose Cave & Pothole Club were recommended for friendliness - would you recommend for novices?

Cheers, Pegasus

Its been pointed out by one of the clubs elder members who lurks on here but doesnt post that you have our name wrong, yorkshire subterranean society, not speloloogical 

 

[wormster]

Surprised nobody's mentioned the Bristol Exploration Club, or mebbe  that ebil lot Darkplaces!! :tease:

 

[Pegasus]

Its been pointed out by one of the clubs elder members who lurks on here but doesnt post that you have our name wrong, yorkshire subterranean society, not speloloogical 

Amended 

 

[Pegasus]

Surprised nobody's mentioned the Bristol Exploration Club,

Well I had heard they get everywhere 

Is that a recommendation as being a good club to join for novices?

Thanks, Pegasus

 

[Aubrey]

Surprised nobody's mentioned the Bristol Exploration Club,

Well I had heard they get everywhere 

Is that a recommendation as being a good club to join for novices?

Thanks, Pegasus

Novice drinkers?

 

[wormster]

Dunno, but from what I recall quite a lot of new members were from uni clubs, some of them are off on exped to the Philippines soon, so i suppose they do get aboot a bit!

 

[ZombieCake]

Bristol Exploration Club

I understood there was a 'no beard, no crate of Butcombe, no entry' policy.    Could be misinformed though.

 

[wormster]

Bristol Exploration Club

I understood there was a 'no beard, no crate of Butcombe, no entry' policy.    Could be misinformed though.

Can't stand Butcombe - prefer potholer - NO beards?? WTF that would mean no young ladies to bra dance on our lovely table at 3am!

 

[Pegasus]

Hi,

Does anyone have a contact number or e-mail address for the NPC please?

PM me if so, thank you 

 

[ianball11]

NPC as in Greenclose NPC?

 

[Pegasus]

Yes - Northern Pennine Club, cheers, Pegasus