As a matter of interest, if I were an 'international' caver visiting from abroad attending such an event as Hidden Earth and I wished, during my visit, to enjoy trips in some of the major caving systems in the UK such as OFD and Easegill how would I stand with access?

How would I stand ...

On one leg with a finger poked in your ear?

A very small number of UK caves require specific proof of BCA insurance, but beyond that there should be no problem.

Wouldn't they need a key for OFD (and therefore need to go through the permit procedure, requiring them being a member of a UK club?)
..and a permit for The relevent bits of Easegill?

cavermark said:

Wouldn't they need a key for OFD (and therefore need to go through the permit procedure, requiring them being a member of a UK club?)
..and a permit for The relevent bits of Easegill?

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Only if they wanted to go in these caves on their own. As guests of UK cavers they can join a group with a permit...

OFD only requires that the majority of the group are members of a particular club.

graham said:

How would I stand ...

On one leg with a finger poked in your ear?

A very small number of UK caves require specific proof of BCA insurance, but beyond that there should be no problem.

Click to expand...

I agree that it is not a direct check but to get a CNCC permit you need to be a club with with all the blah so effectively BCA insurance is a requirement in some places.

That said for a couple of weeks (actually 17 days IIRC*) temporary membership would cover it.



*I'm sure plenty of people will be champing at the bit to correct this number if I have not RC

Les W said:

Only if they wanted to go in these caves on their own. As guests of UK cavers they can join a group with a permit...

OFD only requires that the majority of the group are members of a particular club.

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So, they need a friendly UK club to sort a permit and go with them to either system, in a nutshell.
(or just in caving gear if nutshells are hard to find)

Go to the caves in (Northern) Ireland instead 

IIRC when the international was at Sheffield (Many moons ago!), various clubs took responsibility for arranging trips in specific areas / systems so any foreign visitors could go on the trip of their choice, TSG and Eldon hosted the Peak Cavern / Castleton / Eldon Hole area.
(Although this was in the pre-insurance era, aah, happy days )

When I caved there in 2010 I had no issues. ^.^ Les took me around Mendip and a trip to OFD as well. And I loved the Wessex! (cue club wars now with that statment...  :tease I forget who up in Scotland took me to a limestone mine outside Edinburgh, and then I visited Heron Pot in the Dales with the BPC. My time in Mendip and Wales was my fav though. Of course, there was a lot of disconnect in the BPC and no one knew I was coming since my contact there neglected to tell anyone...so other than getting in on a trip on Sunday I was left alone in the Dump for about 36 hours until I was rescued and spent an evening with the lovely Steph and we stayed up talking nerdy (similar science backgrounds, yay awesome science caver girls WOOT!) for a good bit of the night Then I ended up crashing on the couch of I think...Joe? Yeah I think his name was Joe. Wow...that's bad to not remember the name of some dude's place you slept on the couch at in a foreign country. LOL

Wow...that's bad to not remember the name of some dude's place you slept on the couch at in a foreign country. LOL

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I often have to forget that sort of thing....

Hammy said:

As a matter of interest, if I were an 'international' caver visiting from abroad attending such an event as Hidden Earth and I wished, during my visit, to enjoy trips in some of the major caving systems in the UK such as OFD and Easegill how would I stand with access?

Click to expand...

why not go to Kingsdale in the Yorkshire Dales instead, you don't need any permits (unless things have changed since I was last there) for KMC, Swinsto, Simpsons, Jingling, Rowten, etc. Great system. Or the Long Churn, Alum Pot system. Or there's loadsa stuff in the Peak District you don't need permits for, just a 'Derbyshire Key'. (Adjustable spanner.) Regards, Mel.

Main thing is to link up with the many friendly and helpful local cavers, and give yourself enough time to cave on their schedule as you will be on holiday but they will not.  Six weeks should be about right...

Or you could try the uni clubs - they have a lot more time on their hands usually!