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H?hlenverein Blaubeuren e.V.
Petra Boldt
Hauptstr.4
D - 89601 Schelklingen - Schmiechen
Registration for the International Training Camp for Young Speleologists on the
Schwabian Alb from July 30th ? August 14th, 2010
Name:________________________ First name:________________ Date of birth:__________ (d.m.y)
Address:___________________________________________________________________________
Phone:_______________________ e-mail:________________________________________________
Nationality:_________________________ Profession:______________________________________
Courses you want to attend:
[ ] Techniques for Cave Exploration [ ] Electronics in Cave Research
[ ] Cave Survey [ ] Acquisition of Climate Data in Caves
[ ] Biology, Fauna and Eco-Systems in Caves [ ] Cave Climate
[ ] Geology [ ] Practical Hydrology
[ ] Research [ ] Documentation and Press Relations
The themes require between 3 and 5 days.
I will bring a tent [ ] yes no [ ]
In my tent I have additional room for ____ persons which have no tent.
Member of a youth organization, cave research organization, etc.:_______________________________
Cave experience: [ ] yes no [ ] Language skills:______________________________________
Special interests and knowledge: ________________________________________________________
What can you contribute to our program: __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
[ ] I will travel with my own car
[ ] I will join _____________________ in his car.
[ ] Somebody will bring me with a car
[ ] I will travel by train
[ ] I will arrive on 30th of August (Friday) until 8pm for dinner.
[ ] I will arrive on 31st of August (Saturday) until noon.
I declare that my doctor has no objection against sport activities. Please ask your doctor if in doubt.
Date:________________(d.m.y) ______________________________________________________
(Signature, also from your parents if you are age of 17 or younger)
Please see next pages
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Please let us know something about your activities as a speleologist, are you organized in a club and did
you attend such a training camp in the past. If this is your first caving activity, please let us know where
your interests on caving started. Please also write down what you expect from the camp and from your
selected course and why you have chosen the course.
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H?hlenverein Blaubeuren e.V.
International Training Camp for Young Speleologists
on the Schwabian Alb
From July 30th, 2010 to August 14th, 2010
Tent camp at the caving club building in Blaubeuren - Seissen
Recommended age for participants: 16 years and older
www.juhoefola.de
Caves are geotopes and biotopes therefore sensitive climate archives which are worth to explore.
Research and protection of this climate archives and the actual cave climate, which is an indicator of
climate changes, is an actual and important European concern.
Speleologists can support the exploration and protection of these climate archives by international
cooperation.
A good training is the best base for research and caving activities.
Therefore we offer different training courses and a wide supporting program covering all important
caving themes. Due to small groups the training will be very effective.
An additional intention of the camp is to meet other young cavers. You can establish ties, talk about your
and their interests, hobbies and culture and perhaps meet them in their home area and visit karst areas and
caves for future joint research.
The camp is intended for young people who want to start with caving or who already have some
experience and want to extend their skills.
You should understand German or English language.
We will offer the following courses:
I. Techniques for Cave Exploration including Rescue Topics
Main topic of this course is to learn solid basic skills in cave exploration. There will be topics about ropes
and knots, security, rescue, rappelling in shafts, rope ladders and single rope techniques (SRT).
II. Cave Survey
A detailed cave plan is essential for cave research. You will learn the basics techniques of cave survey
and how to draw a cave plan by hand and with a computer. You will train the usage of different survey
equipment as compass, clinometer, DistoX and also work with a theodolithe.
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III. Biology, Fauna und Eco-Systems in Caves
Methods for gathering information and documentation of the cave fauna will be shown. You will take
probes in a cave and learn how to write documentation and interpret the data. The result should be to get a
feeling about the status of flora and fauna in the cave and become more sensible about the cave as a
fragile biological system.
IV. Geology:
Geology is investigating how caves form but also delivers valuable information for cavers.
We will learn the basics of geology as reading of geological maps, profiles, tectonics, mineralogy and
sediments which can show the climate during the last thousands of years. Depending on the weather
situation, we will do practical field work in the Geo-Park Swabian Alb. We will hike to a meteor crater,
visit remains of volcanism and collect fossils.
V. Research
The participants of this course will attend real research projects in different caves on the swabian Alb.
You will see different strategies to find new caves. Inside caves you will practice different methods to
dig, split rocks and get practical experience how to secure shafts and tunnels. We will look for specific
geological specialties as clay horizons, artifacts and special sediment layers and document it. We will also
talk about security aspects and unsafe environment in a cave. Beside this digging efforts we will visit
other caves on the swabian alb.
VI. Electronics in Cave Research
Radio direction finding, communication in caves thru wire and wireless, GPS navigation, etc. We will
train usage of cave communication equipment to complete the theoretical knowledge.
VII. Acquisition of Climate Data in Caves
We will show and explain equipment for climate data acquisition and transmission to the surface. Beside
theoretical knowledge we will show and train the practical usage of the equipment.
VIII. Cave Climate
Introduction into cave climate research. How does it work? Cave protection, exploration, air temperature
and air circulation will be shown in theory and practical training. How to plan your own project? How to
evaluate data?
IX. Practical Hydrology
Measurements of water drain and water pile up experiments will be done to calculate unknown cave
volumes behind springs. We will also do salt tracer experiments and analysis. Theory and practical work
will be shown.
X. Documentation and Press Relations
Maps, cave register, permits. We will talk about the approval processes especially in Germany and show
the backgrounds. This also includes public relation which becomes more and more important.
For all participants the following additional presentations will be offered:
? Regional geology, building of caves, cave content, knowledge about technical caving material,
cave rescue, cave protection, bat protection and much much more...
? Field trip on the swabian alb
? Field trip: Landscape- and prehistoric hike in the Schmiech-, Ach- and Blau- valley.
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The evenings at the camp are mainly for sociality and coming together. If you own a musical instrument
or sports equipment, please bring it to the camp.
The camp is located in the caving club building of the ?H?hlenverein Blaubeuren? near Blaubeuren-
Seissen. We can offer a big room, restrooms and showers and a campfire place for comfortable evenings.
You can camp at the edge of the forest around the building. There is also enough place for motor homes.
Electricity will be available only occasionally.
Please bring the following basic equipment for caving:
Overall (Schlaz), enough warm underwear, e.g. under-schlaz, warm track suit or equivalent, rubber boots
with a good profile, helmet with electrical lamp (no carbide lamp), spare lamp, accumulator loader.
The participation fee is: Age 25 and younger 240.- ? (Sponsored by the EU)
Age 26 and older 350.- ?
This includes:
For 16 days: Accommodation (Recreation room, place for a tent, restrooms with showers), 3 meals per
day, support and training in small groups by experienced cavers, excursions and entrance fees for
common activities, a CD with the course documentation, youth group insurance (health, third party
liability, accident) for participants age 25 and younger for the duration of the camp. Please bring an
international health insurance certificate to make processing easier.
For participants age 26 and older we strongly recommend to have their own insurance (health, third party
liability, accident including salvage costs as offered for example for ?Deutscher Alpenverein DAV?-
members).
The advance payment is ? 50.-. Please send it immediately after reception of the confirmation of
course registration. The rest must be send until June, 30th, 2010.
Please fill out the registration with printed letters, that we can get an error free list of participants, which
we can distribute. You can also fill out the registration with the computer, but then print it out, sign it and
send it to the camp organizer.
For more information, addresses, etc. please see: www.juhoefola.de or call: +49-7394-1566
Please send your printed registration with regular mail (because of the signature) to:
Petra Boldt
Hauptstr.4
D-89601 Schelklingen-Schmiechen
Phone: +49-7394-1566
Closing date is June, 30th, 2010.
Due to the limited capacity, we recommend fast registration.
With the confirmation of course registration you will get a detailed plan where we are located and a list,
which things you should bring to the camp.

An excellent event organised by my club in German every couple of years. Have helped out myself several times when I used to live there. If you have some teenagers/young adults in your circles who are interested in any aspects of speleology I can VERY highly recommend this camp. Often a large contingent of young people from Poland, Slovakia, Romania etc as well as Germany & Austria. Great experience and chance to mix with other cultures from across Europe in safe and interesting environment. Most conversation is done in English since it is the only common language. Has always been great weather too!

If anyone is interested and would like more info please contact me

Mark

Could/is such a thing available in the UK?

No chance. The average age of the British caver is 97 1/2 years old & the vast majority of younger cavers are bone-idle, addicted to nicotine & think that hand bolting is something that was done to Jesus.  Unfortunately CHECC (the obvious organisation to sort out this sort of thing) has never progressed beyond being a party-organiser; it could/should have been a political pressure group/training organiser long ago 

Private sector could do it, though, reckon.

CHECC has tried and failed to become more than a party - the majority students just dont seem interested in doing training and such like on the same weekend. When the party has had to be scaled down due to local licensing issues the verbal abuse recieved to the organisers does make you wonder why you spend so much time organising it.

Part of the problem is the legendary status of CHECC which is passed from oldies to freshers, so changing peoples expectations is hard.

A separate weekend which is training based, would work well alongside the CHECC 'party weekend', something similar to the training provided by Joel and co for the Dachstein Expeditions. And this is something which CHECC I believe is looking at.

I would like to learn more about surveying and how to take a half decent photo underground, but a 2 week training camp does seem a little long when working full time. Weekend based activities would work better for me.

cap 'n chris said:

Private sector could do it, though, reckon.

Click to expand...

Apart from the one thing Joel forgot to mention which is that they are also as poor as church mice/bloody mean and wouldn't pay the private sector above tuppence for the privilege.

Our International counterparts don't seem to be so affected which is to their advantage and our loss, then.

Mind you, doing the maths, (an average of E300 for a fortnight = ?20/day) does make it look cheap by comparison to, say, anything else available to the yoof market.

Part of the low cost will be that it's a 'bring your own bottles' job. Plus, you know how simple food *can* be in central / eastern Europe (pasta with sweet poppy seeds, anyone?).

And an event that size will probably attract more sponsorship than CHECC, in the way of ropes and rigging for caves, or ropes to cut for rescue practice.

Lovely idea, though.

The food is top notch German fare. I know as I worked the kitchens for 2 weeks. All the helpers, cooks, trainers, etc are entirely voluntary. The German sports authority does, I think have some grants available to help poorer cavers from to attend. Ages range from generally 15 though to 19 with possibly a few younger/older local kids there too. As for bring your own alchohol! The polish surgical spirits mixed with apple juice I found to be especially good at clearing out your insides! Previous camps have been under canvas. As far as i am aware there has been no commercial sponsorship of any events to date.

Er, if everyone's working gratis where does the ?300 per attendee go? They ain't eating that much food each, surely?

"For 16 days: Accommodation (Recreation room, place for a tent, restrooms with showers), 3 meals per
day, support and training in small groups by experienced cavers, excursions and entrance fees for
common activities, a CD with the course documentation, youth group insurance (health, third party
liability, accident) for participants age 25 and younger for the duration of the camp."

Like I said. They eat very well! And all cooked on outdoor catering gas cookers in a tent!

My experience is that if you put on an event and work hard (I mean really hard to begin with to get it off the ground) then you get people to come along.

The Dachstein workshop is always popular, Henry Rockcliff organised a CHECC training thing a few years back - it is possible it just takes work to get things started and get them continuing year after year...

On the other hand it does sound pretty geeky... I rekon there are about two course on that list which would have appealed to me!

Techniques for Cave Exploration
Electronics in Cave Research
Cave Survey
Acquisition of Climate Data in Caves
Biology, Fauna and Eco-Systems in Caves
Cave Climate
Geology
Practical Hydrology
Research
Documentation and Press Relations