I would like to hear the forum's views on the subject of the decline in the numbers of people caving. Is it a fact that fewer people cave than, say,10 years ago, or do fewer stay in club huts? It certainly seems that the number of young people coming into the sport has declined. Perhaps caving is perceived by many as "uncool" (as I believe the expression is), but I think the main reason is the legal difficulties, or fear of them, that prevents caving clubs from recruiting under 18s.
Chris

Hmmm - Ive been caving seriously for about the last 2 years, I did quite a bit in scouts (giants bagshawe P8 GG Alum Gautries) and some off my own back at that time, but then we went rock climbing and that was it, I spent my mis-spent youth climbing. It wasnt untill 10 years later that I bumped into an old school friend (antony revell) in a peak pub and went caving again.

Now at this time I was feeling pretty pissed off with the whole climbing scene - Crags were too busy - full of tossers from london dangerously top roping V diffs. Every time I went out I cringed, Crags being dessimated by the over popularity and glamourisation of the sport in the media. You dont see many car adverts with cavers on do you. :x The scene I was involved with had all but evaporated into a haze of kids jobs and mortgages. :roll:

Then through tony, i met a good bunch of lads, and started going caving, This was more like it, sound people with a passion for what they were doing, and doing it cause they were good and adept at doing it, not because they'd seen some hollywood film and thought "oh that looks cool Ill become a caver then"

I still thought Nah, Im not joining a club - whats the point. Id survived 15 years of climbing without joining one, (the lads were all Eldon) but a few trips later and post trip beers I was off to the monthly meet at the white lion, mainly for the crach. Low and behold Ive not missed a meet yet and Im looking forward to the agm and stomp in April.

phew - life story over

So - back to the main points - Since coming into the caving world Ive been suprised at the number of active cavers, I would be interested to find some actual figures but my impression (having grown up around the peak district) is there are probably more cavers than ever.

Climbing clubs, whilst once the back bone of british climbing are all but dissapearing (compared with the number of people climbing) this is because people can meet people at the wall, everybody has a car, people are more affluent in general (climbing is becomeing terribly middle class and stanage is more like an outdoor creche at the weekends) and people can afford B and B etc so no need for huts.

Caving clubs however still seem to form the infrastructure of the caving scene.
Some of the older Eldon members have mentioned how pleasing it is to see the numbers in the club growing and not dwindling.

Beware everybody though - the popularity of any sport will alway destroy the grass roots of the sport.
In the last two years Ive been caving - Ive seen issues with access (an age old issue) and liabilty insurance (the scurge of modern western society :x ).
The more popular the sport becomes the bigger these issues will become.

As for younger people, the number of parties and groups from schools and OP centers indulging in 'extreme' sports is growing,
(have you noticed that as soon as a sport is given the 'extreme' tag those in the sport dont really consider it extreme anymore )
if one kid in each of those groups gets the bug then the sport will grow. I know about the problems with clubs recruiting under 18s but if minors want to cave then there are ways and means.

Its a pity I dont know any cause there are a few too tight holes about that a 10 year old would fit through quite nicely.

in Summary - dont let caving go the same way as climbing has, long may it stay "uncool". 8)

Erm ranting drivel over.

in Summary - dont let caving go the same way as climbing has, long may it stay "uncool".

Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry. There's nowt cool about being wet, cold and muddy. Neither is it cool to wear thermal unders, a one piece anorak (we like to call them oversuits) and wellies. You'd be pretty daft to wear shades in a cave too. Underground, the way of the dork is law.

Neil's right- it's just not the sort of stuff you'll see on MTV. Walking home from work 2 days ago, I was on my way to Nettle, and I saw a guy my age riding a BMX up a wall repeatedlty outside the petrol station. Now, the stunt he was doing was quite impressive in terms of moving the bicycle, but it didn't really do much for me, y'know?

So, I got into caving by accident and never intended to pursue it, so I suppose for me it just grabbed me and had me addicted straight away. Where the kids are concerned though, they must get a taste through an outdoor centre, scouts or something, otherwise how else does anyone even try caving? I took 2 beginners down Bagshawe last weekend, but that was me with 2 people and they probably won't cave again. Not because of me you understand...

Anyway, it doesn't matter. The number of people caving is by far enough to sustain the sport, in fact does the sport need sustenance? Probably not. People keep digging, and people keep doing sporting trips. If caving suddenly got trendy, where would everyone go? If people get a taste for caving in whichever way, then it's our responsibility to encourage it. If we can. We should maintain the pursuit as it's in our interest, but disregard the commercial interests that abound. I'd rather take beginners on a trip than let them take a lesson....

Quality, not quantity.

Presumably with the new BCA insurance proposals whereby everyone gets insured individually (point taken about insurance above but, hey, go with the flow on this one...) it should be pretty easy to get a semi-precise figure for the number of UK cavers.

I still bump into hoardes of youngish cavers underground - the Student scene seems to have perked up around Mendip quite a lot recently - mind you, I've only been around on the scene for slightly over five years.. gadzooks.

What about non-club cavers?

Does any of this REALLY matter?... Perhaps, perhaps not.