Just want a great day out!!

[FelixCulpa81]

Hi everyone!
A pleasure to be here.

I am hoping some people can give a bit of a pointer to where i can find a place to book a single day out... I am totally new to caving and thus have no idea if i would like to join a club or not; really, all i am looking for is a day trip into a beginners cave system with a guide - very easy stuff with a few tight squeezes and some caverns - and equipment provided.  (I did this on a school trip during my youth somewhere near / in the Brecon beacons!)

The long churn cave system sounds good - but really somewhere in the Peak district would be easier to reach.  There are definitely two of us, but potentially a group of about 4.

If anyone has any advice or recommendations then they are gratefully received. 
I have looked on the try-caving site, but the links seem to be mainly to established clubs for joining, rather than one off days out.  I would like to do that first and then decide after to take it any further.


Cheers.

 

[damian]

Hi,
I guess you have two options really. One is to contact a professional (see this list from ACI website fro Derbyshire-based instructors) and the other is to get involved in a Try Caving event run by a caving club. The next one run by my club (YSS) will be 6th-7th November.

 

[Ralph]

You could try the DCA (Derbyshire Caving Association) web site for a list of clubs active in The Peak District or as Damian suggests look at the ACI (Association of Caving Instructors) or BCA (British Caving Association) sites.
Ralph J

 

[FelixCulpa81]

Brilliant - thank you so much for the links!

I shall try the ACI list - and if i really enjoy it then go to the day in November as well.

 

[Brains]

Hi,
Not sure where you are exactly, but you should find Ralph Johnson on that list, he holds a CIC award (the highest you can get), and runs a company called Up and Down Adventures. 01782 515753 is his number or rjohncave@aol.com. He is rather modest but posts on here as "Ralph"
Welcome to the forum
Brian

 

[FelixCulpa81]

HI again everyone!

Great stuff, thanks muchly for all the links - i am just currently sorting out dates - to see if the november trycaving event is best or if better to stick to August...

If possible can you provide a link for where to sign up to the YSS try caving oin November? i looked on the site but it did not appear to be in the calander.

Many thanks. 

 

[Stu]

You have email.

 

[teabag]

Peak Activities at Hathersage got me into caving.  They do caving weekends for beginners or privately guided parties.  See their website at http://www.iain.co.uk/ (use the side navigation to find what you want - they may be good at outdoor activities but website design is not a strong point!)

 

[Alex]

Aye there not bad, I think they are mainly responsible for me starting up caving several years ago.

 

[FelixCulpa81]

Thanks everyone for all the replies - thanks stu for the email - i'm sending a message right now to see what happens.

I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[ronaldjprice]

Welcome to the forum, I hope you really enjoy your caving, and meet some great new friends.

Ron

 

[FelixCulpa81]

Cheers, everyone -

A friend and I ended up attending the try-caving weekend - everyone there was really friendly and i am definitely glad i went 

Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour - and may have unfortunately dampened my enthusiasm - it's not that i mind getting wet, i just have a (probably exceedingly irrational - to all you experienced people!) fear of being washed away down a hole!

I'm going to wait and see how the experience settles in with me - but i think I probably will venture back down at some point - overall i'm really glad to have done it, - overall it was very exciting, and i'm very please to have met some incredibly nice and generous folks! 

 

[gus horsley]

Don't let a first experience dampen your enthusiasm.  The first time I went caving it affected me so deeply I retched with fear at the surface then got so cold and wet in the cave that I thought I was going to expire from hyperthermia.  After a few days I realised that I wanted to do it again ....but I've never quite understood why so please don't ask (maybe something to do with not being quite right in the head). 

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

 

[kay]

Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour - and may have unfortunately dampened my enthusiasm - it's not that i mind getting wet, i just have a (probably exceedingly irrational - to all you experienced people!) fear of being washed away down a hole!

Were you in Valley Entrance on Saturday? I was in the Dales on Sunday and it was very,very wet. So what you saw was not everyday experience.

If the threat of being swept off your feet and down a hole isn't your particular favourite brand of excitement, there's lots of other ways of being excited by caving. So as soon as it's been a bit drier for a few days, see if you can find another trip and experience another aspect of caving.

 

[teabag]

If you fancy going underground but not in a streamway Derbyshire has lots of old lead workings that are accessible, some of which are part natural too.  PDMHS does easy trips and can lend kit if you need it - website here: http://www.pdmhs.com/.

 

[the silver fox]

Cheers, everyone -

A friend and I ended up attending the try-caving weekend - everyone there was really friendly and i am definitely glad i went 

Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour - and may have unfortunately dampened my enthusiasm - it's not that i mind getting wet, i just have a (probably exceedingly irrational - to all you experienced people!) fear of being washed away down a hole!

I'm going to wait and see how the experience settles in with me - but i think I probably will venture back down at some point - overall i'm really glad to have done it, - overall it was very exciting, and i'm very please to have met some incredibly nice and generous folks! 

Please don't wait as long as me :thumbsdown: ... 26 years between my first caving in P8 in the Peak District (as a fresher student), and a trip down OFD in Wales this year. As with you , a long prolonged soaking (in normal clothes in those days) dampened my ardour , and work and living in Southern England reduced the opportunity.
I 've met loads of great people this year and had some good adrenaline buzzes( I am starting to SRT!!), I wish I'd got involved again much sooner

STICK WITH IT!!

 

[Steve.H]

Cheers, everyone -

A friend and I ended up attending the try-caving weekend - everyone there was really friendly and i am definitely glad i went 

Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour - and may have unfortunately dampened my enthusiasm - it's not that i mind getting wet, i just have a (probably exceedingly irrational - to all you experienced people!) fear of being washed away down a hole!

I'm going to wait and see how the experience settles in with me - but i think I probably will venture back down at some point - overall i'm really glad to have done it, - overall it was very exciting, and i'm very please to have met some incredibly nice and generous folks! 

Hi Felix. 

Do you mind doing a little 'write up' of your weekend? I'd contacted Chris Tate (christ8 on here) for details on the Thursday morn, as I'd got the weekend off work. On the Friday morn, after getting some details from Chris, I decided it was a little too short notice for me to arrange to attend and cancel other things that had been planned for weeks (and boy how I regretted it - my previous plans for the weekend fell through  ). So, I'm a little disappointed. 

Apologies to Chris Tate, as it must have seemed like I was messing him around (I wasn't though!  :ang.

Steve