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Looking for a club

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Walrus

Guest
Hello!

I'm thinking about joining a caving club but would like some advice. I posted here rather than approaching individuals so I can get a nice wide range of opinions.

I've been looking around this website & the trycaving one and while they list loads of clubs I'm not sure which would be 'right' for me. The ones local to me don't seem very active but the very active ones are some way away. I'd like to get underground more often than I do at the moment. I've been an 'independant' explorer for a little while now - I've been to a few mines and Goatchurch once - but I want more(!) and joining a club seems to be the way forward. I'd be able to draw on other peoples experience, be able to borrow a bit of kit now and again (to try before I buy) and as some places require insurance for access coming from a club would make this easier! I've noticed that some charge more per year for membership than others, with prices ranging from £8 to nearly £40 plus insurance. I suppose thats because some have better facilities than others (huts, equipment etc).

A bit about me: No spring chicken. I live in Berkshire and need to drive at least an hour in most directions to get to anywhere with anything significant underground. I work Mon-Fri, 9-5 (a nice cushy job that gives me plenty of time to browse around the web) so I get evenings free. For weekends I usually need to get a weekend pass from She Who (thinks she) Must Be Obeyed. I'm not as fit as I'd like to be, but working on it. I've got some kit already (helmet, lamp, wellies, boilersuit etc) - set up for dry locations, but not (yet) for wet ones.

My big issue is time - I dont get much spare and would like to get as near to 'right first time' as I can. I've seen that most clubs want you to come on a few trips out so they can see how you get on (and if you get on with them!) before you join - some clubs require nominations before you can be considered for membership.

So... polite suggestions please!
 

finster

New member
You try Cerberus in the Mendips 20% of the club come from Bucks. http://www.cerberusspeleo.org.uk/
 

Peter Burgess

New member
We get a number of posts here like "what club should I join?"

Well the truth is that inevitably anyone responding is going to say 'join our club', or point you at a list of published contacts for clubs.

The bottom line is going to be:
Go out, meet the clubs that have members near you, see if you get on with them and vice versa, then either join them or find some other group.

Please don't get me wrong, but it really is down to you to do the legwork. The club you get the most out of is going to be one you put the most into, and enjoy doing it as well!

Like shopping: you can look at hundreds of dresses in the shop window, but until you try it on, you can never be sure you have the right one.

Anyone suggesting I am speaking from experience will be handbagged!


 
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Walrus

Guest
Brains said:
Wassat mean?

PB: As for finding a club, yes, I see what you mean; there's only so much you can do on 'tinternet. I'll just have to get off my backside and go and do somthing about it...
 

whitelackington

New member
:)
Bracknell District Caving Club meet every Thursday, which is today @ The Roebuck, Binfield, near to Bracknell / Wokingham.
It is the only serrious club around for miles, we are extreemly active, doing digging @ Carcass cave, near Axbridge, S>R>T> to exceptionally high standard, usually go abroad every year, go to Wales, The Peaks, Yorkshire, The Forest and of course mainly Mendip, also a few local mines.
We have a stunningly good store room & superbly looked after gear, all dated and written in a book, also a 47 feet high training tower in Wokingham, have been going since 1974.
is that enough information for u? :doubt:
 

Sewer Rat

New member
I dont think it matters if your club is near where you live.
I joined a " local club " thinking that there were meetings ect.
However everything goes on at the hut which is in a caving area.
I think if you are eager enough and not afraid to say " oi whos gona take me underground and be done wif yer faffing"
then it does not matter which club you join. you can make any club be right for you.
That said bigger clubs have bigger huts with more facilities.
What ever club you join make sure you dont just sit in a corner waiting for sombody to ask you to go underground.
Bigger clubs are probaly more guilty of this than smaller ones.
If you fancy a lot of srt , forget clubs in Wales ect.
 

Les W

Active member
Sewer Rat said:
I dont think it matters if your club is near where you live.
I joined a " local club " thinking that there were meetings ect.
However everything goes on at the hut which is in a caving area.
I think if you are eager enough and not afraid to say " oi whos gona take me underground and be done wif yer faffing"
then it does not matter which club you join. you can make any club be right for you.
That said bigger clubs have bigger huts with more facilities.
What ever club you join make sure you dont just sit in a corner waiting for sombody to ask you to go underground.
Bigger clubs are probaly more guilty of this than smaller ones.
If you fancy a lot of srt , forget clubs in Wales ect.

I'll take you underground Walrus  :)
 

Brains

Well-known member
Bona- a reference to Round the Horne as PB had suggested handbagging, weak I know...
 
W

Walrus

Guest
whitelackington said:
go abroad every year, go to Wales,

Mis-read that first time; I thought it said "go abroad every year to Wales"... :-\

whitelackington said:
meet every Thursday, which is today @ The Roebuck, Binfield, near to Bracknell / Wokingham.

Ok, I'll roll over to Bracknell tonight for around 9pm.  (y)

See you later!
 
W

Walrus

Guest
Went to meet the people from BDCC last night.. nice bunch. Apparently it was a quite night; there were only five there including me.. maybe I scared the others away? Who knows...

I hit on the problem I have in my original post though - and I reckon its one I'm going to come across a lot: Most people only go UG at weekends. So while not saying I wont try to go with the BDCC I'll keep looking awhile and see if another matches what I'm looking for more closely.
 

Brains

Well-known member
Might be a way to travel, but the local Coffin Dodgers are out and about midweek in the Peak, spending their OAP fuel allowance on caving gear. Be warned, unless you are fit and fast they will make you feel decrepit - having OAP's waiving their bus passes at you from the top while you climb out is not good for morale!
Would you like some contact details?
 
W

Walrus

Guest
Cheers, but I'm not fit, fast or anywhere near enough to Derbyshire to make that practical! A trip to the Peak takes about 3 hours from here (driving within the law) - Corsham area is just over an hour away and the Mendips are about 2 hours. I've only got 2 days holiday left this year and the swmbo has booked one of those days already.
 
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