Thinking of joining a club

[AnyOldBiscuit]

I've had an interest in caving for a while, and although I've been underground before I've never been properly caving. It seems like a fun activity to do every now and then. I mainly live in Norwich but I'm also local to Cambridge. I've been having a look at clubs via the BCA and I've noticed 2 based in Cambridge which seem quite convenient to me. Is proximity important in this respect? Also, as someone with arachnophobia, are spiders a concern underground?

 

[Pitlamp]

You sometimes come across cave spiders but only in the entrance zone. Because they live in an energy-poor environment they only move very slowly and reluctantly. (Not like those really big ones that pitter patter around the bath in the autumn, after they've fallen in.) If you choose caves with larger entrances it'd allow you to stay well away from them, and you'll be past them in a matter of seconds.

If you can find a decent club in your area, then great. All I would say is there's no reason you can't join a club based in one of the main caving areas, even though it may seem remote. If you pick one of the clubs which has its own hostel, this brings many advantages.

Good luck.

 

[LadyMud]

You'll probably end up travelling to the Peak District (mixture of caves and mines) or the Yorkshire Dales (lovely natural caves), so consider joining a club in one of those areas.

The CNCC has a very useful section, New to Caving listing clubs in the Dales which welcome beginners.

 

[LadyMud]

Also, check out commercial trips, such as Adventure Caving with Yorkshire Dales Guides (other providers are available). It's an excellent way to get a taste, without committing yourself to buying kit.

 

[ChrisJC]

I would look for the 'meets list' for a few prospective clubs to see what sort of trips they run.

Chris.

 

[afraidofthedank]

I live in Cambridgeshire and I ended up joining a peaks based club, have also been a member of a mendip based club, and currently with another club that has no fixed abode. Most clubs will allow you to go on a trial trips with them, which allows you to find a club that suits you in terms of dynamic and distance. I suggest getting in touch and trying one or two out, and seeing how you get on.

 

[cap n chris]

You'll probably end up travelling to the Peak District (mixture of caves and mines) or the Yorkshire Dales (lovely natural caves), so consider joining a club in one of those areas.

The CNCC has a very useful section, New to Caving listing clubs in the Dales which welcome beginners.

Go for Yorkshire; it's healthier.

 

[wellyjen]

Go for Yorkshire; it's healthier.

What could be healthier than that Peak District Radon glow?

 

[Roger W]

Then there's the beautiful skin from regular use of a Derbyshire mud pack...

 

[JAA]

If you fancy a dales based club with accomodation id highly recommend the bradford pothole club. (I’m not a member but when work allows I’ve joined the on some trips with the intention of joining) Regular well advertised meets, a really friendly and welcoming meets secretary and a nice bunch! People often travel to the dales for a couple of days or a weekend and go caving, and being in a club is a great way to learn stuff, make friends and contacts and be able to use the kit you need as your trips get progressively more interesting!

 

[Alex]

Less spiders in Yorkshire, loads of em in the Peak.

 

[caving_fox]

I've had an interest in caving for a while, and although I've been underground before I've never been properly caving. It seems like a fun activity to do every now and then. I mainly live in Norwich but I'm also local to Cambridge. I've been having a look at clubs via the BCA and I've noticed 2 based in Cambridge which seem quite convenient to me. Is proximity important in this respect? Also, as someone with arachnophobia, are spiders a concern underground?

I'm a member of the CCCC https://thecccc.org.uk/ based in Cambridge. The Caving side isn't very active at the moment, but it's very welcoming and friendly and helpful, we've plenty of spare kit, and are well used to introducing people to the joys of caving. We normally run weekend trips because it's a long way from Cambridge to anywhere with limestone (Peaks, Dales, S Wales and Mendip are all about 4 hours away Peaks a bit less) trying to car share when possible.

Depends on your situation - if you join a region specific club you'll do most of your caving in that area, but you'll have a hut normally filled with club members so you can just turn up. Conversely a club local to you will organise specific trips to different areas, guesting at the regional huts.

 

[pwhole]

Less spiders in Yorkshire, loads of em in the Peak.

I'm not aware of spiders having regional preferences when it comes to holes. I cave almost exclusively in the Peak District and hardly ever see them. I encounter more frogs if I'm honest, though they're usually sat at the bottom of shallow shafts, eating beetles.

 

[wellyjen]

I'm not aware of spiders having regional preferences when it comes to holes. I cave almost exclusively in the Peak District and hardly ever see them. I encounter more frogs if I'm honest, though they're usually sat at the bottom of shallow shafts, eating beetles.

Damn those frogs. Eating all the beetles and leaving none for hungry cavers. I'd eat frogs, but they don't have the right sort of crunchy on the outside with a chewy centre you get from a proper exoskeleton.

 

[Roger W]

Oh happy memories of lunching with a friend (on his first visit to China) many years ago in Shenzhen. He was happily munching away when a Chinese friend innocently asked him, "Have you eaten frog before?"

Whoops!

 

[cap n chris]

Less spiders in Yorkshire, loads of em in the Peak.

Fewer.

 

[Hunter]

If it helps, I’m Bedfordshire based and started caving with a club based in Luton.
I found this useful as the club had the necessary equipment ie ladders & ropes etc, organised trips to the various caving areas and there were experienced cavers to show me the ropes (no pun intended). It also meant I had regular social contact with my caving buddies when we weren’t able to get away.
After a couple of years caving through the local club and getting to know a few people in other areas through staying in club huts as a visitor, I joined a club on Mendip as that was where I did most of my caving.
Again this was beneficial as there was a lot of local knowledge, a hut to stay in and some good friends made into the bargain.
Most clubs in caving areas have reciprocal agreements with other clubs so that’s worth thinking about if you’re going to be visiting different areas of the country.

 

[Alex]

Fewer.

I bet that made you feel all superior, didn't it?

 

[alastairgott]

Damn those frogs. Eating all the beetles and leaving none for hungry cavers. I'd eat frogs, but they don't have the right sort of crunchy on the outside with a chewy centre you get from a proper exoskeleton.

I’ve never seen a newt/gecko/lizard thing in a cave/mine in Derbyshire until this weekend. I saw two in two separate locations.

One at the bottom of JH entrance shaft (alive) a green one, normally all I find there are the resident black beetles. But I think this thing had munched them all and left nothing. I’ve also never seen a centipede/many-legged(but less than 100)pede and saw one in JH.

Also at the bottom of hillocks engine shaft was a black newt/gecko/lizard just sitting on a rock and looking a lot like the black sticks around, apart from his feet. And also a many-legged-pede in here too.

Maybe I just had a more observant weekend than any other, but odd that I should find similar things in two separate sites.

 

[LarryFatcat]

I've seen newts at the bottom of the shaft in Mouldridge too