'New to Caving' website launched

[Pegasus]

We're delighted to announce the launch of a new website

www.newtocaving.com





Years ago, if interested in caving it was down the library to read 'The Spur Book of Caving', nowadays it's reach for the smart phone.

We therefore wanted to provide a modern, professionally designed website to inspire and encourage new people to take up our sport.

With the help of Dan at http://www.torstudio.co.uk/ (who by coincidence happens to have a mine shaft in his back garden that cavers have recently made safe!) and after several months of hard work and invaluable support from many cavers we are finally ready to 'go live' 

Thank you to all the photographers who allowed us to use their fabulous shots, to the video team, especially Mark Sims for all his technical help, to Adele for the use of her story and Southampton Uni for their excellent poster....and also to all those who responded to my various requests for help - even if we didn't use your photo, you gave us more choice and that in itself was so useful, thank you 

If you know of a group or organisation who would be interested linking to 'New to Caving', please PM me or simply send them the link, thank you.

Please help us spread the word about caving to a new generation of cavers, share on social media or if you run a caving club (or other) website consider linking to 'New to Caving' - thank you for your support.

We hope you like it, cheers, Pegasus & Badlad

[adam]

Brilliant! Really good website and a great advert for the sport. Love the video as well! 

[SteveA]

Good looking site well thought out & presented all the best with it

[skippy]

Great web site folks

[Dave Tyson]

I like the layout and the video is excellent - a good choice of location as that's where a lot of newbies start. Lots of well presented information, it hopefully will encourage more to venture underground. It might be worthwhile if caving club websites (and the BCA) link to it to push up its page rank in Google.

My only (slight) criticism is there seems to be no mention of mine-exploring 

Dave

[Pegasus]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement.

@Dave - so sorry no mention of mine exploration    We will be updating NTC to keep it fresh and I'll take all comments into account - yours is on the list!  We could add something to taking it further maybe??

I couldn't agree more about the more links to the site the better.  We will be asking all clubs who want to be listed if they will please link back to us - seems fair enough, reciprocal links 

[Ian Adams]

The original initiative was applaudable and to see it carried through (with finesse) is great.

Top job !

 

Ian

[Hammy]

Great website and thanks for including Mine exploration!

[mikem]

Looks good. For some reason "The Forest" has been separated from "of Dean & Devon." on this page:
http://newtocaving.com/start-caving.php
& would be good if the map had some links to pictures of each area's caves...

Mike

[Pegasus]

Looks good. For some reason "The Forest" has been separated from "of Dean & Devon." on this page:
http://newtocaving.com/start-caving.php
& would be good if the map had some links to pictures of each area's caves...

Mike

If you view on a laptop there's a map with photos of the various caving regions, but not visible when viewing by mobile - so have forwarded your comments to Dan, thank you 

[Long Drop]

Excellent website, we've been long overdue for something fresh like this.

The clubs are currently organised alphabetically, would it be possible to arrange that they are searchable by geographical area? (I.e., if I live in Aberystwyth where is my nearest club?)

Good effort.

L

[ZombieCake]

Good stuff 

[Speleofish]

What a wonderful website. It answers (some) of the questions people always used to ask me - 'Why do you do it?' Hopefully it will inspire more people...

[ChrisJC]

I like the layout and the video is excellent - a good choice of location as that's where a lot of newbies start. Lots of well presented information, it hopefully will encourage more to venture underground. It might be worthwhile if caving club websites (and the BCA) link to it to push up its page rank in Google.

My only (slight) criticism is there seems to be no mention of mine-exploring 

Dave

I rather think one of the photos is Rhiw Bach!

Excellent website - 11/10.

Chris.

[mudman]

Excellent,  really well done.  There's been a lot of thought and hard work put into that and it's come out well.
Congratulations.

[Pegasus]

Excellent website, we've been long overdue for something fresh like this.

The clubs are currently organised alphabetically, would it be possible to arrange that they are searchable by geographical area? (I.e., if I live in Aberystwyth where is my nearest club?)

Good effort.

L

Thank you (everyone) for your positive feedback. 

Ref clubs being searchable by geographical area - it wasn't easy getting the list together that's on New to Caving at the moment - see this thread:

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=21747.0  ... and thank you to all those who responded from those clubs   

so we left it as alphabetical for now.

Hopefully clubs who want to be added and have a good 'novice policy' will fill in the form - all we will ask is they agree to put a link to NTC on their website.

We've already had a number of requests (I'll be in touch soon - it's been a bit busy today!) and as the list lengthens, we'll look again at how the clubs are listed.

Cheers, Pegasus

[teabag]

Great looking site - well done.
However, you clearly mostly cave in nice clean water-washed Yorkshire caves - "The caver may walk, twist and squeeze, they may climb, stoop and crawl, and they may plunge, wade and swim; ascending and descending through the wonderful spaces left between rock and water." In Derbyshire that would be "between rock and mud."

[mtringham]

Great website, well done, but please reconsider showing the picture on home page which has 3 cavers standing on top of stalagmites in a large very well decorated chamber. Whatever safeguards you took taking off boots etc this will not be apparent to a novice caver looking at the website who will likely get the message its OK to tread or climb over formations. Of course this contradicts the conservation messages on later page. Thanks, Mark Tringham

[mikem]

Great looking site - well done.
However, you clearly mostly cave in nice clean water-washed Yorkshire caves - "The caver may walk, twist and squeeze, they may climb, stoop and crawl, and they may plunge, wade and swim; ascending and descending through the wonderful spaces left between rock and water." In Derbyshire that would be "between rock and mud."

There are a few pics of muddy (& not so muddy) Mendip cavers...

Mike

[caving_fox]

Join the chorus, it really is a well made website, hope it gets lots of traffic!

[Cap'n Chris]

Super!

[Judi Durber]

Nice   

Just watched the caving video 

it then rolled onto a video of Vin Garbutt then random video's of some females including the PM! before Vin came on again   

Has my laptop picked up a selection it thinks I might like or are they from the web page the first one is hung on?

[Pegasus]

Looks good. For some reason "The Forest" has been separated from "of Dean & Devon." on this page:
http://newtocaving.com/start-caving.php
& would be good if the map had some links to pictures of each area's caves...

Mike

Hi Mikem,

This was Dan's reply:

I hid the image on mobile as it was far too small - you couldn't really see the images or the map clearly enough.
 
If you view it on mobile in landscape it appears though.
 
I'll get on to the Forest of Dean text today - well spotted!

So thanks for the good spot - and turn your mobile landscape to see the map   Cheers, Pegasus
 

[Pegasus]

Nice   

Just watched the caving video 

it then rolled onto a video of Vin Garbutt then random video's of some females including the PM! before Vin came on again   

Has my laptop picked up a selection it thinks I might like or are they from the web page the first one is hung on?

Thanks, Judy - video shouldn't run on, will get it sorted 

[mikem]

Hi Mikem,

This was Dan's reply:

I hid the image on mobile as it was far too small - you couldn't really see the images or the map clearly enough.
 
If you view it on mobile in landscape it appears though.
 
I'll get on to the Forest of Dean text today - well spotted!

So thanks for the good spot - and turn your mobile landscape to see the map   Cheers, Pegasus

Yep, I can see the landscape pictures, but would be good to have some actual cave photos linked from there...

Mike