October 2024 - ICU-Caving-Announce

Socials 3-5
by Imperial College Caving Club 27 Oct '24

27 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* Dear Everyone, Apologies for the lack of socials over the last week, I have no excuse (although I guess I accidentally gave warning of it in my last email??). Anyways I am now emailing about the action-packed couple of weeks that I am planning, INCLUDING Halloween AND Guy Fawkes night (!!!!). SOCIAL :3 WHAT: In the spirit of Halloween, we will be dressing up in full caving kit and traipsing through the pubs of South Kensington, starting with the union! (You are also very welcome to turn up in your own costume should you wish). WHERE: Union Bar, other pubs to be revealed on the day (we will message the groupchat when we move, so you are always welcome to join late). WHEN: 7pm, 31/10/24 EXTRA? It may be hard to get into pubs with muddy oversuits, so on the Tuesday beforehand (29th), we can meet at stores at 5pm (before the regular bar night) and clean whichever oversuit you'd like to wear. This won't take long, although if this part doesn't sound interesting you are welcome to either wear your own costume or a regular muddy oversuit (i guess it adds to the aesthetic?). SOCIAL 4: WHAT: PIZZA NIGHT!!! A special social, where I will make the dough and sauce, and we can watch a movie whilst the pizzas cook. I definitely did not choose to do this as I have too much yeast, I swear. This is meant to be a chill night, and beforehand we can go climbing at Ravenswall, passing by a Lidl, as you MUST BYOT (Bring Your Own Toppings). This social is meant to stand in for the fact that W2 is delayed by a week, so please do come along. WHERE: Ravenswall (https://maps.app.goo.gl/J6ggj8oY5vEmunio7) then Laura's house. 85 Talgarth Road (https://maps.app.goo.gl/NFiU6aF7hsLDvMe37) WHEN: 6pm at Ravenswall, 7pm at Laura's House 2/11/24. SOCIAL 5: WHAT: Fireworks!! We will be setting off our own fireworks (and any you wish to bring) from the back garden of cave house, with a bonfire and potentially marshmallows? We will have some snacks there but feel free to bring your own, and remember to bring a firework (if you wish). WHERE: Cavehouse - 55 Norbroke Street (https://maps.app.goo.gl/8Lqe6pqUsKdFFW2w9) WHEN: 8pm, 5/11/24 EXTRA: As we will be packing for W2 just before, feel free to join us from union/stores on our way back to East Acton from around 6-7pm. Thank you for coming to my TED talk!! Yours till I approve any of Julien's claims, Social Sec - Thurston -- Imperial College Caving Club <https://imperialcaving.com/>

1 0

Freshers Trip - Wales 2 !!!
by Imperial College Caving Club 25 Oct '24

25 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* Good Day Everyone! Sign up now for our second trip of the year!! (You know you want to!) *When* Friday 08/11 - Sunday 10/11 *Where *South Wales (Whitewalls <https://chelseaspelaeo.org/cottage>) *Membership* you need membership to join weekend trips which is £30.00 (membership lasts the entire year) Price* O**nly £35* if this is your first trip! Or £45 for returning members This is a freshers trip, so: *You Need* No Experience - No Equipment - No training! *Sign up! Please reply to this email with: * -Your full name -Any dietary requirements -Any medical conditions -An emergency contact number for your next of kin -Your CID number -And anything else you think we need to know over the course of the weekend. *If you have any medical conditions, dietary requirements, or any concerns you're not comfortable discussing over email, please speak to a committee member during kit-packing on Tuesday, or Friday. It's very important to us that our trips are inclusive, so we're happy to make accommodations. *Reply quickly to make sure you get a place!* *How the trip works* *Kit packing - *We will meet in *stores on Tuesday (04/11) at 17:00 to pack kit*. You do not need any equipment of your own, we will provide everything you could possibly need in a cave. *Transport - *We will set off in the minibus on *Friday evening around 17:30 *from outside Beit Halls and return there on Sunday evening around 23:00. *Food - *We will stop at a supermarket somewhere on the way to buy all the food we need for the weekend and also for you to buy Friday's dinner as well as snacks or drinks. Saturday’s and Sunday’s meals will be cooked as a group at the hut, and the cost is included in the trip cost. (Accommodation, food, transport and all equipment are covered by the trip cost!) *Caving - *On Saturday we'll usually wake up around 8:30, cook breakfast and plan our trips in an open discussion while we eat. We can have fairly long caving trips on Saturdays for those who want it, but sometimes a few of us decide to have a nice day on the surface instead. We'll aim to get underground right after midday, lest we anger the caving gods. Trips can range from 3 to 8 hours, depending on the cave chosen and how people are feeling. Sunday will run much the same, only trips will be shorter since we need to drive back to London in the evening as well. The caves we are likely to be visiting is the "Aggy" system, and you can read about them here: Agen Allwedd and the caves of Llangatock <https://chelseaspelaeo.org/caves> *Accommodation - *We will be staying at the Whitewalls <https://chelseaspelaeo.org/caves>. Their hut has a large kitchen and living room, plenty of bunk beds, toilets, and showers! *FAQ's* What if I can't pack kit on Tuesday? - Just send us a message, and you can do it on Friday (if you can come before 5pm that helps) What if I can't make the trip anymore? - Please give as much notice as possible, we might not be able to refund you if we can't fill your space on the bus. Can I bring my phone underground? - Short answer: yes. Long answer: We wouldn't recommend it as they can get damaged. Instead we have special 'Cave Phones' you can use to take pictures underground! Any other questions? Just reply to this email or ask on the groupchat. Tree training and kit packing are also a great chance for you to discuss any concerns or have a conversation with someone in person. *Upcoming trips* *Date Destination Details* 8/11 – 10/11 Wales W2 15/11 – 17/11 Yorkshire Y1: SRT Required 29/11 – 01/12 Yorkshire Y2: SRT Required 13/12 - 21/12 Yorkshire Winter Tour: SRT Required Don't know SRT? Don't worry! We teach SRT (Single Rope Technique) every Wednesday 1-5pm in Princess gardens. You can join and leave anytime, and there's no need to sign up or book! It takes 1-3 sessions to learn all the techniques, so come say hi! Until someone masters the Welsh "LL" sound, Chris ICCC President -- Imperial College Caving Club <https://imperialcaving.com/>

1 0

Associate Membership: Join caving as a student at another university
by Imperial College Caving Club 10 Oct '24

10 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* Good afternoon, It's great to see how many people have reached out this year from other London Universities! As the *last surviving London caving club *we feel it's very important to include students from all over. I might have already mentioned to some of you that membership of Imperial College Union is required to become a member of the club. This is possible through *Associate Membership*, and costs £5 per month (plus our £30 membership for the year). If you are currently studying at imperial, you automatically have membership to ICU, and if you're studying at the Royal Collages of Art or Music, it's only £5 for the whole year. The union states on it's website: *"Students who are over 18 and are studying at other Higher Education institutions around the world may become Associate Members of Imperial College Union. Staff of Imperial College London are also entitled to become Associate Members of the Union. * *An Associate Membership can be purchased for £5 per month in person from the Union Reception. You will need to present a valid student ID card or Imperial Staff card in person in order to purchase Associate Membership. Associate Members can purchase Life Membership for £40 once they have been a Member for at least two years (cumulatively)."* While you have to pay in person, it's quite flexible. You can pay for however pay for many months as you like at a time (i.e. one term). The Union Helpdesk is open 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday, in Beit Quad <https://maps.app.goo.gl/w8RrdoyPBQUXiUke6>. It may be convenient for you to go on Tuesday or Wednesday to join our pub night (every Tuesday from 5pm ish), or our tree training (Wednesday 1-5pm). Someone from committee will likely be available at these times as well should you need any help. Here is the link to the page on associate membership should you want to know more: Membership | Imperial College Union <https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/your-union/how-were-run/membership> If you have any questions or need any help, just ask! Caving is loads of fun and I want everybody to be able to participate! Yours, Chris -- Imperial College Caving Club <https://imperialcaving.com/>

1 0

Social 2 - Chair, Cheese, and Wine Night
by Imperial College Caving Club 09 Oct '24

09 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* *GOOD EVENING!* Apologies for the late email, but with many considerations I can finally announce our second social!! (WOW!) This social is open to anyone (yes anyone), and does not require a membership to join! Just join at whatever time you wish (within reason) and I will be happy to host you! *Social 2:* *When?:* This Saturday (12/10/24) at 5pm for the first section (assuming that the facebook marketplace deals are not responded to) and 7pm for the main event. *What???:* Due to immense interest (and diversification of social arenas), a social at the social secretary's house will be commencing. Due to being less fortunate in the seating department, a shorter social just before the main event will be taking place, with prizes that I will be awarding myself! This smaller event will be a "mad rush" around East Acton/White City to recover sitting implements, with awards for the person who finds the most chairs, and the person who finds the most creative seating vessel. If you do not wish to attend this earlier event, or are just busy, I do already own 6 seats and a lot of standing/sitting area, but these will be going at a first come first serve basis (unless you manage to weasel your way onto someone else's chair). I do understand this may sound insane, however please do join (and perhaps even consider bringing a bike for extra speed). THE MAIN EVENT - At 7pm (or whenever chair hunting is finished), we will be rounding up everyone and sitting down in my house, followed by wine and cheese! I already own 4 bottles of wine (not enough for very thirsty cavers), and will be buying a block or two of cheese so please consider bringing a small amount of cheese and some wine (although not mandatory). *Where?:* Both events will be starting at 12 Hayter House <https://maps.app.goo.gl/11vPdpUtvYM4kh5SA>, Sundew Avenue, with Wine and Cheese taking part in my flat. As a little note, I have already messaged people on Facebook marketplace for chairs, so if those do come through then chair hunting will probably still go ahead, however will not be as mandatory if you want to sit down. You are also welcome to bring your own seat as well if this sounds crazy. I will also be updating Whatsapp if the marketplace deals do go through. Yours 'till Julien and I stop feeling like Bell Curves, Thurston -- Imperial College Caving Club <https://imperialcaving.com/>

1 0

Wales 1 - Sign Up Now!
by Imperial College Caving Club 09 Oct '24

09 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* Hi everyone, Our first trip of the year is next weekend!! *When* Friday 18/10 - Sunday 20/10 *Where *South Wales (SWCC <https://swcc.org.uk/joomla-swcc/accommodation>) *Membership* you need membership to join weekend trips which is £30.00 (membership lasts the entire year) *Price *£45 however if this is your first trip with us you get a discount making it *only £35* for the entire weekend! *Sign up! Please reply to this email with: * -Your full name -Any dietary requirements -Any medical conditions -An emergency contact number for your next of kin -Your CID number -And anything else you think we need to know over the course of the weekend. *If you have any medical conditions, dietary requirements, or any concerns you're not comfortable discussing over email, please speak to a committee member during kit-packing on Tuesday, or Friday. It's very important to us that our trips are inclusive, so we're happy to make accommodations. *Reply quickly to make sure you get a place!* *Please only buy the trip fee once your spot on this trip has been confirmed*. We are still waiting on the union to let the trip go ahead, but we should have spots confirmed by Sunday at 17:00 and an email with more details will be sent out then. *How the trip works* *Kit packing - *We will meet in *stores on Tuesday (15/10) at 17:00 to pack kit*. You do not need any equipment of your own, we will provide everything you could possibly need in a cave. *Transport - *We will set off in the minibus on *Friday evening around 17:30 *from outside Beit Halls and return there on Sunday evening around 23:00. *Food - *We will stop at a supermarket somewhere on the way to buy all the food we need for the weekend and also for you to buy Friday's dinner as well as snacks or drinks. Saturday’s and Sunday’s meals will be cooked as a group at the hut, and the cost is included in the trip cost. (Accommodation, food, transport and all equipment are covered by the trip cost!) *Caving - *On Saturday we'll usually wake up around 8:30, cook breakfast and plan our trips in an open discussion while we eat. We can have fairly long caving trips on Saturdays for those who want it, but sometimes a few of us decide to have a nice day on the surface instead. We'll aim to get underground right after midday, lest we anger the caving gods. Trips can range from 3 to 8 hours, depending on the cave chosen and how people are feeling. Sunday will run much the same, only trips will be shorter since we need to drive back to London in the evening as well. The caves we are likely to be visiting is the OFD system, and you can read about them here: Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 1 Caving Photos and information <http://www.ogof.org.uk/ofd1.html> *Accommodation - *We will be staying at the South Wales Caving Club <https://swcc.org.uk/joomla-swcc/accommodation>. Their hut has a large kitchen and living room, plenty of bunk beds, toilets, and showers! *Upcoming trips* *Date Destination Details* 18/20-20/10 Wales W1 8/11 – 10/11 Wales W2 15/11 – 17/11 Yorkshire Y1: SRT Required 29/11 – 01/12 Yorkshire Y2: SRT Required 13/12 - 21/12 Yorkshire Winter Tour: SRT Required Don't know SRT? Don't worry! We teach SRT (Single Rope Technique) every Wednesday 1-5pm in Princess gardens. You can join and leave anytime, and there's no need to sign up or book! It takes 1-3 sessions to learn all the techniques, so come say hi! Yours 'til the Cwm Dwr crawl, Chris ICCC President P.S. Pub every Tuesday around 6pm at the union bar/568, look for a caving helmet to find us or send a message in the WhatsApp ( https://chat.whatsapp.com/GQWF1ZlOVTk54ofa808IM <https://chat.whatsapp.com/GQWF1ZlOVTk54ofa808IME>) -- Imperial College Caving Club <https://imperialcaving.com/>

1 0

Social 1 - Introduction talk and Film night
by Imperial College Caving Club 02 Oct '24

02 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* HELLO ALL Welcome to the mailing list! As the social secretary I will be organising social events few and far between this whole year. A membership is NOT required to join ANY of the socials, so if you or a friend are interested in thinking about caving, feel very free to join!!! We are all very friendly (We do not bite I promise) and also love to talk about caving so please come to the socials and talk to us! (I'm not begging I swear) *SOCIAL 1:* *What?:* Our first social of the year will be an introductory talk from the president Chris followed by a film night with a little break for food in between (be excited for the food i promise it will be good, and many of you will be shocked by secrets these foodstuffs behold). Again, these socials are free to join by anyone who doesn't have a membership, just rock up whenever and join. The films in question later in the evening are still to be decided, however the decision is usually a funny caving oriented film or something similar. *When?:* THIS SATURDAY (That's right, THIS SATURDAY the 5th of October), with the talk commencing at 4pm and the film night at 7pm. *Where?:* Cave house!!! (55 Norbroke Street). For all freshers living in North Acton, the best way there is either the tube to East Acton or the 283, and for all freshers living on campus, the same tube stop applies, but for buses it is best to take the 49 to Shepherds bush then the 95! *Extras (Why?):* We do understand that this social coincides with freshers week, which is why we decided the intro talk will end before 6pm, meaning if you want to go out in the evening and are deciding between this or that you are very welcome to just do both and leave after the talk (although we absolutely encourage that you stay for the film night). Snacks and some alcohol will be provided but I recommend bringing some drinks of your own. *SOCIAL 2:* While still not fully decided upon where this will take place, the second social of the year will be a wine and cheese night the Saturday after social 1. This means if you can't make the first social this Saturday - do not worry! There is never a time too late to join us. Yours 'till I can get out of my *geo oversuit,* Thurston -- Imperial College Caving Club <https://imperialcaving.com/>

1 0

Welcome to Caving 2024/25!
by Imperial College Caving Club 01 Oct '24

01 Oct '24

******************* This email originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx to disable email stamping for this address. ******************* Hello everyone, and *welcome to caving!* *TLDR:* - Tree training Every Wednesday 1-5pm in Princes Gardens <https://maps.app.goo.gl/5wzWFbwrQWstRbMy6>- Come say hi! (No sign up or membership needed) - Trips every two weeks all over the Uk - No knowledge, skills, experience, or equipment needed - we provide everything! - Join our Whatsapp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GQWF1ZlOVTk54ofa808IME *What do we do?* We run frequent socials, weekly pub nights, training in first term, and trips every two weeks! We also run a winter tour <https://imperialcaving.com/article/yorkshire-2023-12-15>, an easter tour <https://imperialcaving.com/article/france-2024-03-23>, and a summer expedition <https://imperialcaving.com/slovenia> to Slovenia. *Socials:* This Saturday at "Cave House" (55 Norbroke street) we are hosting a welcome to caving talk and film night. Like all our socials, this is free to attend and does not need membership (more details to follow). A full calendar of our planned socials for the term will be coming out tomorrow so stay tuned! *Training:* Weekly training at Princes gardens. Every Wednesday of the first term between 1 and 5pm you can attend our free "tree training" sessions in Prince's Gardens <https://maps.app.goo.gl/5wzWFbwrQWstRbMy6> (outside Ethos Gym and Eastside accommodation). Here we teach you 'SRT' or Single Rope Technique, this is the method we use when navigating vertical cave systems. You don't need to sign up or buy membership! Just come by anytime, say hi, and give it a go! It usually takes 1-3 sessions to learn everything, but you're free to come and go anytime, and it's a great chance to meet the committee and ask questions! *Trips:* Your first trip is only £35, this covers transport, accomodation, food, and equipment for the whole weekend! We are planning four trips this term; Two in South Wales, and two in the Yorkshire Dales. These trips run from Friday night to Sunday evening, where you will get the chance to cave both Saturday and Sunday on routes suited to your experience and confidence. Trip sign ups are released via email 2 weeks before each trip, and spaces are allocated the week before. *What to expect when caving?* We run trips suited to all levels of ability throughout the year. You don't need any experience or equipment, we can provide you with everything you need. We start trips on Friday by loading a union minibus full of kit, and driving to a caving hut. There we stay for two nights with access to beds, toilets, showers, kitchen, and drying room, electricity, and (usually) wifi. Saturday morning we cook you a large breakfast, decide which caves we will be visiting, and help you to decide which trips you will enjoy the most. We then get changed and go caving! Trips can range anywhere between 3 and 6 hours, but that's up to you. While underground you'll likely get to do some climbing and scrambling, crawling and walking, squeezing and splashing, as well as some rope techniques. Saturday night we cook a large meal, talk about our trips, play some games, then get a good night's sleep. On Sunday we cook another breakfast, and go on shorter trips before packing everything back into the bus, and driving back down to London. - That's all for £35! *How do I get involved?* The best way to get involved is come see us at 'tree training'. from 1-5pm every wednesday we're available to chat, answer questions, and teach you SRT! Our weekly pub nights are also a great chance to ask questions, get to know us, and hear some brilliant stories of past caving trips - We run these every Tuesday night from 5pm onwards at 568 <https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/venues>. Join our group chat <https://chat.whatsapp.com/GQWF1ZlOVTk54ofa808IME>! Receive live updates about our socials, activities, and trips, as well as ask questions and speak to other members of caving! Join trips! Our trip sign ups are released via email and places are allocated on a first come first served basis, so stay tuned for updates on trips, and socials! Membership is £30 and lasts the whole year, you can buy it on the Union Website: ICUshop - Caving <https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/shop/csp/caving/caving-membership-24-25> *Learn More:* Check out our website: ImperialCaving.com <https://imperialcaving.com/> access our enormous archive of trip reports, photos, and wikipedia! Follow us on instagram <https://www.instagram.com/iccaving/> and facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ImperialCollegeCavingClub/> Join our group chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GQWF1ZlOVTk54ofa808IM <https://chat.whatsapp.com/GQWF1ZlOVTk54ofa808IME> Email - We're happy to answer any questions you might have, so just send us a message *Upcoming events:* 02/10/2024 - Training - Our first 'SRT' (Single Rope Technique) training session - run weekly! 05/10/2024 - Social - Welcome to caving talk and film night 18/10/2024 - Wales 1 - Our first caving trip of the year 08/11/2024 - Wales 2 - Our second caving trip of the year 15/11/2024 - Yorkshire 1 - Our first vertical trip of the year! (SRT required) 29/11/2024 - Yorkshire 2 - Our second vertical trip of the year! (SRT required) + loads more socials in between! I hope you have a great time during your studies at Imperial, and that the Caving Club can play a part in that! Yours until I learn to see in the dark, Chris ICCC President *P.S.* Did I mention we have a website? It's awesome! You should check it out: Imperial College Caving Club (imperialcaving.com) <https://imperialcaving.com/> You can find loads of cool pictures, and reports of trips we've done over the years.

1 0