*Dear Cavers,* We're fast hurtling towards the last trip of the term: *20-22nd March: Derbyshire / TSG* Derbyshire is a great place to go caving - 200m deep exchange trips available for the SRT aficionados, as well as the wet'n'wild "probably the best non-rope trip in the country" Giants Round trip. The hut is a converted chapel right in the heart of Castleton, with a stone's throw of many fine pubs and tea shops. Derbyshire is a couple of hours less drive that Yorks, which is also good... The usual £35 all in, eat as much chilli as you want, cave as long as you fancy, ICCC special! *Wednesday Tree Training / eSoc Garden Party - Wed 11th March http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/scc/esoc/garden.php * Come along to the secret garden (see above) for the midweek pivot of Green Week, and a chance to practice SRT in the friendly trees before your next vertical descent...* Slovenia *Some of us went for a long weekend Winter Mountaineering + Caving to Slovenia, where we did a 700m through trip after a rather scary ice ascent. The place is absolutely stunning. http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/photo_archive/slovenia/2009-02-Poloska/ Have a look at the photos, and start planning your summer holidays around the: Brezzvezdna Noč 2009 Expedition: Sat 25th July --> 23rd August (4 weeks)<http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/slovenia/slov2009/> *Summer Hijinx * Summer is fast approaching! After our TGV Tour to the Vercors (9-15th April), caving in late Easter and the summer term will be organised on a much more ad-hoc basis, with last minute hires, trains, planes and bicycles rather than the reliable fortnightly van meets. Which is to say, that if you're interested in coming caving in the summer, you really should get on the chatter mailing list, and make it to some Tuesday meets.* * However, we still do plan, or rather scheme, so here's a vague bill: *Late April:* Long weekend camp in Daren Cilau, hopefully doing something productive (underground camping) *MayDay:* Long weekend in Yorks, to wake the mites from their slumber and tick off some of the 'warm water only' pots. *June:* The BBQ van trip - a camping trip to a minor caving region (perhaps Portland?) with more of an emphasis of BBQs than hours underground. *+ Whatever comes up...* Finally, if you're around on Thurs 12th March, you may be interested in what looks to be an extremely interesting lecture put on by the Explo Soc - 'If You Fall': 'IF YOU FALL......' Adventurer Karen Darke talks about her incredible life in her first UK lecture-tour. *This Thursday 12th March * *7pm* *Room 308 Huxley Building* (please use entrance on Queens Gate) *Tickets now available online here (product name KDINTAD): http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/exploration-91/category.html* ** *Or buy yours at 1pm in Beit Quad on Tuesdays.* *Prices £4 in advance for Explo members, otherwise £6 on the door (subsidised by club). * *For non-members £10 in advance (available by contacting this email address) or £12 on the door.* *(Join the Exploration club for £2 at imperialcollegeunion.org)* *'I'd always thought I'd rather be dead than paralysed: One slip, one moment and everything changes...'* ** A keen runner and mountaineer before becoming paralysed in a rock-climbing accident in 1993, Karen Darke is a truly remarkable woman, having achieved a series of challenges that most of us would never even attempt. Karen's traumatic fall from a Scottish sea cliff at the age of 21 changed the course of her life forever. Although she had said only the night before that she would rather die than be paralysed, Karen chose to fight preconceived ideas of just what was possible for someone who could feel nothing below their chest. Just four years after her accident, Karen crossed the Tien Shan and Karakoram mountains of Central Asia on a hand bike. This was to be the first of many adventures which would see Karen hand cycle the length of the Japanese archipelago, sea kayak a 1200 mile length of the Canada - Alaska coastline, cross the Indian Himalaya by hand cycle and make a record-breaking 600 kilometre crossing of the Greenland ice cap. Karen's captivating story begins with her accident and tracks her journey of recovery and acceptance through to her evermore daring series of adventures - finally leading her back to the rockface where she faces her fear head on and climbs to the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite after over 4000 pull ups. "What is life if it isn't an adventure? Disabled is a state of mind not a state of body, and I'm constantly amazed by what can be achieved if we set our heart and mind to it. It's all about finding belief, confidence, motivation and commitment. And of course, friends. Then there are no limits." Karen is an extraordinary human being, and a woman who has touched the lives of many through her spirit for adventure. 'If you fall' is her story. *'Karen's captivating story shines a bright light on the meaning of challenge, and on the limitless capabilities of the human spirit.' * Sir Ranulph Fiennes, polar explorer *'Karen Darke's story is about the indomitability of spirit. She has overcome the limitations of paralysis and discovered a life of challenge and adventure that many of us only dream about'* Joe Simpson, mountaineer and author of 'Touching the Void' Event organised by Speakers From the Edge, and hosted by ICU Exploration Club