******************* 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.