GETTING STARTED

Cheese Press

The Cheese Press, Lower Long Churn Cave, popular with new cavers

Caving and mine exploration is one of the most adventurous and rewarding activities available to the average person today.  Caving can range from easy trips for the beginner to longer, more technical trips for advanced cavers.  Your first caving trip may be with a school or youth group or you may join a student caving club.  For those who did not have the opportunity to do either some of the established caving clubs run "have a go" trips for beginners and there are various outdoor activity groups which will take you underground.
Many people will have their first taste of underground adventure by visiting a show cave or mine and for those feeling a little more adventurous there is the opportunity to be lowered down Gaping Gill on the winch during the Spring and August Bank Holidays.
Caving can offer a wide variety of activities underground such as photography, cave radio and electronics, exploration and surveying new passages, single rope techniques, expeditions abroad and S.C.U.B.A. diving of underwater passages.

http://gocave.com                                  A useful resource site for people new to caving
http://claphamadventure.co.uk            Offers trips beyond the show cave section of Ingleborough Cave
http://www.bpc-cave.org.uk                  Bradford Pothole Club organises the Spring B.H. winch meet at Gaping Gill
http://www.cravenpotholeclub.org       Organisers of the August B.H. winch meet at Gaping Gill
https://www.derbyscc.org.uk                Derbyshire Caving Club run open days at Alderley Edge Copper Mines and also do
                                                                 "have a go" weekends
http://british-caving.org.uk                   The British Caving Association is the umbrella organisation for caving clubs in the
                                                                 U.K. and offer insurance to cavers either direct or through clubs affiliated with it.