The Cambridge University Caving Club was founded in 1949. The club organizes single rope technique (SRT) training, social events, and weekend caving trips as well as longer expeditions.
Contents
Currently, annual expeditions are carried out to the Ardèche region of France for sport. Between 1988 and 1997 there were annual Christmas expeditions to Majorca, Spain.
Ardèche is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the Ardèche River and had a population of 320,379 as of 2013. Its largest cities are Aubenas, Annonay, Guilherand-Granges, Tournon-sur-Rhône and Privas (prefecture).
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a European country located in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean. Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
The main summer expedition, which has been going on nearly every year since 1976, [1] has been to the Loser Plateau, in the Totes Gebirge Mountains, Austria. Since around 1980 the base camp has been in Bad Aussee.
The Loser Plateau is part of the Totes Gebirge mountain range in the Salzkammergut of Austria. It is most easily accessed up a toll road from the town of Altaussee. It is a Nature Reserve, notable for its caves and unspoilt alpine Karst ecosystem. Hunting permits are issued to control Chamois.
The Totes Gebirge is a group of mountains in Austria, part of the Northern Limestone Alps, lying between the Salzkammergut and the Ennstaler Alpen. The name Totes Gebirge is derived from the German words tot meaning "dead", referring to the apparent lack of vegetation, and Gebirge meaning "mountain range". The area is a large karst plateau with steep sides, and several mountain peaks above 2000 m. The highest point is the summit of Großer Priel, at 2,515 metres (8,251 ft)
Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in Central Europe comprising nine federated states. Its capital, largest city and one of nine states is Vienna. Austria has an area of 83,879 km2 (32,386 sq mi), a population of nearly nine million people and a nominal GDP of $477 billion. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The terrain is landlocked and highly mountainous, lying within the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 m (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 m (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other regional languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.
Notable caves that have been discovered and explored include Steinbrückenhöhle (1999–present), Kaninchenhöhle (1988–1998), Stellerweghöhle (1972–1982).
Former members of the club have founded Hong Meigui cave exploration society of China.
