Welcome!

Reading University Club is one of the most active clubs at Reading, meeting each week, and spending at least three weekends away each term. Over the past year we have managed 23 caves, 8 big social events and 36 different pubs between us. Membership is open to both students and the general public.

Pleasant though the town of Reading is, it is somewhat short of caves. We will therefore typically spend three weekends away each term in some of the most beautiful parts of the country, including the Yorkshire Dales, Derbyshire, the Mendips, Devon and South Wales. We realise a whole weekend is a big commitment, particularly if you're new, but it does give much more opportunity to get to know people and go a bit further afield.

We meet every week on a Monday from around 9:00pm onwards at the College Arms on Wokingham Road (see this Map). For the first two weeks we will be meeting outside the union at 8:30 so you know where to find us. This is your chance to find out what trips are planned and engage fellow cavers in a spot of intellectual chat.

RUCC has a large supply of caving gear in our tackle hut, so if you're new to caving don't worry as we have all the equipment required; - protective clothing, helmets, harnesses, ropes as well as rigging guides, maps and books. For more information what you will need on a trip and to see what gear the club provides go to the gear section. The club makes several bulk orders during the year for which it receives a discounted price, if there is any equipment you would like to add to our order list either personally or something you think the club should buy please notify the tackle master.

If you are interested in caving and wish to join please e-mail the president Martyn and he'll let you know what you need to do.

For anyone new to caving, we've tried to answer some of the common questions in our 'Frequently Asked Questions' section, but the best way to find out more is to come along on a trip. Please get in touch if you need to know anything else.

Training

The club offers training for trip members in ladder climbing and insists upon training trip members in Single Rope Technique. The training takes place at Brunel climbing wall by our instructors. It is always a relaxed atmosphere with no pressure and will be arranged around whenever you can make it. We usually go for a drink in the bar afterwards. For training we will meet in Reading and provide transport for everyone to get to Brunel University - a short 40 min drive. If you would prefer to meet us there links to maps can be found below - please meet us at Brunel Unversity Sports Centre Entrance.

A map of Brunel can be found here and here.

Socialising

Socialising and being nice to each other is a major part of the club, and an activity that we like to practice a great deal. We think we are one of the more sociable clubs at Reading, and lots of events are held each term, for example the Christmas party, Sweeny Todd's pie eating evenings, curry nights, scavenger hunts, quiz nights, and other trips to the pub. We've also been known to ice skate, climb, surf, mountain bike, get into fancy dress and fall over at each other's parties. Viewing the photos afterwards can be an 'interesting' experience... We also provide a readymade crowd for activities such as the Reading beer festival, jazz festival and so on.

The RUCC E-mail List

We have an email list, where all members can receive updates regarding the latest trips and other club information. Please note joining the list is subject to moderation, but we are sure you will be approved ;)
 
To subscribe to RUCavers, click on this link and enter your email address at the top of the page and hit 'Subscribe'. You will receive an email to the supplied email address regarding your subscription to the list.
 
To unsubscribe from RUCavers, get a password reminder, or change your subscription options, click the link, scroll to the bottom of the page, enter your email address and hit 'Unsubscribe or edit options' you can then choose what you wish to do. Please note the 'Cookies' warning. By clicking the 'Unsubscribe' button on the next page, a confirmation message will be sent to your subscribed email address. This message will have a link that you should click on to complete the removal process. If in doubt or if unsuccessful please let us know.