... and the winner is ...

Giles Barker Award 2026

Giles Barker lost his life while caving in Spain in 1992. He was an accomplished cave photographer and a member of the Red Rose CPC and Morgannwg CC.

These clubs have annually, since 1993, funded the Giles Barker Award in his memory. This prestigious award – a hand-crafted statue of a cave photographer made by Ceris Jones is given to a person connected with any aspect of cave photography in recognition of his or her excellence and contributions to the field.

When I was younger, so much younger than today (that sounds like a good lyric for a song), I used to dream fantasise  about winning this award. After all, my caving videos for a while were quite popular - I have the views to prove it.

As the contestants on Britain’s Got Talent are always saying when asked what it would mean to win the contest, it would have meant the World to me.

However, each year when the award was presented at the national caving conference, I would look at the recipient and realise that they were so much more talented and deserving than me - just look at what the other three Dudley recipients, Brendan, Mark and Bartek have achieved!

In fact reading through the list of recipients reads like a Who’s Who of caving royalty. Jerry Wooldridge, Peter Collings-Wells, Dave Gibson, Chris Howes, Gavin Newman, My hero - Sid Perou, Paul Deakin, Andy Eavis, Andy Sparrow, Peter Harvey, Robbie Shone, Paul Fretwell, Clive Westlake, Rob Eavis, Dave Webb, The Freems, Pete Glanvill, Martyn Farr, Paul Taylor, Bill Nix and Roo Walters, to name but a few.

I am truly honoured, but also I am a little bemused that my name will now be entered in the Hall of Fame.

And finally in true BAFTA award winning speech style, I could not have done it without the support and encouragement that I have been incredibly lucky to have had from numerous members of Dudley Caving Club over many years. My heartfelt thanks to you all. I shouldn’t really single anyone out, but very special thanks must go to Mark, Jess, Ian and Kay aka Keith’s Cavers.

Me and Bartek at HE 2026. He won a few awards too.

 

The International Day of Caves and Karst 2026

The International Day of Caves and Karst is a chance for people around the world to celebrate caves, karst and the people who explore, study and protect them. On 13 September 2026, the world will celebrate the first UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst. 

To help mark this important occasion, we wanted to create a video that would share something of the excitement, adventure and passion that lies at the heart of caving. 

And we couldn't have done it without the members of Dudley Caving Club. 

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, helped out, appeared on camera, provided footage, offered ideas, helped behind the scenes, or simply gave their time and enthusiasm to make the video happen. Making a video like this takes much more than pressing record. It takes people willing to turn up, get involved, try things more than once, help each other out and, of course, spend a fair amount of time underground! 

That's something Dudley Caving Club has been doing for decades, so in addition to our 60th anniversary celebrations, lets share the enjoyment of celebrating the International Day of Caves and Karst. and encourage others to discover the underground world. 

This video is therefore not just about the International Day of Caves and Karst. It's also about the people who make caving what it is a shared adventure, a chance to explore places most people never see, and a way of learning more about the world beneath our feet. 

To every Dudley Caving Club member who played a part and the whole caving community that contributed to making of this video: Thank you for your time. Thank you for your enthusiasm. Thank you for your patience. And thank you for helping us celebrate caves and karst. 

We hope the video captures just a little of what makes caving so special and helps encourage more people to discover, understand and protect the underground world. From everyone involved in the project thank you, Dudley Caving Club! 

Discover. Understand. Protect. 

Special thanks to Lucy Hyde for getting this project off the ground in the first place, and to Professor John Gunn for his support throughout.

#InternationalDayOfCavesAndKarst #IDCK2026 #DudleyCavingClub #Caving #Karst #Speleology 

Otter Hole Trip Report (22/08/2026)

Jonny, Oliver and Phoebe all had their first adventure into Otter Hole; this trip was led by Joel. The 30-minute walk from the car park took us south off the hillside and into the Wye floodplain, which we followed for a short while until we reached the cave's entrance. Here, we kitted up ready for our over-tide trip, making sure we took a 'before' photo with all of our clean(ish) kit! Oliver had just bought some new caving gear being a new member, not least a new PVC oversuit which was sure never to look the same again after a trip into Otter!

 

Entering the cave, the first part of the entrance series was straight into a crawl for around 10 minutes. Once the cave opened out, this soon marked the start of the tidal passages. Otter Hole, situated not far above the lower tidal reaches of the River Wye, is tidally influenced: the main streamway's resurgence on the River Wye is located between the high and low tide level, meaning the streamway backs up in the cave, flooding the lower part of the entrance series.

After climbing up an iron ladder and through the proceeding streamway passages, we were well beyond the tidal sump. It was a tiring round-trip to reach the further chambers, but anyone who has experienced the awe-inspiring beauty of these chambers knows it is well worth the journey. Frequent decorations of long soda straws hinted at what was ahead, the first impressive chamber being the Hall of the Thirty – huge and abundant adornments of stalagmites and stalactites create a chamber like no other. This cave had almost every calcite formation imaginable – helictites, popcorn, curtains and columns were all abundant. Other notable chambers included Long Straw Chamber; we carried on for a further 20 minutes until we turned around and headed back for the entrance, now the tide was receding.

On the return trip, our tiredness showed at this point, with Phoebe losing not one but both wellies in the thick estuary mud of the tidal sump - luckily these were both retrieved! Upon reaching the exit, we took a complimentary 'after' photo after our 9-hour trip, with Jonny's
looking a little worse for wear at this point.

Report by: Oliver

Yorkshire Dales May Bank Holiday Adventure

Over the second May Bank Holiday weekend, a group of Dudley Caving Club members headed north to the Yorkshire Dales for a fantastic few days of caving, climbing, and underground adventure. Armed with enough caving gear to sink a small ship and optimism that the weather forecast might be wrong, we settled into our accommodation and prepared for a weekend of underground entertainment.

Saturday was designated as a training day, which meant everyone was expected to remember all the SRT techniques they learned on previous trips. Some succeeded immediately, while others required a little gentle encouragement, a few reminders, and the occasional shout from below.A bolt-climbing session followed, providing a chance to gain height, build confidence and, in some cases, gain a whole new appreciation for the effects of gravity. Fortunately, everyone emerged with improved skills, intact limbs and a healthy appetite for the evening's refreshments.   

 

Rigging practice - photos Zeina Y. 

Sunday saw the group divide according to preference and energy levels. One team headed underground to tackle Short Drop Pot and Gavel Pot. The caves provided everything Yorkshire potholes should: flowing water, sporting traverses, awkward squeezes and plenty of opportunities to become damp despite the best efforts of waterproof clothing. The trip through Short Drop and Gavel proved particularly enjoyable, with the impressive passages and pitches reminding everyone why these systems remain classic Dales outings. There was the usual exchange of route-finding advice, some creative interpretations of survey information, and the inevitable debate over whether a particular section was "quite roomy really" or "absolutely horrible". Meanwhile, the surface dwellers spent the day trad climbing on the limestone crags at Twistleton Scar. Reports suggest that routes were climbed, gear placements were tested, and egos remained mostly undamaged. Whether the climbers enjoyed better weather than the cavers remains unclear, but they were certainly cleaner by the end of the day.  Back at the hut at evening, wet gear was hung wherever space could be found.

  

Twistleton Scar climbing - photos Dave B

The highlight of the weekend came on Monday when everyone reunited for a trip into the legendary Gaping Gill cave system. Entering one of Britain's most famous cave networks is always a special experience, and the vast chambers, impressive formations, and sheer scale of the system did not disappoint. From the moment we descended underground, we were reminded why Gaping Gill remains such an iconic destination for cavers from across the country.
The trip provided plenty of memorable moments: navigating boulder-strewn passages, marvelling at the sheer size of the caverns, and trying to capture photographs that somehow never quite convey just how impressive the place really is. 
By the time Monday afternoon arrived, the group was tired, muddy and carrying slightly more Yorkshire limestone than when we had arrived. Another excellent bank holiday meet was in the books, with plenty of laughs, successful trips and a reminder that some of the best weekends are spent underground with good friends.
A huge thank you to everyone who organised the weekend, led trips, shared their knowledge, offered lifts, carried tackle and generally contributed to another memorable Dudley Caving Club adventure. We returned home tired, muddy, and already looking forward to the next trip.

The Rigger... 

...The Model

Gavel Pot

Gavel Pot

Mud Hall

Gavel Pot entrance - photos Bartek

Report: Paulina

Midlands Cave Rescue practice in Shropshire

A few members of the club who are also volunteering with the local cave rescue team, have taken part in an underground rescue practice in one of the Shropshire mines.

On top of the usual communication, search and route-finding skills being practiced, the team members had a chance to participate in a scenario of simulated mine collapse. Mine passage stabilisation and shoring took place in a real underground environment. The exercise was a great success with few new members joined the team. 

More info: 

https://www.midlandscaverescue.org.uk/

&

https://www.facebook.com/midlandscaverescue/

Photos: Bartek Biela

New and returning members trip to Aggy - Music Room

Very happy bunch of full, new and returning members got together on the 9th of May for a simple, easy and joyful trip to the Music Room in Aggy. 

The trip was attended by a record number of members, hence a split to 2 smaller and more manageable groups. Few people ventured further into the cave to explore the Cliffs of Dover and beyond. Overall the trip was enjoyed by all, and hopefully we'll see new members turning up for more advanced trips. 

Raport: Bartek; Photos: Bartek

Dudley Caving Club 60th Anniversary Dinner

On Saturday 25th April 2026, Dudley Caving Club as part of ongoing celebrations held a 60th Anniversary Dinner at the Lodge in Dudley. The event was attended by 47 guests. A wonderful mix of founding & original members, retired, current and new members plus partners and a welcome number from the Caving community to support us. 

An excellent 3 course meal was enjoyed followed by 3 presentations. John Smith an original founding member had put together a rolling slide show during the meal and now had the almost impossible task of condensing 60 years into 30 minutes with more slides and succeeded rapturous applause. 

John's talk was followed by Emma Porter and Mike Clayton who spoke about MCRO and it's long standing connection with DCC. They also squeezed into their very tight spot, information about BCRC and the Thai Rescue. A very polished performance and very well received. 

Finally it was the turn of our very own Caver Keith (Keith Edwards) with a light hearted complication of video clips taken over many years and featured many in the room, not always at their best caving  moments. What a wonderful way to end the evening. 

Thanks must go to all  the staff at the Lodge for the wonderful food, room layout and excellent service. Closer to home, thanks to our secretary Paulina Biela, for scouring club records and files to find and contact so many ex members. Likewise Emma Porter did a similar thing with MCRO contacts. Dave Jahn our Treasurer for collecting all the money and making sure the figures added up. All our guest speakers as above for making it such an informative and fun evening and all the members past and present for supporting the evening. And finally Bartek Biela for recording the event for the club blog and posterity.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FT8NvhkwYnZHqQHo6

Report: Ian Millwar