Crewe Climbing and Potholing Club.

Established 1957.      Members. BCA. DCRO. DCA. CNCC.

CCPC meets at 8.30pm on the first Monday of every month (if it is a Bank Holiday, then one week later) at ‘The Bleeding Wolf’ pub at Scholar Green, near Kidsgrove. 

We are a friendly and active club and new members are welcome.

We have a good stock of equipment for loan to new members, including SRT kit, and qualified people to help train you. 

Prospective new members can expect to be on their first caving trip fully equipped by the club within about a week of contacting us, sometimes even sooner. 

We welcome members of all abilities from novice to expert, and have frequent trips to suit both, and those in the middle. 

We have a calendar of regular meets, and are active in both cave and mine exploration, including digging. 

Contact: Ralph Johnson:-  Tel  01782 515753, E-mail  RJohnCAVE@aol.com

Here are a few handy pointers and Q/As

Where do the Members “live”? Surprisingly NOT all in Crewe, although that’s where we began over 50 years ago ! 

Members are spread far and wide, with quite a few living in North Staffordshire and East Cheshire, as well as in other parts of the U.K. and abroad.

The Club is heavily involved in Cave Rescue training, and Members who are on the team are called out by Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation whenever needed. 

Transport costs and arrangements, to and from a caving venue are your own responsibility, but it may be possible to arrange a lift if we have a Member living in your locality.

What does it cost / Membership ?

Full and AssociateMembers pay an annual membership fee (2010: Full Members pay £15.00, and Associate Members pay £8.00). Associate Members do not vote at meetings, and can only use Club Equipment when accompanied by a Full Member. Individuals who cannot attend meetings (due to distance) become Associate Members, and all new Members spend a minimum of one year as Associate Members.

What about Insurance ?

All our active Members are insured through the British Caving Association scheme, at a cost of £16.00 per annum (2010). This is third-party insurance, not personal accident insurance - all Club Members must be insured, and, in addition, all those participating in Club activities must be insured. We can arrange temporary insurance, to allow individuals to ‘try the activity’, through the British Caving Association, at a cost of £5.00. This cover lasts for three consecutive weekends, and gives third party cover. It does not cover personal accidents or equipment. The cost of temporary insurance will be deducted from the annual premium of £16.00, should an individual decide to continue caving. 

How old do you have to be?

Full and Associate Members have to be 18.

CCPC accepts Associate Members who are under the age of eighteen years, but who have passed their sixteenth birthday, providing that such young persons are sponsored by a Full Member, and have provided written consent from a parent or appropriate legal guardian.

We will provide an Information Sheet, and a Consent Form, which must be completed by a parent or appropriate legal guardian, before 16 to 18 year olds can take part in any Club activities.

CCPC has a Young Person Welfare Policy, which is available for inspection.

Some Background Information.  

Founded in 1957, Crewe Climbing and Pot-holing Club is one of the largest and most well respected caving clubs in the UK.

We are a friendly and active club, interested in all aspects of modern day cave and mine exploration, and we are pleased to welcome anyone interested in experiencing the fascinating world below ground.

We draw our membership mainly from the Cheshire and Staffordshire region, being mainly based around the Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe and Macclesfield areas. We are essentially cavers, but many members are involved in other related activities, including mountaineering and rock-climbing.

We cave in all the major caving areas of the UK, and overseas, our members have caved in many European countries, as well as further afield in New Zealand and China.

Newcomers to the sport are especially welcome.

Experienced club members, including those with nationally recognised instructing qualifications, can provide training in all modern caving techniques, including the use of flexible (wire) ladders and lifelines (more appropriate to complete novices), and Single Rope Technique (S.R.T.).

The club maintains two stores containing large quantities of specialised caving equipment, which is available to  Members.

Crewe Climbing and Pot-holing Club is a member club of the British Caving Association, the Derbyshire Caving Association, the Council of Northern Caving Clubs, and the British Cave Research Association.

We are affiliated to the Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation, and provide a strong, and highly experienced, rescue team. 

 Contact: Ralph Johnson

 Tel 01782 515753   E-mail  RJohnCAVE@aol.com